Where do words come from?
When you google that question,
you realize how new the verb, “google” is!

Of course, you know how that word, Google, originated.
It was those 4 or 5 guys in a garage, right?
But what about the word “zany”?
Where did it originate?

Shakespeare!
Shakespeare had an incredible influence on the English language and invented “zany” – as well as hundreds of other words we still use today.
Here are some of the more than 1,700 words first used in Shakespeare’s writing:Â
- amazement
- bedroom
- champion
- dawn
- eyeball
- fashionable
- gossip
- moonbeam
- olympian
- puking
- swagger
- unreal
- zany
Wow! Shakespeare!

He was sooooo creative!!
(That’s an understatement)
We’ll never know exactly what Shakespeare looked like,
but many portraits share similar features. This one is a Getty image.
Here’s an image of Zany Me:

How zany can you get?
You have to “SnapChat” it before you get
those ears and eyelashes – and such smooth skin!
Do you know SnapChat?
It’s one of many programs out there that
help us creatively present ourselves.
Internet Writing Programs
Sometimes we present ourselves visually with doctored images (like the one above).
Do we “doctor” our verbal images of ourselves, too? Microsoft Word is one of many programs in this technological world that allows us to spice up what we say and how we say it. I love using their templates. In addition to Microsoft Word and other well-known programs, I recently discovered Google Docs. Do you know about that app?
I have Google Docs on my iPhone.
Do you use that program to
create and edit documents on the go?
You can “get stuff done”
(how’s that for creative word usage?)
with or without an internet connection.
You can write on your own – or invite more people to contibute.
My granddaughter, Faith, used Google Docs to write her
paternal (DeAngeles) Family History.
Her dad is our son, Ty.
Faith sent the Goodle Doc to me to see and edit.
It’s a great program.
Descriptive Words
Particular words jumped out at me as I read Faith’s geneological study that included health histories of her grandparents, parents, siblings, and aunts/uncles:
- heart attack
- valve replacement
- Valley Fever
- arthritis
- cancer
- diabetis
- high cholesterol
These medical issues and troublesome words don’t describe the people, or
- the beauty,
- the personalities,
- the faith,
- stamina,
- and creativity of the family.
Where do we make sure such characteristics make it to the printed page and live on in history?
Signature Vocabulary
As a writer who has created a blog, YOU can be sure the beauty, the uniqueness, and the zaniness of your personality and your loved ones lives on. You can create a legacy for your family; one that tells more than birth, marriage, children, illnesses and death.
What words might people attribute to YOU? Have you a signature vocabulary? What do you want folks to remember about your family?

My Precious Husband
My precious husband, Bob, may not have invented the word, “Foo-Foo,” but his use of it for someone’s name is becoming a signature of his.
“You know, help me out, Foo-Foo was just over there by the Wuch-a-me-call-it. You remember!”
Uh, can you help me out a little more! Who and/or where?
He makes me laugh!!
The older we get, the more “Foo-Foos” there are in our lives!

Yes, words are our trademark. Just as identifiable as our fingerprints.

I don’t think I’ve actually invented any words, though. Have you?
Using Words Creatively
Do you use words in unique ways?
My blogging friend, Dorothy (deyspublishing.wordpress.com),
posted today  about pouting clouds.Â

I said they were pouting and spouting.
Giving animate qualities to inanimate objects is a great use of words. I love the way many poets do that. They attribute people qualities and actions to things in nature… animals, clouds, unfriendly chairs.
My iPhone has a dictionary app that allows me to look at synonyms and antonyms as well as definitions. You probably have that app, too. It’s a great tool for finding ways to creatively use words.
Sharing Creative Writing With Others
In addition to sharing my writing on WordPress, I belong to a writers’ group. We meet every 1st & 3rd Friday. Our first 15 minutes is a Free Write on a topic we draw out of a hat.

Draw out of a Hat
I think when next we meet, we should have a list of original Shakespearean words and see if we can select six (or so) of them to weave into a story – with instructions to try and add one more – an “original” – one of our own.
Doesn’t that sound like fun?
Try it! Share your zany new word with me!
Have a whimsical*, zany weekend!

See ya tomorrow
*Whimsical is a Bob Goff “signature word” in my mind. Have you read his book, Love Does? I highly recommend it. Talk about a “wordsmith!”
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Care About Stats?
Do You Study Your Stats?
What do your stats tell you?
Talented musician and poet, Laura Sullivan, can look at her stats and know they spell SUCCESS.
No doubt about it! When you earn your living as a musician – and you play to be heard, getting two and a half million listeners has got to be a rush. Don’t you think?
How About You?
How about you?
Do you care how many followers you have on WordPress?
Do you count a successful post by how many likes you get?
Or by the number of comments?
Or by the viewers the stats show?
Looking at your daily stats
can reveal patterns
that give you clues
about what titles
or numbers of posts per day
can do.
BUT, they can be very discouraging.
What?
All that effort
and
only 16 likes or comments?
When I look at my stats
by the years instead of weeks or months,
Wow! How encouraging!
What a lot of improvement
I made after I decided
to post on a regular basis!
Hmmm,
do those stats
define success for me?
No! I won’t let numbers define me!
But, look at those likes and comments for this 2020 year.
Now, that can get my blood
rolling through my veins
at a quicker pace,
can’t it?
Is it Numbers?
Oh no, wait!
Are numbers why we do this?
Are we motivated by our ability to reach out?
Do our world views show us what we’re about?
Beware the Comparison Game!
When Cristian Mihai (The Art of Blogging) shows us his world map, every continent is colored in. It’s easy to play that comparison game – and decide you’re never gonna be good enough. Don’t fall into that trap!!
Define Your Purpose
Why do you blog?
Is it for numbers?
I doubt it!
Some people do it for money …
they are full time bloggers and stats mean income.
I understand that.
But, my guess is that the majority of us
are in it for the joy of
being inspired
and
being an inspiration.
That’s my purpose!
To spread positivity and optimism
and to help us all
just “Love One Another”
more unconditionally.
When I get a response
like the one below,
that’s what makes it all worthwhile.
That’s what makes my heart swell.
I want to be a “Beacon of Light and Hope.”
Don’t we all??
Yesterday I receive this comment:
Whose Light?
Yes, I want to be a beacon of hope and light …
and be unafraid to tell you where that light originates!
I can’t fulfill my purpose alone!
Only as I am connected to my source
am I authentic enough to inspire.
It’s not a candle that keeps burning on its own!
The flame is “This Little Light of Mine” and I don’t intend to hide it under a bushel!
Let it SHINE!!!
Who or what electrifies your light?
What prompts your posts?
Is it to inspire?
Let the stats speak…
But don’t let them be your only motivation.
SHINE!
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow.
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blessings, blogging, Faith, Family, happiness, Love, music, self-esteem, Sharing, writing
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