Unexpected

I have had some unexpected things the last two weeks. A friend whose cancer has escalated and I’ve been taking her to appointments and to the store. Home health is now helping and I am very glad. Two others need some help as well.

But I am still going to some live music and enjoying it very much. I took photographs of the Wild Rose Chorale downtown and gave them copies. They are using them on Facebook and have a concert tonight. If nothing else comes up, I will go.

I am within 7 questions of finishing my three years of CME for the American Board of Family Medicine. I did most of the three years this year, because I was too sick from Covid the first year and had trouble caring the second. Now I am catching up and hope to finish today.

The job hunt is ongoing. Part time is unpopular with clinics. I understand that, but after four pneumonias resulting in not too horrible chronic fatigue, I can’t do full time. Something will turn up.

Life is complicated and beautiful, isn’t it? The photograph is the city tree downtown, ready for lighting a week ago.

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: zest.

My parents had a different final verse:

The cherry tree bowed its branches down low to the ground
And Mary gathered cherries while Joseph stood around

I have read and heard other versions as well.

orange

For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: zest.

I picked the photograph, taken off the dock in Port Townsend in 2017, before reading the prompt. It doesn’t fit the prompt. Oh, yes, it does, it’s the color. Quite gorgeous to watch slowly swimming along.

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On a foggy day.

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And the opposite shore and even the ferry, can only sometimes be seen.

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Z is for zest

Z is for zest. What do you feel zest for?

The photograph is our small town synchronized swim team in 2007 at the Blossom, the last meet of the season that we went to that year. Our girls posed outside where it was very chilly, and all of the exited parents snapped photographs. Zest on both sides for the team and for swimming!

Webster 1913 here
Zest (?), n. F. zeste, probably fr. L. schistos split, cleft, divided, Gr. , from to split, cleave. Cf. Schism.

1. A piece of orange or lemon peel, or the aromatic oil which may be squeezed from such peel, used to give flavor to liquor, etc.

2. Hence, something that gives or enhances a pleasant taste, or the taste itself; an appetizer; also, keen enjoyment; relish; gusto.
Almighty Vanity! to thee they owe Their zest of pleasure, and their balm of woe. Young.
Liberality of disposition and conduct gives the highest zest and relish to social intercourse. Gogan.

3. The woody, thick skin inclosing the kernel of a walnut. Obs.

Z

from Dictionary.com here:

noun
1. keen relish; hearty enjoyment; gusto.
2. an agreeable or piquant flavor imparted to something.
3. anything added to impart flavor, enhance one’s appreciation, etc.
4. piquancy; interest; charm.
5. liveliness or energy; animating spirit.
6. the peel, especially the thin outer peel, of a citrus fruit used for flavoring:
lemon zest.

verb (used with object)
7.to give zest, relish, or piquancy to.

Zest for life, zest for writing, zest for all of the A to Z feelings that I’ve written about in the 7 sins and friends and all of the feelings that I haven’t written about. They are all part of being human! And now: zest for breakfast, I’m hungry!

Hooray for finishing and hooray for everyone who participated whether they finished or not!