Today’s prompt is to use a word we have to look up to spell. Rhythm is one of my top favorites. Maybe this post will help me remember how to spell it.
As I write this on Friday afternoon, I’m listening to the rhythm of the falling rain. The rhythm slows down and speeds up, yet remains comforting. I have to slow way down to be able to type the word, rhythm. We often think of rhythm in terms of music. I’m sure there will be a song or two in this post.
There are all kinds of rhythms. Dang, I might have to type rhythm a hundred times to learn it. Like writing our spelling words ten times in elementary school.
There’s the rhythm of breathing which is not always consistent with my sweet husband who has no experience about how his snoring and undiagnosed apnea sound. There’s the rhythm of dance and a long walk. A drum beat, a heartbeat. A cat’s purr.
I love to hear Mama Cat purr. It’s been just over two weeks since I brought her home from the church. She’s always been anywhere from very feral to semi-feral. She’s still skittish, (that’s putting it mildly) but she is affectionate with me, rubbing on my legs and letting me pet her, as long as I follow HER rhythm and don’t push the envelope. If I push the envelope at all, like touching her foot the other day, we have to take a couple steps back. But she is usually happy to see me in the morning when I feed her. She vibrates her tail and sometimes, once I’m seated in her room, she will roll over and show me her belly, which Jackson Galaxy of the show, My Cat from Hell, says is a cat hug – when they show their belly. I was able to rub her belly, but I’ve backed off of that since the foot touching setback. Mama Cat is coming around and being very affectionate again as long as I don’t make sudden or strange moves in which case she goes to hide in her cave.
People generally think I’m very patient and calm, but following Mama Cat’s lead is taking me to a new level of going with the flow and letting it be. She does not want to come out of her room and explore the rest of the house, but I have to trust her to come out when she’s ready. At least she has been sitting on the trunk perch and watching some cat TV.
My dad left me a lot of trunks. Like six or seven all together. I use them as furniture. Mama Cat is actually sitting on my dad’s safe which is virtually empty. Some day, maybe I’ll let it go, but for now, it’s a good height for this window.
Rythum rthym rhythm there, I got it, but I have to really think about it. Rhythm. Rhytym rhthym omg I’m getting worse. Maybe I need to handwrite it on a peace of paper so I can copy it from above. Rhythm. There. It’s hit or miss. rthym . I give up. For now. No, I just tried writing it on paper several times. It’s weird looking. Like it can’t really be spelled that way.
RHYTHM. Sigh.
I’d rather sing it.
I don’t really know this song beyond the main line, but I like it now that I’ve listened to it. Judy Garland has a great voice. This version is a bit lively for me, but it shows a lot of talent being able to sing and dance around like that.
May your rhythm be comforting or energizing depending on what you like.
Okay, here’s another version if you like it slower:
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For more SoCS posts and rules, visit our host Linda G. Hill, at:
October 17, 2020 at 10:44 am
I thought sure your repertoire would include “Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain”. Love this post – it has a great rhythm!
October 17, 2020 at 8:51 pm
Thanks, Maggie. I do love “Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain,” and seems like I thought of it, but the stream kept moving right past it. Glad you liked the post! 🙂
October 19, 2020 at 9:06 am
That’s what SoCS is all about. Just move it along.
October 17, 2020 at 11:07 am
Love both versions of the song but especially love Ella’s. Glad you have Mama Cat.
October 17, 2020 at 8:54 pm
Thanks, Linda. I like Ella’s version better, too. Having animals in the family sure makes life interesting. They each have their own personalities, just like the rest of us. 🙂
October 17, 2020 at 11:11 am
Thing was such a great lovely read💕
A post that will stick with me through my day, whisper to my spirit, making me aware and in tune with the rhythm of life around me💕
October 17, 2020 at 8:59 pm
Thank you for your lovely comment, Laura. I’m very pleased that you feel this way about my rhythm post. You just got me to realize that even though I didn’t explicitly say it, I am learning to be in tune with Mama Cat’s rhythm. ❤
October 17, 2020 at 11:21 am
Rhythm is a really strange word and I always have trouble spelling it when I try to write rhythm guitar. The letter “y” is a vowel but sometimes it is a consonant, and it appears to be the only vowel in this word, but it clearly has two syllables. I just looked this up and although I did not understand it, somehow the letter m makes up a phonetic vowel at the end of this word.
October 17, 2020 at 9:16 pm
I hadn’t consciously realized there was no real vowel in the second syllable. Phonetic vowel. Hmmm. No wonder it’s so hard to spell. You really are good at looking things up! 🙂
October 18, 2020 at 10:39 am
Thanks.
October 17, 2020 at 12:40 pm
So glad you were able to bring the cat home.
October 17, 2020 at 9:16 pm
Me, too. Her life has sure had it’s challenges.
October 17, 2020 at 12:53 pm
Good word choice. Rhythm is, indeed, a difficult word to spell since it contains two vowel sounds but no vowel. I love your observation that the rhythm of your breathing is not always consistent with your husband’s snoring–proof that discordant notes are all part of the grand symphony of life.
October 17, 2020 at 9:19 pm
Thanks, Rosaliene. I like your perspective. Jim looked it up and shared in his comment that the m is a “phonetic vowel.” I had no idea, but it’s starting to make some sense. Always something new to learn.
October 18, 2020 at 4:35 pm
Indeed 🙂
October 17, 2020 at 1:44 pm
That is a tough one.
October 17, 2020 at 9:19 pm
It sure is! I still have to think about it to spell it right.
October 17, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Lovely! Rhythm is one of those words. Perfectly fitting! 💜
October 17, 2020 at 9:30 pm
Thanks, Lisa. ❤
October 17, 2020 at 4:29 pm
Jazz players know about the “rhythm changes,” the chord changes in “I Got Rhythm” around which many other songs are written. Knowing how to improvise off them is considered an important skill…
You’re doing it right with Mama Cat. It’ll take time, but she’ll come around.
October 18, 2020 at 2:01 pm
Thank you, John. I appreciate your encouragement and your knowledge.
October 17, 2020 at 8:52 pm
I sure do love music, almost all kinds, but I really don’t care for spelling rhythm! It’s a tough-y.
October 18, 2020 at 2:35 pm
Rhythm is much more fun to feel than to spell.
October 18, 2020 at 3:05 am
So much to love here! First, your first sentence gave me the idea for my music post tomorrow … “Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain” by the Cascades! Thanks! Now, what you will have to do to remember this is spend a whole day, as you go about your daily routine, saying “R-H-Y-T-H-M” over and over … for the entire day! Third … Mama Cat is lucky to have found her forever home with such a compassionate two-legged mum. All of our cats are rescues, and some have adapted well, others not so much. We have Izzy, short for Isabella, who has made her home under the sofa. She will come out for periods of time, to soak up the sun coming in through the living room windows, to eat, or just for a few pets, but pets are only on her terms. I’ve been shredded enough times to know not to try to impose my own terms! A knock on the door or a clap of thunder will send her scurrying back under the sofa. We’ve tried for 5 years now to gain her trust, and to a small degree we have, but … largely she is still afraid of anything that moves.
October 18, 2020 at 4:44 pm
Thank you so much for your support and for telling me about Izzy. It will help remind me not to take Mama Cat’s fear personally. I guess I’m fortunate that Mama rubs on my legs and will let me pet her as long as I don’t make sudden moves or disrupt her space too much. We just put a more comfy chair in her room for me to sit in with my lap top, and of course she does not want to come out of hiding. R – H – Y- T – H – M. Hers, not mine. It’s all okay. Thanks for being a cat rescuer!
October 19, 2020 at 2:19 am
My heart breaks some days for Miss Izzy, but I must tell you about her peculiar quirk! She loves it when either of the girls (my daughter and granddaughter) brush their teeth. I use an electric toothbrush, so that doesn’t appeal to her, but the girls use a manual brush, and she actually comes out and begs for pets when Chris or Natasha are brushing their teeth! Yes, Mama cat is definitely showing you trust, but if she’s like our rescues, that trust will always have limitations. Move to quickly, or speak in louder tones, and she will dart back to her safe spot. Keep trying … she’s already showing signs of progress! Keep me posted … I do love the critters, and those who have special needs have a special place in my heart.
October 19, 2020 at 5:53 pm
That’s so interesting that Miss Izzy is drawn to teeth brushing! I’m starting to realize there will always be limits. Thank you very much for your encouragement! It means a lot.
October 20, 2020 at 5:58 pm
Like humans, they each have their own little quirks … all we can do is keep them safe and do our best to let them know that they are loved. At one time, we had ten rescues!!! Now THAT was a challenge! 🤣
October 20, 2020 at 8:20 pm
Ten! I can only imagine! We had five dogs once. But ten cats, that’s a lot of meowing.
October 20, 2020 at 11:39 pm
Mostly it wasn’t bad, but … when a fight broke out, ALL TEN had to get in on the act and I’ve many a scars from attempting to restore order!
October 21, 2020 at 7:36 pm
They keep us on our toes!
October 18, 2020 at 7:46 pm
That’s a hard on rhythm. I usually have to double check the spelling. It looks funny with just the ‘m’ on the end.
October 18, 2020 at 9:27 pm
Yep. I’m making progress with learning it.
October 19, 2020 at 2:46 am
So well written about the rythm of the universe all around. A great post
October 19, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Thank you! I’m glad you like it, especially that part about the rhythm of the universe.
October 20, 2020 at 10:38 am
I just came across an interesting article related to the word rhythm in case you want to read it.
https://www.quora.com/?activity_story=113657308
October 20, 2020 at 7:21 pm
I went to the link and it seemed like it was asking a lot from me to access Quora, so I am hesitant. But thanks for thinking of me.
October 20, 2020 at 10:55 am
It is interesting that you find rhythm difficult to spell. That is not one I struggle with and I do struggle to spell a lot of words. Psychologist is one and psychologist is another. I never, ever get those write. Judy Garland had a lovely voice.
October 20, 2020 at 7:35 pm
She did have lovely voice! I find deep voices comforting. Having majored in psychology in college, I had to learn how to spell psychologist, but I still have to think about it.
October 26, 2020 at 1:12 am
Rhythm has always been a bugaboo for me to spell, JoAnna! Love the cat. This reminds me of when my mother went into assisted living and I adopted her cat. We kept her in the spare room until she and the large dog got better acquainted, but they made the adjustment after a short time! ❤ 🙂
October 26, 2020 at 8:16 pm
I’m glad your mother’s cat and the dog adjusted. This is the first time in 30 years that there has not been at least one dog in my house. There was a time when we had five dogs. I hope some day we can find a dog who’s rhythm is laid back enough for Mama Cat.