WORDS for a new year: a collective list

abundance

abundantly

acceptance

action

adventure

affirmative

akashic

allow

ambiguity

anticipation

apposite

apprehension

archipelago

awake

awaken

aware

balance
being

belief

benediction

big

blessed

bodacious

bomdiggity

blooming

brave

breath

breathe

calm

caterpillar

change

cinnamon

clearing

clarity

closure

cohabitation

comfort

community

compassion

compassionate

complete

consistency

content

contentment

Coppelia

courage

create

cumbersome

curiosity

dedicated

defenestrate

delight

depth

destiny

ease

elation

embrace

empathy

encourage

enfolding

engage

enough

execution

family

fantastico

fearless

flexible

flow

flowing

forgiveness

forth

forward

free

freedom

friends

friendship

fun

generosity

gentle

gladness

grace

graceful

grateful

gratitude

growth

healthy

here

home

honeysuckle

hope

hopeful

imagination

impecunious

improvement

innovation

intention

interlacing

intrepid

journey

joy

koan

lacrosse

laughter

learning

light

lilac

limn

love

lovely

ludicrous

luminous

marmalade

mellow

mindful

moment

mondegreen

nepenthe

newborn

now

nurture

ocean

open

opportunity

path

patience

patterns

peace

perseverance

persistence

perspicacious

perspicacity

play

ponder

positive

poquito

power

present

Providence

purple

rachet

razzmatazz

reciprocal

recommit

reflection

release

renewal

resilience

rutabaga

savor

scungilli

see

serendipitous

serendipity

silence

simplify

sleep

sloshing

snowflake

splash

stillness

strength

sure-footed

sweep

thanks

thrush

transformative

translation

travel

trembling

trepidation

tribe

trust

twinkle

undulate

unfolding

verygood

waterfall

whole

will

wish

worried

zeal

THANK YOU to all these contributors:

Amy Jo Smith

Angele

Anne Killian

Anne Larsen

Annie Campbell

Annie L. Sherman

Annie Wexler

Antoinette Di Ciaccio

Antonia Matthew

Barbara Anger

Barbara Cartwright

Barbara Heller

Barbara Kane Lewis

Belinda Howell

Bernadette Fiocca

Brenda Marston

Brendan Killian

Cady Fontana

Carly Harley

Carole Johnston

Carole Russell

Carrie Stearns

Casey Joseph Warner

Caterina Fusca

Charles DeMotte

Chaya Spector

Chris Dunham

Cindy Linville

Claudia Tracy

Cly Boehs

Coleen Foley

Cora M. Yao

Cris

DGBG

David Brewster

Dawn

Dex White

Diana Kreutzer

Donna Holt

Ed Swayze

Edna S. Brown

G

Gabriel Brewster

Gabriel Hoff

Gary Rith

Gary Russo

Gay Huddle

George Grills

Gina O'Donnell

Grace Brewster

Gurdon Brewster

Gwen Glazer

Irene Komor

Jack Brewster

Jackson Petsche

Jane Edwards

Jane Baker Segelken

Janet Altman

Janet Klock

Janet Wylde

Jill Swenson

John Scarlett

Judith Stauber

Judy Cogan

Julia Grace Brewster Rosoff

Julie Weeks

June Wolfman

Karen Legnini

Kathleen Halton

Kathleen Morrow

Kate Day Roosma

Kay Bradford

Kitty Gifford

Krys Cail

Kylie Spooner

Laura Joy

Laura LaRosa

Laurie Petersen

Lee Miller

Linda Keeler

Linda Orkin

Liz Scarlett

Lois Bodnick

Loretta Louviere

Louise Vignaux

Lydia Pettis

M Richard Leopold

Margaret Dennis

Margaret Strumpf

Margo Yntema

Marian Mumford

Martha Brewster

Martha Blue Waters

Mary Peck

Maryam Steele

Maude Rith

Melissa Hamilton

Melissa Zarem

Mihal Ronen

Moe Altman

Nancy Gabriel

Noemi Kraut

Padma O'Mara

Pamela A. Babusci

Pamela Goddard

Patrick Robbins

Patty Flannery

Patty Little

Paula Peters Marra

Peggy Miller

Phoebe Shalloway

Rachel Brewster

Rachel Siegel

Raia Gutman

Randy Mott Cobb

Ravi Walsh

Ray Edwin

Richie Holtz

Robin Notice

Roxanne VanWormer

Rus Keeler

Sabina

Sharon K. Yntema

Sheila Dean

Shirley Elliott

Siouxsie Easter

Stacey Murphy

Steven Freidmutter

Sue Bissell

Sue Crowley

Summer Killian

Susan Koon
Susan Lesser

Susan Lytle

Susan Neuenschwander

Suzanne Carreiro

Tom Clausen

Valorie Rockney

Vickie VanCamp

Victoria Armstrong

Wendy Gutman

Yvette Rubio

Yvonne Fisher

Zee Zahava

Snow Day: a collective list

I asked friends to let me know what they were doing on this snowy day (or what they've done on other snow days) and here is what they shared:

sled right past the "no sledding" sign

make a snow man on a picnic table

bend my knees and skate down a hill in my sneakers 

have an icicle sword fight

standing outside this morning admiring the crystalline snow, when five bluebirds appear — an unexpected addition to a snowy day

at the opera at Regal Cinema — Falstaff —pretending I am at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC

make a minestrone soup in the crock-pot and serve it with freshly grated cheese

search online for tickets to the Caribbean and then think better of it

shovel and then shovel some more

cancel nonessential plans

make yogurt pancakes and top them with pecans

clean the bird cages — sometimes I forget to do this on non-snow days so I always do it when it is snowing

shovel the first round and look — really look — at the undisturbed whiteness; absorb the silence 

crochet, sew, do some fun artwork, and make time and space for creative thinking 

spend the afternoon reading old New Yorker magazine articles (2006!) — one about Sam Shepard's playwriting career, and one about the impact of psychopharmaceuticals on the mental health of our culture

install a second shower head, for double showering on cold mornings

pet the cats, pet the dog, feed the birds

sit and stare out the window; wish upon a snowflake; imagine I am a snow queen 

soak my feet

make a list of things to be grateful for today

read some of Paradise Lost

make a smoothie for me and my family

start reading Lauren Bacall's autobiography, By Myself

listen to Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run — my latest obsession —over and over

avoid anything to do with work

bake Grandma Ruth's sugar cookies with pink icing

eat crab corn chowder soup with Ritz crackers

wrap holiday gifts in front of my electric "woodstove;" read children's Christmas books in front of the "woodstove;" read Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things, also in front of the "woodstove"

fill the birdfeeder and put out a new cake of suet; bless the black, gray and white of winter birds; watch for scarlet wings against the snow

listen to Carlos Nakai's album, Winter Dreams, snuggled in a quilt that I pieced and my sister quilted

watch the snow fall while dreaming myself back into the wonder of girlhood

light a spruce scented candle.

ignore my to-do list (the one with all the shoulds) — after all, isn't a snow day as much about what you aren't doing as what you are?

listen to the silence, as the noises around me are dampened by the snow

struck by how beautiful a simple, monochromatic landscape can be

read my favorite book, fingering its well-loved pages while listening to the soft crackle of the fire

the warmth of a mug of tea beneath my hands, and simply existing is blissful

goulash; hot chocolate; boots and big socks 

walk the grand-dog; protect the cats

go to the play Black Pearl Sings at the Kitchen Theatre

a cilantro martini at Mia Restaurant on the Commons

take the same picture I take every snowfall:  flowerpots on the deck mounded with snow

watch clumps of snow fall from the tall trees behind my house — hear them plop softly into the snow below

wait impatiently for the plow-guy; feel sad when he comes, slashing a track through the unbroken snow

think about listening to some Christmas music; opt for silence

a pair of Blue Jays at the feeder

edit photographs

hang art on the wall

do laundry

make time to play

pile up the pillows and blankets and hide underneath

a long walk in the snow, then home for tea

imagine places with no snow — how strange to live there

imagine Antarctica and so much snow there, and Emperor penguins

play in the backyard with my dog

stay home and shop on-line (since traveling downtown is not really an option)

keep the radio tuned to NPR all day

a long talk with my sister

remember other snowy days: kissing created heat inside the frigid air

look up, look out, look down — into the light, away from it — from each perspective, the snow seems to fall at a different speed

snow dragon, snow sneaker, snow dancer — so many more possibilities than snowmen 

balance barometric pressure ("stay under the covers!!") with soul pressure ("getting to writing circle will cheer you up!")

take photos of brave and beautiful plants under their snow coats and hats

turn face up to blink and catch flakes on dimples

get whupped by the Los Angeles Times crossword

feel lonesome from the urge to hibernate

send up a wave of thanks for lightbulbs, furnace, earmuffs, Gore-Tex, wool, Vibram soles, and for those who make them usable

sit on the sofa and wrap a blanket around me and the dog, making a nest for two

film my beloved walking the dog over Fall Creek; I even remember to turn on the camera

help make cookies, then help eat them (just to be sure they're okay)

ski down the driveway that curves around the catalpa tree

harvest the kale hidden under the snow

toss some raw peanuts for the chipmunks

get out the Chinese scissors, fold origami paper and cut snowflakes

light candles and read Mary Oliver poetry aloud

take the grandchildren sledding at the Plantations

walk the path along Six Mile Creek and sing Christmas carols off tune (that’s the only way I sing)

watch the snowflakes meandering downward to earth and feel grateful that I don’t live in Southern California

sweep the steps of soft, silent snowflakes

make Constant Comment tea using apple juice and a touch of cinnamon

catch snowflakes with red mittens; giggle when giant snowflakes hit my eye

observe fresh footsteps in powdery snow

skate down sidewalks

big romance and gigantic kisses under snowfall

walk, and walk, and walk, and walk

tell Winter how in love I am with her

bake bread; knit baby items; go skiing

pick up our Bolivian Rotary exchange student

cook dinner for my family

hunker down with a good book for the evening

venture out into the world of holiday shoppers and hope to return home safe and sound without emotional scars

e-mail family and friends about holiday travels and remind 

everyone that I love them

snowshoes or sledding today?

create a blizzard with my snow blower, causing me to become lost in my own driveway.

watch the snow accumulate on my windowsill while my cat sleeps on my lap

break down barriers built by the town’s snowplow

sit in my hot tub as soft flakes drift onto me and the water; leap from the hot tub into 8” of snow; then back into the hot tub 

sip brandy-laced eggnog in front of a roaring fire at the end of the day

shovel and slide; then pack

stand on the front porch in slippers thanking the landlord for shoveling the sidewalk, a pathway to my back door, and even removing the snow from my car

take a walk with my Florida brother who is totally delighted, making snowballs, ready to build a snowman in our back yard — he is a 52 year old man but he's a young boy at heart, filled with wonder today

look at pictures of camels in the snow in Cairo, apparently it's the first time it's snowed there for 112 years (according to a post on Facebook)

cozy dinner indoors with family, shared warmth on all levels

deer on a neighbor's lawn, seen through falling snow, like a Japanese print

make Christmas crafts with my granddaughter

watch It's a Wonderful Life while eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate

warm tea, dark chocolate, red wine, buttered toast

sitting with a lap cat in my lap

cross country skiing

write a card or three; scroll on the computer; recycle old papers; play Boggle or Bananagrams

gaze out the window; daydream; reflect on yesterday; nap

put on my snow boots; take off my snow boots

listen to music: Fairport Convention, Samite, Donna the Buffalo, Sim Redmond Band

organize

mope

play dolls with  my daughter

arrange a play date

dress more colorfully than I ordinarily would, in shades of green, purple, orange, blue, red, with a splash of pink dots as well

worry about things, especially snowy things, and then stop worrying

wait, more impatiently than usual, for the mail to be delivered 

start reading a new collection of haiku, written by a friend, that arrived in the mail today 

Thank you to all these contributors:

Anne Klingensmith

Annie Wexler

Barbara Force

Barbara Kane Lewis

Bue Waters

Jackson Petsche

Janet Klock

Judith Sornberger

Karina Burbank

Kathleen Morrow

Kathy Hopkins

Kathy Kramer

Kitty Gifford

Laura LaRosa

Linda Pope

Maude Rith

Mihal Ronen

Nancy Gabriel

Nancy Koschmann

Nicole Ja

Noemi Kraut

Peggy Haine

Randi Prieve

Raymond Edwin 

Saskya van Nouhuys

Sharon K. Yntema

Sue Norvell

Susan Neuenschwander

Tom Clausen

Wendy Gutman

Zee Zahava