Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Land O’ Goshen, Paw!

As a young boy, I remember this phrase being uttered by one Miz Loweezy Smith, wife of Snuffy Smith of the Sunday Funnies. There’s an interesting William Safire “On Language” column that deals in part with the phrase and its ilk here.

The Land of Goshen apparently was originally land given to the Israelites in Egypt, from whence they split on the Exodus.

Goshen, Indiana is the home of one of my new BFFs, Sara Klassen. The niece of my pal Holly, Sara was staying in Nashville for part of the Summer, and we met briefly back in July. On her way back to northern Indiana, she came through and visited with me one afternoon in New Harmony. Visitors here are a rare treat and we had a lovely (if brief) time.

She had just turned 21 in Nashville, and since I missed the occasion, she put on her birthday dress—not to be confused with her birthday suit—and we wandered about and took some commemorative photographs.

Sara’s one of those rare birds who seems both very young and very old. I like her.