Tag Archives: Tree

Why do we put Christmas Trees up in our homes at Christmas?

Posted on December 25, 2013 | 4 comments

It’s a given, right? We put up a Christmas tree hoping the Big Guy will visit. We put out cookies and milk, and carrots for the reindeer.  Oh, yes, we like to bribe the big guy with chocolate chips, don’t we?

But there’s a little more to it than that. The Christmas tree is an extension of an advent wreath. The evergreen branches are a symbol of everlasting life. The lights we place on the tree symbolize Jesus, the light of the world. So what is a Christmas tree, then but a big old birthday candle!?

In some cultures, the tree symbolizes life itself. It is the light of faith, hope and love.

So remember on this, one of the most holy days of the year, to remember what really matters in your life.

Peace, hope, love, family.

It is the season of giving, but there is no better gift in life than family. Call someone you love today, and wish them a Merry Christmas. Give someone the gift of joy.

And for those of you reading this over seas, serving your respective countries to protect the ones you love at home… an extra special hug.

We appreciate you, and you are missed.

_____Merry_Christmas

Related articles
Advertisement

4 Comments

Posted in Senseless Ranting

Tagged , , , , , ,

Write a Story With Me # 73: “What should She Do” by Kate Johnston

Posted on December 9, 2013 | 5 comments

Write a Story with Me is a group endeavor just for the fun of it.  A different writer adds a new 250 words each week.  It is the ultimate Flash Fiction Challenge!

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Here’s this week’s excerpt.  We hope you enjoy!

73 Kate Johnston

Natalia searched frantically for her baby. The ground was hard and cold, and she scratched the palms of her hands on fallen twigs and stones. She listened for his cries, hoping that in her daze she had wandered and he was at the base of another tree. But the world was quiet, even the wind was a mere hush.

She stared up at the sky, where her daughters had flown away. She was torn over her children; what should she do? Search for her son or try to track her daughters? Panic rose within her, and she was close to breaking down in an uncontrollable fit. But she fought against the panic, striving to remain silent, knowing that if she were found out there, questions would be asked. Questions she didn’t know how to answer.

Natalia huddled against the tree. She needed to think of a plan. But, so many terrible things had happened in such a short span of time, she didn’t know who or what to trust anymore.

She forced herself to take deep breaths to calm herself. Regardless of the danger her daughters were in, she could only hope that reason and good judgment would prevail. Her son, however, was utterly helpless.

Natalia made her decision. She stepped away from the tree and headed north. As much as she hated to do it, there was only one being whom she could absolutely trust to help her.

Want to read more?  See below for past excerpts.

If you’d like to sign up, come on over.  There’s always room for more!

Parts One – Sixty-five Click Here

Part Sixty-Six – Joe Owens

Part Sixty-Seven – Shayla Kwiatkowski

Part Sixty-Eight – Anmol

Part Sixty-Nine – Norah Jansen

Part Seventy – Shannon Burton

Part Seventy-One – Vanessa Jane Chapman

Part Seventy-Two – Susan Rocan

Part Seventy-three – Kate Johnston

Don’t forget to stop by next week to see what happens next.

Richard Leonard — TAG!  You are “It”

Write a Story With Me Contributors

shayla kwiatkowski gryphonboy Jennifer M. Eaton Vanessa Chapman
Siv Maria Sharon Manship shanjeniah Vikki (The View Outside)
Danielle Ackley-McPhail Richard Leonard susanroebuck Jenny Keller Ford
aparnauteur kaidamian Eileen Snyder Elin Gregory
Joe Owens anelephantcant mysocalledDutchlife Nicky Wells
norahdeayjansen Julie Catherine Ravena Guron
Anmol     jiltaroo 4amWriter mywithershins

1 swivel

5 Comments

Posted in Write a story with me

Tagged , , , ,

Hurricane update and Flash Fiction Friday on Wednesday: Heart Stomping

Posted on October 31, 2012 | 5 comments

Note:  Thanks for all the well wishes about hurricane Sandy.  We suffered mild damage in the form of a bad installation of a brand new sliding glass door.  It actually rained inside the door and outside.  I wish I thought of taking video, but all we could do was attack it with towels.  We got off quite lucky compared to the devastation not too far away.  Thanks for your prayers and good wishes.

Now, without further ado…Five minutes on the clock.  Go!

Melanie’s cold hand did little to soften the trampling beat of her heart.  The bark of the tree behind her scraped her skin through her thin cotton t-shirt.  Still, she struggled to become one with it … to hide.

A branch snapped in the darkness, stealing her breath. Immobilized, she squinted into the brush.  Where had the sound come from? Silence played with her mind, and she imagined the tree’s limbs growing, clutching clawing, and a breath behind her. But that’s impossible!

A shriek penetrated the night, and she pushed from the tree.  Her shirt caught and ripped, the sound a quick zip in the night as she darted into the darkness.

Happy Halloween!

Related articles

5 Comments

Posted in Flash Fiction

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Six Sentence Sunday – From my Work in Progress

Posted on October 21, 2012 | 16 comments

Yep… Gonna give ya a sneak peek at my latest little swarray (is that how you spell that?) into the world of Romance.  I’m still writing the Explosion novel Fire In the Woods, but so I don’t get stagnant, I’m mixing things up with some shorts for those days when I just need a break from it.

This is from my current WIP “A Test of Faith”.  It starts out with a line stated by our hero, Jack. He is driving, and Jill is in the passenger seat with her daughter Nicole in the rear.

“If I didn’t get drunk last night, I wouldn’t have woken up under your Christmas tree … I wouldn’t have had the guts to finally tell you how I feel.”

Nicole leaned up between our seats. “You woke up under our tree because God put you there, Uncle Jack. You were Mom’s Christmas present.”

His hand slipped back to my knee. “I’m not sure that I was her present. I think she was mine.”

Hmmm.  Okay so that was more than six sentences.  Sorry Counting Gods!  I’m a writer, not a mathematician!

So, Whattya think?

Related articles

16 Comments

Posted in Six Sentence Sunday

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Flash Fiction Friday on Wednesday – He had to Run

Posted on September 19, 2012 | 6 comments

This is the character study I did for my character “David” in my new WIP, Fire in the Woods.  This scene will not be in the novel, but this is how he comes into my MC’s life.

David jumped and landed on the soft turf.  A trail of desolation lay behind him:  fallen trees, scorched soil, and burning branches.  Sparks drifted over his head, silent among the roar of the growing flames.

His plane, burning and cracked in two, lay on its side.  A total loss.  A Failure.  His failure— just like everything else he touched.  It was a miracle that he survived.

Dual beams of light broke the darkness behind the trees.  Red and blue lights swirled.  A moaning high-pitched sound broke the night, echoing above the crackling flames.

David backed away from his aircraft, away from the lights, and the subsequent voices that came from the same direction.  He’d be blamed for this.  He knew it.  He slipped into the trees, away from the warmth of the flames.

He had no choice.  He had to run.

Related articles

6 Comments

Posted in Flash Fiction

Tagged , , , , , , ,