Halloween Thoughts: What this time of year has changed into.

 Halloween has brought me and my family many different kinds of feelings and vibes that fill the chilly air in the States. Sometimes, it was fun taking my little one around the town for collecting candies and enjoying creative spooky decorations on the porch of every single house. Some other times, it felt bothersome to keep opening and closing the door for trick-or-treaters all night long. What had made me feel about Halloween boiled down to some kind of an annual occasion that allowed us to have as many unhealthy sweets as we could snarf down with a good excuse for one night, watching a rehash of cheesy spooky movies. Simple, fun, silly, lighthearted, and relaxing.

 

The aforementioned list of feelings that I had about Halloween has changed into the inexpressible state of mind since October 29^th in 2022. Watching and following the horrible breaking news of an accident that took 159 lives from my home country, Korea, my mind became frozen, and since then, the fear has shattered the existing and presumably everlasting cheers of Halloween into the dark and sad smithereens in my heart. No longer simple, fun, silly, lighthearted, and relaxing.

 

On the 3^rd heart-wrenching anniversary of the Itaewon Halloween incident in Korea, I would like to take a silent moment to pray for those victims, their families, and friends deeply affected by what should not have occurred the night of October 29^th, 2022.

 

Here I am presenting a small of piece of poem from Episode #73 of my book Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary.

 

 

Grim Ghosts’ Night Out in October

 

Again, I hear this whistle tonight.

It cuts and hurts my heart and pushes me to sink in deep mire.

The sound resembles a clamor from the tomb in a pogonip full of fright.

I become enclosed by the noise in dire.

 

Even little trick-or-treaters’ costumes in the streets are no fun to me.

Rest assured their door-to-door trips will soon be over.

Fancy prestidigitations of magicians at a local shopping mall feel like no more than a booster for the Halloween shopping spree.

Hate to see the grim ghosts in between the trees and clouds like a rover.

 

Where is the soul of my own father?

I find myself looking for his lost soul somewhere up there with the empyrean angels.

Though this earsplitting whistle keeps vexing me to smother,

I pretend to hear some happy shivaree or holy gospels.

 

They call me an infidel, but I don’t believe in God’s blessing.

I just wish to know why He took my father so suddenly

and what’s with all this nerve-wrecking sound I hear that keeps

transgressing

I would make a Faustian deal with God to give me an answer in my prayers so lonely.

The latest SUNDAY WORD PUZZLE from NPR on-air challenge! Find the U.S. cities using the given clues!

Every answer is the six-letter name of a well-known U.S. city, in which I've changed the first and last letters. You name the cities.

 

Ex. JURORS  -->  AURORA, Colo. and Ill.

1.  BALLAD

    2.  MOST OF

    3.  CUNEAL

    4.  KOPEKS

    5.  SIERRA

    6.  RELENT

    7.  NUNCIO

    8.  NUGENT

    9.  FUR HAT

   10. RUSTIC

 

 

Answer Keys

1.  DALLAS (in Texas)

2.  BOSTON (in Massachusetts)

3.  JUNEAU (in Alaska)

4.  TOPEKA (in Kansas)

5.  PIERRE (in South Dakota)

6.  HELENA (in Montana)

7.  MUNCIE (in Indiana)

8.  EUGENE (in Oregon)

9.  DURHAM (in North Carolina)

10.     AUSTIN (in Texas)

Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: WORKSHEET 40

WORKSHEET #40

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #40 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

Since there are no expressions picked or highlighted from the episode #40, let me share the piece of poem written by Dr. Jedidiah’s secretary at his clinic.

 

Hope and Pray for You in Heaven

by Helen Leigh

 

The days you left behind

 have felt like the most unfamiliar grind.

When I hit quiet trails,

 I hear my breathing becoming sad exhales.

 

The empty hollow filled with sorrow

 makes it harder to hope for tomorrow.

Here I go again with another stride

 slowly but tenaciously with you inside.

 

A hundred-mile-long walk is not lonely

 as you are watching over me closely.

Miles and miles apart between Heaven and Earth in existence,

 but walking these miles would truly shorten the distance.

 

I know that I’d cry now and then,

 but I promise I’d head out again.

When it rains, I’ll think of it as your gift

 to hide my tears as I sniffed.

 

When it snows, I’ll listen to my footsteps

in my joyful stroll of a hundred reps.

A birdie on that cedar tree

 must be that you are finally free.

Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: WORKSHEET 39.

WORKSHEET #39

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #39 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   The bird in the trail caught my eyes. Its black plu_____________ is striking against its deep red bill, which was the one-of-a-kind artwork. (*meaning “birds’ feathers)

 

2.   Hollywood is notorious for its lurid parties that would remind us of the scandalous Italian bun_______ bun_____ parties hosted with young women, allegedly including sexual acts and prostitution. The phrase became widely known in 2010 when prosecutors investigated the events, leading to a series of high-profile trials. (*meaning “the case is about underage prostitution and a lot of the talk, as we've reported before, has centered around what Berlusconi called "Bunga Bunga" parties”)

 

3.   The movie is dogged by wobbly reasoning and dramaturgical _______tude, but at least one actor tries to spice it up. (*meaning “a state of physical or mental weariness; lack of energy”)

 

4.   When I met the journalist in person for the very first time, I got p____________ up. (*meaning “to be filled with enthusiasm and excitement”)

 

5.   As a devoted fan of Michael Jackson’s, I always believe that he can do__________   __________ no matter how tabloids and fake news try to bury him under groundless scandals and rumors. (*meaning “someone is considered by other people to be perfect, although you may not agree with the ipinion.”)

 

6.   Anna makes contact with an oil company __________wig and uses the knowledge of her extra-marital affair to blackmail her for information. (*meaning “an important person, especially in a particular sphere”)

 

   7.   If you don’t wish to see me anymore, ________ be it. I would accept what         you said and walk away. (*meaning “one is resigned to the fact that             one can do nothing to change something.”) 

NPR SUNDAY PUZZLE from last Sunday! Find the Anagram of Hotel Items!

 Every answer is an anagram of something you would or might find in a hotel room. (Ex. MAP + L  -->  LAMP)

 

1. RICH + A

 

2. HORSE +W

 

3. ANKLET + B

 

4. RANGES + H

 

5. OOMPAH + S

 

6. SEDERS + R

 

7. CREAKY + D

 

8. STREAMS + T

 

9. RIPPLES + S

 

10. NOVELTIES + I  

 

Answer Keys

   1.  CHAIR

   2.  SHOWER

   3.  BLANKET

   4.  HANGERS

   5.  SHAMPOO

   6.  DRESSER

   7.  KEY CARD

   8.  MATTRESS

   9.  SLIPPERS  

   10.  TELEVISION

 

Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: WORKSHEET 38.

WORKSHEET #38

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #38 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

    1.   The leader of the party has tried to jaw______________ his party members into reaching an agreement. (*meaning “to talk to them forcefully and persuasively, either to try to influence or pressure them into a certain action, or to give them a long lecture or reprimand”)

 

    2.   “The public we_________ is the ultimate goal of our community” says the mayor. (*meaning “well-being, prosperity, or happiness”)

 

    3.   When she had to say goodbye to her beau, she cried a river inside as all of her p___________-up feelings of sorrow overflowing. (*meaning “closely confined or held back”)

 

    4.   It was not Brian’s decision to keep _________________ about (*meaning “to refrain from disclosing information about something”) his boss’s involvement in the bribery case. He was rail______________ into keeping his mouth shut. (*meaning “to force somebody to do something”)

 

    5.   When the unbelievable rumor at the church turned out to be true, some priests resigned, and others were de_____________ and jailed, and there were financial settlements with many victims. (*meaning “deprive (someone) of professional status or membership of a prestigious group/ to remove someone from one's position in the church; synonyms: unfrock. disinvest, divest”)

 

    6.   The doctor said surgery is a last __________________ after all th tree possible treatments were tried. (*meaning “a final course of action, used only when all else has failed”)

 

    7.   I don’t know exactly what it is or how it feels to experience a nu______________ moment of meeting holy spirit in life. (*meaning “supernatural; mysterious; appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense”)

 

    8.   The company promised that the employees would be paid retro_______________, which meant they would receive the extra money for hours already worked. (*meaning “with effect from a date in the past”)

 

    9.   Loving someone is not something sor__________ (*meaning “dirty/ involving ignoble actions and motives; arousing moral distaste and contempt”) or a sin that one needs to go con________________ about in front of God, unless it leads to hurting someone else. (*meaning “(within the Catholic church) to confess one’s sins to a priest and seek forgiveness”)

Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: WORKSHEET #37.

WORKSHEET #37

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #37 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary! 

 

1.   Ken does not want anybody to find out about his bitter past. He wants to keep his own sorrow and pain under the ______________ till the last day of his life. (*meaning “to keep ….. a secret”)

 

    2.   In 20/20 ________________, I realize that it was a terrible idea to fall for his words. I was too naïve. (*meaning “choices that seemed difficult in the past now seem clear after the person know what happened as a result of those choices. This expression comes from the way people describe good vision. A person with normal, good vision has twenty-twenty sight. Hindsight is an understanding of a past event”)

 

    3.   Matt con_______________ in his best buddy about his secret love outside his marriage. (*meaning “to tell someone about something very private or secret”)

 

    4.   The mediator of the TV debate asked the panelists to speak one person at a time so that there will be no ca___________________ for the audience.  (*meaning “harsh or jarring sound; dissonance”)

 

    5.   That tackle sparked a mass me_____________ between players and officials. (*meaning “confused fight/ skirmish/ scuffle”)

 

6.   We need re_______________ historians like Mr. Sun Kim, who is willing to re-examine and reinterpret historical records and narratives, often in response to new evidence or changing perspectives. It serves as a method for historians to challenge established views, correct misconceptions, and provide a more nuanced understanding of the past. (*meaning “someone who examines and tries to change existing beliefs about how events happened or what their importance or meaning is”)

 

    7.   The menu of my brother-in-law’s newly opened restaurant runs the whole g________________ of things, featuring everything from sushi to Bibimbab to Korean BBQ ribs. (*meaning of “experience, display, or perform the complete range of something”)

8.   Who was master________________ (*meaning “to act as the leader of some complex plan or scheme”) the extre_________’s (*meaning “a person who holds extreme or fanatical political or religious views, especially one who resorts to or advocates extreme action”) murder-s_________________ (*meaning “a double act in which a person kills one or more others before killing himself or herself?) in the huge shopping mall?

 

    9.   Jane’s parents tried to t____________ her out of getting engaged. (*meaning “to persuade someone not to do (something unwise”)

Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: WORKSHEET #36.

WORKSHEET #36

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #36 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!  

1.   Usually he was brevi_______________, but he went into great detail when describing his favorite books. (*meaning “of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words; concise”)

 

    2.   The soi-d________________ righteous people, who fight for justice, called prosecutors are no more than a cesspool of corruption. (*meaning “calling oneself thus; self-styled; so-called or pretended”)

 

    3.  People in this residential area are frequently disturbed by the racing cars in the wee hours that flo______________ the city ordinance of noise. (*meaning “to openly disregard a law or regulations”)

 

    4.   My heart breaks witnessing the sufferings and pain of people in GAZA. Parents who lost their children have been letting out a __________ every night and day. (*meaning “to cry high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger”)

 

    5.   Make sure not to let your relationship with your significant other go unchecked before it ends up being completely bo_____________. (*meaning “carried out badly or carelessly”)

 

    6.   The state maintains a penit________________ at Carson City and an insane asylum at Reno. (*meaning “a prison for people convicted of serious crimes”)

 

7.   My 6-year-old son was scared at the Halloween decoration, which was the huge Grim _______________ standing with a scythe. (*meaning “personification of death in the form of a cloaked skeleton wielding a large scythe”)

     

    8.   Jeff felt dr_________________ both physically and emotionally after 1 year of custody battle with his ex-wife. (*meaning “to feel worn out; exhausted; wiped out”)

 

    9.   It could only be justified by a case of force ____________ure such as the President having a heart attack. (*meaning “an event with superior or irresistible force or an event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled”)

    

    10.  It was the saddest scene in the film where the single dad was holding back tears while he was reading a somber ele_______ at his son’s funeral. (*meaning “a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead”)

 

    11. We are awaiting the results of the medical exa____________ and any autopsy that may be performed. (*meaning “a medically qualified public officer whose duty is to investigate deaths occurring under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform postmortems, and to initiate inquests”)

 

12. I keep my last conversation with my ailing father in his final delirious days recorded on my cell phone. I still get emotionally ______________ and burst out into tears each time I replay his weak voice. (*meaning “full of strong, raw, uninhibited emotion”)

 

        13. The electric chair's role on the stage of history was brief, displaced by _________________ injection. (*meaning “an injection administered for the purpose of euthanasia or as a means of capital punishment”)

Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: WORKSHEET #35.

WORKSHEET #35

Let’s practice some expressions from the episode #35 of Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary!   

 

    1.   As an educator, I am always thrilled and pleased to get children’s ______less questions in class. They are truly pure and simple!

(* meaning “without skill/ finess/ effort/ pure and simple”)

 

    2.   I told my friend to so________ up before she confessed how she felt inside about him. Drunk-dial one’s ex is never a good idea. (*meaning “to become less drunk”) 

 

    3.   The profiler had to identify and analyze the serial killer’s Modus O________________ when the criminal took the victims’ lives. (*meaning “Latin phrase meaning "mode of operating" or "method of operating". It refers to a person's habitual way of doing something”)

 

    4.   His attempts to dwarf his archrival designer’s kit___________ style by his new classic designs didn’t work at all. (*meaning “art, writing, design, or object etc. of a shallow kind, calculated to have popular appeal or to be appreciated in an ironic or knowing way”)

 

5.   Sam is such a bla_________ mouth (*meaning “a person who talks too much”) whose never-ending stories are no more than groundless jabber______________ (*meaning “meaningless speech/ writing”).  

 

    6.   Everybody knows that he is a quid_____________ (*meaning “a person who seeks to know all the latest news or gossip= busybody”) and they never let him know their secrets.

 

    7.   Bob was terribly st______________ and wasted at the tavern. (*meaning “drunk/ tipsy”)

 

    8.   This Tex-Mex restaurant is one of my favorite _____________outs. (*meaning “a place where one frequently spends one's spare time”)

 

    9.   You should take back your vulgar word, Jack! How could you call that man a fa_________ in public? Shame on you and your dirty tongue! (*meaning “an insulting and contemptuous term for a male homosexual”)

 

    10. It took Jill forever to get d______________ up for the wedding reception. (meaning “To dress oneself or another in formal or ostentatious clothing as if for a special occasion”)