by Roseanna White | Jan 6, 2014 | Word of the Week
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| The Blizzard by Cornelius Krieghoff, 1860 |
Given the awful winter weather striking so much of the country this year, this seemed like an appropriate word for the day. =) Though one I can’t take credit for coming up with–one of my fellow Colonial Writers, the amazingly-talented Lori Benton, posted to our group about this one. I otherwise wouldn’t have thought to question it!
But apparently blizzard is a pretty new word. Though occasionally used for a “a hail of gunfire” as early as 1829, it didn’t take on the snowstorm meaning until–get this–1859. It most likely came from blizz, a word for a violent rainstorm that dates to 1770. Etymologists suspect that its origin is America’s Upper Midwest, where locals probably took the word used for the rainstorm and applied it to the snowstorm just to be cheeky. 😉 (Okay, so they technically say “in a colloquialism.” But we all know what they mean.)
So what in the world did they call blizzards before blizzard was a word?? That’s the question Lori asked, and I’m not sure we really found the best answer. “Violent blow” seems to be the closest, but it doesn’t feel sufficient to me. Guess that’s why those Upper Midwesterners found a better word for it. =)
Hope everybody stays warm this week! And if you’re stuck inside, be sure to swing by again tomorrow. I’m hosting a good friend of mine (from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, so a girl who knows all about the cold and blizzards, LOL) in an interview and giveaway of her just-released historical romance, The Wyoming Heir. And on Wednesday, I’m taking everyone on a step-by-step journey through the last book cover I designed for WhiteFire. That should be fun too. =) See you tomorrow!
by Roseanna White | Jan 2, 2014 | Thoughtful Thursdays, Uncategorized
I know, I know, I’m a day late. 😉 But since that free novella went live yesterday, I had to feature it on the 1st. So I’ll get thoughtful today on the day designated for it instead.
Well, here we are. In 2014. Xoe made sure I put up the new calendar at the first possible moment yesterday, the old one tucked away. Another year to fade into the annals of history. (And I do love history…)
2013 was a busy, crazy year. It had some major disappointments and some major successes. We moved. Rowyn started kindergarten. WhiteFire put out a record number of books and contracted an equally huge number for 2014. I as an author had releases every 6 months, plus two free novellas. Yep. Busy.
But do you know what moments stick out most to me? Realizing how brave my beautiful little girl was in the face of a broken elbow. Hearing a group of ladies in Massachusetts open their hearts to me after reading A Stray Drop of Blood, showing me anew how God can use those words we put to page for His amazing purposes. Taking a walk with my family one evening and realizing that God was preparing us for some big changes…and then knowing, the moment those changes pummeled me, that yeah, He had it in His hand all along, and He has me there too.
It was a year of uncontained giggles from my kids, of a few storms of tears. It was a year of the bittersweet…and a year to trust.
And I think that’ll be even more true of 2014. When I prayed for a word for this new year, that was the first one that sprang to mind, though I’m not totally sure it was His voice–I was so tired yesterday, I can’t be sure of much, LOL. But it feels right today, so we’ll see if I get any clearer direction, or if that’s it.
Trust.
Sometimes that can be a scary command. If God is telling me to trust Him, then it might mean some questionable situations are on the horizon, ones where I’d be tempted to doubt. Or maybe it means new opportunities are coming. Or…or…or… 😉
I can’t really know that. But I can be sure that, just as in the year past, He’ll lead me through it. That no matter my feelings on one day or another, He’ll be steady. That no matter how something might look to my human eyes, He knows what I need to travel His path.
I used to make resolutions as a kid, the kind that were actual achievable goals. I remember the year that Finish my book was on the top of my list–and I achieved it, at age 13. I want to set some goals this year too, but more the kind to help me spiritually, so that no matter what else comes up, I’ll be ready.
1. Spend more time in prayer
2. Be more patient with the kiddos
3. Make a smile my first reaction
4. Serve–and serve happily, be it my family or strangers
What goals are you setting for the new year? Or what word has the Lord whispered to guide you through 2014?
by Roseanna White | Jan 1, 2014 | Uncategorized
Happy 2014, everybody! Start it out right…with a free novella. 😉
January 1835 ~ Baltimore, Maryland
Julienne “Lenna” Lane has already had to postpone her
wedding three times. With only two days until their nuptials, Naval Lieutenant
Jack Arnaud finally makes it home from a harrowing tour of duty…but something
vital has shifted in their world. Can Lenna put Jack’s career at risk by
sharing the secrets she has kept during his absence? And what is he keeping
from her? Jack has never wanted anything to come between him and Lenna, but he
cannot bring her into the Culper Ring—and his homecoming is met with a
clandestine task of the utmost importance. Will satires and runaways and
assassination plots come between them? Or will the promise they made as mere
children hold them together still?
So happy this is live! Below, you’ll find links to all the retailers that have it.
by Roseanna White | Dec 30, 2013 | Word of the Week
First of all, I’d like too announce that next Monday will mark a pretty cool milestone around here–1,000 posts! Woot! I’ll have to think up some fun way to celebrate. Ideas welcome. 😉
And now, a word of the week. =)
I was designing a book cover with a bustle on it, which inspired me to look up the word. Not surprisingly the verb bustle dates back pretty far–all the way to 1570. It meant “be active,” and actually came from bustling, which is from the century before as an adjective. The adjective meant “noisy activity.”
The noun form followed by 1630 with the expected meaning of “activity, stir, fuss, commotion.”
So then, how about the padding in a skirt? Well, that arrived on the scene in the 1780s, though from where and how no one’s quite sure. Speculation is that its rustling sound inspired the name bustle, but it’s also possible that it came from the German buschel, which means “bunch or pad.” Either way, it was a key part of women’s fashion for well over a hundred years.
by Roseanna White | Dec 23, 2013 | Uncategorized
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| Happy Christmas by Johansen Viggo, 1891 |
I thought today I’d put together a little of everything for the week and leave it at that. 😉 I daresay many will be so busy with holiday prep that blog-reading will fall by the wayside. So today, a one-stop shop for some Christmasy history and fun.
So let’s take a look at Christmas carols. I confess that I love Christmas music! I have a Pandora channel on my Roku (hooked up to TV to let me access online stuff like Netflix) and have had the classical Christmas channel playing in the evenings. Lovely. But have you ever wondered when the songs came around? Here are just a few with their dates.
“Angels We Have Heard on High”
Lyrics translated to English in 1862
“Deck the Hall”
Lyrics, 1862. Music is a 16th century Welsh melody. (The ‘s’ got added to the title in 1877)
“God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen”
Dates from the mid 1700s (exact date unknown)
Lyrics by Isaac Watts, 1719–intended not as a Christmas song,
but as one to celebrate the second coming.
The tune we know was written in 1839 by Lowell Mason.
Earlier tune was taken from Handel’s Messiah.
“Silent Night” (my favorite)
Lyrics were written in 1816 and music in 1818 by a friend of the writer;
it was performed that Christmas Eve in a small German town.
“The Twelve Days of Christmas”
Lyrics from 1780, but without a tune. The melody we know wasn’t written until 1909.
“We Wish You a Merry Christmas”
This one takes the prize as the oldest! Words and music date from the 16th century!
And I do indeed with you all a very Merry Christmas! If anyone has down time on Wednesday or Thursday, I have a post scheduled on Colonial Quills that talks a bit about the tradition of the Yule log.
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. Having successfully launched two homeschool grads, she now spends her time writing fiction, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years, as well as a fantasy series and contemporary mysteries and romances. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.