Bill W

As my children were growing up, their behavior often caused me to vacillate between which one I liked the most.

Vacillate comes from the Latin vacillatus, the past participle of the verb vacillare, ‘to sway or waver’. The earliest known use of "vacillate" in English is from the late 1500s, specifically in 1590s, in the sense of ‘swaying unsteadily’. Examples of vacillate in a sentence: As we vacillate and procrastinate here, we are suffering. Not knowing what vocation to choose after graduating, he vacillated among business, the ministry, medicine, and law. He vacillates between different perceptions of his life. Jason shook his head, astonished by his own ability to vacillate.

The word "recrimination" traces back to Medieval Latin (Late Latin), specifically the noun "recriminationem" (nominative form: "recriminatio"). "Recriminari" itself is formed from the Latin prefix "re-" (meaning "back," or "again") combined with "criminari" (meaning "to accuse") and "crimen" (meaning "a charge" or "accusation"). The word also passed through Middle French, where it became "récrimination". The English word "recrimination" appeared in the late 1500s, meaning "the act of making a counter-accusation". The earliest known use of the noun "recrimination" in English is from the late 1500s, with the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) citing evidence from 1585 in "True & Plaine Declar. of Horrible Treasons W. Parry". The earliest known use of the adjective "recriminating" is in the mid 1600s, with OED evidence from 1648 in the writing of John Mason. Examples of recrimination in a sentence: The discussion turned into a heated debate with recriminations flying back and forth. The meeting ended with bitterness and recrimination. The players on the losing team indulged in mutual recrimination After the divorce, there was a period of bitter recrimination.

Effect is from the late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin effectus, from efficere ‘accomplish’, from ex- ‘out, thoroughly’ + facere ‘do, make’. effect (sense 3 of the noun), ‘personal belongings’, arose from the obsolete sense ‘something acquired on completion of an action’. Effect: (as a verb) "To effect a positive outcome, he ensured that the instrument was properly calibrated." "The agreement effected a change in their relationship going forward." "The civil rights group effected change through peaceful protest." Effect: (as a noun) "One effect of the earthquake was that many people lost their homes." "A dark paint color will have the effect of making the room seem smaller." "The new law prohibiting texting while driving will go into effect tomorrow." "The special effects in this movie are amazing." "The effect of the rain was a canceled game." Effect first used in English: "Effect" (noun): First recorded use: Middle English period (1150-1500). Earliest evidence: 1385. Origin: Multiple origins, partly borrowed from French. Meaning: A change that results when something is done or happens. Effect as a verb First recorded use: late 1500s Earliest evidence: 1581 Meaning: To bring about, cause, or accomplish

"Affect" is most often a verb meaning "to influence or cause a change," while "effect" is usually a noun meaning "a result or consequence," though "effect" can also be a verb meaning "to bring about". Examples of affect versus effect in a sentence: Affect: (verb) "The earthquake affected many people." "Drinking alcohol affects your liver." "The weather affected our travel plans." "The rain affected the baseball game." "The new policy affected employee morale." Effect: (as a verb) "To effect a positive outcome, he ensured that the instrument was properly calibrated." "The agreement effected a change in their relationship going forward." "The civil rights group effected change through peaceful protest." Effect: (as a noun) "One effect of the earthquake was that many people lost their homes." "A dark paint color will have the effect of making the room seem smaller." "The new law prohibiting texting while driving will go into effect tomorrow." "The special effects in this movie are amazing." "The effect of the rain was a canceled game." When were affect and effect first used in English? "Affect" (noun): First recorded use: Middle English period (1150-1500). Earliest evidence: Before 1398. Origin: Borrowed from Latin. Meaning: A technical term in psychology and psychiatry, referring to an emotional state or expression. "Effect" (noun): First recorded use: Middle English period (1150-1500). Earliest evidence: 1385. Origin: Multiple origins, partly borrowed from French. Meaning: A change that results when something is done or happens. Effect as a verb First recorded use: late 1500s Earliest evidence: 1581 Meaning: To bring about, cause, or accomplish Affect as a verb First recorded use: 1630s Meaning: To have an impact on or influence

Slovenly is not a description for or the nationality of the people that live in Slovenia.

The word "slovenly", meaning "untidy or careless", derives from the 15th-century word "sloven" which meant "a rascal" or "a person with horrible manners", and that possibly stems from either Flemish "sloef" (dirty) or Dutch "slof" (careless or negligent). The earliest known use of "slovenly" in English, both as an adjective and an adverb, appears around the mid-1500s, with the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) citing evidence from 1518 for the adjective and 1548 for the adverb. Examples of slovenly in a sentence: He dressed in a slovenly manner, with his clothes rumpled and his hair unkempt. The slovenly habits of the campers left the campsite littered with trash and debris. Her slovenly appearance made her seem unkempt and unkempt. The slovenly work habits of the employees resulted in numerous errors and delays. The slovenly condition of the house made it difficult to find anything. There's no defense for the slovenly ethics of the past. Be a little slovenly in the garden; leave some old broken stems and let a little bare dirt show. That's what infused his slovenly pirate thing with such style.

Tim is a gay man who's living with his partner, Mike. Unfortunately, Tim's family doesn't understand or approve of his relationship or the fact that he's gay, so when Tim suffers an accident, the only one who is there to support and comfort him is his mom. Years later, when his mom dies, Tim returns home for the funeral and discovers that she has made sure he has an opportunity to thank his siblings for their lack of caring and understanding in his time of need. You'll have to read about Tim's emotionally draining and cold family to appreciate the ending, and it's well worth your time and effort to read this well-written and superbly crafted short story.

Wayne, I regret that I didn't read this while you were still with us so I could tell you how much I enjoyed this story. The circumstances discussed were more than bleak, and the family and Mike's mother left a lot to be desired, but Tim outshone all of them in the end. He also had a chance to get even with his siblings, while also taking care of the children they have little or nothing to do with. I'm certain those children will be grateful for their Uncle Tim, and I hope he gets to meet them. You did a wonderful job, and the flashbacks filled in the blanks and helped us readers get a better understanding about what Tim had been dealing with.

I just happened to find this story, and what I've gathered from reading the comments after each chapter, I take it this is the third part of a continuing saga. However, it does well as a stand alone story, so don't let the fact that it is a continuing story stop you from reading this tale. I thought I should say that prior to beginning my review. This story is set in earth's future and the land has been severely damaged by a biological war that has taken place. Miah is a recent college graduate who's developing a procedure to renew the land and develop hybrid cattle that will be better suited for the land. He isn't doing this alone and is working with two alien shape-shifters. The earth has welcomed them because they've offered advanced alien technology that will help the earth recoup following the war. However, someone is doing his best to make sure that Miah doesn't succeed, but who is working against him? You'll have to read this interesting and intriguing short story to find out.

A wonderful story, Cia, and well constructed. I'm glad I happened to find this while going back through the anthologies.

Thank you, drs. I'm glad you enjoyed the fact that the boys found their elusive treasure, although not the one they were anticipating. And you're correct, it has probably set them up so they can take time off to raise their son or sons. I hope you enjoy Secrets 3 as well.

Thanks, Chris. I'm glad that you enjoyed how this story ended. We probably won't know all of what was in those bags, where they came from, or how much the boys are likely to benefit from what they found for a while once I start Book 3, so it will leave you waiting for the answers. Thank you for your support.

Done!

Thanks, Danilo. Yes, they found some treasure - not quite the haul that Gramps and Pops made with the Lost Dutchman's mine, but treasure nonetheless. I'm glad that you agree it was a nice way to end Secrets 2.

The word aquiline comes from the Latin words aquila (eagle) to aquilinus ("eagle-like"), an allusion to the curved beak of an eagle. Came to English in the mid 17th century. The earliest known use of the word "aquiline" in English is from the mid-1600s, with the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) citing evidence from 1646, in the writings of Sir Thomas Browne. Examples of aquiline in a sentence: * "The actress's aquiline nose and piercing eyes made her instantly recognizable." * "He had a strong, aquiline profile, which gave him an air of authority." * "Her white-streaked hair was perfectly coiffed into a bun, and her blue eyes were sharp and fierce, centered over a long aquiline nose." * "The statue's aquiline nose and stern expression conveyed a sense of power." * "He had a thin, sharp face with a prominent, aquiline nose."

Thanks, Al. I'm glad you're happy that they found "treasure". It will be interesting to discover what's in those bags. Gramps and Pops will evaluate what's contained in the bags, how to explain it away, and determine how much it is worth, and that might take a while.

VB, they looked around and it didn't seem to go any further, so that's why they determined that they'd found the reason that the cave had been collapsed, took the treasure they'd found, and headed home. I'm glad you're looking forward to what those three bags of treasure contain.

Yes, carrying around a lot of cash can be very nerve-racking, but the good thing is the no one knows that they've got the treasure, so there's no one looking to take it from them. Yes, I've decided to go to a book 3, and to answer your question, there's always the possibility that we may get to meet their child, although I'm not sure how far into the future this book will go yet.

Thanks, weinerdog, and the tribute has been listed on the Forum's upcoming events and it's usually also posted on the Weekly Wrap Up. The stories will be posted on what would have been Comicality's 50th birthday. And thank you for faithfully following this story and being a frequent commenter.

Thanks, Lee, and you're right. The coins and paper money will be a lot easier to get rid of then Mayan artifacts, since they're covered under antiquities acts. I will try to start posting Book 3 as soon as I can.

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, the boys have found treasure in the cave and it's something they'll remember for a long time. I'm glad you've enjoyed following their exploits. It may be a few weeks before I start posting Book 3, since I've been totally focused on writing a poem for the Poetry Anthology, even though I'm not really a poet, as well as focusing on my efforts for the Comicality Tribute. I don't write stories quickly and often rewrite chapters or parts of chapters to make them better. I often refer to my style as the difference between Mozart and Beethoven's musical styles. Mozart would write a piece without making any changes to it, while Beethoven often changed parts or rewrote them completely. I'm more like Beethoven than Mozart, so it takes me longer to finish most of my stories, which has been the case in my most recent efforts. This same thing is true about my posts in the forums and why you'll frequently see that I've edited the posts when I realized I could make them clearer or noticed an error. However, I will start posting Book 3 as soon as I am able.

Chapter 61 – What’s in the Bags? Once we got back to the van, Gramps asked to borrow my laptop. “I want to use it to see if I can determine what might be in those sacks in the cave.” “Sure. Just a second and I’ll get it for you.” After I handed it to him, he sat down and began doing a number of searches. When he finished, he filled us in about what he’d discovered. “From what I can tell, there are two possibilities for how those bags ended up in the cave, and they both

Did you get a job from those resumes that you printed on a dot-matrix printer? 😲

Around 1400, the word tepid appeared in the late Middle English period (1150-1500). Tepid is borrowed from Latin and evolved from the Latin tepidus, an adjective meaning “lukewarm,” which before that came about from the Latin tepere, a verb meaning “to be warm.” Tepid people or things are lukewarm or lacking in enthusiasm or emotion. Examples of tepid in a sentence: "The audience gave a tepid applause after the performance." "She bent her mouth to the tap and drank the tepid water." "The company's response to the crisis was tepid, and they failed to take decisive action." "The new movie received a tepid reception from critics." "The soup was tepid and not hot enough to enjoy." "The views expressed have ranged from tepid enthusiasm to cautious pessimism." "To me they appeared somewhat tepid and over-tinted with caution." "No condemnation of this illegality had come from anyone, except the rather tepid words of condemnation that had to be squeezed out today."