Monday, April 12, 2010

POSITIVELY MONDAY: MOXIE

In common parlance, "moxie" connotes determination, initiative, gumption, spunk. "The ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage," quoth Webster's. Couldn't we all use a little moxie, especially when it comes to Mondays?

Turns out, Moxie is also a soft drink - in fact, the official soft drink of Maine (as I discovered while preparing for this week's Culinary Smackdown: Lobster). 

Moxie was supposedly invented in 1876 by one Dr. Augustin Thompson, born in Union, Maine, as a patent medicine or "nerve food" he claimed to be effective against "paralysis, softening of the brain, nervousness, and insomnia." Well, now, we mustn't have any brain softening around here!

The Eggplant thinks Moxie tastes a bit like a not-too-sweet root beer. The original, inventor Thompson claimed, contained an extract from a rare but unspecified South American plant (the mythic Amazonian moxie bush, perhaps?). The current version, in addition to carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup and/or sugar (wtf?), caffeine, citric acid, and those oh-so-encouraging "natural and artificial flavors," contains "extractives" of gentian root, which author and Moxie fan E. B. White described as "the path to the good life."

So . . . without suggesting she necessarily ingest this stuff, I'd like to toast blogging buddy Making Space, who is joining me in celebrating Positively Mondays. Here's wishing you a fine spring week free of anxiety, insomnia, or anything you might fret is the early stages of brain mushiness, MS:)

And to all: Put a little pep in your step and a little glide in your stride (as local DJ "Mr. Rhythm Man" likes to say) . . . one foot in front of the other on that "path to the good life" or at least till Friday comes. Here's hoping you face down the beginning of your week with verve and elan, spirit and courage, and a smile on your face.

If you have a Positively Monday post of your own to share, please let us know in the comments. And if you'd like to participate in the future, we'd love to have you.

Happy Monday!
eggy

5 comments:

Sharon Rudd said...

Whew! My post appeared after all. Silly old me, did an a.m.-p.m. switcheroo. Here's hoping everyone had a glitch-free Monday!

Making Space said...

LOL That's fantastic! Moxie, eh? I love it! I want it! I want to talk out the side of my mouth while wearing a flapper dress and swinging my hugely long strand of pearls! Moxie! A toast righ back atcha! Thanks for the shout-out Eggy!!

Sharon Rudd said...

Glad you got a kick out of it, MS. You Moxie lady, you! Keep up the great work on your 21-day plan, and don't be afraid to kick up your heels!

Making Space said...

Well today I wore a wraparound skirt and some sweet little sandals with flowers on the top, and I can honestly say there was a bit of a sashay in my step at some points. LOL

Big Shamu said...

I see Moxie has put a flouncy bounce in quite a few steps.

I commend you on your Monday positive attitude. Now I'm heading to my local cheese shop to see if they MOXIE!