Author Archives: bethoffreshair

swimmingly.

[swim-ing-lee] adverb without difficulty; with great success; effortlessly. Falling in love with Idaho has gone swimmingly; it’s seamless and easy. It happens with each new turn in the road or a smile from a stranger. What has not gone swimmingly in this moving process is the actual moving process. I cannot find the right, affordable place to live. I haveContinue reading “swimmingly.”

genesis.

noun [jen-uh-sis] an origin, creation, or beginning. Removing yourself from all you know and love makes for an evocative adventure. There can be an overwhelming amount of emotions surrounding ordinary happenings. Things that were so comfortable and easy before are no longer such. Have you ever noticed how you can eat a meal mindlessly thousands and thousands ofContinue reading “genesis.”

festinate.

[v. fes-tuh-neyt; adj. fes-tuh-neyt, -nit] verb (used with object), verb (used without object),festinated, festinating. to hurry; hasten. adjective hurried. The town of Ketchum has been gearing up for a Wagon Days Festival. But hurried and hastened it is not.  “Meandering musicians” litter the town. They have to dodge 200 or so camp chairs that have already been set up on the sidewalks for tomorrow’s Wagon Days Parade, theContinue reading “festinate.”

well-nigh.

adverb very nearly; almost. I have well-nigh decided that an evening serving job is my calling in life. I do not set an alarm for the morning. I open my eyes early anyway and think about the mountains surrounding me outside saying, “Come dance with me” (My favorite Banner Days song). So I get up and makeContinue reading “well-nigh.”

protean.

[proh-tee-uh n, proh-tee-] adjective readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable. changeable in shape or form, as an amoeba. (of an actor or actress) versatile; able to play many kinds of roles. (initial capital letter) of, relating to, or suggestive of Proteus. What a word! There’s something so refreshing about starting over in a new place and having the freedom to really be who you want to be. There are so many introductions, and you can decide what you want to be known for. I could’ve said, “Hi, I’m Beth,Continue reading “protean.”

laconic.

[luh–kon-ik] adjective using few words; expressing much in few words; concise. My new Idahome is in the small town of Ketchum. And here’s my laconic description from my five days here. Ketchum, ID: where bikes and wireless networks are left unlocked. Today is August 24th and I was chilly. The closest Target is two hours away. The library has a huge fireplace surroundedContinue reading “laconic.”

mnemonic.

[ni-mon-ik] adjective assisting or intended to assist the memory. pertaining to mnemonics or to memory. noun something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula. Computers. a programming code that is easy to remember, as STO for “store.”. It’s funny that this is today’s word, because I spent my Friday evening trying to come up with mnemonic devices to remember cocktails and liquor brands. I am not a big drinker. I enjoy a glass of red wine (for my heart health) or a cold amberContinue reading “mnemonic.”

eleemosynary.

[el-uh–mos–uh-ner-ee, –moz-, el-ee-uh-] adjective of or relating to alms, charity, or charitable donations; charitable. derived from or provided by charity. dependent on or supported by charity. Ketchum, ID. Whew. I think today I realized it’s a little New Zealand-esque. Mountains cast their shadows on the other mountains. And the mountains go on and on and on. The Sawtooth National Forest is full of cattle because it’s open range. Bikers, fly fishermen, and hikers fillContinue reading “eleemosynary.”

heliolatry.

[hee-lee-ol–uh-tree] noun worship of the sun. After leaving a highly air conditioned restaurant, I went outside, stood in the sun, and closed my eyes and savored how the sun felt as my goosebumps diminished. I then checked the Word of the Day and laughed when I read the meaning. The weather in Colorado has been so lovely; theContinue reading “heliolatry.”