This quote is about the break between having the dream and living with it. But, you can read so much into a few words.

I’m a fan of writer Ann Patchett, whose book, Truth and Beauty, is one of my favourites. This week, thanks to the website, Brain Pickings, I came across a fantastic Patchett quotation that hit very close to home, especially the last line:

“The journey from the head to hand is perilous and lined with bodies. It is the road on which nearly everyone who wants to write — and many of the people who do write — get lost… Only a few of us are going to be willing to break our own hearts by trading in the living beauty of imagination for the stark disappointment of words.”

The stark disappointment of words is something I know a little too much about. So often the idea in my head, which initially seems so good, falls apart once I begin to try to assemble the words on paper. Suddenly my remarkable idea becomes frustratingly ordinary.

Source: Lindy Mechefske

This quote makes me think about writers having to kill their babies. That was a quote I read about editing your writing. Your words and phrases being taken out of existence. Deleting unnecessary wordage. Editing.

But, I find in life, the idea of editing things or deleting them, or exterminating... there are lots of good words for it... is an important skill to have. All things but in moderation. If you can master that in life you will save yourself a lot of stress, have more space (physically and mentally) and save money too.

Of course, no one should literally kill babies, or other children. At least let them get to adulthood, or the age of 20, and be guilty of something on the extreme side, first. Its ok to be a little dramatic, just not too literal about it.

Some people don't even give Pagan, Wicca or Witch/ Witchcraft a capital letter any more. This bothers me.

Pagan is a title, a proper name for something, a title. When using English (the language is also title) we should capitalize the first letter of a word that is a title.

I know English language standards have slipped into non-importance for some people. But, I see this lack of capital letter from people who do make an effort at writing well and keeping the standards for communication in English with all the right punctuation, grammar and spelling. Sure, we all make mistakes. But, not putting a capital letter on a title is not like a spelling mistake or a typo you only make once and don't happen to catch. It looks deliberate.

Has Pagan lost it's place, it's importance?

I get annoyed about US spelling being taught or expected/ insisted upon, in Canadian schools. When I was in college, years ago, we were told to spell the US way. I went to Centennial College, the Warden Woods campus which is gone now. My nieces attend school in Newmarket and are taught US spelling. If they (or myself in college) don’t spell the US way our words are marked wrong. In college I had to write very well in order not o have a failing grade – because I refused to spell the US way in Canada. I still refuse.

This site is going to be about Canadian spelling and Canadian things in general. I love being Canadian. I was born here, though I have travelled, I still like Canada the best.

Think about the word in the list below. Have you ever used one of them outside of a cliche/ idiom? I have used lurch as a word in a sentence. It is a good descriptive sounding word for a person who doesn't walk easily. That is the only word I've used outside of the phrases they have become known by.

12 Old Words That Survived by Getting Fossilized in Idioms

• Wend
• Deserts
• Eke
• Sleight
• Dint
• Roughshod
• Fro
• Hue
• Kith
• Lurch
• Umbrage
• Shrift

Think about the word in the list below. Have you ever used one of them outside of a cliche/ idiom? I have used lurch as a word in a sentence. It is a good descriptive sounding word for a person who doesn't walk easily. That is the only word I've used outside of the phrases they have become known by.

12 Old Words That Survived by Getting Fossilized in Idioms

• Wend
• Deserts
• Eke
• Sleight
• Dint
• Roughshod
• Fro
• Hue
• Kith
• Lurch
• Umbrage
• Shrift