It's Nearly December!
I love December.
My birthday is coming up soon. And lots of my friends have birthdays in December. Both of my sisters, too. Happy Birthday, everyone! (M's is the 1st!)
December is considered the end of the year. It is the end of the year. But each year really begins in December with the solstice. And each year begins anew for me and those of us born in this month. This December is filled with newness for me.
Here's Every Day Fiction's new Table of Contents:
December’s Table of Contents
Dec 1 Jenny Schwartz Ravishing Readers
Dec 2 Kevin Shamel Uninventing the Internet
Dec 3 Steve Goble Waiting to Pounce
Dec 4 Tels Merrick Nov 5th
Dec 5 Robert Goffeney The Wizard’s Walk
Dec 6 M.Sherlock Death is a Weird Shade of Pink
Dec 7 Rachel McClain A Couch in a Clearing
Dec 8 Al Carty A Family Matter
Dec 9 Simon Smithson Waiting
Dec 10 Fred Warren Little Piece of Cloth
Dec 11 Kelly Swimmer Birds
Dec 12 Celeste Goschen Mr Gorzynski Takes the Plunge
Dec 13 Brian Dolton The Gallery of Illusions
Dec 14 A P Chapman Message in a Bottle
Dec 15 Dave Macpherson The Adjunct Professor of Cabbage
Dec 16 Mark Parenti The Doll
Dec 17 K.M. Rockwood Aftermath
Dec 18 Mark Rosenblum Do Your Dreams Have Robots?
Dec 19 Tapes Mr Merton
Dec 20 Bill Snodgrass Late Bloomer
Dec 21 Brian George Must Be Old Death A-Walking
Dec 22 Jason Stout Writer’s Block
Dec 23 Rosie Claverton Cultural Roots
Dec 24 Frank Zubek A Christmas Toast
Dec 25 Sarah Hilary Kanti Chooses Santa
Dec 26 Erin M. Kinch Fortune Cookies
Dec 27 Jon Peck Choose Your Booze
Dec 28 C.L. Holland The Marsh Lights
Dec 29 Liz Wright After the Tone
Dec 30 Dave Bara Something About Harry
Dec 31 Oonah V Joslin Picture of Innocence
My new story out on the second, Uninventing the Internet, marks a new milestone for me.
It is the 12th story in a row published by Every Day Fiction. That's one story a month for an entire year. THAT is something new. And it makes me happy.
In related news, though it's not quite December, I've had a story accepted this week at a new venue (both for me, and in general). My story, Late in July it Meanders Through the City, will appear sometime in the summer during the first run of 52 Stitches. It's horror flash fiction, one story a week for one year.
And finally.
Finally there's something new about Christmas around here.
We are shucking the grip of commercialism. We are shaking ourselves from the grasp of unfettered gift-giving, stressful shopping, and the all-around wrongness of the Holiday Season. I've always been bothered by Christmas. At least what it's become.
So this year, we're doing for others. We're concentrating on being grateful for what we have, and for helping others or helping the Earth. We're going to celebrate our new idea of The Twelve Days of Christmas, where we spend those days being more appreciative of each other. We will remember the true spirit of Christmas during those days--giving, loving, remembering, preparing for a new year, reflecting on the one just passed, coming together as a family.
We'll still give each other gifts. At least we'll give the kids things. One thing each from--something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
Here's what Terri and I want: Save Some Salmon!!
And Caspian: Horses And People Need Love!
Zane is more into the gifts still.
We gave the kids the choice, get stuff from people outside the family, or have them help you donate to a charity of your choice. Understandably, the three year old chose stuff. And quite gallantly and excellently, Caspian chose to find a charity. (Made us proud.)
We feel good about changing our view of Christmas. I'll even try not to lecture everyone on how it's so screwed up.
Newness abounds at the end of this year.
Yay for December.
Happy Birthdays!!!
My birthday is coming up soon. And lots of my friends have birthdays in December. Both of my sisters, too. Happy Birthday, everyone! (M's is the 1st!)
December is considered the end of the year. It is the end of the year. But each year really begins in December with the solstice. And each year begins anew for me and those of us born in this month. This December is filled with newness for me.
Here's Every Day Fiction's new Table of Contents:
December’s Table of Contents
Dec 1 Jenny Schwartz Ravishing Readers
Dec 2 Kevin Shamel Uninventing the Internet
Dec 3 Steve Goble Waiting to Pounce
Dec 4 Tels Merrick Nov 5th
Dec 5 Robert Goffeney The Wizard’s Walk
Dec 6 M.Sherlock Death is a Weird Shade of Pink
Dec 7 Rachel McClain A Couch in a Clearing
Dec 8 Al Carty A Family Matter
Dec 9 Simon Smithson Waiting
Dec 10 Fred Warren Little Piece of Cloth
Dec 11 Kelly Swimmer Birds
Dec 12 Celeste Goschen Mr Gorzynski Takes the Plunge
Dec 13 Brian Dolton The Gallery of Illusions
Dec 14 A P Chapman Message in a Bottle
Dec 15 Dave Macpherson The Adjunct Professor of Cabbage
Dec 16 Mark Parenti The Doll
Dec 17 K.M. Rockwood Aftermath
Dec 18 Mark Rosenblum Do Your Dreams Have Robots?
Dec 19 Tapes Mr Merton
Dec 20 Bill Snodgrass Late Bloomer
Dec 21 Brian George Must Be Old Death A-Walking
Dec 22 Jason Stout Writer’s Block
Dec 23 Rosie Claverton Cultural Roots
Dec 24 Frank Zubek A Christmas Toast
Dec 25 Sarah Hilary Kanti Chooses Santa
Dec 26 Erin M. Kinch Fortune Cookies
Dec 27 Jon Peck Choose Your Booze
Dec 28 C.L. Holland The Marsh Lights
Dec 29 Liz Wright After the Tone
Dec 30 Dave Bara Something About Harry
Dec 31 Oonah V Joslin Picture of Innocence
My new story out on the second, Uninventing the Internet, marks a new milestone for me.
It is the 12th story in a row published by Every Day Fiction. That's one story a month for an entire year. THAT is something new. And it makes me happy.
In related news, though it's not quite December, I've had a story accepted this week at a new venue (both for me, and in general). My story, Late in July it Meanders Through the City, will appear sometime in the summer during the first run of 52 Stitches. It's horror flash fiction, one story a week for one year.
And finally.
Finally there's something new about Christmas around here.
We are shucking the grip of commercialism. We are shaking ourselves from the grasp of unfettered gift-giving, stressful shopping, and the all-around wrongness of the Holiday Season. I've always been bothered by Christmas. At least what it's become.
So this year, we're doing for others. We're concentrating on being grateful for what we have, and for helping others or helping the Earth. We're going to celebrate our new idea of The Twelve Days of Christmas, where we spend those days being more appreciative of each other. We will remember the true spirit of Christmas during those days--giving, loving, remembering, preparing for a new year, reflecting on the one just passed, coming together as a family.
We'll still give each other gifts. At least we'll give the kids things. One thing each from--something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.
Here's what Terri and I want: Save Some Salmon!!
And Caspian: Horses And People Need Love!
Zane is more into the gifts still.
We gave the kids the choice, get stuff from people outside the family, or have them help you donate to a charity of your choice. Understandably, the three year old chose stuff. And quite gallantly and excellently, Caspian chose to find a charity. (Made us proud.)
We feel good about changing our view of Christmas. I'll even try not to lecture everyone on how it's so screwed up.
Newness abounds at the end of this year.
Yay for December.
Happy Birthdays!!!
posted by Kevin Shamel at 4:22 PM
6 Comments:
Great flash in EDF, Kev, congrats!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
So good I posted twice!
Thank you, Sarah! And twice is nice. :)
Agreed about Christmas. It seems that through the conjunction of credit card and retail companies, it's become an extremely elaborate ploy to bring people deeper into debt by taking advantage of children's power over their parents.
Gradual reformation of holidays in the current scheme is not feasible. A total strip down of accustomed values is necessary, as facilitated by a financial collapse. People must be submerged in complete and total poverty to realize we never needed these things we had, and how much these things hurt us.
I like what your family is doing with Christmas. It's an idea to seriously consider, though I feel like it's a little too late for my kiddos, greed having been instilled in them by over-abundant relatives...
Thanks!
We had a blast with it. Not so much stuff. Not even so many boxes to not break down and clutter my shop for a month.
I was kinda surprised that my eleven year old did so well with it.
It's, like you said, the relatives that tried to wreck it by still giving gifts. Or gift CARDS instead, like that somehow was following the plan.
Ah, well. We'll keep doing what we can about it.
Thanks for reading.
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