1. defenestration

2. serendipity

3. onomatopoeia

4. discombobulate

5. plethora

6. callipygian

7. juxtapose

8. persnickety

9. kerfuffle

10. flibbertigibbet

I don't know about you, but I only recognized 6 out of the 10, and most of those I hardly ever use in my writing or speaking. When I read about these particular words being the top 10 favorites, I couldn't help but wondering - with whom?

Anyway, reading about these words brought to mind a wonderful story told by the late Dr. Leo Buscaglia. He said that when he was a young boy, every day at supper time, he and his very large Italian family would sit around the dinner table, and each person would have to relate what new word or thing they learned that day. What a wonderful idea! Imagine how much he must have learned over the years, just by being present in that room, every evening. I

It is so easy to become stagnant in our life and in our thinking. Each day is a new day with many new treasures awaiting, and at the close of the day, in addition to giving thanks for all the good things that came our way, it would be nice to ask ourselves - ?What new word or thing did I encounter this day?? Since I am writing this at the end of Monday, in preparation for tomorrow morning, I will share with you what I learned.

Today, I learned that....It is the male, not the female sea horse, who becomes pregnant. Male sea horses have a special pouch on their stomach that provides a place for incubation of the female's eggs. The female transfers the eggs to this pouch, where they then attach themselves, are fertilized, and grow until ready to hatch. During the entire pregnancy, the male and female sea horse will dance in the water together, every day, just after the sun has risen. In other words, the male sea horse carries the kid to term and gives birth to it. What a great idea!!! No wonder the female wants to dance!

I did not know this before, and it really is quite remarkable! I am sure that armed with this new found information, I would be considered a delightfully charming and amusing guest at the next cocktail or tea party.

Several years ago, I had a friend just like that. He only completed grade 7, but he was the most fascinating and delightful person I had ever met. You could talk to him about any subject and he would astound you with his wealth of knowledge and fascinating information. I once went to a party where he and a number of professional engineers and MBA's had gathered, and in a matter of minutes, he put everyone in that room to shame. Everyone wanted to be around him. He made you feel so alive. He was interested in LIFE, he was in love with LIFE, and he never missed a single opportunity to learn and grow and delight himself and others in the process.

So, my dear friends, what wonderful new word or stimulating tidbit of information did you learn, or will YOU learn today?