intermittently--Auntie Mary

in·ter·mit·tent  (ntr-mtnt) adj. 1. Stopping and starting at intervals. See Synonyms at periodic. 2. Alternately containing and empty of water: an intermittent lake. inter·mittence n. inter·mittent·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Thanks for following this blog. I have been posting daily for two years now, and I'm planning to slow down. From this point forward, I'll post intermittently: when I run across a word that I simply must share, I will. (I'm thinking maybe once a week or so.) I'll be posting a web compilation of all the words which you can access at maryedwards1964.com You can also check out my other blog, "Can't Duck It" at www.cantduckit.blogspot.com 

senescence -- Ann and Auntie Mary

se·nes·cent  (s-nsnt) adj. Growing old; aging. [Latin senscns, senscent-, present participle of senscere, to grow old, inchoative of senre, to be old, from senex, sen-, old; see sen- in Indo-European roots.] se·nescence n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language.

Ann and I love our senescent neighbor Annabella: Annabella and I go to exercise classes together, and Ann helps Annabella clean up her house. 

puerperal -- Sister Jen, Kristin, and Mom

pu·er·per·al  (py-ûrpr-l) adj. Relating to, connected with, or occurring during childbirth or the period immediately following childbirth. [From Latin puerper, a woman in childbed : puer, child, boy; see pau-1 in Indo-European roots +parere, to bear; see -parous.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

I wonder if Sister Jen, Kristin, and Mom experienced puerperal relief when each of their children were apparently healthy and they were no longer pregnant. 

thrifty -- Mom, Auntie Mary, Sister Jen

thrift·y  (thrft) adj. thrift·i·er, thrift·i·est 1. Practicing or marked by the practice of thrift; wisely economical. See Synonyms at sparing. 2. Industrious and thriving; prosperous. 3. Growing vigorously; thriving, as a plant. thrifti·ly adv. thrifti·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

We Edwards girls are not cheap: like our mother and our Grandmother Edwards, we are thrifty. 

antiemetic -- Ann and Auntie Mary

antiemetic [ˌæntɪɪˈmɛtɪk]

adj

(Medicine) preventing vomiting

n

(Medicine / Pharmacology) any antiemetic drug, such as promethazine or metoclopramide

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000

Ann's life would have been easier when Auntie Mary was dealing with food allergies if Auntie Mary had taken an antiemetic. 

spurious -- Sister Jen, Todd, Little Brother Matt, and Kristin

spu·ri·ous  (spyr-s) adj. 1. Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine; false. 2. Of illegitimate birth. 3. Botany Similar in appearance but unlike in structure or function. Used of plant parts. [From Late Latin spurius, from Latin, illegitimate, probably of Etruscan origin.] spuri·ous·ly adv. spuri·ous·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Sister Jen and Todd and Little Brother Matt and Kristin will be unlikely to believe their children's spurious excuses for poor academic performances should they ever have them. 

iatrogenic -- Sister Jen

i·at·ro·gen·ic  (-tr-jnk) adj. Induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of an infection or other complication of treatment. [Greek itros, physician; see -iatric + -genic.] i·atro·geni·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Sister Jen had iatrogenic complications after her brain surgery: she could no longer raise her left eye brow or put on a flipflop without using her hand.