Calliope

The name game begins. Before I've even seen my baby or know the sex, we're thinking of names. It's a lot of pressure and the most lasting impression you can have on your children. All your hopes, dreams and pragmatic wishes in a name. My family all recalls one Thanksgiving when Chris and I said that we really liked the name, Calliope. We got unanimous and vocal threats about naming our next child Calliope. Recently, Chris told his mom, "... don't worry, we've settled on Calliope or Gustav." She said, "I like Gustav better." Come on, Gustav? Nana said, (sigh) "that's fine, I'll tell everyone her name is Callie." Come on people! What's wrong with Calliope? Nana said, "It's an inanimate object." Chris and I actually both thought first of the muse in Greek mythology. NOT the musical instrument. Having looked up the musical instrument on Wikipedia to even see what it is.... Poppie should be all about Calliope: A calliope is a musical instrument that produces sound by sending steam through whistles, originally locomotive whistles. Most calliopes disappeared in the mid-20th century, as steam power was replaced. Without the demand for technicians that mines and railroads supplied, no support was available to keep boilers running. Only a few calliopes have survived, and these are rarely played. You can see why Chris and I don't think of a musical instrument first. For those who would like to know one reason we like the name... In Greek mythology, Calliope (Greek: Καλλιoπη, beautiful-voiced) was the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne, and is now best known as Homer's muse, the inspiration for The Illiad and The Odyssey.