Monday, October 12, 2020

Week in Seven Words #526

This covers the week of 2/16/20 - 2/22/20.

admirable
She's productive, patient, organized, and kindly, intelligent without being arrogant, a good teacher overall.

assenting
They keep cutting into each other's speech, and their voices are getting louder, so it seems at first like they're working themselves into a fight. But they're in agreement. They're vigorously, almost rabidly, agreeing with each other about a set of political beliefs. Around them, the other coffee shop customers keep their eyes fixed on phones and laptops.

burrowing
In a neighborhood that's otherwise cold and dingy, the library is a warm nook.

ciao
We part ways sweetly on a dark street.

conversing
We curl up side by side for a long conversation.

lackluster
A cheesy cartoon, crude jokes, and stilted conversation.

quarrel
Sobs, slammed doors, the seeming hopelessness of a fight with a good friend. Chances are that half an hour from now, they'll be on speaking terms again.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Week in Seven Words #525

This covers the week of 2/9/20 - 2/15/20.

fever
His face is beaded with sweat. On his nightstand, a thermos is perched on a short stack of books, and beside it a bottle of over-the-counter fever reducer.

frigidly
Our fingers are numb and chilly from handling wet bags of celery in a stiff wind.

gritting
Wounded, she staggers back to her feet, her jaw set.

outlet
Their backyard is a narrow rectangle, just big enough for the kids to take their noise outside for a while.

pausing
Some of my most peaceful moments that day are on an elevated subway platform, waiting for the train. It's a lull in my schedule. The day is cold, but the sun is steady, and I can stamp some warmth into my feet.

retrieved
A bit of biology knowledge – on meiosis – floats up to consciousness at a critical moment. Sometimes you don't know when you'll need to know something.

scavenging
The leftover fruit, soft with rot, is tempting. They shuffle closer to snatch up the firmer specimens, while ignoring every barked order to leave.