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646th Friday Blog Roundup

I babysat for the same family for many years, and the little girl always said “fitch the lights” when she got into bed.  She was trying to say “pitch the lights,” like her parents (who were from South Africa), but it always came out as “fitch the lights.”  So for years, my friend and I would say, “fitch the lights!” whenever we wanted someone to turn them off.

I was recently reading a book and the word “fitch” popped up, and I decided to Google the girl (she became an OB/GYN) and then the term “fitch the lights.”  Of course nothing popped up.  But then I Googled “pitch the lights,” and nothing came up for that phrase, too.

Weird.

So I turned to Josh and said, “what does ‘pitch the lights’ mean?”  And he answered that it meant to turn them off.  Then I asked him to Google the phrase and we couldn’t find it.  And then I asked on Twitter and Facebook.  Most people said they would assume I meant to throw out the lights, but clearly that thought never crossed my mind.  The only thing I have ever thought since the first time the family said “pitch the lights” is to turn them off.

But if you Google it, this is likely the only place that phrase will show up.  Even though I’ve used that phrase for the last 20+ years, having learned it from this family.

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Stop procrastinating.  Go make your backups.  Don’t have regrets.

Seriously.  Stop what you’re doing for a moment.  It will take you fifteen minutes, tops.  But you will have peace of mind for days and days.  It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week.  In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

Okay, now my choices this week.

My Path to Mommyhood has a bittersweet post about the decision to stop the family building process.  They are not renewing their home study and will step away from adoption.  It is a post about making a hard decision and understanding that while it will hurt, it is also what is best and healthiest.  I love how it is framed as a birthday present to herself.  She writes: “But also, I feel that it is the right decision, despite the ways self-doubt creeps in via imaginary voices and arguments with people who might question our decision. Despite the fact that anyone who we have actually told has responded with nothing but compassion and empathy. As they should, quite frankly. This is a huge loss.”  Please also read her follow-up post.

No Kidding in NZ has a post about how changing where she is on Mother’s Day makes facing the day easier.  You don’t need to travel halfway around the world to test her idea.  Her point is that going about your normal day in your normal space means you’ll encounter exactly what you dread encountering.  Doing something completely different means the possibilities will change.

Surrender Dorothy has what is definitely the best duck-related story of the week but it’s really a post about finding signs when you need them.  And… we were celebrating Truman Day that day, which we’ve always claimed for our Truman.  So including that in the post — for me — went hand-in-hand with the ducklings as a sign that everything is going to be okay.

Lastly, as LTYM comes to a close, I wanted to highlight a gorgeous LTYM post by Family Building with a Twist.  She writes, “On quiet news days, I want to exhale and think that it will all be OK.  Maybe we’re just hyper aware of everything in 2017 thanks to social media and the Internet.  On other days, I feel like that poor guy in Munch’s painting, screaming into the void.”  She puts into words what a lot of us have been feeling while processing the news every day.

The roundup to the Roundup: Pitch the lights!  Your weekly backup nudge.  And lots of great posts to read.  So what did you find this week?  Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between May 5th and 12th) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week?  Read the original open thread post here.

4 comments

1 Ashley { 05.12.17 at 3:43 pm }

I would have envisioned you trying to throw the lights away, although I would have assumed you meant to turn them off. Here, in PA Dutch country we say “outten the lights” but nothing boggles the minds of outsiders like when we say “it’s all” meaning something is used up.

2 Lori Lavender Luz { 05.13.17 at 2:55 pm }

I saw when you posted that on FB, and I was wondering the story behind “pitch the lights.”

I’m glad you included Jess’s post, because I had it marked, as well. I liked Mali’s, too.

3 Charlie's Bird { 05.15.17 at 8:33 am }

Hey, I am a South African – I don’t know that as a phrase, but we do switch the lights on and off. Maybe things got a little lost in translation?

4 Jess { 05.18.17 at 11:07 am }

I love phrases like that! I may start saying, “pitch the lights.” I found that “dump it” is not universal for “fall hard” and I thought it was totally a common phrase. Huh. Thank you so much for including me on the roundup. Those were hard posts to write (harder to live), but important. I am still loving on my pillow. 🙂 I am wayyy behind on my reading so I have no second helpings this week, but I hope to catch up and offer some for tomorrow!

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