THE REVIEW

CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR THE MUSE

Eight of us celebrated for Christmas on Wednesday and everyone brought gifts. It was amazing. Thanks to Margaret F. for the poinsettia, to Jim for his Mother’s homemade shortbread, to Wendy for her homemade baking selections, to Monica for the lovely dessert tray, to Ron for the gift-boxed shortbread and to Ellie for the poinsettia and the cheese treats she had made. And special thanks to Jason for telling me he’d given my ebook a five star rating. We had a wonderful time in the company of other writers with food and beverage and written words to feed the soul.

Jim read a Christmas story he wrote entitled “Revenge Of The Christmas Tree”. For the torment of being cut and dragged and stood as a Christmas tree and then dying, the essence of the tree sought revenge and became a menacing ivy that grew at an horrendous rate, enveloping and killing a child. This brought forth many more humans to cut down the ivy. The tree essence then lived in an oak tree and as new humans came to live in the same house, hostilities ceased when they started feeding the oak and taking care of the other plants. It’s good to know the tree never became a serial killer!

I read a rhyming poem called “Christmas Eve” about a young adult living at home and having nightmares all Christmas Eve, and finally realizing they were probably due to the rum imbibed.

Ellie read a short article showing her frustration with female friends in the exercise class at the swimming pool on Christmas Eve. All they want to do is talk, not exercise. But then they bring out refreshments to party with and reach out to make sure Ellie is included and her heart softens.

Margaret F. read excerpts from her book “Unforgiving” relating her acting out after being sexually abused by a family friend and neighbour.

Wendy read a poem about Winter, full of imagery and showing the contradiction between the beauty of the season and the harshness of it, too.

Monica read a memory she wrote, “Saving for Christmas to Spend on Christmas Eve”. She recounts how as a child of about six years of age, she and her siblings in Jamaica would turn a juice can into a piggy bank on New Year’s Day, and then save money all year long. Than on Christmas Eve, they would open the can, count their money, and then all go to the central square in town to buy Christmas presents for their family. The square was decked out for Christmas and full of shops and kiosks and vendors selling to the crowds. It was interesting to learn of customs in another land.

Ron had two pieces to read. The first was his rant, “A Warning Prayer for Bad Dog Owners”, expressing his frustration at dog owners who don’t pick up excrement left by their pets. The second reading was “Christmas Miracle In Walnut Grove”, about meeting his friends to play tennis at decrepit tennis courts in Walnut Grove, and how the state of the courts exasperated the players and brought out their physical and verbal negativities. Then on Christmas Day, there appeared six new tennis courts under cover, complete with a Christmas tree on the center court. They were compliments of a former tennis mate and drinking buddy. Spirits were lifted and everyone played better.

Jason read “Helpless”, Chapter 27 of his novel. This shows Gregg trying to tend his great grandmother who is lying injured under the fallen bookcase. He rights the bookcase and then realizes she hasn’t died and he must call an ambulance. He also realizes Damianos hasn’t taken the Book Of The Nornir and that he will probably be back. Sitting with Grammy, waiting for the ambulance, he doesn’t want her to die as he had. And then Damianos comes back. Jason is still working on his book with an editor he has hired.

Some odds and ends:

I found a word I had to share with everyone, biblioklept. It means someone who steals books. I laughed so hard when I read that.

Just read a fascinating, heartwrenching book, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” about the lives of women in Afghanistan from about 1959 to about 2003. It shows how the changing war scenarios during that time impacted the women, and how they had far more freedom and equality under the Soviet or American invasions than they did under the Khan, or the Mujahideen or the Taliban.

Margaret Moffatt has four articles in the December issue of Today’s Senior Newsmagazine. One is on the history of Yale, one about the Kewpie Doll, one on the Hangman’s Tree in Lillooet, and one on the history of Mistletoe.

I asked the group if anyone had made definite resolutions about their writing for 2013. Ron said he would start coming to Meetings again and get back to working on the history novel he was writing about immigrants to Canada. And Monica said now she is finished her academic pursuits, that she wants to write more and hopes to attend Meetings again too. Margaret F. might be moving into Vancouver’s West End and feels in a state of flux regarding plans. Jim is hoping to submit his romance novel to a publisher as soon as he finishes a re-write of it. The rest of us haven’t made definite plans yet. Maybe by December 31st.

The next Meeting will be Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. here at my place. In the meantime, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And don’t forget to feed your Muse on Christmas Eve!

Lisa