Spellbound in Dover!

2012-01-09T09:22:00.001-05:00

Greg Kahoun, member of the Bee List Celebrities, sent this poem. Read it aloud and weep! Dearest creature in creation,Study English pronunciation.I will teach you in my verseSounds like corpse, corps, horse, and worse.I will keep you, Suzy, busy,Make your head with heat grow dizzy.Tear in eye, your dress will tear.So shall I! Oh hear my prayer.Just compare heart, beard, and heard,Dies and diet,

What do they mean, "again"?

2012-01-09T09:04:00.001-05:00

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2012/01/09/spelling_becomes_popular_again/

Better than Spell-check, and way more fun.

2011-09-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

I follow @oedonline and @OxfordWords on Twitter, and enjoy their various offerings, which include things like Word of the Day, Foreign Word of the Day, and the OED Word of the Day. OxfordWords just posted a link to common spelling mistakes, which you may find interesting. As far as I could tell, these words don't vary depending on which continent you're spelling them on. There is another page

Huh? Say WHAT?

2011-07-27T22:26:00.000-04:00

This is supposed to be a spelling blog, but who can resist this interesting and interactive website from Yale University? This research group at Yale has developed a map of the US using what they call "microsyntax": regional grammatical and usage idiosyncrasies. It is really fun to take a look at what passes for normal in other parts of the country....of course, I make fun of other parts of the

If a picture paints a thousand words....

2011-07-27T14:10:00.000-04:00

...then today's prize goes to language maven Eliza Edgar, who sent this cartoon by Dave Coverly to me the other day. Thanks, Eliza!

Have you been waiting for this with baited breath?

2011-06-24T09:53:00.001-04:00

Gosh, I hope not! The correct term is "bated" breath--that's "bated" as in restrained. Baited breath implies that you might have some worms, or bait of some other type, in your mouth. Yuck. Oxford Online Dictionaries have published a page that can help you avoid floundering and foundering in your written work. Pore over it to ensure you have the correct word, lest you accidentally leave your

National Spelling Bee

2011-06-02T11:44:00.000-04:00

I live in a house full of Stanley Cup fanatics, and have despaired of ever gaining control of the remote long enough to watch the Bee on TV. Luckily for me, the folks at Visual Thesaurus are putting together lists of words used in the rounds. Boy, that could make my life easier.... Check it out, and enjoy!

Help from the experts

2011-05-20T16:18:00.000-04:00

The people who work for the Oxford English Dictionary have a wonderful collection of blogs, word-a-day emails and Twitter feeds. Yesterday's tweets were particularly useful for us: they wrote about the word "chthonic" (featured in our Bees), and they posted a list of frequently-misspelled words--along with their correct spellings. Check it out.

W(H)OOP(EE)!

2011-05-15T16:44:00.000-04:00

Dover artist and fellow word girl Jane Bleakley forwarded this link: http://www.woopstudios.com/fun/. Check it out: it's cool. They have a swirly word web that is reminiscent of the one on Visual Thesaurus--Woop Studios' one is a bit artier, and you can click on the individual words (if you're quick enough) to see a brief description and an image of a print featuring the word you've selected.

coming and going

2011-03-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

Words and word-nerds come and go. Today is a red-letter day on both counts: Amelia Slawsby sent me this link about the first spelling bee winner: First national spelling bee winner dies at 97 Frank Neuhauser, who in 1925 won the first U.S. national spelling bee with the word "gladiolus," has died. He was 97. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42222043/ns/us_news-life/from/toolbar AND....are

She? Oui!

2011-03-11T21:06:00.000-05:00

Visual Thesaurus posted an article today about the origin of the word "she". At first I thought it was ridiculous, because, really, why would that be a separate discussion from the origin of the word "he"? Turns out it is. And we did not have "she" until the 1100s! I'd heard of the French land of Oc and land of Oui, but apparently English boasts a land of She, or at least a map of where it took

The Gorey Details

2011-02-22T08:35:00.003-05:00

My fondness for Edward Gorey began in a grade school library, when my friend Mary and I happened upon his illustrations in Edward Lear's poem The Jumblies. It solidified at the start of college, when Mary sent me a postcard from a page of Edward Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies, stating that "K is for Kate who was struck with an axe". After checking my mailbox several times a day during Freshman

A group by any other name?

2011-01-27T19:17:00.000-05:00

Chatting with artist and fellow word-lover Jane Bleakley today led to some speculation on spelling words involving groups of animals...you know, a gaggle of geese and so forth. A little poking around led to a terrific list, published by Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources. Not only does it give us the wonderfully obscure words for animal groups, such as a cete of badgers and a dray of

Cultural misunderstanding?

2010-12-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

I love receiving the Oxford English Dictionary's Word of the Day. This entry came in on December 23rd, and I am hoping--HOPING--that it was a sly joke. Check it out (their text is in italics): Your word for today is: putz, n./1 putz, n.1 Pronunciation: Brit. /pʊts/, U.S. /pʊts/ Forms: also with capital initial. Etymology: < Pennsylvania German putz (German Putz decoration, ornament (

A nose by any other name?

2010-10-01T10:53:00.000-04:00

It's always a good day when I find a word that sounds like it should be easy to spell...but isn't. Or a word that seems to mean something that it does not, in fact, mean. Today is a really good day: check out Ben Zimmer's NY Times article On Language, where he discusses the misuse of the word "we" (as in "we are not amused"). The technical term for the mis-use of "we" is nosism, ably

Spell-check doesn't catch everything

2010-09-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook this morning: the message on an electronic bulletin board in Indiana might have made it through spell-check, but I'm hoping it was an error anyway. Spelling counts, folks!

Here's (or "heah's") a really good word: rhotic

2010-09-16T07:29:00.001-04:00

Not to be a snob, but it isn't often that the Boston Globe uses words that are unfamiliar to me. This morning, however, Ty Burr's review of Ben Affleck's movie "The Town" sent me running for the dictionary. Burr refers to Hollywood actors struggling with "non-rhotic speech patterns". Shucks, I didn't even know what "rhotic" was, let alone "non". Burr does leave us a good hint; you will have to

Oh, just you wait!!

2010-09-08T21:00:00.001-04:00

Amelia Slawsby mailed me this link to the Huffington Post's coverage of some of the longest words in English. Read 'em and weep! Weep for joy, that is, that most of them never crossed our mind as we composed prior years' word lists. Next time is a new time...and you can count on seeing some more of these, even if only for comic relief. I may have to retire hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian, now

It's nice to see that Dover is not spellbound alone

2010-08-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

Check out this NY Times article about spelling fun in Williamsburg. I like their words! Look for them on our next list... And perhaps the beer helps.

How's this for a word? Piesporter

2010-07-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

Before you read the definition and pronunciation, try to imagine what you think "piesporter" might mean. The word caught my eye in my inbox: I subscribe to the OED Word of the Day and this was yesterday's word. At first, I thought it might be someone who carried pies around ("pies porter"), or maybe someone who threw pies in some obscure sports competetion ( "pie sporting"--like the javelin

Hive--what a word!

2010-06-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

I subscribe to the OED word of the day e-mail, and I really enjoy it. Today's word is HIVE, and just look how old a word it is! The first citation that passes the OED's stringent standards is for the year 725. This is an old, essential word in our language. I've copied the e-mail below, hopefully with sufficient attribution. Enjoy! And consider subscribing to the OED word of the day. hive,

Free publicity!

2010-06-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

We received some very nice post-Bee publicity from the Hometown Weekly this past Thursday. They ran the Bee recap, re-listing our players, winners, sponsors and contributors. If you feel like re-living the moment (and who wouldn't?), check out the link to their photo gallery. See whom you recognize ;-)

Another study break?

2010-05-25T11:40:00.000-04:00

http://www.vocabulary.com/ is my new favorite word site. It uses the Visual Thesaurus technology, and contains word lists, lesson plans, subject-specific vocabulary, an etymological dictionary, and loads of other entertaining links. I enjoyed the interactive vocabulary quiz (it scores like the SATs, except it explains your mistakes--yes, I had a few), and--of course--it features the online

While away your time until the next Bee

2010-05-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

I subscribe to the Visual Thesaurus on line, and was interested to see an article about a new website called lexicalist. Check it out--it tells you what words are in vogue in various parts of the country. I searched "Spelling Bee" and was dismayed to see that Massachusetts' use of the term was only #36 in the nation. The site gives you breakout on words used by gender, age, location, and

The Bee Keeps on Giving ...

2010-04-03T21:05:00.002-04:00

Many of you saw all (and ate some!) of the fabulous food we had donated to the Bee Cafe. Even with a hungry crowd, we had snack packs and bottles of water left over. So last week I took them to A Place To Turn - a food pantry in Natick. They do great work there and were so appreciative of the Friends' donation. So know that we did not let anything go to waste and it will go to those in the area

The final face-off: the Championship Round

2010-03-30T10:43:00.002-04:00

After a brief intermission, four teams took the stage for the Championship Round: Just The Neighbors (no strangers to the Bees’ Championship Rounds); the Crack o’ Dawn Bee-Cyclists; the Church Belles; and the Three Stewges. The Championship Round seldom sees such a challenging mix of spellers—this year’s players were especially strong. Since the Church Belles were missing a member, and there had

What a night!

2010-03-27T15:30:00.002-04:00

My goodness, what a night! The Bee was AMAZING. I hope you saw it in person, or at least on Channel 8—DCTV is running reruns starting Monday evening. Check out Paul Keleher’s photo/video stream in the sidebar to the left of this entry. You will see the fabulous set, designed by local artist Jane Bleakley: bees zooming everywhere, and a Bee Tree to top any ever seen before. You will also see

THALWEG. Why not?

2010-03-26T18:38:00.002-04:00

It was quite a night! The winning word was "THALWEG". I have a sick kid so running out to the pharmacy now...more later! Thanks to all who came !

Bring Your Appetite to the Bee Cafe

2010-03-23T21:51:00.002-04:00

We also have new the full menu of what will be at the Bee Cafe ... it'll be pizza, pizza and more pizza! Dover's own Dover Cafe is donating pizzas, which we'll sell by the slice. And in addition to the gift card they donated, California Pizza Kitchen in Wellesley is also donating pizza for the Cafe to sell. Save A Lot has donated chips and snacks as well as bottled water, and we'll have some

More Corporate Donations to Report

2010-03-23T21:43:00.003-04:00

We have more businesses that have come in and made contributions in support of the Bee. They are:Coldwell Banker, Wellesley - The office has had and sponsored a team each year since the Bee's inception. A big thanks for their continued support (as a "Honey Bee") and kudos to them for perfect attendance! www.nemoves.com.ScrubaDub is also a longtime bee supporter. They are "Honey Bee" supporters

Latest Additions to Bee Tree

2010-03-23T21:30:00.004-04:00

We have a few more Bee Tree to announce:Dover Parks and Rec has donated $50 off of a program. So if you have not yet signed up for a sport, this is a way to support the library and get your kids in a program at a discount. Check out what's offered at www.doverrec.com.Discovery Club, an afternoon program offered by two Dover moms at Caryl School, has donated a free, drop in afternoon to the Bee. A

Repeat after me: technology is your friend (and the Friends' friend)

2010-03-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

After several days of cross-checking lists, pronunciations, powerpoint slides and emergency go-to lists, I needed to take a break and use the other half of my brain. At the same time, I am pretty sure I have driven our fearless MC George Doherty insane with my frantic revisions. Time to take a break and do something different. I could not get my spreadsheet program to find double words in the

See Well and Look Good

2010-03-23T09:56:00.001-04:00

A couple of years back, we received the disturbing news that one of our kids would have to wear glasses...or else. I was fine with the Must Wear Glasses part, it was the Or Else that scared me. The pediatric opthamologist who handed us the diagnosis gave us one excellent practical piece of advice: fill the prescription locally. Off we went to Linda Wirth at Dover Eyes, cranky toddler in tow.

Going off the grid: finding the right lexical mix

2010-03-19T22:41:00.000-04:00

Every time we hold a spelling bee, we are faced with the task of blending the words in such a way that everyone has both challenge and fun. This is harder than it sounds, because people play in the Bee for a variety of reasons: some play purely to give back to the Library and the community, some enter the Bee because they love words, some people (very, very few) are bullied and badgered by their

Study session recap

2010-03-19T10:16:00.000-04:00

5 Bee participants representing three teams met Amelia and me last night for a study session at the Dover Legion. It was quite a workout for the dictionary! I promised to blog the words that came up, and here they are: PROSOPAGNOSIA: (PRAH suh pag NO shuh) noun literally “face blindness”—the inability to recognize faces PROCELEUSMATIC (Prah suh loose MAT ick) adjective inciting, exhorting,

Latest Bee News

2010-03-18T13:37:00.001-04:00

DON’T MISS THE 5TH ANNUAL DOVER TOWN LIBRARY SPELLING BEE ON MARCH 25 On Thursday night, one team will rise above the others. Will the returning champs, the Spellunkers, be the first team to win back-to-back titles? Or will a challenger claim the Enormous Bragging Rights (and Whole Foods gift cards) in the 5th Annual Dover Town Library Spelling Bee? In order to find out who

Spelling is my NEMESIS ??!!

2010-03-17T22:12:00.000-04:00

I am always mildly surprised to glean vocabulary hints from my children; I resigned myself long ago to the view that they don't really pay attention to me. Imagine my astonishment, then, when my third-grader announced that spelling was his nemesis, and that he did not, after all, view himself as a philomath. Oh, dear. All this before the second cup of coffee. What could this possibly mean?

Bee Cafe - Bring Cash or Bee Hungry!

2010-03-15T10:11:00.004-04:00

While the main event is upstairs, don't forget about the Bee Cafe downstairs. Thanks to Vicki Hadar and a team of volunteers, we'll have pizza, snacks and water for sale so players can recharge those brain cells and audience members can grab a quick dinner. It's cash only, so bring your money and your appetite. Everything is $1 - best deal in town! The Bee Cafe will sell: Pizza by the slice -

MORE CORPORATE DONATIONS

2010-03-14T21:48:00.002-04:00

We have some more corporate donations to report ...Bridgewater Credit Union, right here in Dover, is donating $100 to the Bee, giving at the Worker Bee level. BCU gave to our Bee last year too, and it is so nice to have an in-town business supporting our library!Coldwell Banker, Wellesley office has had a team play each year in the Bee, and they are continuing that tradition once more. By

BEST BOOKWORMS

2010-03-14T21:42:00.002-04:00

Wellesley Booksmith is one of the best book stores I have ever been in. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, the selection great, and if there is something they do not have, they will get it for you. When I went to pick up the donation they gave us for the Bee, I spent an hour there browsing the shelves and stocking my arms with books, cards and other things I just had to have (including some

SWEET (BASIL) ALRIGHT!

2010-03-14T21:38:00.004-04:00

Sweet Basil in Needham is one of those places everyone seems to love. Whether taking out or dining in, it is always on the top of the list of places to go. So we are thrilled that they donated a $25 gift card to the Bee Tree this year. Sweet Basil is a long supporter of the Dover Library - they have even brought food to the library when their new cookbook came out! Whether lunch or dinner, you

MODEL SALON

2010-03-14T21:32:00.002-04:00

Dover does not have many businesses in town so many of us frequent haunts in Needham, Wellesley and the like. While we consider these local, not all of the shops consider a donation to the Dover Library a "local" donation. Thank goodness there are many who do think we are local and support those of us one town over! One such place is Sculpture Hair Studio & Day Spa in Needham. The owner, Don, has

DOLL BABY DOLL

2010-03-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

There are many talented Dover residents, and none more so than Jane Bleakely. A dedicated Friend of the Library (she coordinates the Artist of the Month program), Jane is an amazing artist. You may have seen her work in the library - she does the murals in the children's room - and on all those hand drawn Bees all over town. She also makes Putchka Pals - whimsical dolls and animals that each have

MOVIE NIGHT

2010-03-14T21:05:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the people at National Amusements, there will 2 movie passes on the Bee Tree. Good for Sunday - Thursday nights, get these from the tree and pair them with one the restaurant gift cards and head to Legacy Place for a nice night out!

BE BLUE

2010-03-14T20:57:00.003-04:00

A Bee Tree favorite is back! Thanks to the good folks at Blue on Highland, one lucky Bee Tree shopper will be getting a $25 gift card to the restaurant. Blue is a long supporter of the library, and we are grateful for their on-going support. A great local favorite, get to the tree early - this one will go fast! Check out the menu at http://www.blueonhighland.com/.

GOURMET PIZZA

2010-03-14T20:53:00.002-04:00

California Pizza Kitchen was the pioneer in the gourmet pizza restaurant. They have since grown to have restaurants nationwide and now there is one just up the road on Linden Street in Wellesley. CPK is a great neighbor and we have some plans with them for other events at the library down the road, but for now, they donated $40 in gift certificates to the Bee Tree. Inaddition to pizzas, pasta and

FACE TIME

2010-03-14T20:47:00.002-04:00

Facials are a necessary luxury - can there be such a thing? If so, facials are it - especially in dry New England winters. One place I like to go is Elizabeth Grady in Needham. Two years running now, they have given a facial gift certificate (valued at $60) to the Bee Tree. If you buy this bee from the tree, it will not only be a great way to help the library, but it would be a way to say thank

Size isn't everything? Ask the NY Times

2010-03-14T20:43:00.000-04:00

I was pleased to find this entertaining piece on the Times phone app: http://s.nyt.com/u/xQB In addition to being an enlightening read, the author has FABULOUS vocabulary words, which I am tempted to pillage for the "off the grid" Bee word list. Enjoy!

Study Night

2010-03-11T22:14:00.001-05:00

We Bee folk would devolve into insanity if we did not constantly offer you something new and different. So, having finished ironing your future Bee-shirts, we now turn our attentions to a Study Night at the Dover Legion. This is for people over 21 only! Come between 8--9 next Thursday (the 18th) and ask questions. We'll have the dictionary, and, thanks to Tom Dixon, a wifi card that should

Bee-ing silly...bring your wallet

2010-03-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

The Bee committee has been incredibly busy, building teams, soliciting and managing donations, planning the nuts and bolts of the evening...and you undoubtedly remember from your years as a student that being way too busy can lead to a certain brand of silliness. Yes, that would be us. We got together for a Bee Supply meeting on Tuesday, and after we went through the goodies for the team

Mulligans, Dover Style

2010-03-05T13:20:00.000-05:00

Many communities raise money through spelling bees, but to my knowledge only Dover offers the Mulligan Option. This excellent suggestion came to us from the Dover Eyes team, who played in the first Bee in 2006. One of the members of that team is an avid golfer, and suggested that we sell Mulligans to enable a team to "take another shot" at their round. We know a good idea when we hear one, so

CORPORATE DONATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO BEE TREE AND BEE CAFÉ SWARM IN FOR 5TH ANNUAL DOVER TOWN LIBRARY SPELLING BEE

2010-03-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

As the 5th Annual Dover Town Library Spelling Bee approaches, the Friends of the Dover Library has been abuzz as donations have swarmed in – all from local businesses that want to help support the Dover Library. The Bee is on March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Dover Town House. In addition to watching the Bee itself, attendees may purchase gifts and gift cards at the Bee Tree (buy a

Just the Neighbors

2010-03-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

We are thrilled to welcome the Just the Neighbors team back to the Bee. This team has been playing, in various compositions, for several years now. In fact, one of the members--Nancy Simms--has played in every single Bee we've had! (She's good, too--watch out!) This year Nancy is joined by another veteran speller--Tom Dixon--and by her husband, Jamie Simms. Don't be fooled by their folksy name

COMMUNITY SPIRIT(S)

2010-02-28T13:10:00.000-05:00

Higgins Wine and Spirits right here in Dover is the perfect blend of what all a local store offers in spirit and knowledge but with the selection you might find at a big store. They offer tastings and want the customer to be happy. Sometimes I think they can read minds. The other night, I ran in to grab a bottle of red wine and Tammy Lomenzo directed me to a new one they had

FAIR TRADE

2010-02-28T13:08:00.001-05:00

Trader Joe’s in Needham has graciously agree to donate a $50 bag of groceries to our Bee Tree. Trader Joe’s is one of those gem stores – offering a variety of foods and always at a good price. Back in my college days in Southern California, where Trader Joe’s is based, it was the go to store for everything. Food was fresh and healthy and suited a college budget; it was also

NO INTRODUCTION NECESSARY

2010-02-28T13:07:00.001-05:00

While we have lots of local donors to the Bee – and we are forever grateful for those! – we do have some big names that donated items to us, and they need no introduction. So without further ado, a big thanks to: Bed Bath & Beyond for sending us a $10 gift card (www.bedbathandbeyond.com). No matter what you need for your home, you will find it there!Costco for donating a

Taking a word out of play: Gonorhyncus is incorrect

2010-02-27T17:47:00.000-05:00

Darn. It was a good word, too. Thanks to Cliff Brown of the COD team for pointing out that the correct spelling for this type of fish is gonorhynchus--it has a second "h". I proofread the word lists and check and double-check, but inevitably at least one word is published incorrectly. I apologize--it is entirely my error. Thank you, Cliff, for finding it and pointing it out. If you find any

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

2010-02-24T21:34:00.000-05:00

I can’t believe my spell checker did not highlight that! I wrote it because we need an especially magnificent word to describe our Top #1 Superdonor, Dover Automotive. If you live in Dover, chances are Doug Wolfe changes your oil. He does a variety of repair work for us. Once the running board snapped off the side of my car, and the dealer wanted big bucks and a couple of weeks to replace it.

That's STATIONERY, not stationary...

2010-02-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

This year the word list features a section called "The Elements of Style", named for William Strunk, junior's 1918 classic. You might glance at this section and dismiss it as being full of easy words, but look more closely--this is where I hid all the homophones that trip up the casual speller. You will find complement as well as compliment, and stationery and stationary. You had better know

Le mot juste

2010-02-22T21:03:00.000-05:00

The Bee is always happy to welcome back returning players—it’s like seeing old friends again. But we are also glad to welcome new players into the event, to mix things up a bit. This year we are delighted to welcome a group that is not only new to the Bee, but comprised of players who do not even live in Dover. The COD team was one of our first entrants this year. COD, you ask? Like the Cape?

Corporate Donations

2010-02-21T20:21:00.003-05:00

The Bee has grown larger over the years, with the addition of the Bee Tree and Bee Cafe a few years ago. This year we decided to take our fundraising a step further and approached local businesses to be sponsors of the Bee at various levels. We do not have many expenses, but those that we do incur take away from the total amount that will benefit the library - and that is where we want all the

PET FRIENDLY

2010-02-21T20:16:00.002-05:00

Who can be nicer than people who help animals? It's hard to think of anyone, and no one is a greater friend of my cat than Dr. Holly Kelsey and the team at Chestnut Street Animal Hospital - just up the road on Chestnut Street in Needham. I won't go as far to say he likes to get in the carrier to go to the vet, but once he arrives and sees where he is, he does relax a bit! When we moved here,

GROCERIES ON THE GO

2010-02-21T20:10:00.003-05:00

If you read these entries, you'll find I am a fan of places that deliver. And Roche Bros. is a great delivery store. They have all the things I need, and my groceries come to me! But it is also fun to go to the store in Wellesley, where I can peruse the aisles and ogle the ready-made cases. They have kid-sized carts, much to my kids' delight. The upside is that each child gets a cart to push and

GRIN AND BEAR IT

2010-02-21T20:04:00.003-05:00

With no offense to the profession, it is rare to find a dentist that kids actually want to go see. However, such is the case with Dr. Mark Manikian, DDS, on Centre Street. Both my son and I see him, and my son loves to go show off his teeth and get his clean teeth certificate from Dr. Manikian. Each night while brushing, my son proudly says he is doing a good job - "just like Dr. Manikian said to

DANCE TIME!

2010-02-21T19:24:00.002-05:00

My daughter is too young for dance lessons and ballet is not up my son's alley, but as I hear from kids and moms alike, Miss Erin's School of Dance is the place to go. I have been regaled with tales of costumes and recitals and most importantly, fun - all the excitement I remember when as a child I took dance. Miss Erin's is right here in Dover at the Caryl School, and as part of the community,

DOVER MARKET TO THE RESCUE!

2010-02-19T08:39:00.002-05:00

It is rare that you can say a grocery store actually saved the day, but in the case of Dover Market, it is true. It was my mother-in-law's birthday and I was making dinner and my 4 year old wanted to make the cake. As the day wore on, it became increasingly clear that there was no way this was all going to come together. Enter Dover Market. I called and got Chef Cindy and she set aside for us

GO PAW SOX!

2010-02-19T08:31:00.002-05:00

Just down the road a bit is a Red Sox farm team, the Pawtucket Red Sox. A great place to take kids to games, you avoid the lines and cost of Fenway but get all of the action and can see up and coming Sox players take the field. And thanks to their donation to the Bee Tree, 4 tickets to a game can be yours for the taking. A great way for the family to spend a summer afternoon! Check out team info

PICTURE PERFECT

2010-02-19T08:26:00.003-05:00

The holiday card photo - more trying to get a good picture of the kids - always adds to the holiday stress. So why not leave it to the pros? Portrait Simple has offered a solution by donating a free sitting and 6 sheet package to the Bee Tree. With their pros taking the shots and plenty of poses to choose from, that holiday gem has to be in there. And with the six sheets of pics, there will be

TALK TO THE ANIMALS

2010-02-16T16:33:00.002-05:00

What is cuter than baby animals? Maybe your kids communing with the baby animals? Well if you are looking to channel Dr. Doolittle and take cuteness to the nth degree, you'll have your chance thanks to Zoo New England donating 4 passes to the Bee Tree. Good for use at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston or the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, these passes will make for a fun, and educational, day out. Read all

A FAIRY TALE COME TO LIFE

2010-02-16T16:24:00.003-05:00

I have not yet made the trip up to Story Land, but if my friends experiences and the buzz on the Dover Moms' site are even half true, it is the perfect place to take little ones for an amusement park adventure. Repeat visits are the norm - seems like kids and parents love this place! Rides are the right scale and speed, prices are reasonable and with its close proximity, it makes for an easy

HO! HO! HO!

2010-02-16T16:16:00.002-05:00

While my son points out things to ask Santa for weekly, he does not yet know there is a place where it is all Santa, all the time. I kind of dread the day he learns about Santa's Village in Jefferson, NH, because I know then anytime we talk of taking a trip, that will be his #1 destination choice! Just a hop skip and a jump away, this is a place where it is holiday magic, regardless of the

They're BAAAAACK: The Defending Champions return!

2010-02-13T19:47:00.000-05:00

We have just received the paperwork for the Spellunkers, the 2009 Bee champions. This team, most recently consisting of Dr. Pamela Mok, attorney Lori Krusell, and author Tod Dimmick, has been playing in the Bee for several years, in varying compositions. Their two consistent features from year to year are their fabulous headgear and--of course--their spelling acumen. They will be a tough team

The Teams are rolling in!

2010-02-12T15:37:00.001-05:00

Now that the words are published, the pressure is on for teams to form and start preparing. I'm delighted to report that we have several teams--new and returning--emerging to play in the 2010 Bee. So far, Ms Wood's Chickering class wins the prize for the most Bee participants. The class voted on the name for the team of parents representing the class: Wood's Word Wizards (you cannot say that

oooh, a day too late!

2010-02-12T11:23:00.002-05:00

Now that the Bee words are published, I found a fabulous list of Shakespearian-sounding words on Wordnik. If only I had seen it before, we might be learning to spell tickle-brained and rudesby. Not all of the words on the list bear specific references to Shakespearian works, but they are a fun read. I think I am going to go in and add "reechy"--if memory serves, Hamlet's uncle gave Hamlet's

Go pick up the word list--it's at the Library!

2010-02-11T23:07:00.000-05:00

....And how satisfying it was to finish a job before the Last Possible Minute. Thanks to our neighbors at Fedex-Kinko's in Needham, I was able to e-mail the pdf file to them at 1:05 a.m., and they had a draft ready for proofing before my youngest went out to the bus this morning. Best of all, the entire order was ready for pickup right after school this afternoon--and the word list will be

INN & OUT & BACK AGAIN

2010-02-11T22:52:00.002-05:00

Four words - Cinnamon Croissant French Toast. It melts in your mouth, and it is one of the many delicious items on the menu at the Sherborn Inn. Long supporters of the Dover Library, the Sherborn Inn holds a special place in my heart - and dare I say my stomach?! Not only did I have a baby shower there, but my husband and I went for brunch there the day before I had my daughter. I was having

UPPING THE ANTE

2010-02-11T22:26:00.002-05:00

For years, the Spelling Bee has awarded the winners "Enormous Bragging Rights" and your name on a plaque in the library. Thanks to Whole Foods in Dedham, we are upping the ante. This great community supporter is donating three $25 gift cards to the Bee to be awarded to the winning team, allowing them to stock up on healthy food to replenish brain cells after the competition! And what a selection

MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

2010-02-11T22:11:00.003-05:00

I love beauty products, but I do not always like beauty product stores. Could be the pushy sales people, could be the overwhelming and competing scents, could just be oil and water. Enter Beauty and Main in Wellesley. I found my people, and my store. With a great product selection and knowledgeable staff, I was guided to several options of what I was looking for, I tried them out, my questions

CLEAN & FREE BEES

2010-02-11T21:50:00.005-05:00

I like to think I have a bit of get up and go, but when running errands with children in tow, it is easy to run out of gas fast and reach someone's meltdown threshold sooner rather than later. So I have learned to pay for convenience - or pay in another way! So imagine my surprise to learn that I could get convenience for free. Holly Cleaners comes to my house, picks up the dry cleaning, brings

QUACK! BY LAND AND BY SEA

2010-02-11T21:41:00.003-05:00

There are few "things of the future" that seem to come to fruition, but a motor vehicle that can go in the water made the cut. With military precision, these nifty truck-boat hybrids provide the perfect perch to see Boston. Whether you are touring with out of town guests or enjoying a stay-cation in Beantown, there is no better way to see the city than on a Boston Duck Tour - by land AND by sea,

The word list is at the printer's--meanwhile, here is a bonus word for you:

2010-02-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

dissnowlusionment It is the way you feel when schools close due to a forecast of snow, but no snow falls. --with thanks to Ms Wood's 3rd grade

The theme for this Bee

2010-02-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

...is Hit the Books. Words are linked to books you may have read, should have read, might want to read, could borrow from your Library... The fundraiser is for the Library. You people who play in the Bee (and those of you who read this blog) know the value of the public library. Our efforts (available on Friday, even if I have to stay up all night!) will point you back to where you belong: in

Dear Friend....

2010-02-05T09:16:00.000-05:00

We all get dozens of letters every year (usually e-mails, in this day and age) from friends of ours who are fundraising for some worthy cause. The Bee committee has written a Dear Friend letter to help you raise contributions to cover your team. The link is on the Library's website: http://dovertownlibrary.org/dear%20friend%20final[1].pdf . Copy, alter, and send to your address book--it's that

Letter to the Editor: read it and play!

2010-02-04T14:19:00.000-05:00

The following has been submitted to local newspapers: Dear Editor: The Friends of the Dover Library is in full planning mode for the 5th Annual Dover Library Spelling Bee, our big spring fundraiser. Things are shaping up nicely - the word list is almost complete and donations are coming in - but we are still in need of teams to compete. We are asking that all members of our community to

CDBs

2010-01-29T21:03:00.000-05:00

Most organizations promote an event through multiple iterations of one poster. But not us! This year we are advertising the Bee through multiple Bees all around Dover. Artist Jane Bleakley has created Word Bees and posters for some of her favorite spelling words, and has placed them strategically around town. Each one is an original. Jane has thoughtfully provided definitions for you, so you

Welcome to a better day!

2010-01-29T12:49:00.000-05:00

The fabulous Nicholas Christies Day Spa in Medfield has given the Bee Tree a gift card for a manicure/pedicure (value $60). When you enter their website, you are greeted with the words "We welcome you to a better day!" Isn't that a great idea? Couldn't we all use a better day? The day spa offers a wide variety of services, from the basic to the more unique: teen skin care, healing and

New to the Bee Tree: a night out on the town next door

2010-01-29T12:27:00.000-05:00

We are delighted to report that our neighboring town of Westwood's Ciara Bistro has donated a $75 gift card to the Bee Tree. My husband and I went to Chiara not long ago, to celebrate our anniversary. We chose it initially because of its generosity to the Library House Tour, but I have to confess that before I made the reservation I did check out their menu and wine list: http://

Shining Star

2010-01-28T15:34:00.003-05:00

While the new Legacy Place shopping center has many chain stores, it also has some great local gems mixed in ... such is the case with Stellabella Toys. A friend mentioned "discovering" it and told me I had to check it out, and so going on her recommendation, I took a look and was just as pleased. Stellabella is a "Best of Boston" store for good reason (the location in Dedham is this local

Team: A Bee C

2010-01-26T09:18:00.000-05:00

We have a challenger to the Spellunkers! The Dover School Committee has submitted a registration for a team called the A Bee Cs. We will see Jennifer DaSilva, Carolyn Ringel and James Stuart competing for our coveted Enormous Bragging Rights. James Stuart has spelled before, for Precious Beginnings Preschool, and if I remember correctly, he's got a good memory for spelling words. We will

Spelling through the ages

2010-01-22T13:21:00.000-05:00

In my never-ending (or so it seems at this moment) quest to fill the Bee with entertaining and enlightening words, I stumbled across this list of words that have won the Scripps Bee over time. It's interesting, for a couple of reasons. First, it's fun to look at which words were not particularly in vogue at different points in history. Can you imagine a time when people would not have known how

Planting Seeds in the Community

2010-01-21T19:22:00.003-05:00

While many of us try to shop locally, it is not always an attainable goal and often I find myself turning to the web for convenience (and delivery!). If only there was a local store with a web presence ... enter Magic Beans. Locally owned, this toy and baby gear store also has a great web site - www.mbeans.com (how I first found them when living on the North Shore and with a newborn did not see

Toast (Topper) of the Town!

2010-01-21T14:01:00.012-05:00

Dover is a small town, and while that can limit whom to tap for fundraising efforts, it is a close-knit community and those who are here are extremely supportive and generous. Take for instance Fisher Brook Farm. Right here in Dover, Angela Wilson-Taylor makes delicious, all natural jam and marmalade. She uses local fruit when possible and often it comes from her own farm. And when we called

Bon appétit, from one of our favorite bistrots

2010-01-15T14:12:00.000-05:00

I was in Legacy Place the other day, buying shoes (again) for the son who is growing faster than a beanstalk. It was bitter cold, and we ducked into Aquitaine for a minute--I wanted to get my mother-in-law a gift card (it's probably her favorite lunch spot). Aquitaine is as close to a real French bistrot as I've found since my au pair days in the 16th arrondisement. The service was as warm as

5th Annual Spelling Bee Set for March 25

2010-01-14T19:19:00.002-05:00

While Spring is neither in the air nor registering on the thermometer, it is just around the corner, which means it is time for the 5th Annual Dover Library Spelling Bee. The Spring fundraiser for the Friends of the Dover Library, the Bee will be held on Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Dover Town House. As in years past, the Bee will be broadcast live

Sometimes taking a break is a very good idea

2010-01-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

All this messing around with words can tire a person out, so I took a break today and met a friend for lunch at The Linden Store in Wellesley. Boy, did that turn out to be a good idea! The service was friendly and efficient, and our soup and sandwiches were terrific. And--good news for you--The Linden Store's Mark LeBrun donated FOUR $10 gift certificates for the Bee Tree! You will find the

new word: petabyte

2010-01-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

I spent a few hours today working on the word list for the 2010 Bee. Got to around 1800 potential entries, but still felt the need for some completely new material. James to the rescue! He reads the parts of the newspaper that I normally ignore, and just brought to my attention a new (to me, anyway) word: petabyte, which he found in today's Boston Globe. A petabyte is a unit of digital

An Amusing Series of Words

2010-01-05T21:44:00.000-05:00

2010 Bee contestant Will recently suggested we add terpsichorean to the Bee word list. The word means “pertaining to dance” and it comes from one of the nine muses, the one named Terpsichore. Will’s suggestion got me to thinking about Muses and who they were and why we have them. The Muses were a mythical set of nine sisters, born of a union between Zeus and Mnemosyne (goddess of memory).

Happy New Words to you!

2010-01-01T17:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year is one that I found all by myself: the 365 New Words a Year calendar (compiled by Merriam Webster, Workman Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7611-5258-3). It'a a typical "word-a-day" calendar, but on the back of each page is a little "did you know?" about the word--a discussion regarding the pronunciation, how it came into English, its usage compared to other

If I could draw, I still wouldn't have been clever enough to do this...

2009-11-19T13:15:00.002-05:00

My 13-year-old is often a good source of unusual vocabulary words, and this time I don't mean the type you'd typically associate with a teenage boy: he is the one who gave me "strigel" (the flat scraper that bathers of antiquity used--to scrape off the olive oil they washed with) and "funambulist" (see below, if you've forgotten that one). So it's really no surprise that he brought

March 25, 2010!

2009-10-16T20:35:00.002-04:00

The Selectmen approved our date for the Town House Great Hall. Write it in your calendar! More, here, as things develop. See you!!