here is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
―Maya Angelou
Do you love literature? Do you feel you have an inner creative streak you’ve never yet acted on? Do you have a brilliant idea that you’re afraid isn’t long enough to make into an entire book, but that you really just want to finally write down? If so, Short Story Day could be your chance to discover a new passion and create something you can be proud of. You don’t have to have written anything before to start writing now. After all, everyone has to start somewhere. All you need to become a writer is a pen and paper, or a computer, or a typewriter, if you will―the rest is entirely up to you. So if you have a story in you that’s waiting to be told, don’t wait and celebrate Short Story Day today!
As the name itself suggests, a short story is a story that can be read in one sitting. As with many concepts in the realm of the humanities, it can be hard to determine exactly what qualifies as a short story, but most contemporary definitions tell us that a short story must have anywhere between 1,000 and 20,000 words. Short stories became especially popular in the late 1700s and early 1800s, with ones like Richard Cumberland’s “The Poisoner of Montremos” and Washington Irving’s “Rip van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” becoming instant classics. Some of the most famous short stories have also been written by authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Franz Kafka, Mark Twain, Rudyard Kipling, Leo Tolstoy and Stephen King.
If writing is something you don’t feel any desire to try, however, Short Story Day can still be an interesting and enjoyable experience that broadens your horizons. And because reading a shirt story does not take that much time, you can celebrate this day without having to take the day off work! “Harvey’s Dream”, a rather sad exploration of what Alzheimer’s disease does to a person, is considered by some to be one of Stephen King’s best short stories. “Romantic Weekend” by Mary Gaitskill is dangerously dark and sensual, and will let you know just how much you’ve been missing out on reading “Fifty Shades of Grey”. And if literature that evokes feelings of dread and tension, then Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is guaranteed to raise all of the hairs on the back of your neck until the very last page.
All in all, this day is not just for writers, it is for everyone who appreciates the art that is good literature.
Word of the Day
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| Definition: | (adjective) Spoken, carried out, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought. | ||
| Synonyms: | ad-lib, extemporaneous, impromptu, off-the-cuff, offhand, offhanded, unrehearsed | ||
| Usage: | The class performed an extempore skit that condensed the complex plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet into a single, 15-minute act. | ||
Idiom of the Day
have a heavy heart— To have a dejected or miserable attitude or disposition; to be in a depressed or grievous state. |
History
Marie and Pierre Curie Discover Radium (1898)
Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie were working with pitchblende, a heavy mineral known to contain the radioactive element uranium, when they noticed something unusual. Somehow, the pitchblende was more radioactive than the uranium it contained. The culprit was radium, a previously unknown element present in pitchblende only in trace amounts—yet more than a million times more radioactive than uranium.
Cicely Isabel Fairfield, AKA Dame Rebecca West (1892)
| One of the most highly regarded British prose writers of the 20th century, West began her career as a journalist for feminist and suffragist publications. She then served as a literary critic and political writer for American and British journals. Her admired reports on the Nuremberg Trials were collected in A Train of Powder, and her history of Yugoslavia, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon, is a classic work of travel literature. |
Feast of Juul
The Feast of Juul was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the Winter Solstice. Fires were lit to symbolize the heat, light, and life-giving properties of the returning sun. A Yule (or Juul) log was brought in with great ceremony and burned on the hearth in honor of the Scandinavian god Thor. A piece of the log was kept as both a token of good luck and as kindling for the following year's log. The present-day custom of lighting a Yule log at Christmas is believed to have originated in the bonfires associated with the Feast of Juul.
Can a cup of hot tea every day keep glaucoma away?
Your morning cup of tea may have more power than you thought. Researchers have found that drinking a cup of hot tea at least once a day may lower the risk of developing glaucoma, one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma causes fluid pressure to ...READ MORE:
Can a cup of hot tea every day keep glaucoma away?
1620 - The "Mayflower", and its passengers, pilgrims from England, landed at Plymouth Rock, MA.
1913 - Arthur Wynne published a new "word-cross" puzzle in the "New York World" in England. The name was later changed to "crossword."
1914 - Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Mack Swain appeared in the first six-reel, feature-length comedy. The film was entitled "Tillie’s Punctured Romance".
1937 - Walt Disney debuted the first, full-length, animated feature in Hollywood, CA. The movie was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
1951 - Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from major league baseball.
1968 - Apollo 8 was launched on a mission to orbit the moon. The craft landed safely in the Pacific Ocean on December 27.
1968 - Janis Joplin gave her first solo performance in Memphis, TN.
1972 - Martha Reeves & the Vandellas gave their farewell performance in Detroit, MI.
1998 - The first vaccine for Lyme disease was approved.
If You Were Born Today, December 21
You are exceptionally magnetic, possess a flair for the dramatic, and generally like being at the center of attention. Your charisma is unmistakable, and is one of the ingredients in your recipe for success; the other main ingredients are your determination and talent. You are particularly suited to an acting or teaching position–one that plays up your wonderful ability to inspire others. You remember every little detail about people, and this is very charming! You are a success-oriented person who others often consider to be quite fortunate. Famous people born today: Ray Romano, Jane Fonda, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Evert, Kiefer Sutherland, Phil Donahue, Frank Zappa.
READERS INFO
1. Celestial Event
thanks, Shelley
Winter Solstice
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The December solstice occurs at 16:28 UTC. The South Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its southernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.44 degrees south latitude. This is the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
Read more about solstices and the seasons on Earth The winter solstice is Thursday: 7 things to know about the shortest day of the year
2. Celestial Event
Ursids Meteor Shower
The Ursids is a minor meteor shower producing about 5-10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tuttle, which was first discovered in 1790. The shower runs annually from December 17-25. It peaks this year on the the night of the 21st and morning of the 22nd. The crescent moon will set early in the evening leaving dark skies for optimal observing. Best viewing will be just after midnight from a dark location far away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Ursa Minor, but can appear anywhere in the sky.
3.
South Street Headhouse District 4th Fridays on Fabric Row 2017
Dec 22, 2017 | Philadelphia, PA
South Street Headhouse District|200 Pine St
Your Fridays from March to December look pretty empty. Besides, your sense of fashion is too dull to be seen in public. That’s why you should take your hard-earned money to Philadelphia’s Fabric Row and completely overhaul your wardrobe. There are more than 50 local businesses to find a few outfits that will make you really stand out (in a good way, of course). There’s also an abundance of restaurants, tattoo shops and many other retail stores waiting to be explored. Perhaps you need to overhaul yourself in general.
Atlanta Christkindl Market 2017
Nov 24 - Dec 23, 2017 | Atlanta, GA
Atlantic Station|1380 Atlantic Dr NW
This festival teleports one to the magical, glowing atmosphere of traditional German Christmas markets. Peruse a slew of market stalls while sipping warm hot chocolate. Enjoy live music, wine tastings and fireworks at this holiday spectacle.
further information: Atlanta Christkindl Market - Atlanta Christkindl Market
Peter and Paul Fortress is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Czar Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini's designs from 1706 to 1740. Through the early 1920s, it was used as a prison and execution ground by the Bolshevik government. Since then, it has been adapted as the central and most important part of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, which occupies most of the fortress building save the structure occupied by the Saint Petersburg Mint.
The World's Steepest Cliff Railway
Just Opened in the Swiss Alps
Passengers remain level at all times thanks to rotating cylindrical carriages
thanks, Dawn
thanks, Heide
knit, Christmas
knit, Christmas ornament
crochet, Christmas
crochet, Christmas
thanks, Bertha
crochet
thanks, Mindy
crochet
crochet top poncho
crochet
Christmas Bauble Hanging Crochet Pattern
RECIPE
Gluten & Dairy Free
thanks, Anna
thanks, Sara
ADULT COLORING
thanks, Alice
CHILDREN'S CORNER ... Christmas crafts
PUZZLE
Big Bobble Jigsaw Puzzle
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The remaining letters spell a secret message. | |||||||
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SUDOKU ... hard
solution:
QUOTE
CLEVER ... Christmas
Christmas Facts
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Interesting Christmas Facts:
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| The word Christmas originates from the words Christ's Mass. In old English (first recorded in 1038) it was referred to as Cristesmæsse, which literally means 'Christian Mass'. |
A common figure known throughout the world and associated with Christmas is Santa Claus. Other popular Christmas figures include Christkind, Saint Nicholas, and Father Christmas.
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| Anglo-Saxons referred to the holiday as 'midwinter' or 'nativity'. |
| The word Noel entered the English language in the late 1300s. It originated from the Latin word 'natalis' which means 'day of birth'. |
Christmas decorations that are popular today include Christmas trees, Christmas lights, wreaths, garland, holly, mistletoe, and nativity scenes.
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| Christmas lights were invented in 1882 by Edward Johnson. |
| The first evidence of a Christmas tree is from a pamphlet that dates back to 1570. |
In order for Santa to visit all the homes on Christmas Eve he would have to visit 822 homes each second.
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| The tradition of hanging stockings comes from a Dutch custom. They would leave shoes full of food for St. Nicolas' donkeys and St. Nicholas would then leave small gifts in return. |
| 12th century nuns left socks full of nuts, fruit and tangerines at the doors of the poor. This is where the tradition of putting tangerines in stockings came from. |
| The three wise men who visited Mary and Joseph when Jesus was born brought gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts. Some believe that Jesus was born in a cave and not a stable. |
The tradition of Christmas caroling began as an old English custom. It was originally called wassailing and was a toast to long life.
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St. Francis of Assisi began the custom of singing Christmas carols in church in the 13th century. |
There are approximately 60 million trees grown in Europe each year.
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| The letter X in Xmas is a Greek abbreviation for Christ. |
In 1950 the world's largest Christmas tree was placed in a Washington Mall. It was 221 feet high.
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Jingle Bells was originally written by James Pierpont in 1857, for Thanksgiving not Christmas. It was originally called One Horse Open Sleigh.
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| The traditional Christmas meal in England before turkey was mustard and a pig's head. |
The world's biggest snowman was 113 feet tall and was built in Maine.
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| The Christmas wreath is symbolic of Jesus. The red berries symbolize his blood and the holly represents the crown of thorns. |
In Germany they call Santa Kriss Kringle; in Italy they call him Le Befana; in France they call him Pere Noel.
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The best-selling Christmas song ever is White Christmas by Bing Crosby. It has sold more than 50 million copies around the world.
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| Christmas is one of the most profitable times of year for many businesses. |
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