Serendipity, Friends ... and Berries ... and Cows

Back again. I was just sweeping the floor and I came across a fancy picture frame that the main staff lady here at the house bought on shopping day a few months back.
It is a black frame the has the word Friends written on the top and six smaller boxes for individual pictures to be placed in.

I was looking at it again as I have in the past since it was first purchased and aside from being quite attractive with it's six b&w pictures of model versions of friends in a matching b&w frame it never fails to impress(?) me about the serendipity of Virginia having found it.

You see, there are six women living here in this house and that was what made her buy the frame. While friends may be overstating the roommate situation most of us have a little bit (friendly is more the word) it was a nice thought that worked out numbers-wise.

When I was looking to write a little something on the picture frame and my musings I questioned whether I really was using the word serendipity right. So I checked it out on dictionary.com. Yes, I was right but for those of you still wondering about the word I will give the definition(s) they gave.

The first one of the two listed was what applies here. It is as follows ... "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident". The second in case anyone is wondering was simply "good fortune; luck". I guess it applies as well, if not as nicely. It also listed a synonym that I also like ... happenstance.

I would also like to direct those interested to the dictionary.com site as they have other things on there like the listing of the origins of the word. For instance, if we go back to the word serendipity, it actually was coined in reference to the characters in a book from the 1700's called "The Three Princes of Serendip".

If you are interested in the origins of the above in a little more detail, check out dictionary.com yourself. Other things they have on the site are lists of "like words", quotes(!) and a thesaurus. I will briefly mention the like words and the quotes before stepping back and talking a little more about the friends angle.

The like words included serendipper if you can believe it. Personally, I think that is a stupid way to conjugate (if that is the right word) the word serendipity. Another "like word" was serendipity-berry. Also known more commonly it seems, as the miracle berry, it is African berries (2) that when chewed turn sour things sweet!

Now for the quote. There is a random quote button that I tried about a dozen times but none of the quotes that came up rivaled the original quote that brought me to the button. The first quote was by advice columnist Ann Landers from what they attribute to a August 21, 1989 Time magazine article. Here it is ...

... "I don't believe that you have to be a cow to know what milk is." It goes on to say that she was 'explaining why, despite her untroubled Midwestern upbringing, she felt qualified to advise people with serious problems.' Well said.

Maybe not the best way to look at the subject considering the proliferation of advice doctor's like Dr Phil, Dr Drew (oh so gorgeous Dr Drew - sigh - lol), but still it does make some sense and is a pretty cute saying.

Well back to the friends. I said that me and my roommates aren't exactly friends but I can definitely say that I am not worried that it's a Leighton Meester movie (the soon to be released The Roommate) waiting to happen. LOL.

Carmen