zenith, zenithal, Zephyrus, Chaucer, zest, Seattle, Washington

zenith: the highest point reached by a heavenly body

zenithal (adj) from zenith [zen' i thal] (short e sound)

zephyr: the west wind 

Zephyrus: the Greek god of the west wind. 

      See the beautiful prologue to Chauer's Canterbury Tales:

      

        Whan that aprill with his shoures soote

        The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,

        And bathed every veyne in swich licour

        Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

        Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

        Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

        When April with his showers sweet 

        The drought of March has pierced unto the root

        And bathed each root with such liquor 

        by which is engendered the flower;

        When Zephyr also has, with his sweet breath,

        breathed in every holt and heath

  

zest: [French, zeste, orange or lemon peel fused as flavoring]  piquancy; a quality of enhancing enjoyment  (lively, interesting; or a spicy agreeable taste)

       A French phrase: donner du piquant (to add or give zest…)

       A cooking term, also French: to add the scrapings of the peel of a lemon or orange.

   These entries seem to have a common poetic theme that I can relate to…a striving for zest in my life, a piquancy.  Perhaps a spicy taste to my everyday existence.  To ‘be’ rather than to ‘exist.’  The most existential of journeys.  To have Zephyrus breath this ‘enhanced enjoyment’ into my being; to achieve the zenith, the zenithal aspect of my life.  

     I just took a nine day odessey to Seattle, Washington, nominally for a pediatric conference at the exquisite Seattle Children’s Hospital, but in actuality a search for this zest.  It was filled with these feelings.  A totally non-materialistic journey of discovered friendships from around the world (Ireland, Iran, China, Korea, Canada, Germany, Ukraine) in The Green Tortoise Hostel, with backpacking all day in the beautiful cold, rainy weather…Japanese gardens, museums, the U. of Washington campus with its music and art departments, cherry trees, and evenings of music, conversation and laughter.   A truly zenithal experience.  I will try to post my journal at a later date.