Monday, April 4, 2016

C: A to Z Blogging Challenge & QotM

For my 2016 A to Z Challenge, I’m sharing three facts for each letter. The genres I write and love to read are mostly science fiction and high or epic fantasy. In fantasy, there is often magic associated with crystals or metals. They also used herbs both for medicine and for magical spells. Each day I will post a short description of an herb or a mineral you might find in medieval or fantasy writings. For the record, most of the herbal remedies I’ve investigated are not recommended by the FDA. Many are actually poisonous and dangerous. As tribute to my second love, I will post a scientific fact that may deal with physics, biology or health science. And because another name for a writer is wordsmith, each day I’ll share a strange word that I would probably never use in my writing, but that amuse me in some way. So enjoy my trio of quick facts. And don’t forget to visit the IWSG site where we’ll share a writer’s resource for every day of the challenge.

Commensality: The practice of eating together like families do.

Clove is sometimes used as a local anesthetic and antiseptic by dentists. It's also used for toothaches.

Corrosives are chemicals that destroy or damage other substances such as metals or organics.

Do you see how corrosives could be used in a science fiction story? Ever hear of cloves for toothaches? Do you practice commensality at your house?

It's the first Monday of the month and that means the question of the month, a blog hop sponsored by Michael D'Agostino on his blog, A Life Examined. Other participants are on this list.

"What is your favorite thing that begins with C?"

If we're talking about food, I have to say cheese. If we're talking in larger terms, I love my children more than anything.

"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

28 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

So when your kids are cheesy, you absolutely adore them?
Cloves for toothaches? Never heard that before.

Nicola said...

I've heard of cloves for toothache. I think I learned that from Jane Seymour as the Medicine Woman :) I love a big family dinner get together. The best memories. have a great day and thanks for the post.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I'm with you on cheese. Had a grilled cheese sandwich this weekend along with caramel hot chocolate (another "C"!) - yum! :)

messymimi said...

Clove oil is what used to make the dentist's office smell as it did when i was a child. Corrosives can be scary things when not handled with care.

M.J. Fifield said...

My family used to practice commensality every week at my great grandmother's house. We sadly fell out of the habit after she passed away.

Maria Zannini said...

Learned something new today. I'd never heard of the word, commensality. We practice it often now. :)

Pat Hatt said...

First I've heard cloves can do that. Usually ate as a family indeed at our feed.

Ira said...

I will vouch for the Cloves!! While I avoid going to the dentist for another tooth problem Clove is my partner in crime. ;)

betty said...

I love your favorite C word with children; what a blessing they can be :)

We do practice commensality in our household. Rarely will we not come together to eat at the table; tried to establish that early when the kids were young and then carried it through til these days when it is mostly just hubby and me around the table.

betty

Leanne said...

Commensality is a word I've never heard of before but I love it and what it defines :) Leanne @ cresting the hill

Ella said...

My father used clove oil on toothaches~ Good stuff and it works! I love your theme~

cleemckenzie said...

You've given me a new word today, commensality. And it's a beautiful word because of what it represents. Thanks for that. As to cloves, yes. I remember my grandmother using it for toothaches. My favorite C word today is Calm. Something I'd like to be in the face of this AtoZ! :-)

Unknown said...

Hah! I love the premise of this post. I am looking forward to the other letters.

nashvillecats2 said...

I love cheese, I used to live not far from Cheddar here in the UK famous for it's cheese.
Yvonne.

Robin said...

I didn't know that about cloves and toothaches. Good information to have!!!

Cheese. Yum.

THE KATY said...

Children for sure are my favorite things that begin with C. Second would be the sense of community I'm getting from this A to Z Challenge! <3

J E Oneil said...

I'd like to know how you're supposed to use cloves for toothaches! And I wonder how I could possibly use commensality in a sentences...

Ruth said...

We eat together unless my daughter is working. Always has been very important to me. I know about cloves and toothaches. I use it to bake with though. Favorite C? I do love chocolate, but also cheese. Citrus smell is all good. Lemon, lime, orange, it's all good. I am not good at picking favorites.

Jo said...

We always eat together so although there are only two of us, that's commensality. I have heard of using cloves for toothache, in England we use cloves in apple pie which I much prefer, and also in bread sauce which we eat with roast turkey.

JO ON FOOD, LIFE AND A SCENT OF CHOCOLATE

Unknown said...

commensality what a fab word! Ta for the education

Johanna H. Montilla B. said...

Science Fiction and Romance. I love it.
In Spanish we call "Comensales" to a group of people seating at the table, especially at a restaurant, but it´s kind of a fancy word. Something that start with C that I like... what about "Corazón" It means Heart in spanish.
www.poetryandlaw.blogspot.ca

mshatch said...

When I was young all the kids ate together first and my parents ate later. I t was probably a smart thing to do so they could actually enjoy their dinner. Holidays we all ate together. I like family dinners!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Susan,

Good C words... Mine is CHRISTMAS!!!!

Growing up, we always had dinner together in the dining room. My Italian mother would no have it any other way....

Melissa Sugar said...

I miss family dinners. My kids are so involved in sports that if they don't have a game, they alway have practice and it's rare for all of them to get home before 9 PM on school nights. We strive really hard to have a family dinner once a week. I've never heard of cloves for toothaches, but I have a friend who smokes clove cigarettes and the smell gives me a headache, LOL. Favorite things that begin with the letter C: hmm I love cheese. Every kind except blue cheese and cottage cheese, which I can't stand . I could live on bread and cheese. And wine wouldn't hurt.

Unknown said...

I'd already forgotten that first C word by the time I clicked to comment :P I guess it's because that doesn't happen in my family too often :P

Anonymous said...

When I was growing up we always sat together for dinner. I never knew there was a word for it. Cool.

~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

Tasha Duncan-Drake said...

Cloves was always the treatment of choice for toothache in our house when I was a child :) Never had to use it myself. We also always used to sit down for tea together every night.
Tasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

Unknown said...

My friend told me about the dental usefulness of cloves when I had a tooth ache, but I couldn't face trying it in the end. :-)