I just felt like posting. I'm just aimlessly pouring out a stream of thought that will not necessarily make any sense...

So, I discovered that the word arete is not a Latin word like I thought. Last night Mom, Dad and I were puzzling over the word. We were trying to figure it out. It sounded something like this:

Dad: "It's French for stop."
Mom: "No, Christopher, thats *says French word which is probably spelled the same but I'm not taking any risks*"
Dad: "Well what language do you guys think it is?"
Me and Mom (simultaneously): "Latin. (duh)."
Dad: "Katie, you're the Latin student. What does it mean?"
Me: "I don't know! That's what I'm trying to figure out!"

So we pondered over it for while and came up with nothing. I looked in the Latin-English dictionaries in both Jack's and mine Latin books. Nada. Today I looked it up online under "Latin-English translation" on Google. Zip. Tried Greek. Greek-English translator site drew a blank. Then it struck me. "What if it's actually English?" thought I. It was on dictionary.com.
"ahr-i-TEY"
We thought it was pronounced "ah-RAY-tay" as it would be in Latin. Turns out it means combination of qualities that make up a good character.

I am again reading a Shakespeare play.
"Does she ever read anything else?" quoth the reader.
Yes, I do. I'll get to that in a minute. I'm reading The Tempest, Shakespeare's final work. It is so far very enjoyable. I knew the story but I never realized how funny it's supposed to be. And it is.

I'm also reading Farewell to Manzanar, the true story of a Japanese-American family living in one of the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Now, I've read books taking place in WWII before but this is a part of that period which I know very little about. The injustice of holding all those people, when not a single one of them had the slightest intention of harming America or assisting the Japanese army. Totally unfair.

Speaking of WWII, it's amazing how many of the movies about it were made DURING the war. A story comes out in the paper or someone writes a book and BANG 6 months later it's a blockbuster. We've watched tons of WWII movies. You wouldn't believe how many of them star John Wayne. Everybody says he's famous for his Westerns but I haven't seen a single one of them except The Alamo. I have, however, seen him in 4 or 5 war movies.
Among my (few) favorite WWII movies are Twelve O'Clock High, Mrs. Miniver, Since You Went Away, and So Proudly We Hail. All good movies. Most made during the war. All about women except Twelve O'Clock High. I'm not sure why I like that one.... I guess because it's more about the soldiers (or pilots, I should say) themselves and the things they go through. It's more personal. Also probably because I was so relieved that John Wayne wasn't in it. XD I do prefer Gregory Peck myself. John Wayne always plays the same guy in these movies- the rough and tough commander. His characters are all the same. In every movie I've seen Gregory Peck in, the people he plays are completely different.

Somehow my mind has reverted back to good ol' Willy. William, that is. I don't think I even need to tell you his last name.
Lately for some reason I've been banishing boredom (amazing alliteration, you agree?)
by picking up A Midsummer Night's Dream and reading the lovers' fight scene. That play is truly hilarious, especially that particular scene.

"Get you gone you dwarf, you minimus
Of hind'ring knot-grass made,
You bead, you acorn!"
-Lysander. Who knew that the dashing, handsome, poetic guy could be so mean?

"I dare not stay longer in your curst company, not I
Your hands are quicker than mine for a fray
My legs are longer though, to run away" [exit]
-Helena. lol. Gotta love it.


I have made no progress in my Poe reading. Still stuck in the middle of The Fall of the House of Usher. It's starting to get creepy though.

Well, I can think of no more to say! If you actually read this whole post, I applaud you. You get a sticker. Comment and check where it says "Yes! I would like Katie to send me or my friend [insert name here] a sticker!"

Adieu! (wow, I really have been reading too much Shakespeare!)


(Adieu! To you and you and you! Adieu!)

P.S.
In case you were wondering, knot-grass means some sort of weed which supposedly stunts growth. "Of hindering knot-grass made".... get it? Haha! Get it? You're in stitches, I know. Just don't hurt yourself.