Sometimes other languages have better words than English. I like “a un moment donne” which means “at some point in the past, it doesn’t matter specifically when” to start a story. “Verklempt” comes in handy, too on occasion. It certainly did on Friday when I was having lunch with a friend whose husband will be going to Afghanistan in the next couple of weeks and she was saying that she wanted to make sure that her daughters’ school didn’t make Remembrance Day only about soldiers going overseas and dying. She wanted to be sure they talked about the important jobs the soldiers do and that most do come home. Yeah, Carol was right when she said that she was feeling verklempt - overcome with emotion. Me, too.

On a lighter note, Reidisms are often more apt to the task than a word that I might choose. Sunday morning we were in the Byward Market and stopped for a drink. Reid had been dying for “bottle water” and I can always find room for a cup of hot chocolate. The restaurant we chose served the hot chocolate in bowls. Reid was impressed. “Is that hot choc-lick?!” she asked. Yum, yes! It, like its non-melted counterparts, was well worth a lick.