Jan 14

Small Stones ~ Day 5

9735622I have a new book.  It came in the mail today.  Ripping open the white puffy envelope is like opening a package on Christmas morning.  Paperback, about 6 x 9 and 1/2 inch thick.  The cover is mostly purple and lavender with touches of copper. 

Spindly looking dark purple trees in the foreground, smaller copper colored ones in the middle to indicate depth.  A deep purple ridge behind them with a lavender sky above and the impression of lavender water behind the bigger trees, kind of flowing around the smaller ones. 

Bold white type: BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES, & ENDS.  Along the top edge, purple lettering on a lavender background: ELEMENTS of FICTION WRITING.  At the lower edge in lavender letters: NANCY KRESS. 

Clean smooth pages, still smelling faintly of fresh ink. 167 pages of information.  An Introduction, three sections, an interview, and an index.  I love books with indexes.  They make finding that vaguely remembered reference so much easier.  A new adventure.  Another excuse to read instead of write.  An opportunity to improve my writing.  Another step toward becoming an author. 

 

 

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Jan 13

Small Stones ~ Day 4

Since today is Sunday, I chose a moment of worship ~ Communion:

Three Panel WindowThe diffuse light of the rainy day gives the stained glass windows an even glow instead of the multicolored light beams that fill the sanctuary on a sunny day. 

I watch the flashing gleam of the brass trays as the deacons move along the aisles, passing the elements back and forth down the rows.  The background of organ music is punctuated by throat clearings, coughs, and the babbling of the baby on the back row. 

I take the small square of cracker and crush it between my teeth.  It is dry, crunchy, bland, just faintly sweet.  I take one of the tiny cups from the second tray and the deacon moves on since I am sitting alone on this row.  I hold the cup in my hand and let the music flow over me as my thoughts turn to the members of my family who are far away and those who are near, silently requesting blessings for them and thanking God for their health and safety.  

The music comes to a close as the deacons return to the table.  We all take that one small swallow together. The tangy flavor of the grape juice floods my mouth, a strong contrast to the bread.  The ritual is completed as a community with the words: “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again,”  and the joining of hands for the Benediction.

These few moments are the most sacred of my week.  It is this expression of my faith and hope that keeps me strong.  The weeks when events prevent me from participating never seem quite complete.

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Jan 12

Small Stones ~ Day 3

As I have been working on the photos from my Roadtrips this past year in preparation for a guest post on the blog of a friend and colleague, I have been struck afresh by the fact that photographs are always “Small Stones,” frozen moments of time and place that allow us to make an in depth study of that instant whenever we want.

As always, the thought urges me to carry a camera everywhere I go.  Oh, wait, I do.  It’s called a cell phone.  The quality may not always be the best, but it allows me to “see” things I might not have noticed as I was snapping the picture.  So, for today’s offering, I present some of the pictures I took with my cellphone as I traveled this past year:

 

 

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Jan 11

Small Stones ~ Day 2

Cinnamon candy:

Round, flat, as bright a red as maraschino cherries. Wrapped in crinkly clear cellophane.t_cinnamon_discs

Carefully unwind the twisty ends. Find the thin edge of the overlap and pull the paper away.

Drop the smooth disk onto my tongue, right in the center. Close my lips over it, locking in the sweetness that floods my mouth making it fill with saliva.

The moisture starts the melting process and releases the heat of the cinnamon.

As the candy dissolves the heat of the cinnamon mixes pleasantly with the sweetness.

The disk gradually becomes smaller until it is wafer thin and I bite into it. Just a couple of crunches and it is only a sweet, spicy memory.

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Jan 10

A Small Stone ~ Day 1

HandsSome of the folks in my writing group over at Wordsmith Studio have found an interesting January writing challenge.  As with most things, I’m a little late to the game, but I’ve decided to try it anyway. 

The general idea is to focus sharply on something each day.  See, hear, feel, smell, taste, just be immersed.  Then write it down.  Not a long post or a story.  Just a description. 

So today, I offer tiny hands.  So small and fragile, yet strong.  Dimpled knuckles, chubby fingers.  Just learning to be useful. 

 They aren’t always reliable yet and sometimes they grasp unintentionally or open too soon, but they are constantly practicing.  Reaching, grabbing, pulling, squeezing.  Soft, pink, sweet. 

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