The Wonder of Words

I thought it would be fun to share Wednesday Words on my blog. As a writer, I naturally love words and have a collection of them on Pinterest. It's fun to see what words mean, and I'm sometimes surprised to find they mean something other than what I thought. Some will be common to our vocabulary, while others may be old-fashioned or rooted in another culture. I hope you have fun along with me.

February 19, 2025

Chionophile:

A person that thrives in cold weather, someone who finds happiness in the serenity of snowy days.

This one is for my dear friend, Marla, and me.

Marla often posts how much she loves winter and snow, and so do I. My friend even has a Princess Snow Doll she sets out in winter, and I have Mr. and Mrs. Snow, a pair of snow people I had made for my mom. With a maiden name like Frost, how could I not like winter?

Ohio winters are unpredictable, but this year we had just enough snow and cold to satisfy this chionophile.

Do you enjoy snow?

February 12, 2025

Philocalist: a lover of beauty, 

someone who finds and appreciates beauty in all things.

I tend to notice beauty around me, especially in the natural world.

Do you?

Beautiful art is to be admired, but the beauty God has created is to be cherished.

Even in the starkness of winter, I find beauty in the solitude.

Seeing life in this way helps me keep a positive attitude. 

February 5, 2025

Hurkle-durkle: lounge in bed, long after it's time to get up

In aligning with my Scottish heritage, I'm embracing the word hurkle-durkle. 

This two-hundred year old term was timely for me this past week.

I had an upper respiratory virus and felt the need to

lounge in bed long after I should have been up and about. 

Rosie likes to hurkel-durkle.

January 29, 2025

Woolgathering: dreamy imagining

Some call it daydreaming, but I like the phrase woolgathering. 

Remember sitting at the desk by the windows at school and

your mind drifted away from the lesson and into your imagination.

As a writer of fiction, I get to woolgather.

I admit, it's one of my favorite parts of the writing experience—

imagining the characters, the stories, and the setting.

I remember woolgathering at work (oops, I probably shouldn't admit that)

 but I dreamed of the day I'd retire and spend more time writing and 

enjoying life as a wife, mom, and grammy.

I'm so thankful God gave humans the ability to imagine.

Do you spend time woolgathering?

January 22, 2025

The word hygge came into my life a few years ago.

The practice of filling the home with items like books, blankets and quilts, 

candles, coffee or tea, a fireplace (I found one on TV.) 

Whatever makes you comfortable.

The Scandinavian practice brings comfort and coziness through simplicity.

I'd been doing this for years and didn't know there was a specific word for it.

Try hygge (pronounced hooga.) Especially in the winter. It's fun!

The little mice in the tree trunk are quite cozy.

January 15, 2025

When I looked through the photos on my phone,

I was struck by the contrast between my winter gnomes and the snow 

compared to the summer flowers painted on the old window frame.

As we sit in the cold days, 

we may dream of the flowers that bloom in warmer weather.

Summer and winter in Ohio offer quite the contrast.

What contrasts do you notice around you?