It's a little late - OK, a lot late - but finally here is my January Swap post!   Although it is too late to participate in February's, feel free to head over to Home School Blog Awards to read about past swaps and be on the lookout for the March swap sign-up.

My Swap Sister was Christina and what a cool package she pulled together!  Poor Christina spent more than twice on postage what the entire gift was supposed to cost.

She sent:  Superman Valentine cards for the boys to give to their friends, a Safari animal Origami set that my youngest son descended upon like a Hawk after a lame bunny, several pocket folders (what home schooling family can't use pocket folders?) a "year-round tomato" kit (Christina is a gardener!), index cards (which is third on my list of most purchased items, right after toilet paper and Clorox wipes), some very pretty stationary which reminded me I have several letters to write to family, AND these really pretty wooden storage boxes which look like old books and are decorated with an embossed copy of a Byzantine era Jesus mosaic similar to this. 

It was quite a haul!

My gift to Christina was mailed about a week late, as I had procrastinated and then got sick...a good lesson in why NOT to procrastinate.   Of course, I pretty much know the why not, my problem is in the do not.

I sat out the February round, but hope to join in the March fun.  The boys sure get a kick out of opening the packages and there are, invariably, enough goodies for them to share.

Here it is!  The end of our 21 Days of words you've probably never heard and are less likely to ever use.  I'm ending the series with one of my favorites I've been saving for you. 

shibboleth

pronunciation:  shib-uh-lith

definition:  A pattern of behavior, speech or activity that sets apart a group of people.  Also, a common belief or saying with little current meaning or truth.

I love this word mostly because of the somewhat comical story behind it.  This is a passage taken from the Bible, Judges 12:4-6 (NIV):

Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, "You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh."  The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a survivor of Ephraim said, "Let me cross over," the men of Gilead asked him, "Are you an Ephraimite?" If he replied, "No,"  they said, "All right, say 'Shibboleth.' " He said, "Sibboleth," because he could not pronounce the word correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at that time.

Today, a shibboleth is akin to a stereotype.  Think about groups of people:  Christians, Muslims, Jews, homeschoolers, plumbers, Arkansans, gays, lawyers, etc.  What are some shibboleths you hold?