As in, it’s snowed at last.
So many unique moments congeal in these first days of snow each year.
Things like remembering how to drive (and pitying those less-lucky while hoping to be far from them), enjoying snow wet enough to stick together and (MOST significant to me) the increased *light*!
Yes, more light.
You see, the sun has been setting earlier and earlier since, well, since June, but noticeably (i.e., before bedtime) for several weeks. Our neighborhood has no streetlights, and I’ve come home from several evening walks in complete darkness. (You’d think this would be hard to do in the middle of a city.)
Last night I went grocery shopping after the kids were down and I was giggly (yes, I’m this way about light) at the glowing earth and sky.
With the low clouds, still-falling snow, and unsullied blanket of white gathering everywhere it was like walking through an orangey Kinkade-glow wherever I went. Even in my neighborhood the reflective moment has been enough to catch and magnify every house light.
It won’t last forever. Once it’s done snowing the streets will be kept clear and they, at least, will be black again. We’ll forget how the snow blesses us in this dark season until spring, when it’s gone to mud and we remember once more that even Winter is not as dark as it could be.
That was a beautiful post. Well said.
I’m slowly working through your novel. It was my birthday on Tuesday and this have been busy with dinners and such to attend, but I promise to get back to you about it soon.
In the meantime, you should enter the Kidlit Contest at http://kidlit.com/kidlit-contest with your query if you have one written. You can win a critique for your first 30 pages!
The idea is certainly appealing, Cassandra, and I’ve toyed with queries, but I am not (per the contest requirements) ready to submit my mss.
Not only am I still debating over whether the opening is appropriate, but my recent personality research has led me to aim for another set of read-throughs with the goal of verifying/creating consistency within and variety between important Characters.
I believe God gave me a gift to allow me to finish this novel– it really has given me a great deal of peace to have a sense of closure on this project– but it is going to require a concentrated, cohesive effort to finish making this submission-ready.
That means that Jay (and I) would have to move this officially out of corners and into focus, with a corresponding allotment of time and energy diverted from other foci.
Neither of us is ready to make that commitment at this moment, so we will continue as we have been– piecemeal but consistent– until we know how to do differently.
I am very concerned that I don’t move too quickly and burn any bridges before construction is finished.