Have you ever been unable to think of how to spell the simplest of words? One in particular has stayed in my memory for many, many years. What was the word? It was was. Yes, indeed. It was approximately 40 years ago and I was handwriting a letter (ah, back in the day) and I could NOT think how to spell the word: was. I even tried writing it different ways on a scratch pad: wuz and wus. LOL
And, so about a month ago, I decided to put some flour in my beautiful Longaberger pottery jar and store it on my baker's shelf. Once again, for the life of me, I could NOT think of how to spell flour. One thing I knew for sure, it wasn't flower. After practicing a time or two, again on a scratch pad, I decided on: flouer. Looks kind of fancy, huh?!
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If you mail padded envelopes or boxes, or anything other than the usual letter or post card, and you are given a receipt, here's a possible lesson to learn from me.
I've mailed many copies of my memoir in padded envelopes and they always ship Media Mail, which is the least expensive way to mail books. (Hurray for the post office!) The price is almost always the same, as long as the recipient is in the US, so there's never been a huge price difference. This is an important piece of information for the story I'm sharing!
I always look over my receipt after I get back inside my car, just to make sure all the info is correct. There's all kinds of information on the LONG receipt, which includes city names and zip codes. One time, I saw the city name: Rockville, MD with zip code 20849. I thought Huh? I didn't have an envelope to ship there! It was a mystery for a few seconds until I realized the postal clerk must've keyed in the wrong zip code. I'd written one for Greenfield, IA 50849. So, I walked right back into the post office and talked with the same clerk, showing her my receipt and explaining it all. She thanked me for bringing it to her attention and took care of it. Whew.
Had I not looked it over, and just went by the cost of shipping, I have a feeling that envelope would've been lost forever in The Never Never Land of Lost Mail.
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"Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination." -- Mark Twain
Ah flouer, who knew? Mark Twain is backing you up on your spelling choices.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Terra! I couldn't believe I found such a perfect quote for this blog post!
DeleteCushion was a word whose spelling escaped me for quite some time. And I still sneak up on it carefully for fear it will escape again.
ReplyDeleteSadly I also 'lose' words. The cutting implements used on paper is a classic example. At home I resort to charades. More difficult on the phone or a blog.
EC....LOL. You have me truly laughing out loud! I'm the same way...."You know...that thing you use for..."
DeleteI'm so glad not to be the only one challenged by innocent nouns! Actually, 'flouer' appears quite sophisticated ... like something on a French menu.
ReplyDeleteThanks for (once again) pushing my giggle-button, Becky!
Hi Myra! Thanks...and I'm happy to push your giggle-button!! LOL
DeleteMedia Mail.....I don't believe we have that here. I must ask at our local outlet.
ReplyDeleteHi Delores! It sure helps when mailing lots of books!
DeleteAh yes, the post office makes mistakes too. I mailed a box to Swansea, Wales...and the employee said, "Now this is in Kansas isn't it?" NOOOOO
ReplyDeleteOMG! If that wasn't so ridiculously sad, it would be hilarious!
DeleteHow did you find that perfect quote? I like YOUR spelling of flour better. What happened to your spell checker?
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying your book. Some of your memories of the olden days remind me of things that I did! So fun!
Hi Sandy! That is funny about that quote, isn't it?? I think I just Googled misspelled words! So glad you enjoyed my book, too! Thanks for letting me know. :)
DeleteThe word thing is something I can relate to. I have words that catch me up, too! Thank goodness for Google. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa! Thank you! It's good to know it happens to others', too! :)
DeleteIt is so weird when that happens, but I have done it too. Sometimes I think we overload ourselves, and we make things more complicated because we expect them to be! Hug.
ReplyDeleteThanks, McGuffy Ann! I think it happens to us writers more often than "regular" people, too! LOL
DeleteHa. I love the quote. The spelling mix ups have often happened to me. Glad I'm not alone.
ReplyDeleteHi Myrna! Thanks...and yes, we must all stick together!! :)
DeleteI don't have trouble with words and the spelling of them. Not yet anyway. I was spelling champion at primary school (elementary) and in later years at work, I often helped migrants who had difficulty because so many English words sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. For instance: flour is often mispronounced flower so a new friend recently arrived from Poland was understandably confused and wondered if perhaps it should be pronounced floor instead? I had her repeating "our house, our car, our toys" until she got the idea.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, River! I can't imagine learning English as a second or third language. It really is a strange one, isn't it?? I'm normally a great speller, but sometimes the words just escape me! LOL
Deletehaha! The "ie" words get me every time. Too many exceptions to the "rule". When younger I always wrote "gril" for girl. But I found it fun when my young daughter wrote a story about her "little bother" instead of little brother. More appropriate, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteHi Marcia! Yes.....I before E, blah blah, etc! And yes, Little Bother is definitely more appropriate!! LOL
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