Tag: favorite things Friday

Friday! Friday! Friday!

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Happy Friday! Happy May Day! Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit!! (we’ll take all the luck we can get these days, right?) Happy Favorite Things Friday!! I’m so happy that it is Friday. Aren’t you?? As you know, I love Fridays. New readers, Fridays are light and on the surface here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I discuss three items, books, songs, beauty products etc. that have made my material life more special and I ask you to share some of your favorites in the Comments section. For more favorites, please see previous Friday posts. Here are today’s favorites:

“I Believe” by Moon Dog Mane – This song is my number one favorite for today. The other day I went for a mind-clearing drive with my convertible top down and this song came on and all at once, me, my car, my driving and all of my emotions became one with this song. I turned the volume all of the way up and I jammed. Yes, I jammed. Now, typically I think that it is a very obnoxious move when people play their music so loud, forcing everybody else to listen to their own musical tastes, and at high volume. But, at that moment, I was outpouring, and this song just felt like it was the anthem for everything that we’ve all been going through. And I needed to feel it, and I needed to share it. And happily, there were a lot of people who agreed with me, on that day. I got the thumbs up from a few motorcyclists, a couple of teenagers walking on the side of the road, some landscapers and even an old lady and her poodle. We were all jamming to this tune. I have unofficially named Moon Dog Mane’s “I Believe”, the anthem of the coronavirus situation. “I Believe” that it’s just the right song for what we are all feeling and what we are all going through. Play it right now. Bang your head, put your arms up in the air and feel the strength of the conviction that “Everything Will Be Alright!”

Lithops – These darling succulents look like tiny little colorful stones (kind of like Fruity Pebbles). Lithops originated in Africa, but I got mine from a seller on Etsy. They are tiny and they are so sweet and adorable. If you are a succulent lover, treat yourself to a little sprinkling of these little babies, to make your heart happy. I have purchased a few of my succulents from sellers on Etsy and I have never been disappointed.

How To Look Good on Video Calls | Zoom, FaceTime, Skype!

My third favorite is a great video from Angie of Hot and Flashy YouTube video fame. Hot and Flashy is a series of videos featuring helpful beauty tips, particularly for middle-aged women, and the above video is especially helpful and apropos for today’s times. Despite the fact that Angie, the creator and the host of Hot and Flashy is stunningly beautiful, she is so down-to-earth and real and honest about what she does to maintain her looks, that you can’t help but to love her and to appreciate her. With all of this time staying at home, it is a good time to experiment with your hotness and your flashiness. Own it, ladies. And have a great weekend!!!!

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Jojo Friday

“Let everything happen to you / Beauty and terror / Just keep going / No feeling is final.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Okay, friends, first of all, Happy Friday! Happy Favorite Things Friday! Second of all, time for me to gush. I love a lot of things in life. I adore my family and my friends and my pets and my experiences and my home and books and driving in a convertible with the top down and adventuring in unknown places and delicious spicy food and writing and music and hiking and candles and throw pillows and perfume and art and fashion and good lighting and jewelry and nature and the mystery of all things spiritual and the sound of rain and our adorable three baby pineapples growing out back . . . . I could go on and on, but I also adore good movies and last night, during Thursday’s “Family Movie Night in the Living Room”, we watched (even my eldest son in New Jersey, Facetimed in, for this one) one of the best movies that I have seen in a long, long time. I was, at first, very hesitant to watch a film that was supposedly a “comedy” featuring Hitler, but when I saw how well this satire was done, I sank into the delicious experience of watching it and I could watch it again and again. The poem above is featured in the film, which will be the first of today’s Favorite Things. New readers, please see previous Friday posts for more favorites and all readers, please post your favorites in the Comments section. Let’s focus on our favorite things today, friends, not those things which we detest, such as nasty, nasty, ugly viruses.

Jojo Rabbit – This film puts me in mind of a darker A Christmas Story (also one of my all-time favorite movies). The acting is incredible, the filming is all together charming, and the painful winsomeness which all we feel, when we are going through dark times (such as now), is captured perfectly in this innocently honest, coming of age tale. I LOVE this movie! I found it to be entertaining, poignant, funny and raw. If you like Wes Anderson type movies, such as The Grand Budapest Hotel, you will like Jojo Rabbit, as much as I do.

Sea Bunnies – When Zooming with my high school-aged mentee yesterday she showed me her excellent artwork which she is working on. She drew a postage stamp with these adorable little creatures called “Sea Bunnies” featured on the stamp. I said to my genuinely genuine and authentic-ly refreshing mentee, “Those are so adorable, I wish that they were real!” She said, “They are real. Look them up.” And so to you, reader, I say, “They are real. Look them up.” If you want delightful eye candy (eye candy has no fat nor calories), look up “sea bunnies.”

“I Did Not Touch The Food” video – I don’t think that I have ever seen more conviction in a denial of the truth than from this adorable toddler, Lily. This video does not get old for me. I love the forcefulness she uses to profess her “innocence.” If you want a giggle, watch the video. I dare you to try to only watch it once.

https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video/mol/2020/04/22/4327567503805953879/640x360_MP4_4327567503805953879.mp4

Enjoy chewing on some grapes this weekend! See you tomorrow, my wonderful friends and readers!

jojo rabbit movie | Tumblr

(Scene from Jojo Rabbit, featuring Scarlett Johansson)

Fenced In Friday

Happy Friday! Happy Favorite Things Friday! New readers, I typically list about three favorite shows, jewelry items, make-up, websites, songs, etc. on Fridays and I love it when you add your favorites to my Comments. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites to explore. The above picture is one of my new favorites! My youngest son was fooling around with learning Adobe Illustrator and he surprised me with a new “logo” for my blog-o. He told me that he looked for a good picture of a bird firmly kicking her baby out of the nest, traced it, and went from there. I love my spontaneous, thoughtful gift from my funny, creative blue-eyed baby.

Honestly, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t enjoying anything about this quarantine. The gift of more family time, particularly with my college boys, has been wonderful. The long, leisurely, uninterrupted family dinners (with my eldest son, who lives in New Jersey, face-timing with us practically every night) have been wonderful. Getting reacquainted with more creative home-cooked meals has been wonderful. My husband, not having to make his long commute, in piles of angry traffic every day, has been wonderful. Seeing more people out and about, walking and skating and biking (in a good social distance, of course), enjoying our beautiful nature here in Florida, has been wonderful. Knowing that our Earth and our animals are really getting a good, healthy break from so much of our daily pollution has been wonderful. Seeing so many of the different countries of the world, trying to work together to make this scourge go away, has been wonderful. Not having to wear a bra every day, has been wonderful. (Cue in Louis Armstrong . . . and I think to myself, what a wonderful world!)

Okay, here are today’s favorites:

Lemon Kit Kats – Did you know that Kit Kats come in all sorts of flavors? I think I read that there are well over 50 flavors of Kit Kats. My daughter has always loved the Matcha Green Tea flavor. I don’t agree with her. Matcha is an acquired taste. However, this Easter I got a hold of the best flavor of Kit Kat, and maybe the best of almost any other candy, that I have ever tasted. Lemon Kit Kats are the bomb!! I don’t want to even swallow right away, the flavor is that good. Thank goodness, they don’t make these year round, or I would start taking on the shape of a very ripe lemon, in no time.

Chef Shamy Garlic Butter – So, one of the gifts of the quarantine is that I discovered this little country produce stand, not too far from my home. Looking for an escape and an alternative from our local crowded grocery store, I discovered this quaint little place and it is a tiny stand of Heaven, full of fresh, homegrown tomatoes and Florida blueberries and the best homemade salsa that I have ever eaten. In a little, retro refrigerator in the corner of the produce shack, I discovered Chef Shamy’s fresh churned butters. They come in all different flavors (we can personally vouch for the garlic butter and the honey butter) and they have the ability to turn an ordinary piece of toast, into a luscious, gourmet treat.

Microban 24 Hour Multi-Purpose Cleaner – Okay, I feel like I am being kind of mean adding this one, but I only have one bottle of it and it is already half gone. You probably won’t be able to get your hands on one of these spray cleaners, for another month or so, but when you can, do it. I bought one right before the coronavirus outbreak at Walmart. I had never tried it before but it is really good stuff. We clean our counters with it constantly. It supposedly keeps a surface bacteria/virus free for 24 hours. If it weren’t poisonous, I’d drink it. It has a very light, citrus-y scent, that is not overpowering at all. I will always have at least one bottle in stock, for the rest of my years.

Focus on the “wonderful” this weekend! It really is all around us! Stay well, dear readers. I am with you daily through this whole pandemic, and then on from there. Stay with me and check in with me, in my Comments. It is good to hear from you all. It inspires me.

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Give Me Some Sugar

My friend texted this to our group chat this morning. I know that I typically go for funnier memes on my favorite day of the week, but I think that I have a little “PTSD” type thing going on, after making an early morning excursion to my grocery store. I never in a million years dreamed that I would have to “psych myself up” to make a trip to my own little neighborhood grocery store. Lately, I tend to get there once, every 7-10 days, whereas before, being a mother of a large brood, I often made a daily trip to our store (sometimes even twice daily). I had to wait outside of my store this morning around 7:55 a.m., probably about 20th in line, before it even opened. I was the last one to score some toilet paper. My hats off, once again, to the wonderful workers at the stores. The managers, the clerks, the bakers, and the baggers were so patient, courteous and kind. I asked if Publix was taking good care of them and they assured me that the company was doing right by them. Thank you, Publix.

New readers, I call Fridays, Favorite Things Friday. I don’t try to get too serious on Fridays, so I’ll try to keep with that light-hearted tradition, as we go through this truly surreal experience, together. Please look at previous Friday posts for more favorites. This week, I decided to start a weekly movie night with the family on Thursdays, while we are all quarantined together. I would have made ” Family Movie Night” a more frequent event, but the rest of the family seemed to think that once a week, is what works best. (Baby steps) Last night was the inaugural night and we watched a fascinating documentary. It is called Searching for Sugarman. It tells the story about an American musician named Rodriguez who became incredibly famous (more than even The Beatles or Elvis) in South Africa in the 1970s, without knowing it. It was a fascinating watch and even better, I discovered some new excellent music (and the lyrics are pure poetry) for my playlist. So here is my favorite new music. Give these tunes a listen (“I Wonder” is my ultimate favorite, second on the play list):

I’m also in the middle of reading a fascinating book. Ironically, it was also written by a South African. It is called The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life by Boyd Varty. I won’t get into a synopsis of the book. I think I’ll just take you into the weekend with my favorite quote from the book. The quote requires some rumination. Take care, dear friends. We’re in this together. Have a peaceful, fulfilling weekend. Here’s the quote:

“I don’t know where I’m going, but I know exactly how to get there.” – Boyd Varty

Well With My Soul

Friday has kind of lost its novelty, a little bit these days, hasn’t it? I still love Fridays, though. Friday signifies completion of a harried, momentous, emotional week with the realization that we are still alive and kicking. We are survivors and we are thrivers.

I keep lots of inspirational notebooks, where I paste things that move me, whether they be pictures or words. Yesterday, I pulled out one of the notebooks that I kept during the last major recession. Two things stood out to me yesterday from this particular notebook. One is this simple prayer (sorry, I don’t know who to credit):

Dear God,

Please stop the storms within me.

Make peaceful my mind and calm my heart.

Reveal to me the love around me,

That my fear might fall away.

Amen.

Second, these are Maya Angelou’s beautiful, inspiring words:

“Love heals. Heals and liberates. I use the word love, not meaning sentimentality, but a condition so strong that it may be that which holds the stars in their heavenly positions and that which causes the blood to flow orderly in our veins.”

Here are some of my favorite actions taken during these very tumultuous times. These are very apropos of a good Favorite Things Friday:

+My friend sent a link to this yesterday to our friend group chat. I can’t stop listening to it. This hymn was always a generational family favorite.

+Over 12,000 Airbnb hosts opened their homes up to medical responders to the victims of the coronavirus.

+Kylie Jenner donated one million dollars towards medical equipment to her local hospitals. (She’s now my favorite Kardashian)

+Crocs, the shoe company, is giving away its shoes free to healthcare workers during this traumatic time.

+The luxurious Four Seasons Hotel is giving free stays to NYC doctors, fighting for lives of coronavirus victims.

+James Dyson (think vacuum cleaners and hand dryers) came up with a new ventilator model design in just ten days. What a brilliant man! He is producing 15,000 of them and donating 5,000 of them to the international effort to save lives.

+My friend in Virginia was part of a “teacher parade” yesterday, where teachers paraded in their caravan of cars, throughout the neighborhoods of their students. They held up poster board signs of love and encouragement, giving students a sense that “all is going to be okay”.

+A “sewing army” as they are called, of volunteer crafters, are making thousands of homemade masks as a back-up, should our medical workers fall short of their own supply.

++++++Late addition, but I had to add it. Drew Brees and his wife donated five million dollars to Louisiana towards coronavirus relief and look how big-hearted Hoda Kotb (Today Show) reacted. So touching and real:

These are just a few of many remarkable acts of love, generosity and courage, which have come out of this dark, harrowing situation we are facing these days. Please, please add any wonderful stories that you have heard in the news or have seen in your own neighborhoods, in my Comments section. Love prevails. Don’t forget that. Love ALWAYS prevails. Have a wonderful weekend, friends. Look for the helpers. They are EVERYWHERE.

Friday, Squirrels, Turkey Chili

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In truth, squirrels will never, ever make my Friday favorites list. Happy Friday, all. This has been my family’s first full week of major social distancing. We’ve only really gone out for groceries and medicine. We walk the dogs every night and it is heartening to see others walking their dogs, too, at a distance, of course. Last night, it was very quiet and serene, as not a lot of traffic passed through the streets. I said to my husband, it’s like being at a secluded campground. We both swore that we saw more stars than usual. It was extremely peaceful.

Readers, I typically list about three favorite products, books, websites, songs, etc. that make life a little bit more full of life on Fridays. Please see previous Friday posts for more favorites. In my scramble to fill up our pantry, we have happened upon some new favorites, from a food perspective. Here are my Friday favorites:

Lance ToastChee Spicy Cheddar flavor – These are the best “Lance in your pants” yet. We all love these crackers so much that I’ve noticed packets of them “hidden” in far corners of our cabinets by various members of our family. Of course, I found the secreted ones, because I was trying to “hide” my coveted packages of ToastChee Spicy Cheddar, in the same spots in the cupboard, already taken by my other family members.

Aw Shit Big Cock Ranch spice – We bought this for my husband from a gift shop, as a joke, a few months ago. It even came in it’s own special package, a white bag with the words, “A Bag of Shit.” It was all in good fun. But interestingly, we’ve been adding it to everything that we eat lately and all I can say is, “The shit’s good!” For all of their delicious flavors go to Big Cock Ranch’s website: www.specialshit.com Even if not to buy, go to the website for laughs.

Hormel Turkey Chili with Beans – My husband and sons have eaten this canned stuff, more than once, for lunch. While we are all quarantined together, I’ve agreed to make the dinners, but for the other meals, it’s “every man for themselves,” otherwise known as “Fend For” in my household. This canned delicacy seems to be a favorite. I am not sure if it is about the ease or the taste, but overall, Hormel Turkey Chili is a good one to stock up on.

Stay well, friends!! Happy Friday!! Share in the Comments, any new food favorites you recommend. Recipes are welcome, too!!

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Not So Fun Friday

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This is from a poster on Twitter under the heading #EverythingsGonnaBeOkay

What an adorable puppy!! A lot of people have been talking about how, despite the awful circumstances, it’s sort of nice to get back to the simpler pleasures in life. We are all appreciating the sanctity and security that we feel in our own homes, probably more than ever. New readers, on Fridays I typically list three favorite consumption things that I love, like products, or websites or music, etc. I call Fridays, “Favorite Things Friday”. I am not sure that I feel comfortable doing that tradition, today. It just doesn’t feel appropriate. So if you are wanting “favorites” suggestions, please see my previous Friday posts in the archives.

I have to admit, when this contagion first started happening, it felt like a giant over-reaction. I was angry, frustrated, bewildered and I was thinking of myself and my own immediate family and friends, and the plans which we had made, that were getting cancelled left and right. Not too long ago, I was thinking: “If getting infected with this new virus was only going to be like having a bad cold for most of us, why so much concern? ” Then I read this article written by an Italian doctor:

https://www.newsweek.com/young-unafraid-coronavirus-pandemic-good-you-now-stop-killing-people-opinion-1491797

This article really put it all in perspective for me. We all have a social responsibility to each other. We have a major social responsibility to not overload our already overly-taxed medical professionals and our hospitals. There are still plenty of ill people, dealing with other sicknesses and conditions. How will we be able to care for those people, if our hospitals are overflowing with people sick with COVID-19? What if all of our medical professionals and caretakers become ill and are not able to do their jobs? Probably the best thing to come out of this whole situation, it the in-your-face reminder that we are One. We are One global community. We must care about the whole of us, for any one of us, to have normal, healthy, comfortable lives. All for One, and One for All!

We are all sacrificing here (in no particular order of importance): wages, proms, jobs, projects, vacations, graduation ceremonies, reunions, sports events, theater events, feelings of security and safety and health for ourselves and our loved ones, conferences, church ceremonies . . . . the list could go on forever. Let’s be mindful of that, and look at our own daily actions, a little more carefully. We are all feeling disappointment. How are our actions affecting others? Are we behaving socially responsible? If you are elderly, fragile, and/or sickly, please stay in your homes. We don’t want to lose you and we all have made a lot of sacrifices, to try to change the tides. I am shocked at the amount of older, fragile people whom I have witnessed in restaurants, crowded stores and even coming out of nail salons. Seriously! This is the time, when we all come together, and hunker down and unite against this contagion.

Stay well, my dear friends and readers! The clouds always pass. Everything is going to be okay!!!

I Love Me and Friday

Image result for it's finally friday stay calm

My heavens, it sure is easy to REALLY appreciate Friday, lately, isn’t it?! Sometimes getting to Friday, feels like rock climbing, on a very precarious ledge, with crumbling pebbles of Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday, falling to the ground way below, as we claw our way to the weekend. I hope that this Friday, finds you all well and calm. We’ve made it. We’re here, at the pinnacle of the week – Friday. New readers, Fridays are devoted to the outside pleasures of life, here at Adulting – Second Half. I call it Favorite Things Friday. On Friday, I list three things that have made my life a little snappier, such as songs, beauty products, books, websites, food items, desserts, etc. etc. I strongly encourage you to add your favorites to my Comments section and to check out previous Friday listings for more favorites. We could all use a “pick me up” these days, right? Here are this week’s favorites:

This is my first favorite. What a great, empowering video and song. Demi Lovato knocked it out the park with this one. This is a great one to share with our daughters, granddaughters, nieces, friends, ourselves, and maybe just anyone we know. Be warned, Demi does use profanity, but it definitely drives the point home. Demi is a rock star, in every sense of the word!

AHA Sparkling Water – This is the latest addition to the seltzer scene. No sugar, no calories, but great, interesting flavors, plus an added bonus of some electrolytes and 30 mg of caffeine. My son was complaining to me that there wasn’t enough caffeine in it, so I told him to just hush up and pour himself another can. No calories = no guilt. I feel like a traitor, sharing this favorite, being a loyal fan of Lacroix, but honestly, AHA is a great switch up. I recommend both brands, if you are a seltzer water fan.

Rock Your Hair Hot Curls Thermal Curl Spray – I’ve used hot curlers in my hair since the 1980s. I’m not coordinated enough, nor patient enough, nor skilled enough to use a curling iron/curling brush/flat iron, etc. I don’t feel comfortable wearing my hair entirely straight, but unfortunately, straight and limp, is my thin (and getting thinner) hair’s “go-to position”. Worse yet, my hair shares my totally stubborn streak in its DNA and goes to straight, almost as soon as I remove my curlers. This product is the first product which I have found to give me any kind of hope for keeping my hair’s curl for longer than 10 minutes. Like all hair styling products, a little goes a LONG way.

And finally, the Fortune of the Day: “Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” – Joseph Campbell

Have a great weekend, friends and readers!! Stay well!!

Friday Reset

Its about time, friday

Wow, the world needs Friday today, doesn’t it? We need a little “Friday reset” to calm the nerves, take a timeout and find some perspective. New readers, Fridays are called Favorite Things Friday here at Adulting – Second Half. On Fridays, I list three favorites: books, poems, songs, books, beauty items, spices, blogs (a-hem) etc, etc. I strongly encourage you to list your favorites and also to check out my previous Friday posts for more favorites. I think that we all could use some comforting right now, don’t you? As a bonus favorite I noticed that the movies Knives Out and Ford Versus Ferrari are out on Redbox. If you are staying home this Friday to avoid germ contamination, I highly recommend both films. They are light, very entertaining, and very enjoyable to watch, movies. Without further ado, here are my today’s favorites:

“Magnet and Steel” song by Walter Egan – My sweet, romantic husband texted me this song earlier this week. (huge brownie points, dear husband) I love these “blasts from the past” when something you loved but have forgotten about, pops up, in the most delicious way. Play it now, friends. You can’t help but sway and swoon to this one.

OPI Norse is Less nail polish – This is the perfect winter blue nail polish. It is a dark, milky, grayish blue. It is a blue that actually looks nice with every skin tone. It is sophisticated, yet off the beaten track and a perfect winter “pick me up.” That’s what I love about lipstick and nail polish. They are quick, cheap, guilt-free ways to add color and life, to our regular, daily existence.

Dewey’s Bakery Moravian Style Cookie Thins – How can you not love cookies that come from a North Carolina bakery that shipped 12,000 pounds of fruit cake to troops during World War II??? These incredibly delicious cookie thins are only 12 calories each, although I like them so much, I typically inhale an entire sleeve of them (I haven’t chosen to do the math on that calorie intake) . The cookie thins come in many wonderful flavors such as Brownie Crisp, Meyer Lemon and Toasted Coconut. This is another delicious “pick me up” that we could all use right now, including the stock market.

Try to stay light-hearted and keep it real this weekend, friends!!

The Spell of Friday

Hi friends and readers!! I’m ready for Friday. How about you? New readers, Fridays are dedicated to favorites here at Adulting – Second Half. Sometimes my favorites are songs or things or beauty products or food or whatever. I strongly encourage you to check out previous Friday postings for more favorites and please, please add your own favorites to the Comments section. Speaking of favorites, here’s a kindly reminder: McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes are back. They also have a Shamrock McFlurry this year. I can personally attest to the fact that both are delicious, as ever. No particular “things” are sticking out to me as favorites this week, so I’m just going to list some good words of wisdom, I pulled from my internet browsing and reading, this week:

“Difficult roads lead to beautiful places.” – f of f (Twitter)

“It’s okay if you don’t like me, cause not everyone has good taste.” – f of f (Twitter)

“You don’t have to change your life overnight, but try to add good things to each day.” – f of f (Twitter)

“Throw me to the wolves and I will return leading the pack.” – Tiffanie Seiler

“When you put someone on a pedestal, they will always look down on you.” – unknown

Effect – bring about a result. Affect – to make a difference. (good grammar tip)

“You can’t bring up my past to break me, that’s what made me.” – f of f (Twitter)

“Keep in mind that you don’t have to feel brave to do brave things. Brave is more of an action than a feeling anyway.” – Holiday Mathis

“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” – f of f (Twitter)

“True friends stab you in the front.” – Oscar Wilde

“Give a man a mask and he will show you his true face.” – Oscar Wilde (think internet trolls)

“I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost magic, awful, beautiful life.” – Darryl Worley

“Romantic love is a kind of spell. As anyone who has ever read a fairytale knows, spells have a way of being broken. That’s why it helps when you have many different kinds of love for the same person. The loyal love you feel for country and family; the compassion you feel for the young, old, or weak; the playful, competitive love that siblings and friends share_ if all these kinds of love are woven together in the same relationship, it can withstand the precarious ups and downs of romantic love and even out some of that drama.” – Holiday Mathis

Ana Rosa
In every sense of the word . . . . .