How Aerin Got Her Name
Yesterday was rather epic, including writing the blog report on it, and I was planning on finding a way to take today somewhat off anyway* and then Aerin played into my grasping little hands.
I had noticed ‘Aerin’ when she turned up in the comments of course, but I assumed it was a user name for Robin McKinley’s Blog and she was Fredericka on the Georgette Heyer memorial site and Eowyn56732901 in the Tolkien chatroom She’d emailed me recently and told me this story and I said pleeeeeeease would she let me post it? So this is what she sent. Spare my blushes and all that, but could I possibly resist? I’ve heard from other people who’ve named various people of various species after characters from my books, but . . . .
Here is the story of how I got my name, and you are more than welcome to post it. If you do, I hope people get a good laugh out of it; I always do. I am delighted to know that you remember the story, as it’s one I’ve heard and loved my whole life.
I was born in January of 1986, shortly after The Hero and the Crown came out. At the time, my brother was eleven and a half years old. He wasn’t entirely pleased with the prospect of a new member of the family, particularly a sister. To help him adjust to the idea, and to make it more appealing, my parents agreed to let my brother name me. I like to joke that it was a bribe to get him to let me into the house, but that’s humor rather than accuracy.
Anyway, my brother apparently liked the idea. He immediately began compiling a list of names. Everyone in my family loves to read, so many names on the list came from books. Others, well… A few highlights from the list were Calamity Jane and Galadriel, Bullwinkle J. Moose and Mid-Life Crisis. He and my mother had both recently read The Hero and the Crown, after thoroughly enjoying The Blue Sword, and he added Aerin to the list. I am grateful that that’s the name he chose in the end!
My mother wrote to you to tell you, and you wrote a very nice response that I still have in my baby album. In it you mentioned that you hoped I didn’t grow up to hate fantasy. Well, I’m delighted to tell you that not only did I not grow up to hate fantasy, I grew up to want to write it, to the point where I am happily shocking others in my masters program who prefer to write more “literary” fiction. In large part, I believe I owe my fascination with fantasy to you and to my brother. I remember as a child waiting to be able to read the book I was named from with little patience. When I finally did, I fell in love with Damar and the characters, but I also fell in love with the style, with the concept of creating a world with magic. I’m not sure that would have been the case had my brother named me Calamity Jane.
* * *
* Note that I did get my slow, still-weary and having-overslept-again self out the door this morning with hellhounds in the right direction so when hellhounds had been sufficiently hurtled I could wander nonchalantly past Jenny’s yard and look for large glow-in-the-dark chestnuts. Even with a rug covering him withers to the top of his tail and down to his knees, he is immediately visible: neon orange carries, or possibly it’s the lightning flashing off his blaze when he nods his head. Jenny said he came off the lorry yesterday with perfect aplomb, and has had his head down eating most of the time since: he’s too thin anyway and chances are he’s still growing in a reprehensible fashion (although I would support the acquisition of a rear end^). Jenny was just saddling Connie and I ignored the frantic cries of my conscience^^ and asked if she was going to school or hack? Jenny said school, and that she thought she’d jump her. Whereupon I really had to stay and watch. (And put up fences.) Connie flew round the little ring–we were indoors, the weather is still moderately unspeakable–and at the end Jenny said, she makes it look so easy, doesn’t she? She’ll do it herself if you let her, or you can put her exactly where you want her. –Okay, so, when we get my flatwork straightened out a bit more, I want to do that too. I’m not so appalling now that I couldn’t jump her, but I’d like to be doing it from a position of strength, you know?
I also came home and wrote two more pages of PEGASUS, so don’t worry too much about this ‘taking the day off’ thing.
^ Chaos has been beautiful pretty much consistently from birth but Darkness spent a long time being a very funny looking object, including having neither chest nor butt. I used to look at the two tails waving in front of me when we went for walks and despair of Darkness’ end-on views. He expanded along the desirable lines eventually. So can Neon Orange. Who I’ve decided to name Roland.
^^ As well as a consciousness of four beady little eyes staring at me from a nearby car window
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what an absolutely fabulous tale!
(so Aerin, will you name a character Robin (or maybe Kinley) in your first published novel, potentially inspiring another boy somewhere to name a new sister and help it go full circle?!)
What a good idea! I’ll have to do that. I do have a novel started with a Robin character, but while she comes out right in the end, I’m not sure the character is one I’d like associated with this Robin. Must fix that. If I end up having a “Robin” in all my stories (I’ve remembered another one with a Robin character who is a much better character), I will have to tease my brother about it. And possibly blame or thank you for making me aware of the trend.
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That makes me wish my father had gotten his way and actually named me Q.
I know someone named Chani, after the character in Dune, but that’s about the extent of my named-after-book-characters acquaintances.
Calamity Jane?! Fates narrowly avoided. And Aerin is a lovely name. I think there are many of us who spent a lot of time wishing we had beautiful, romantic sounding names like that.
I used to look at the two tails waving in front of me when we went for walks and despair of Darkness’ end-on views. He expanded along the desirable lines eventually.
*swoon* Darkness. I think he’s so handsome. I mean, Chaos is *beautiful*, but Darkness has that mysterious thing going for him.
Yes he does. But he had to grow INTO it. For most of a year it was a good thing he is almost-black because it made it harder to SEE him in detail. :)
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THAT was AWESOME. Bravo, Aerin!
What a nice story, Aerin and Robin. And how old you have made me feel. Yikes. I read that book when it first came out and I was in University. I manage to feel very good about myself most of the time (a hard-won battle) but I suddenly felt quite MIDDLE AGED. Cripes!
Yes, well, imagine when you start getting GRANDMOTHERS telling you that they grew up with your books and are now giving them to their GRANDCHILDREN. I am old as the freaking *hills.* (I admit that so far none of the grandchildren are old enough to read for themselves . . . but the day is coming soon.)
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With age all is relative… it just is relative in an upwards direction :)
I read The Hero and the Crown when I was already working as a children’s librarian! I read Beauty when it was first published; I was working in a bookstore at the time and grabbed it off the shelving truck. Sheesh, I was already married! I understand very well about feeling middle aged. Doesn’t help that, as old as I am, my younger son just turned 14. I’m so much older than the parents of his classmates – and they’re complaining about turning 40! I tell them they’re just kids yet. ^_^
Oh, and on one of my library listservs, a librarian posted a stumper about a book she couldn’t identify – from the plot summary it was obviously The Blue Sword (she described the cutting of the sashes during the competitions).
This Aerin is very lucky, to have been given such a lovely name in such a fun manner! Thank you indeed for sharing!
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****I read that book when it first came out and I was in University.****
Lordy be, woman, don’t talk about feeling THAT old–I read that book when it first came out and I was 15 years out of University. Hardly seems possible, really.
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That’s marvelous!
Wow, Aerin!
And what a thing it is to have such a story about your name.
Most wonderful.
Thanks for sharing that with us all!
:)
–Julia
THAT IS SO COOL! It’s a way better story than my name story (my user name is my real name) which is that my mom wanted me to be unique (the joke being that one unique child was enough as my brother and sister are named Donnie and Valerie). I went through all kinds of hoops to convince my husband not to name our daughter something like Aoi (blue in japanese–but I’m half Filipina and he is half Italian!) since having an odd name is a bit of a burden sometimes. It is good that the parents chose Aerin, which is a fantastic name and background story, and not, say, Egwene.
But there are so many names that other people won’t have heard of . . . if it’s pretty and (relatively) easy to say, why not? I like ‘Sharaze’. :)
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Aw, I am glad that you like my name but, sadly, it isn’t very easy to say for many people for some reason (it rhymes with maze) and was a nightmare growing up. I’m half convinced that I am a martial artist today because of my name, ‘A Boy Named Sue’-style. I tell my husband that the reason he wants to give our kid(s) crazy names is because his name is *mike.* His grandmother whose name is Ilawene is on my side with the weird, unpronounceable names. Although I did almost give her a heart attack when I told her I was going to combine our names and name my daughter “Ilaraze.” Hee. We named her Autumn Rose, much to everyone’s relief.
Well, see above: everyone can be teased about their name and everyone’s name can be misspelled. I do take your point but I have some sympathy with Mike. . . .
My name’s story certainly instilled in me a fascination for interesting names, but yes, I agree with you. If I ever have children, I think I would give them more usual names that people won’t mispronounce or use to tease the kid. Except that now that I’m grown up, I like having an interesting name with a story to tell, so maybe I should go with that. But is it worth going through the childhood? Thankfully, it’s not a debate I have to go through right now. I do think understand where you’re coming from about your daughter’s name.
I like your name story. Does your name have a meaning? I keep a list of interesting names that I love and occasionally use for characters but mostly just like. Would you mind if I added yours? It’s very pretty.
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Allow me to suggest in my guise as a middle aged wet blanket that kids will always find a way to tease other kids, and restaurant bookers will always find a way to misspell your name. So you might as well have a name that pleases you.
And name is all about context. I am Susan because my father named my brother, the first born, and Mum was going to name the second born, i.e. me. But Susan is unknown here and they wouldn’t let me have it intact but had to come to the nearest possible saint’s name, which I have never liked. Neither sound right in Greek. It is a real pain, as I had to spell my name to every teacher and every clerk in a complicated bureaucracy. I am an advocate for simple easy names that translate well into many languages.
I’m tired and it’s late and I’m losing track. You mean ‘Susan’ is not your original name? An anglicized version?
That’s wonderful!
Gotta be careful about letting kids name siblings! Although Aerin and my sister Wendy (born during my Peter Pan phase) made out pretty well, I think.
**** So can Neon Orange. Who I’ve decided to name Roland.****
Roland? Does he go around things widdershins?
Great story, Aerin! Thanks to you and Robin both for posting it.
Oops, just read in yesterday’s comments why you decided on the name Roland. Sorry, it still says “widdershins” to me.
What a marvellous story! I wish the story of my name was that interesting!
I don’t suppose there are any tall, dark and handsome young men out there named Corlath or Constantine …?
Only in my own writing, at the moment. Well, and not by those names. Taliesin and Hayruh, for current projects, because I have entirely too much fun naming my characters. Much too busy for that sort of thing. Besides, I’m at a women’s college for my graduate program. The graduate school is co-ed, it’s the undergrad school that’s all women, but men are rather scarce.
Thanks! I don’t know, I ask just about everyone where their name came from if I get to know them, whether it’s a so-called “ordinary” name or not. I love names, and I think any name-story is fascinating.
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Oh, cool! To share a name with a character one loves is very, very cool. And my mum is old enough to have grandkids (slants disgruntled look at oldest brother, asking “What have you been DOING? College, phoo, I want NIECES and NEPHEWS.”) but if she had any they wouldn’t be old enough to read yet, and anyway I wouldn’t want to be explaining a bookish name to my dad. Fiction got him through childhood, but he now denies its value, once one is old enough that there’s less to be learned. Sigh. I think he has a lot to do with the fact that I hide in fiction. But clandestinely.
ANYWAY. We look forward to hearing more about Roland, Robin. And Darkness is my favorite too.
Roland: tomorrow I hope. :)
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Oh, and I forgot. I remember looking at the 4-H displays at the fair a few years ago, and this one family had Dragonlance names–Tanis, Krynn, that sort of thing. =D
I’m reminded of a story my college roommate told me once. When she was born, her parents asked her brother what he thought her name should be. His answer was “Ooga Mooga”. You will all be glad to know that he did not get his way.
My daughter is named Aerin as well (she just turned one.) I hope she grows up to love fantasy and writing as much as her name sharing friend of ’86.
Oh, lovely! I have just posted that I think ‘Aerin’ is a good real-world name too! I’m delighted it’s getting used! :)
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Oh, that’s wonderful! I love that someone else will have the name.
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Aaahhh, I love that name too! If one of my twin boys had been a girl, one of them would have been named Aerin Elizabeth. I can understand Aerin’s impatience to read the book she was named from- my mother also named me from a character in a book, but every time I asked her what the book was, she said she didn’t remember. I have a feeling that she certainly DOES remember, but doesn’t want me to know that it was from a trashy romance novel…
Forever Amber? Or is that too long ago? ‘Amber’ is a very romantic name so it’s probably been used and used. :)
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I’ve got a young friend who’s named Mallery, after a character in a Lloyd Alexander book. She told me I’m the only person she’s ever met who knew exactly which book that was; I pointed out that she doesn’t pal around with enough fantasy nerds over the age of 35…
She will now. :)
Your brother chose well, Aerin. I hope your parents would have had the strength to resist if he’d opted for Bullwinkle!
My mother told me that one of her sisters would have liked her to name me Thais (can’t put the umlaut over the “i”)–apparently my aunt loved that opera. On the whole, I’m glad she didn’t, as I would probably have gone through life being called “Thaze.” :)
****Chaos has been beautiful pretty much consistently from birth but Darkness spent a long time being a very funny looking object, including having neither chest nor butt.****
It’s amazing how differently they can grow, even from the same litter. Is Darkness bigger? In general, with the Danes I know, the smaller ones are more likely to grow evenly and avoid the worst of the puppy uglies. But it’s pretty much inevitable that the boys especially will lose their chests for a while, elbow in and toe out, etc., and you just have to wait for the fronts to (hopefully) come back. Adolescence is not always pretty, no matter what the species.
Yes, Darkness IS bigger, and he ended up with a big muscly butt! But they’re such different *types*. Darkness is much more a whippet, although heavier boned than you’d expect, while Chaos clearly has something else in him.
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Delighted to see you here, Robin–it’s been a while since we ‘spoke’ by email. What a great compliment to have a baby named after Aerin. I am just re-reading H and C, and marvelling all over again at how good it is. Serendipity is in the air here, as I have just today written a paeon of praise to you on my own blog (shared with other writers) at http//:www.awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.com I hope you don’t mind! Trust the roses have survived the wet summer without too much rust and blackspot….xxLucy
Oh, hello! :) Most of my roses are doing pretty well–but I’m still finding it a bit of a learning curve keeping ‘em healthy year after year in pots. I know it can be done but there’s so much less margin for error. So, when did you get *your* spring bulb orders in? :)
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Don’t talk to me about the spring bulb order! ;-) All the blasted tulips got eaten to the ground by slugs, so I’ve had to replace ‘em, and they’re the expensive frilly ones too! However, I’m getting 200 free ones from the Daily Telegraph (collecting tokens as we speak), so that will fill in a few gaps. Am hoarding Chalice like a dragon on a pot of gold till I have proper time to read it. If you’re signing in London, I’ll try and come, bringing my UK first eds of H and C and BS as well. Where and when? xxLucy
Oh, please do come, and we can MEET! Thursday, 6 November, Murder One!
MICE eat my bulbs. This year I’m giving up, planting them ONLY in pots and putting NETTING down over them, which means only short-lived shallow-rooted things over too. ARrrgh.
Lovely story! I’m re-reading “Rose Daughter” at the moment, and even that’s been out awhile now…. and they say it was written twenty years after “Beauty”. I do so hope my daughter can get me a copy of “Chalice” while she’s on holiday….
LOL! ‘They’ say? *I* say. I was THERE. :)
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Indeed, I realise that I read it in your “afterword”. And I have just heard that my daughter _has_ got me a copy of “Chalice” so I am squee-ing very loudly indeed and longing for her to come home. She’s been on holiday quite long enough, now!
:)
What a wonderful story – and your brother has either good taste or better sense :-) I agree it is a lovely name. Actually it took me a year or two to realise why I never saw it in ‘real life’ :-D
*I am happily shocking others in my masters program who prefer to write more “literary” fiction…*
Good for you! and, grrr. Whoever thinks universities are bastions of impartial, rational sense has never been to one. I have never understood what’s wrong with using your imagination to create a world that works, even if it’s ‘only’ in your own head.
I’d much rather read a Robin McKinley than some of the unintelligible bunk that passes for literature nowadays.
It particularly amuses me when people try to tell me that I’m lazy because it’s so much easier to write fantasy than to write “real” fiction. After all, I have magic to solve all the problems, don’t have to obey the rules of the real world, and can have a great big dues ex machina to fix everything my characters can’t fix on their own. Right. Never mind that not only do I have to obey a different set of world rules, I have to make them up.
Well, that sounds crankier than I really am on the subject. A few years ago, I got annoyed. Now, the whole thing is funny unless someone is really persistent about it and keeps telling me how I could remove all fantasy elements to make it a real story that would be so much better. That gets annoying after a few hearings.
And as for reading Robin McKinley rather than so-called modern literature, so would I. More than three quarters of my bookcases are filled with children’s or Y.A. fantasy literature. Robin McKinley, Susan Cooper, Jane Yolen, Patricia McKillip.
Thank you for stating exactly what’s going through my head right now, as I’m up for critique tonight in my workshop. Your thoughts made me smile.
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******I get very cranky indeed over people asking me why I don’t write REAL fiction or hint that fantasy = laziness.******
HOwever I will also say I’m fairly cranky (sorry) about ‘children’s and YA’. We all write **crossover.** That means adults too, except when they’re too LAZY to venture out of the adult section.
i like that story. it is very sweet. i know how you felt about darkness,the Japanese spaniels that i work with some time take 2 years to grow into their looks. it gives them an unfinished look but in the end they are usually pretty dogs. how many grandchildren do you have? i have six with one on the way.
*Peter* has six. I’m a stepgrandmother. When they were little, they called me Steppie. :)
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I was planning on naming my first child Aerin!! Glad it worked out. Glad you like it. I’d been reconsidering the idea when I realized my father named me after a character in a Zane Grey novel, a dutiful rancher’s son. It didn’t work out too well for my father, but I’m glad “Aerin” has a charm attached!!! And I’ve also considered Robin, Norton (Andre Norton), Anson (Robert Heinlein) and many of Patricia McKillips character’s names. Naming babies is hard work!!
I think Aerin is a perfectly good real-world name. A lot of favourite fantasy characters . . . well. I feel sorry for the Galadriels out there.
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I had a bit of trouble in middle school over my name, but I love having it. So yes, it worked out very well, and I love the idea of having more Aerins in the world. The other names are also great and interesting. Maybe a large family? Silliness aside, I do think naming children for characters encourages them to read, which is always a good thing.
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“£$%!!! WordPress just ate my answer . . . I think everyone had trouble in middle school over their name. It’s probably a sign of a GOOD name.
What a sweet story. We let our older son suggest names for our younger son, being only three he suggested Peter (as in Rabbit). We liked the name so Peter he became. Amusingly older son became Benjamin Bunny in sort of a retroname.
My daughter, too, suggested names for her younger brother–but, I’m sorry, Jasper Jellybeans just didn’t fly! :)
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In response to your “eep” comment, about not receiving the links I sent in…here they are, I’ve also sent them via email: Enjoy!
Smiles,
JM
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Musical_Interval_mnemonics#Mnemonic_memorization_examples
http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/courses/t109/interval.htm
Oooo, look at this! It’s an internet interval ear training assistant! This might be fun and helpful!
http://www.good-ear.com/
OH, this looks neat too – it will play an interval, and you have to figure out which piano keys would repeat that interval…also fun! (go to Flash Intervals, and click on 2-note practice, and there’s a tab that says “instructions”)
http://pedaplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=7&Itemid=142
Thank you! Excellent! I have NOT seen these before, so WordPress must have eaten them–sometimes I do see things that refuse to be approved. And I haven’t seen an email either, so there’s obviously a CONSPIRACY. . . . :)
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Uh, oh, no emails means you probably also haven’t seen the Portland Update…Hmm, let me condense:
Portland traffic and housing – dense!
Powells Bookstore – angels’ singing…
Portland weather – as reported…sunny in summer, rainy elsewhen
The 5 hour interview (yes, FIVE hour) – intense, but good. I have a couple of Important Questions, should they offer me the job. They have two more candidates who are also qualified (but, I’m probably cuter…and wittier… :-) )
The International Rose Test Garden – STUNNING, even in October! Walked around it for an hour in a trance post-interview. Reminded me of your descriptions of the Beast’s rose garden in Beauty! Have you SEEN this place?!?!
YAY! Will let everyone know when I have more to report!
Powells is the *best.*
Of COURSE you’re cuter and wittier. If they don’t offer you the post, you don’t WANT it. :)
Good luck!!!
This is totally unrelated, but did you know that the Metropolitan Opera has a whole database of thousands of songs that you can listen to for free?
http://www.rhapsody.com/metropolitanopera/tracks.html?pagestart=0
This is how I found it: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/on_air.aspx
Thought you might be interested.
: )
–Julia
Golly. No, I didn’t. Hmm. I know I can’t *sing*, but I actually could ‘sing’ some of CARMEN. . .
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Oh!
Yay!
YES! Sing Carmen. Good plan.
Which reminds me-
Have you heard of Katherine Jenkins? Evidently you can only buy her CD in the UK, but I have a friend who I work with at the library at home who is British and she got the CD as a present from HER friend who still lives in England. And she let me borrow it over the summer. And I enjoyed it a great deal. So I though it worth mentioning.
Anyway, she sings some wonderful operatic things. Including some Carmen.
If you want, I could email you a song or three.
It would have to be an attachment, then, and I know how you feel about attachments on emails.
Let me know!
–Julia
Yeep. I have NO IDEA about audio attachments.
Aerin has been on my list for girl names for years, but since I haven’t gotten around to having kids yet, I settled for naming my motorcycle “Talat”.
LOL!
My motorcycle was named Prometheus Unbound: he brought fire to woman. :)
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Our little Corolla is called Mithril.
oH, excellent. Is it silver?
What a beautiful story, especially coming full circle, with you (Aerin) writing fantasy now. And “pah” to those who decry fantasy; what’s much of Shakespeare but fantasy?
********* Neon Orange
Poor beast! Not my colour of choice but “a good horse is never a bad colour” or so I’ve heard and Jenny sounds as if she is an excellent judge of what she wants.
Jumping? I love jumping – can’t wait to hear about you and Connie flying over obstacles together.
“a good horse is never a bad colour”
********** I completely agree. I still like to complain. :)
Jumping? I love jumping
********** You’re a lot YOUNGER than I am. I’m OLD and FRAGILE.
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****** You’re a lot YOUNGER than I am. I’m OLD and FRAGILE.
There’s only a couple of years in it, and I’ve seen your muscles! You can’t get away with FRAGILE here, you know!
Yes, well, um, er, twenty anvils, um, er . . . (you’re not fifty yet. I don’t BELIEVE you).
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****** (you’re not fifty yet. I don’t BELIEVE you).
This year :)
CONGRATULATIONS! welcome to the SCRAG CLUB!!!!!
****** One of the reasons I’m trying bell ringing now, having wanted to start 30 years ago, but have never had time; so now I’m making time lol
Make that time! YESSSSSSSS.
“Steppie”. That’s great. My step-MiL has decided that she always wanted to be called Molly, and my FiL declared that if she gets to be Molly, then HE gets to be called Angus…
So now our son has Grandma, Grandpa, Ummi (other Mil), Molly, and Angus.
And that’s a lovely story. I think I first read The Hero and the Crown when I was twelve. So, sixteen years ago. We have a cat named Lady Aerin, Dragon-Killer, named before we realised that what looked like courage was actually having no sense at all.
Sorry. This is discombobulated. I woke up at five-thirty. Yes, in the morning. A time when normal people are staggering home from bars or clubs or finally putting down the book they were reading…
We have a cat named Lady Aerin, Dragon-Killer, named before we realised that what looked like courage was actually having no sense at all.
************ LOL! Poor thing, she’s just trying to live up to her name! It’s YOUR fault!!!
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Aerin has also been on my baby name list, however that is a little ways off for me, and my husband has reservations since it has similarities to his own name (Eric).
Unless I missed something and ‘Aerin’ is pronounced significantly differently from ‘Erin.’ I concur that is a very usable “real world” name; just think of Aerin Lauder. Once a famous person has it, it’s acceptable, right? (Don’t miss the sarcasm, please, just look at all the wretched baby names the rich and famous give their progeny.)
So I’ve decided if I can’t get ‘Aerin’ I’ll turn my energies to win consideration for ‘Alanna,’ (from Tamora Pierce’s, “Song of the Lioness,” of course).
I do think that for the bookish, literary names always have the strongest pull, even if we end up compromising with the spouse in the end. This can get tricky, however, even with biblical names. For example, although I love the name Lissar, her story is somewhat fraught. And when I meet women named Tamar I wonder how old they were when they looked up their namesake in the Bible and discovered her claim to fame. (The Biblical Tamar, I think, is actually a strong woman who solved a problem quite creatively to protect her rights, but it’s hard to associate that story with an infant girl, in my opinion.)
Tell Eric Aerin is NOTHING like his name!!!! :)
Have you read Mal Peet’s TAMAR? ***Brilliant*** book. Maybe I should blog about it.
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That’s a lovely story. It’s a good thing I didn’t get the offer to name my brother (10 yrs younger than me) or he would have been either Frodo, Gandalf or possibly Carbonel. Naming a child as an adult is *difficult*. And I always assumed that Aerin was a real (but rare) name.
Actually, she says in a very small voice, *I*’ve always believed it’s a real but rare name too, and/or a slightly alternative spelling. But you can still name someone Jane for Jane Eyre, even though there are a lot of other Janes out there. :)
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you too, my husband has four adult daughters,28,26 and twins at 24,and we have to daughters at 13 and 11.i have always considered them my gandchildren and am pleased when my step-daughters ask for advice. i have just started my live jour.nal not long ago and am slowly adding things to it.could you toll me how to set up aa linkbe cause i have some cute puppy pictures of the puppies i helped deliver at work.
comment by anonymous was by holmes44.sorry i didn’t realize i wasn’t signed in
It happens. :)
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“LOL! Poor thing, she’s just trying to live up to her name! It’s YOUR fault!!!”
Well, I might believe that if she weren’t really obviously as sharp as a sackful of wet mice. She has this great, focused stare, and acts alert, JUST BEFORE SHE RUNS FULL-TILT INTO A WALL.
Also, I’ve spent very depressing half-hours trying to get her to hunt anything. Spiders. Ants. The occasional pillbug. Noooo. What does she hunt, most bravely? PLASTIC BAGS.
I’m glad we didn’t name her Narknon. Even less appropriate.
LOL! Poor kitty!
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