What do books signify on a headstone? BOOK:Books are a common feature in historic graveyards, but they rarely have actual words carved into them, as the one you see in the photo above. When books are open, it indicates that a person’s life was cut short, in mid-story, so to speak. A closed book acknowledges that a person’s story on earth has reached its end. Books may also represent The Bible or other holy scripture. (How to comment: Please comment about this post on Facebook: B is for Books. Leave your link in the comments, and I’ll drop by your…
Tag: #atozchallenge
What does an anchor signify on a headstone? ANCHOR: Anchors often refer to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. As a symbol, anchors represent hope in troubled times. During the Roman persecution of Christians, the anchor served as a secret symbol, a covert referral to the cross. (How to comment: My blog comments are broken, but I’m trying to get that fixed! In the meantime, please comment about this post on Facebook: A is for Anchor Leave your link in the comments, and I’ll be sure to drop by your blog, too. You can also tweet me at @TuiSnider.…
The Trillion Dollar Campaign Today’s post features a photo I took at the British Museum. It’s a poster that is printed on actual African currency as part of an advertising campaign called the Trillion Dollar Campaign. This ad campaign was launched in 2009 by a newspaper called The Zimbabwean to call attention to rampant hyperinflation. Understanding the economy has never been my strong suit, but this poster really stopped me in my tracks. The clever ad campaign even won an award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. Wow! We made it all the way to the letter Z! Phew!…
Random Yellow Shots Today Yellow there! How are you? Yes, more yellowy shots from me today. Hey, it’s better than Jell-O shots… or not. Anyway, I’d already planned for Y to be yellow – way before I learned about the word Xanthic, which I used yesterday. Who knows, maybe I’ll discover a word starting with Z for tomorrow that also means yellow. Stay tuned… Speaking of, tomorrow is the big A to Z blog challenge finish line. Wowza! How many of you are going to do the A to Z Reflections post on May 5th? (There’s info about it in…
Phronistery is Phun for Word Nerds While hunting for words that start with the letter X, I came across a nifty site: Phronistery. It’s a website dedicated to unusual words. It’s well-organized and gives concise definitions. Fun! I’ve bookmarked it ‘cuz I’m a word nerd and I bet a bunch of you all are, too. :D Xanthic Means… …yellow! The word “xanthic” means “yellow,” so today’s post features a trio of pictures I snapped after a dramatic hail storm we had last month. I live in Tornado Alley, so I do more than just marvel at the sight of a…
The World’s Smallest Skyscraper Built in 1919, the Newby-McMahon Building in downtown Wichita Falls (701 La Salle, Wichita Falls, TX) is more commonly referred to as “the world’s smallest skyscraper.” J.D. McMahon was an engineer and oilman from Philadelphia who proposed adding a high-rise section to the original building to that it could house more office space. McMahon quickly raised $200,000 (a fortune for that time) to construct an office building according to plans he drew up. At a glance, it appeared that the finished building would stand 48 stories high, and McMahon never said otherwise. Unfortunately for the investors,…