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Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale
Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ~Carol Nelson
The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis
Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home! ~Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836
There has been only one Christmas - the rest are anniversaries. ~W.J. Cameron
Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. ~Laura Ingalls Wilder
A Christmas candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.
~Eva Logue
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
This is my last newsletter before Christmas. I am fyndorian and I wish and hope we all can embrace and enjoy peace on earth, good-will to men! |
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As I sit here at my antique schoolmaster's desk, attempting to write this newsletter, my gaze keeps traveling to the window and the black and white world beyond it. Over a foot of snow has fallen overnight and another eight inches is forecast for today. The blowing snow has, for the moment, rendered colors outside to black, white and shades of grey. The forty-five foot pine in the front yard is cloaked in white. Black branches bend beneath layers of snow. Evergreen is lost in the starkness of the storm. A movement catches my eye. There. Deep in the protection of the pine, a flash of red. The cardinal on sentry duty reports: the bird feeder is still but a mounded over lump of white-no birdseed in sight.
I smile at the explosion of color, made that much more vivid by the old photograph-like surroundings. I am reminded of a scene from The Giver in which the lead character discovers the concept of color for the first time. Perception. The quote I used earlier by Laura Ingalls Wilder leads to some imagining of waking up on the prairie to several feet of wind buffeted snow, the barn but a blur in the distance. The diesel roar of the snowplow buries the daydream in a three foot deep mountain of snow at driveway's end. How easy we have it, really. A few swipes with the snow-blower will take care of it. The bright red scarf my other half wears flies in the wind as he starts on the driveway.
A fire, started purely for the cozy feel, burns in the fireplace. Most of the wood is buried out back, but for now it adds the perfect touch in the living room, adding to the festive look begun by the tree by the front window. The lights, brightly colored, seem a relief against the world beyond. Out back, the trees, bowed mostly to the ground under their wintry burden worry me. Somewhere beneath that mantle are the electric wires to the house. We need to shake loose the snow else we lose power should one of them give way to winter pressure. A weather bulletin flashes red on my monitor warning of an increase in expected snow this day. Seems we will have a white Christmas for sure this year! Now to
*comes back to her newsletter several hours later after electricity comes back on*
Spent the last few hours out in the four wheel drive truck pulling people out of ditches on unplowed roads. The looks on people's faces when we refused the money they tried to hand us...a Merry Christmas and we were on our way....now to thaw out, get warm and get back to my newsletter...where was I? Oh yes, about to (finally) get to what I wanted to talk about this week.
Been doing lots of reading as I looked for Christmas-y editor's picks. One thing I noticed in reading the plethora of statics I perused was that similar words and phrases popped up over and over and over again. Lots of descriptive phrases but many seemed trite and over used...which got me to thinking about 'odd' words and less used ones. So I went to my list of words that I keep. When-ever I stumble across an unusual, different or perhaps 'fun to say' word, I add it to my word list. I've been doing this for years and it has proven useful when I need that 'just right' word. Given the season, I picked a few that might have worked in place of the over used words I kept seeing.
Perhaps you may find a new word or two to keep in mind!
aleatory - dependent upon chance, luck, or an uncertain outcome
algidity - coldness
Apollonian — characterized by clarity, harmony, and restraint; serene, calm
crepuscule — twilight; dusk
effervesce - to show liveliness or exhilaration
fremescent - an incipient murmur; becoming noisy
frigorific - causing cold, frost, chilling
frisson - an emotional thrill; a shudder of emotion
fulgurant - shining, dazzling
gloaming - twilight, dusk.
halcyon - calm, peaceful, or tranquil or a joyful, carefree, or prosperous time in the past.
lambent - softly radiant; of a light or flame, playing on a surface without burning it.
macarize - to make happy; to praise
maffick - to rejoice with an extravagant and boisterous public celebration.
paean - A paean is a song or shout of triumph or exultation. This noun can also be a written or spoken expression of praise or joy.
roister - to engage in noisy revelry; carouse.
serendipity - the faculty of accidentally making happy, unexpected discoveries.
sericate - silky.
squiffed - intoxicated.
susurrous - adj. - full of whispering sounds.
There you have it...a stocking full of unusual words to try out! Have fun! |
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My next newsletter is due out January 2nd. I would be most interested in knowing (from as many of you as possible) what your writing goals are for the upcoming year. Is this the year you get published? Or the year you get that family memoir together? Will your poetry collection fall into place? Does (and if so-how much) reading fit into your plan for becoming a better writer? What about reviewing? I'd like to hear what your reviewing has taught you about your own writing.
I wish each of you a most happy holiday and I'll see you next year :) |
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For Authors: December 19, 2007 Issue [#2123]
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