Blog Post #4: Angels

Dear Readers,

Just this week, a lovely friend said, “If I could pick my angels, you would be one of them.” What a wonderful thing for her to say; for me, simply unforgettable.

Funnily, my middle name really does begin with the letters An…, but it’s actually Anthony, because the nurse who delivered me on 13 June 1962 mentioned to my mum that the day was the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of miracles and of lost things. One little jingle goes like this: “St. Anthony, please look around, something is lost and must be found.”

Gosh! Just imagine how many words there must be in all those pictured letters and prayers to St. Anthony.

FAMOUS REFLECTION FROM ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA

Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.

ANGELS WORD PUZZLE

Which two other proper six-letter English words can be made using all the letters of ANGELS?

LOVE MATH PUZZLE

Imagine that we’re going to rearrange the four letters of LOVE in absolutely any order we want, and list all the possible four-letter rearrangements, even if they don’t make proper words. How many such rearrangements are there altogether?

Extension: How many six-letter rearrangements are possible using all the letters of ANGELS?

REFLECTION ABOUT ANGELS

A wise man once said, “We are, each of us, angels with only one wing. To fly, we need only embrace each other.”

 

ANGEL JOKES

1. How do angels greet each other?           

They say, “Halo!”

2. Why are angels so patient?

They don’t mind listening when people harp on!

CHECKMATE TIME!

It’s White to move and force checkmate in a mere 3 moves.

SOLUTIONS

ANGELS WORD PUZZLE: ANGELS can be rearranged to make ANGLES or GLEANS.

LOVE MATH PUZZLE: Imagine that we have four slots – – – –

to fill with letters from LOVE. The first slot can be filled from a choice of 4 different ways. After whatever choice we make for the first slot, the second slot can then be filled from a choice of 3 different ways. Next, the third slot can be filled from a choice of 2 different ways. Finally, the fourth slot must be filled with whichever 1 letter still remains. So, the total number of four-letter rearrangements of LOVE is 4x3x2x1, which makes 24 ways in all.

Similarly, the total number of six-letter rearrangements of ANGELS is 6x5x4x3x2x1, which makes 720 ways in all.

CHECKMATE TIME!

The given position occurred in a game Putka vs. Juvis played in Lithuania in 2011.

White forces checkmate with 1 gxf4+ Kg4 2 f3+ Kf5 3 Rf7# or 1…Kf5 2 Kf3! after which Black cannot simultaneously stop the threats of 3 e4# or 3 Rf7#.