June 6, 2026
Saturday Morning
Tiger striped swallowtails flutter do-see-do outside my bedroom window. Smooth and velvet black, another species flits among the rhododendrons, brazenly purple now that it’s finally June. I’m told they’re called butterflies because they flutter by, but I don’t know if that’s so. Don’t you like the sound of it, though?
This week was for planting trees, and my daughter and I planted three new ones: two weeping willows and one white oak. The willows are designed to sop up the excess water in a back meadow come Spring. The white oak, planted in honor of my grandson, joins a grove of trees dedicated to our family: a pear tree for me and J, apple trees for the children, random others, peach and birch among them. That oak will one day tower over them all, just as I hope he will.
I’ve said this before: a person who plants trees is an optimist. I won’t get to see them in their glory, but someone will, some one will some day sit in the shade of that oak tree, some one will some day have the juice of those peaches running down their chin, some one will some day bite into a crisp apple, in fact, someone already has. Apples and pears I planted years ago are ready for a bountiful harvest now. We will eat them and remember and be happy.
Magical.
Interestingly, you use "some one" and "some day" rather than "someone" and "someday."
I think this will interest you:
In 99% of cases, you should use someone (one word). It is an indefinite pronoun used to refer to an unspecified or unknown person (e.g., "Someone knocked on the door").
Some one (two words) is rarely used and refers to a specific, singular item or person chosen from a group. It almost always precedes the phrase "of [a noun]" (e.g., "Some one of the students will win the award").
To clarify the difference:
🌟 Someone (one word): Means "some person" without being specific.
Example: "I need someone to help me carry this box.
🗓️ "Some One (two words): Means "some single one" out of a distinct group or set.
Example: "I know some one of these keys will unlock the front door."
Similarly:
Use someday when referring to an indefinite time in the future.
Use some day to refer to a specific, yet unknown, calendar day.
A quick breakdown can help you choose the right one for your sentence:
🌟 Someday (one word):
What it is: An adverb meaning "at an unspecified time in the future".
How to use it: Perfect for hopes, dreams, and vague future plans.
Example: "Someday, I would love to travel to Japan."
🗓️ Some Day (two words)
What it is: A noun phrase where "some" describes the specific, unknown day.
How to use it: Use this when you are talking about an actual day, even if you don't know the exact date yet. You can usually replace it with "a day" or a specific day of the week.
Example: "Let's plan to meet for lunch some day next week."
💡 Pro-Tip
If you can replace the word with a specific day (e.g., "Monday" or "October 4th"), use some day (two words). If you mean a vague "in the future," stick to someday (one word).
Keith
Flutter-bys are bits of rainbow prisms and they remind me that the sticks of milkweed I've planted really do support the monarchs that are fluttering around my hillside with the surprising confidence -- in spite of predictions they'll soon be extinct -- of creatures who know they are alive and isn't that great. I continue to love your Sunday morning posts!