Potpourri: A mixture of unrelated things gathered together.

Potpourri: A mixture of unrelated things gathered together.

Well, that kinda explains this post as I will be discussing a myriad of things today.  AND one of the things I will be discussing is the meaning of words…as you know I like to read and every now and then I come across a word I have never heard of and of course I stop and look it up (to aid in my vocabulary).  One of the recent words I was not aware of was “forfend”.  Have you heard of it? At first I thought it was a printing error, but no, it is an actual word. I will give the definition further on.

I have to chuckle because many, many years ago, I worked at a ‘temp’ job filling in for the secretary who had to leave the office for a few days for a family emergency.  It was an attorney’s office and I knew nothing about the way a lawyers’ office operated, but I was assured I would be able to fill in for 2-3 days.  This was a one attorney office and this gentleman was in his 80’s, which simply means he was ‘old school’ as far as running his law office.  He loved using a dictaphone machine.  Some of you might ask what is a dictaphone machine while others of you that know, might say…Wow! Kari must have lived in the 1920’s or 30’s,… but no, this was in the mid 70’s which is still 50 years ago. For background …below is a photo of a secretary from 1922-ish using a dictaphone machine.Below is a dictaphone from the 1920’s.

The photo below was in the mid 60’s…as you can see the flat dictaphone machine looks a bit more modern than the one above.

The next photo is actually a lawyer dictating using the dictaphone machine.

So back to my ‘temp’ job.  You can imagine my surprise when I faced a dictaphone similar to the one above as the attorney explained to me that I would need to proof read his secretary’s last brief before she had to unexpectedly leave.  She had typed it up and I was to listen to the dictaphone to his recording and verify that all words were in the correct order and all words were spelled correctly.  I thought that should be simple enough once I figured out out to listen to the dictaphone.  It looked like a cassette recorder, so how hard could it be?  First, I proof read the typed brief and no sooner had I gotten into the text, I saw the word “tort”.  Remember, I grew up in a kitchen and I certainly knew what a tort was and it had nothing to do with a lawyer’s brief.  I don’t remember the exact phrasing but it was something to do with tort reform or tort claim notices. I felt the secretary had mistyped what she heard, so I listened very carefully to the lawyers dictation….but he had a habit of slurring some words and I couldn’t determine exactly what he was saying.  I decided to ask him what he said so I could correct the use of the word ‘tort’.  He was very kind and fatherly and he smiled and explained to me what a ‘tort’ was in lawyer speak….and it had nothing to do with a tort or torte pastry.  A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act.  By the way, In today’s modern world,  apparently, attorneys still dictate case notes and briefs, though they usually use encrypted mobile apps, digital pocket memos, or workflow platforms like Philips Cloud Dictation rather than mini-tapes.  I tell you all of this to explain why now…I immediately look up a word’s definition such as the word ‘forfend’ mentioned at the top of my post.

Forfend: It is a formal or archaic verb that means stopping an unpleasant event from happening, such as to forbid, to prevent, to ward off or to protect. 

As long as we are talking about older methods of office keeping….does anyone know what shorthand is?  My Mother taught me shorthand so I know a little about it even though it is not used as freely today as it was in earlier times.  I have read that some journalists and a dedicated community of enthusiasts, writers, and students still practice and share shorthand methods, online for privacy in journaling…. or the satisfaction of writing by hand at high speeds.

Below is an example of the shorthand, some secretaries or office personnel might use when taking verbal dictation.

Fast typing on computers and mobile devices replaced the old workflow of an executive dictating letters to a secretary who took shorthand notes. Schools and secretarial courses dropped shorthand from standard curricula in favor of computer literacy and digital administration skills.  Times have certainly changed, haven’t they?

I made Mexican Mini’s the other night for dinner and I thought you might like to try them..It is a quick and easy week night dinner. Plus, you can use whatever you prefer for fillings/toppings..

You start with either phyllo dough or won ton wrappers, pre-baked for about 5-8 minutes in a muffin tin… fill with cooked ground beef, green & red chopped peppers, refried beans, green onion, grated cheese and pop into the oven for about 5-10 minutes…Add sour cream, salsa or guacamole if desired.  If you choose to, you can use left over Chinese food such as General Tso chicken or sweet & sour pork chunks and white rice.  The simpler the better.  It is quick and easy using either left overs or something fresher.  I like to use these little mini’s because of portion control…or perhaps it just makes me think I am eating healthy.

Blessings Always…

 

“I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and fresh oil.” (Deut 11:14)