Best of the Alphabet: Baby Names

I stumbled upon a new name-blog a few nights ago and was pumped. It's got all sorts of cool stuff, from name suggestions to "sibling sets" to old birth announcements for twins named Lloyd Joel and Boyd Noel. Anyway, add to this discovery a dash of boredom and a sprinkle of, ahem, loopiness from medicine and we've got a new Baby Name List idea: favorite names for each letter of the alphabet. Liz, my long-suffering friend who oft puts up with my baby name craze decided to participate too! As has Dana!!!! (She doesn't get as many obnoxious baby name convo requests from me as Liz does - she's more my "Harry Potter questions in the middle of the night" person - but we have talked about names and we may or may not have once fought over "Teddy," eventually deciding I'd use it for a boy and she could use it for a girl.) This list doesn't include all the names we love, just our very favorites for each letter. (I also didn't want to include any names I would never actually use, which is why the letter U, for example, has no names even though Ulysses and Urban are fine names.) In cases of multiple favorites, the very best is in bold. Without further ado.....

A Names

Charlotte: Annie (as a nickname), Agatha/Ambrose, Augustine

Liz: Abigail/Alexander

Dana: Abigail, Adelaide, Adeline/Adam

B Names

Charlotte: Beatrix, Bernadette/Bosco, Benjamin

Liz: Bonnie/Benjamin

Dana: Beatrice

C Names

Charlotte: Caroline, Clementine/Clement

Liz: Claire/Cooper

Dana: Christian, Cecilia/Christopher

D Names

Charlotte: Della/Donovan

Liz: Daisy/Daniel

Dana: Dana (lol jk) Diana, Daphne/David

E Names

Charlotte: Evangeline, Eliza, Eleanor/Edward

Liz: Emelia/Elliot

Dana: Emma, Emilia/Elijah

F Names

Charlotte: Felicity/Francis

Liz: Felicity, Fern/Flynn

Dana: Flannery/Fred, Fitzgerald, Fitzwilliam

G Names

Charlotte: Genevieve/Gabriel, Gerard

Liz: Genevieve/Griffin

Dana: Georgiana, Georgia/George, Greg

H Names

Charlotte: Harriet/Hugo

Liz: Hattie/Harper/Henry

Dana: Helen/Henry

I Names

Charlotte: Ignatius

Liz: Isabelle/Ian, Isaac

Dana: Imogen/Isaiah 

J Names

Charlotte: Jane/James, John

Liz: Joanna/Jacob

Dana: Jane/Jack, James

K Names

Charlotte: Kate, Kit (both as nicknames)/ Konrad

Liz: Katherine/Keagan 

Dana: Kendall/Killian 

L Names

Charlotte: Louise/Lewis (honorable mentions: Lucy, Loretta)

Liz: Lydia/Liam

Dana: Laura, Leila/Levi 

M Names

Charlotte: Margot, Magdalene/Martin

Liz: Molly/Mathias

Dana: Madeline, Magdalena/Mason 

N Names

Charlotte: Noelle/Nicholas

Liz: Nora/Nathaniel 

Dana: Nova/Noah 

O Names

Charlotte: Ottilie/Oliver

Liz: Olivia/Oliver 

Dana: Ophelia/Oliver 

P Names

Charlotte: Pepper, Philomena/Patrick

Liz: Piper/Parker

Dana: Priscilla, Penelope/Peter 

Q Names

Charlotte: .........

Liz: Quinn/Quentin (I guess...) 

Dana: Quinn/?

R Names

Charlotte: Rose

Liz: Rachel, Ruth/Russell 

Dana: Renesmee.. JK. Rose/Ronald

S Names

Charlotte: Stella/Samuel

Liz: Sophie, Sadie/Samuel (honorable mention: Sybil)

Dana: Savannah/Samuel 

T Names

Charlotte: Tilly (as a nickname)/Theodore

Liz: Taylor/Theodore

Dana: Theodora (Teddy)/Theodore 

U Names

Charlotte: .........

Liz: .........

Dana: ........

V Names

Charlotte: Victoria

Liz: Virginia/Victor

Dana: Vada, Virginia

W Names

Charlotte: Willa/William

Liz: Winry/William 

Dana: Winnie/William

X Names

Charlotte: Xavier

Liz: ........

Dana: ........

Y Names

Charlotte: ..........

Liz: .......

Dana: Yael/.. 

Z Names

Charlotte: Zellie

Liz: Zinnia/Zachary 

Dana: Zinnia, Zoey/Zachary

So I guess it's a win for Oliver, Theodore, William, and Samuel. ;) This post was super fun to write. I loved seeing all the overlap (Magdalene/a! Felicity! Henry!) and I got a kick out of how surprising some of the names were (still not over Dana's choice of Greg or Liz's pick of Griffin). I like that even with a decent amount of overlap, you can still sense our different styles.

Also, Keagan will forever remind me of kegels. BUT YOU DO YOU, LIZ.

Sterling, Castile, Dallas, BLM

I've gone back and forth over the last few days on whether or not to write anything about the killing of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the officers in Dallas. I've addressed Black Lives Matter before (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 if you're interested) and I still feel the same way: the movement is righteous and we need to continue to assert that black people matter. I don't have anything very eloquent to say, but I decided I'd jot down a few random thoughts, especially since my audience is largely white. And lately there seem to be a lot of Confused and Angry White People. 

The Dallas shooting was horrific and tragic. I am heartbroken for the officers (and protesters) who were shot and for their families. I have no reason to believe they weren't good people. 

If you think less of Black Lives Matter after the Dallas shooting, you're wrong. The movement has spoken against the violence, they did not sanction or plan it, and they value all life. And even if those things weren't true... 

Black lives would still matter. No matter what happened or happens, regardless of how you or I or anyone else feels about tactics, you should still know and understand and state that "black lives matter." Because for the past 300 years and even today, the law does not value or protect black lives. The first step in rectifying this problem is to acknowledge it and address it. 

It is possible to grieve for the officers and still argue that we need to radically change how policing is done in this country. 

It is possible to dislike, to hate violence but to understand how it happens. I personally wouldn't want to engage in violent actions* (unless it's in self defense or to actively defend someone else), but I also don't know what it is like to be a target of state violence. I can choose to not be violent and also not denounce an entire movement because there are some folks who think violence is the best tactic. 

Pick a method of resistance that suits your strengths and find out how you can help the larger movement.

You can understand how a person(people) is angry without wanting to justify violence born of that anger. Part of being a semi-intelligent adult with complex emotions is understanding something even when you don't particularly like it. It is entirely possible (maybe necessary?) to wish those officers were alive and that the shooting in Dallas never happened but to also understand the rage behind it. Shooting unsuspecting police officers cannot be justified in my mind. But the rage? The rage is justifiable. 

If you are sad about Dallas but didn't mourn over the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, check your priorities. 

If you think the use of war tactics and materials are necessary after the slaughtering of those officers, but didn't think protesting was necessary after the slaughtering of the 565th and 566th people killed by police this year, check your priorities.

If you were outraged at the killings of Cecil the Lion and Harambe the Gorilla but not at the killings of black men by people who were sworn to protect them, just unfriend/unfollow me. Find Jesus. (So, like, half the people I went to hs with.)

I'm angry at the killing of those police officers. I'm angry that black people continue to be unjustly targeted and killed by police. Get it through your head that you can be both. 

Get it through your head that racism is real. 

Get it through your head that not all cops are good. 

Get it through your head that change is hard but necessary. 

Stop saying "all lives matter." It's defensive, it's detracting, and it's bad logic. If I say "cheeseburgers are great" it in no way means "hamburgers are awful." A hamburger can be perfectly lovely with the right condiments.

And, the most important thing: listen to black people. LISTEN TO BLACK PEOPLE. Stop denying statistics and stop denying their very experience.    

(Also: It is not okay to kill suspects with robot bombs.)

I've been praying for Alton and Philando, and for Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Smith, and everyone else affected. But we need to do more than pray. If you're white and you've been silent so far, I'd urge you to get involved. I believe there will be a day when things like this no longer happen. 

*I don't support violence against people. Property, however? Fuck property. People>property. At this point I am all for breaking windows. Before you think I'm a loon, I'll ask you your thoughts on the men behind the Boston Tea Party. If you see them as heroes, then don't tell black people or white allies not to cause chaos. If ruining property is the way to make the state care about people, then that's what'll happen. Don't blame the protesters, blame the state which continues to undervalue human life. They/we are trying to make changes via peaceful protesting. If that doesn't work, then overboard with the tea, as it were.  

Charlotte 

June Into July | 2016

Eight days in and I'm finally writing this month's post.

I haven't prioritized blogging at all lately, and for the most part I'm okay with that. I've been sick a lot, I've been in the hospital twice this month, so when I'm feeling good I'm more interested in reading or hiking or doing yard work to try and make that $$ than I am in blogging. I'm sure this will change as summer fades, but for now it's what's up. 

But I'm not ditching it all together. I'm still trying to keep up with some book reviews over on Filthy Casket. And I'm going to try to get at least one blog post up over here per week, but I'm not stressing over it. 

Since I wrote last month's post so late, I'm just going to cheat and extend those goals through this month. #ambition #not They were: 

1. Get outside more So far so good.

2. Read six books I've read eight and a half! I'm on a reading roll. Give me some butter. This month I'd specifically like to chip away at my summer reading list. 

3. Post five book reviews I've done two so far.

4. Finish the reviews of the books in The Underland Chronicles I've not done any since making that goal...

5. Eat better meh, somewhat so far.

6. Lose ten pounds I've lost three at this point.

So those are my goals for the rest of the month. 

I wanted to keep this post short and I don't have a ton to say, but it seems wrong to not mention some of the things going on right now. For the moment I'll leave it at just saying that my heart is heavy for Alton Sterling and his family, Philando Castile and his family, and the officers and protesters shot in Dallas and their families. And especially for Cameron, Sterling's 15 year old boy, whose sobs haven't left my mind since the night I heard them on TV. 

__

Charlotte

The Book of Esther

Hey ya'll (smh, truly assimilating to the south). I normally keep all of my book reviews over at Filthy Casket, but I loved this book so much, I had to post some of it over here, too.

Badass, feminist, imaginative, historical.  

I devoured this book. Or maybe it devoured me. 

Let me start by saying that this book is a lot. Barton's writing is awesome, but dense. The vast majority of the reviews I've read for this book mention "info-dumping" and the use of other languages without translation. They're not wrong, but... I almost feel as though these reviewers can't have actually finished the book. The first chapter is the hardest. I put the book down twice (to pick up Harry Potter, of course) because I just couldn't get into the first chapter. But I finally pushed through it, and hot damn I'm glad I did. I went on to finish it in two days because I could not put it down. 

THAT SAID, I don't necessarily recommend you immediately drop everything and buy the book. Rent it from your library. Or finish this review and read other reviews before dropping $25 on it. 

Because the people who didn't love this book bring up good points. I've seen folks complain that there are too many mystical elements. There are animated clay figures called Golems. There are mechanical horses in the 20th century. There's a man who was born a woman but transformed into a man when he prayed for it while bathing. There's also the fact that hundreds rally behind a teenage girl, willfully following her into war. Naturally, people complain that it's a lot to believe. To which I say: just get past it! In the beginning of the book I also struggled to believe everything that was put in front of me. But once I just stopped thinking so hard about it (it's historical fiction, after all), I was able to just relax and thoroughly enjoy the book.

The other major complaints I've seen, and which I feel I need to address before telling anyone to go buy it, are the complaints of language and too much info. Barton uses language throughout the novel that most of us won't understand (Hebrew? Yiddish? Combo? I don't know.) She often translates it, but not always. It was occasionally frustrating, but mostly I thought it was easy enough to understand through context. When I couldn't guess the meaning, I just... got over it. It really doesn't happen enough to distract from the story. Despite not always understanding the occasional blurbs of other-language, I understood and followed the plot. It didn't interfere with character development or rising action or, or, or. And yet, many, many people seemed to really dislike this feature of the book. So I figure it's worth mentioning. If you think this would bother you, it might not be worth reading. And then there's the issue of "info-dumping." There were some parts of the book that were just crazy laden with info - I don't mind it. I thought it was necessary to the story. But if you are more a dialogue and action guy or gal, it's something to consider. For all the info-dumping, though, I thought it was paced just fine. I never got bored.  

And yet, I really, really want to urge everyone to try this book out. It's one of the best books I've read in the last year (up there with The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra and The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy). The writing was perfection - the kind that makes you think of silk and caramel and hot chocolate and tea and blankets and that attic from A Little Princess. I know you know what I mean. 

~Break to go watch A Little Princess. My dear, dear Sara.~ 

Read the rest of my review over at Filthy Casket! 

__

Charlotte

May Into June | 2016

ugly but very productive tomato plant

The blogette hit 10,000 views a few days ago. It's not like that's a ton of views considering it's been around a few years, but I've basically been assuming Liz was my only reader. So either Liz has been here 10,000 times or more than a couple of people read it. ;) Anywho, it's a tad exciting. The blog isn't wildly popular, nor do I want it to be (unless it's so popular that I can make a living writing about Harry Potter baby names). But it is fun knowing there are a few readers that enjoy (or hate-read???) this space.

It's June 16, so I really shouldn't even bother writing this month's post, but hey. Better late than never, yes? It's been sitting in my drafts folder for a while now.

May was alright. I was in the hospital again, but didn't have to endure any 2+ day stays, so that was cool. I feel like my health is declining, but also like I'm becoming more resilient? I've been doing yard work and handyman-ish jobs to try and keep up on the bills. There are days/times when I can't do anything, but on my so-so days I'm alright to go work. I've been trying to push through the pain a bit more. I'm not great at knowing when that's a good idea or not, though. Sometimes I'll try to get out and either work or just get some fresh air and then I'll deeply regret it a few hours later when I'm puking or writhing in pain. Other days I push through the pain and then feel great.

I had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy since I have the body of a 50 year old, apparently. The docs were hoping to get hints as to what's going on with my abdomen (and especially my liver), but they weren't totally convinced they'd find anything. They mostly thought it was prudent to check things out. They did find some abnormalities... but nothing (as far as I know yet) that would explain the liver issues. The one thing I really, really complained about (to my friends, not to my doctors) was the colonoscopy prep. I wasn't concerned about the effects of the solution. I knew it'd suck but like, everyone has had the stomach bug, so whatever. (Gross to write about on a blog? Probably! Sorry, three readers.) But the taste of the solution. I literally cried throughout the process of drinking it. It made me gag and puke and I can't explain how hopeless/helpless I felt the entire time. It's really a pathetic feeling - "This nasty drink is going to be the end of me! I literally cannot do this. I cannot."

     

But. Yesterday I found out that the polyp they found was precancerous, so... I will never again complain about getting a colonoscopy. Before it was biopsied, the doctor who removed it told me he was glad I had the procedure because normally colon cancer in young people takes longer to diagnose since colonoscopies aren't usually performed until age 50. He has a 32 year old patient who has colon cancer. Even though we hadn't known it was precancerous at that point, he was relieved I had it removed. I'm super glad, too. After I typed it out to some of my friends yesterday it hit me that, like, holy shit! Had I not had this procedure I might have gotten cancer five years from now. I'm looking at colonoscopies every few years now, which sucks, but again... can't complain.

By the way, regarding the prep: I figured out a tolerable way to drink it. I read on a few different sites that it was better cold, but that putting ice in it was a big no-no. So I tried putting the bottle I used inside a bowl that was filled with ice, but that didn't help. I also was told by friends and by the internet AND by the pamphlet that a straw might help... I drank two liters with a straw and cried the whole time.

Eventually, I did two things that seemed to help. I filled up water bottles and put them in the freezer for 15-25 minutes. This way they weren't frozen, but they were ice cold. I won't say it made the solution okay, but it made it much less "kill me now." Also, I got rid of the straw. I don't know why the straw made it worse for me, since a lot of people seem to prefer it. But I was much, much better at just chugging an entire almost-frozen bottle than I was sipping through a straw. I'd get them down in about 7 minutes. (Chug for like 30 seconds, try not to gag, give yourself a pep talk for two minutes, chug for 30 seconds, repeat until done.)

Also, and I realize this sounds corny, but I was finally just like, "Jesus, you gotta help me." I think I was more polite than that, but really. I don't care what anyone says, drinking this was hard. I'd prefer enduring physical pain for a little while than drinking this poisonous crap. I felt stupid asking God to help me drink bowel prep solution, but like, whatever. Maybe that was a lesson. Nothing too small. I'd have tried the whole "offer it up" thing, but I was too busy gagging to think any coherent thoughts while actually drinking.

went to google to search for an appropriate gif for my prep-solution-prayer. found this instead.

As for last month's goals... 

I didn't do too bad. I called my friends. I didn't send letters to my friends, though. On my list! I think I read five books? My goal was six. But I read Half Blood Prince twice. Does that count? ;) I wrote four book reviews in May, which is four more than I wrote in April - excellente. I lost around 10ish pounds. Not only did I look into classes, but I enrolled at a nearby community college. I did not go kayaking, but I spent most of the month sick, so... (I'd be physically capable of kayaking on some of my good days, but I'm not keen on being out in the middle of nowhere, in a body of water, alone, and then having one of my severe attacks. Maybe I'll grow a pair at some point. We'll see.)

weight loss progress pic

And this month's goals:

1. Try getting outside more. I'm in pain, but like... when I'm below a 6 on that 1-10 scale I can try a little harder to get out.

2. READ SIX BOOKS, DAMMIT CHARLOTTE.

3. Post five new book reviews.

4. Finish the book reviews for the Underland Chronicles. It's been months since I wrote the review for the third book. Let's not make it years.

5. Eat better (+ more fiber).

6. Lose 10 pounds. This is when things get tricky. Losing weight is always hardest when I'm closest to my goal weight. I'd like to reach 180 by late September, assuming my health doesn't get even more wild.

That's it for now. ;)

Charlotte 

Going Back to School

Whew. Just a little over a year ago I wrote about my plan to go back to school. Well, it's taken me longer than I'd have liked, but last week I enrolled at a community college in a nearby city and in the upcoming weeks I get to meet with an advisor to register for classes. I'll be taking physics and a math course (not sure which one yet - don't really fancy jumping right into calculus after 6+ years of not learning math, so might take pre-calc algebra first).

On the one hand, I'm really excited. On the other hand................. slightly terrified. I'm worried about what happens if I go back and end up really sucking at all of this. Also, I am not very healthy. In fact, I have to stop lying to myself. I keep saying that I'll get better soon, but in reality, my body seems to be getting worse. My liver enzymes are nice and high, my abdominal pain has spread so that it's now on both sides and in my chest and back (it used to mostly stay confined to the right upper quadrant). I don't know if it's related, but two months ago my legs were fine and now they're terribly sore to the point where I have trouble lifting them at times. When it started, it was mainly happening at night (felt as though I had done insane work outs, even though I hadn't) and now it happens during the day, too. My nausea medicine knocks me out, so I sometimes end up wasting an entire day sleeping. So that's all problematic. But I'm trying to remain optimistic. Late next week I'm having two procedures done, and the doctors are likely going to take biopsies. I'm really, really hoping they figure out what is wrong. 

And if they don't (knock on wood, because I don't want to just be stuck with mystery symptoms and bad blood work forever), then I'm still anticipating going to school. I'm only taking two classes, so I should be able to manage that schedule even if I'm still sick. I considered just putting it off another semester, but decided against that. It has been a long time since I've felt like a normal human being and I really need to do things again. I don't want to put it off indefinitely. Ain't no way to liiiive. 

I'm also nervous about some practical obstacles. My computer is falling apart, literally. It's held together with electrical tape at the moment, and I can see its innards. Wires and metal galore. But I can get by without a laptop for a while, hopefully. The bigger concern is my car, which is becoming less and less safe to drive unless I get it fixed. (I'm not just procrastinating on getting it fixed - it's likely to cost over $1000 and nobody has that type of money.) I get mad every time I think about it, because it turns out the dealership sold it to me like this. Nice of them!! The school is about 40 minutes away, so a car isn't optional. I'm going to try to work things out over the next couple of months. 

Despite all that, I'm still just pumped. It's been such a long time since I've done anything with any sort of purpose. It's exciting to actually work toward one of my bigger goals (and hopefully get on the road to being independent again - thankful that I've been able to live rent free, but... I also miss not living with family). And maybe one day I'll end up working to solve problems such as these. ;)

__
Charlotte

link love

a little irony for your Sunday evening

This week was a rainy one in NC. Today we've finally had sun (although... I actually love the rain, so maybe I shouldn't say "finally") and I've been itching to get out but it's rough right now with the pain and with the meds and with the side effects of the meds. I've tried to completely stop pain meds, sort of against my doctors' advice (they just think I should not be in pain if I don't have to, which is fair, but I'm scared of pain meds). But the nausea meds knock me out. Which is great at night, though, because I've got trouble sleeping. Although... the last two or three nights have been odd. I'll lay down and start reading and can't go more than twenty minutes. Maybe I need a different book? 

Or maybe I need to spend less time on the internet? I admit I've been staying on later and later. But sometimes it's hard to look away when there's just so much. LIKE:

This most excellent Harry Potter quiz, of course. I got Hermione Granger the first time I took it a few days ago, but when I retook it just now, I totally got Albus Dumbledore. Win. (Speaking of Buzzfeed quizzes, did you see how you can make your own quiz and have your friends take it? My friends all took the quiz about me, and the most they got right was THREE QUESTIONS. For comparison, on theirs I got 4, 6, and 7 right, so... suck it.)

I've been craving adventure a little bit lately. On the next sunny day when I'm feeling good I'm going to take my kayak out. And one day... one day maybe I'll be brave enough to ride a motorcycle on the edge of a mountain. Probably not. But it is fun to watch. Also adventurous.. tattoos! I plan on getting a second tattoo one day and it will most likely be HP-related, so I enjoyed scrolling through these. I love the Weasley's car in the whomping willow!!!!!

I cannot get over this bachelor (...or I guess, contestant). He looks like the lovechild of Ashton Kutcher and Shia LaBeouf, with a dash of Dax Shepard for good measure. 

I am feeling dreadful about the upcoming election, so I almost hate to talk about it. But I can't avoid it altogether and sometimes I wouldn't want to, like in the case of this woman's obituary, which claims Ms. Mary Anne chose to go be with God rather than vote for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. Can't. And as someone who is still hoping Bernie will win, I liked this article about his great chances of beating Trump (with wider margins than Hillary can hope for) and this one that says Clinton supporters should really stop bullying Sanders supports for not jumping on the bandwagon.

Equally frustrating as the election: Drew, a tv show about.. you got it, Nancy Drew, is not going to air. Why? Because it's "too female." Yeah.

Happier things, happier things.. Meg at Pierced Hands is one of my favorite bloggers. I loved her recent post about the nature of the Holy Spirit. Click on over. (I also loved the Disney short movie that she included. Adorable.)  

I enjoyed this article over at Verily which talks about ways exercise can help women specifically. (Also, Verily is on fire. Check out these cute work outfits! And this article about singleness and Jane Austen!)

This new show, Speechless, looks good. And I love Minnie Driver. 

LOVED this article about Charles Dickens' ability to come up with names for his characters. You know I love names. And writing. Best of both. 

I laugh at most of the hashtag segments on The Tonight Show. This one about weird neighbors did not disappoint. 

I'm not too ashamed to admit that I watch and thoroughly enjoy Grey's Anatomy. I liked this article over on Slate about why it's actually a good show. (Although we don't have to pretend it's the stuff of giants.)

Lady Gaga posted an image and talked about the Eucharist, and a bunch of Catholics (and other Christians) went crazy. They basically went on about how she's not a true Catholic and we shouldn't be happy about her and that she shouldn't be receiving the Eucharist at all... ugh. I liked this counter argument. 

I'm crushing on this book, these sandals, and this dress.

And to wrap this up - if you're the praying type, keep this man and his family in your thoughts. They just lost their new baby. And this family as well - a young father of five has stage four melanoma and they have to keep travelling between states for treatment. 

til next week

Charlotte