The Name Game

"Any child can tell you that the sole purpose of a middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble." Dennis Frakes

My full name is Marceleine Ann Mary Hoye Cumberland. I was named for my maternal Great Grandmother whose name was Marceline Vaness. Do you see any difference between us? No? Unfortunately, neither did my Dad when he filled out the birth and Baptismal certificates and gave me an extra e (look for it, you'll find it). No one has ever spelled my name (in)correctly ever since. It took 6 different diplomas before I got one from my high school a year after I graduated that had my name on it.

Ann was my Dad's mother's name. I love the name Ann. It's simple and unpretentious and has no e at all. Oddly enough, my Aunt who has exactly the same middle name, tries to dress it up all the time with one. When I was about 15, I decided that the minute I turned 18 I was going to court and legally change the order of my names to Ann Marceleine because I was so sick of people spelling and pronouncing my name wrong. After the huge battle I put up over my diploma, however, I decided to just stick with my uniqueness.

I chose Mary as my Confirmation name. In our diocese, we were confirmed in 2nd grade, long before we had any real idea of what it was all about. I really, really, really wanted my Confirmation name to be Rose because I almost worshiped my 2nd grade teacher, Sister Rose Marie. About half the girls in my class said the same thing. But Sister told us we couldn't use her name because we had to take a Saint's name and she insisted she wasn't a saint. (I suspect that she is now even if she hasn't been canonized.) So almost all of us took some form her second name instead. I chose Mary because I had a lovely Aunt Mary and Mom knew it would please her too. ( As fate would have it, one of my daughters-in-law is named Rosana, a Sister-in-law is Rosemary, and my Step grand-daughter-in-law is Rose! I even have a niece named Amanda Rose.)

Oh well I don't ever use Mary anyway, they don't even ask for it at church.

The Hoye came from a long line of Irishmen from the Emerald Isle, with a slightly bluish tinge of Scot in them. In fact, there's even a tiny Island at the tip of Scotland called the Isle of Hoye.

Cumberland was the gift given me by Geezerguy. Whenever one of my 4 sons or their Dad does something silly I remark "You sure can tell he's a Cumberland". This refers back to a line in my college history book about "George and his son, the Bungling Duke of Cumberland." This always got a laugh for me and the DILs until the day Jim retorted "Maybe so but you chose to become one!" Now the boys all thank him for the perfect comeback!

So now you know who I am legally. But I've had a lot of other appellations over the years.

Since I got out of school I rarely ever use Marceleine. Now I'm mostly known as Marcie. Of course, I don't get too picky about the spelling of that one and I have seen it written as Marcy, Marci, and by a Japanese pen pal long ago as Mar-C. I've also sighed and gotten used to being called Marsha, Marcia, Marie, and Maria.

My Dad, Old Newsie, was of course, well known in our community. On many occasions when I was with him, someone would attempt to introduce me to another person. They would naturally, stumble on my name and simply say "...and this is...uh... Charlie Hoye's Daughter." I seriously considered having that printed on a T-shirt until I realized that Scrabblebuff would probably borrow it all the time!

Once married, it really became absurd when Jim joined Dad in the news business. The same small town selectmen who had forgotten my name for years, would now introduce me as "...uh...Jim Cumberland's wife...uh...Charlie Hoye's daughter"!

One of my favorite names is Mom, closely followed by Hon, Sis, and Daughter.

Jim and I began telling stories about eight years ago and have been using Taletellers on business cards and as our on-line screen name for sometime. We get a kick out of how many times we meet up with other RVers that we've chatted with on forums for years but known only by user names. Suddenly they realize "Oh you're Taletellers! and then identify themselves by their alter egos.

We performed and taught at a Children's history camp as Charlie McCormick and Mrs. McCormick ( as the school marm, I didn't even have a first name) for two years because no one could use their own names.

I began using Yarntangler in another life when I began an on-line group of miniaturists who also enjoyed knitting and crocheting hats and scarves for children's charities. I wrote short short stories for our forums, as well as published patterns and news for the group. It seemed the right name to use when I began blogging.

Today I got an email from a gal who's been reading my blog for over a year and also reading my comments on my favorite RV forum Workamper News. Jim and I both post there under Jim and Marcie but our profile comes up as Taletellers. She had just realized I was me! Actually, she said "I just figured out you were you!"

I'm glad she got it figured out! Now if I could just get it straight.

See ya down the road,
Yarntangler