Taking Umbrage.

I love the word Umbrage. We have always used it, in our family. We use it in the context of taking something as an insult. Somehow taking umbrage to something makes it sound more dignified.
As opposed to being thin skinned, perhaps, or getting offended over nothing.

"Old Uncle Herbert took umbrage at the suggestion he trim his food splattered beard".
You know the sort of thing. Perhaps a light remark from a child, "O look Aunty Myrtle is growing a beard!"
Of course, Aunty Myrtle is going to take umbrage. Probably cutting said child from the Will. Forever.

I took umbrage at a Tank-shaped old Aunt-by-marriage of Gom's, who came to visit me in Hospital after I had given birth to our son. She peered at him, sniffed, & said "Oh he got the 'Flapstick' family nose!"
The 'Flapstick' nose was a horrible large bugle-like appendage some of the Mil's family had inherited. I was apalled, & really upset. Our son didn't have the 'Flapstick' family nose, nor did any of our children, thank goodness.
Of course I never really forgave the old Tank, & it was lucky we rarely saw her.

It was a lesson to me, if you can't say anything nice, say nothing!

I was surprised to discover Umbrage also means shade, as from leaves on a tree. "He took umbrage under the oak tree"? Doesn't sound right somehow. "The Oak provided umbrage for the weary traveller"? Is that better? Somehow I don't think it will catch on, in that context.


Our Grandmother & Mother had a good stock of phrases that always made us laugh.
One of my mother's was "Casting Pearls before Swine", & she would occasionally use it about us, meaning we had cloth ears, or stubbornly refused to heed her words, of wisdom or advice.

Another was the phrase, "There, that is just the ticket!" I haven't heard that used for a long time.
Another is, "Well, I'll be a Monkey's Uncle!" Or used as "I don't know him from a Monkey's Uncle." Mind you, I don't know that that was one our mother used. It was more likely a contemporary one, used by us, with our school mates.

When I was about 13 I discovered Georgette Heyer's books, & a girlfriend & I took to using a lot words from those books to describe dismay. 'Stap Me!' was a favourite, & my brother & I still use that.

I remember my mother describing a very tight fisted man as being "As tight as a duck's b*m." It annoyed me, & in the end I asked her why she would say that. She said "Well a duck's b*m is watertight, isn't it? You can't get anything tighter than that!"



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In other news.
Our daughter has her car back! Woo HOO!
Some absolutely incredible lies have been told about the whole thing.
Over the course of the last 6 weeks there have been so many lies, & fabrications, it defies belief.
The latest was yesterday morning when the mechanic told Sil, he had found the problem, "It is Rat Shit".
Stunned silence from Sil. Then he informed the mechanic that the car had been to 3 other places having various problems looked at, & no one had mentioned rat droppings. "Besides" lied Sil, "I have taken Digital Photos of the Motor, so I must look carefully at those".
Stunned silence from the mechanic. Then he hastily added, "Well it could be old Rat Shit. I will Steam Clean the motor for you!" Sil told him to do as he wished.
There would be no further monies.

End seems to be they have finally fixed the car. It is to be checked out again, by another mechanic, who basically said the RS man was a liar & a cheat. He indelibly marked a part, just to check it has been replaced.

We have the use of our car again, so perhaps I can get my walk on the beach.


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Now, how cute are these??

They are the most adorable pair of Salt & Pepper shakers. Our friend's daughter who has returned from Japan, brought them home for us! I love them, but wont use them, since I would hate to break them.

Thank you so Much A.
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For today's Odd Shot, there are these two little carved wooden containers. Since they are round, I cant really call them boxes.
I got them at a Garage sale, & the lady who sold them, told me she had bought them in Poland, & they were handmade, & are Christmas items.

I wonder if anyone out there knows if they are Polish?

This is another pic I took of them, trying to get a nice sharp image.

I am a collector of 'crap'. I love things that are different or percieved that way by me. I just fell in love with this little container. It has holes in the lid, & I suppose it is an incense holder.

I like the greens. Underneath it says 'NanJing Road. Hand painted porcelain.

Made in China'. There is a signature that looks like a pot with a lid, made out of Chinese characters.

More junk for Gom to dispose of when I either cark it, or lose the marbles!

Leo is in the dog box. He had a relapse, so he is being tethered some more.

Gom is gloomy about it, & sits on the floor beside him.

Janis Ian, Hymn, with Phoebe Snow.