I'm sorry I was away for a while. I took a break from blogging, and it wasn't planned. Some changes in my schedule, new work, and - just this past week - a vacation I'll be telling you about soon, kept my attention away from the blog. So now there's a backlog of "week in seven words" posts.
This is going to be a mega post of week in seven words. Four weeks' worth. After this, I plan to go back to posting one set per week.
Week in Seven Words #157
bullying
The wind chases people indoors.
copywriting
Proposed topics: fences in Texas, funding platforms, and staying healthy in winter.
muddied
They think that writers can mind-read their way through a poor set of instructions.
overboard
Mutiny plotted among the cubicles.
papier-mâché
Papery pink and brown flowers gracing an asphalt walkway.
sneerers
They tire me out with their cynicism and the way they value snark over everything else.
trepidatious
The whole world seems frozen and shaken.
Week in Seven Words #158
adrift
I hear that he's unwell and back in the states. Yet another displaced person, living like a refugee in his own country.
embattled
Patiently hacking away at my two-headed nemesis: fear of failure and fear of disappointing others.
lookout
From her perch on the back of the couch, she monitors the comings and goings in the room.
resolve
Do I dare to do what I love in life? My gut instinct tells me that yes, I should, and now is the time to start, after too many years spent second-guessing and doubting myself.
swanning
The relationship is quite comfortable, as we make few demands of each other.
unmoved
Some of the hardest battles in the world are fought against bad habits. They're tough, unglamorous, and few people care.
verdict
I don't get the sense that I'm participating in a conversation. Instead, I'm getting called to the carpet to give an accounting of myself.
Week in Seven Words #159
communicative
Sitting opposite each other at a small corner table, they wait for their food while peering into their iPhones.
interfusion
Gutter slush: gray snow, motor oil, crumbled leaves, and candy wrappers.
luster
Godiva pearls on a sunny Valentine's Day afternoon.
oxidation
A sustained lie is damaging to the psyche.
pier glass
I see myself in her. Some of her most troublesome faults are mine too.
sleeved
Sleeves of snow on the tree branches.
tug-of-war
When I'm with them, I'm torn between who I'd like to be and who they'd like me to be. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to move. I can feel it.
Week in Seven Words #160
aquaria
With its gleaming gold fish, rippling bubbles, and rough gray castle, the fish tank is a continuous source of fascination for a two-year-old.
dentistry
If your mouth smells of food, especially meat, the dog will attempt to lick your teeth clean.
mishloach manot (משלוח מנות)
In preparation for Purim, we line up little bags of treats on the counter. Inside each one are chocolates, red apples, hamantaschen, and a small bottle of grape juice.
spectacle
The prosperous-looking cardinal shares jokes and platitudes with a Jewish audience. Afterwards, he hangs around shaking hands, smiling, and even holding a baby. Unfortunately for him, no one is taking photos.
stick-to-itiveness
He has difficulty hoisting himself onto the sofa, so he's ripped a hole into one of the cushions to give himself a better purchase.
subjugated
A soul imprisoned in apathy.
zucchetto
At the start of his Jewish adulthood, the Bar Mitzvah boy winds up wearing a cardinal's red skullcap.
