Indistinguishable from Magic
A 2008 Best of Holidailies Selection. Thanks, Holidailies Reviewers!
That’s the thing with magic. You’ve got to know it’s still here, all around us, or it just stays invisible for you.
~Charles DeLint
The Cafe Writing Holiday Project asks us to write about seven magical things in our world…
- Plastic Christmas Trees: Fresh from the box, they look every inch a fake tree, but once they’re decked in lights and ornaments, positioned in the window in just the right way, wrapped in a skirt, and playing host to presents, they become as real as the trees that grow from the earth. As they age, plastic trees even drop needles.
- Crayons: The texture of the paper wrapping, the scent of the wax, the colored strokes across paper, rough or smooth – there’s something so innocent about it all, and so amazing as well, in the possibilities they represent.
- New Nightgowns: Whether plain or lacy, cotton or satin, or not a nightgown at all, but brand new flannel pajamas, new nightwear makes you feel sexy or sweet, cozy or carefree, depending on the weather and the style. A new nightgown at Christmas has long been a family tradition. (This year, mine is red and strappy.)
- Cookie Dough: Sugar, flour, vanilla, spices, love and magic. Mix it up, roll it into balls, eat half of it raw, and then bake the rest.
- Hot Chocolate: There are coffee moments and tea moments, but once the weather turns chilly and the skies turn gray there is nothing more magical than a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Garnish with whipped cream or marshmallows, stir with a candy cane or a chocolate coated spoon. Sip alone while curled up by the fire, or around a table full of conversing friends. It warms your heart as much as your belly.
- Fog: This is nature’s soft-focus lens, and it makes everything seem a little less harsh, blurring edges and softening lines. Lights twinkle more in fog, whether they’re traffic lights or holiday lights, and fires seem to crackle more. Fog is a soft cotton blanket, one more layer between yourself and cruel reality.
- Laughter: It turns a shy child into a witty conversationalist, a wallflower into a star, and a dull day into an amusing interlude. Best shared with others.
Dearest Melissa,
I’m totally loving this holiday project!! I think it incorporated all the feelings of magic and the simplest joys of life. Thank you! :)
1. That’s so true about fake Christmas trees! They do drop needles and make such a big mess on carpets! lol
2. Ohh, I haven’t played with crayons for a while. Need to do that! :)
5. I’d love to have a cup of hot chocolate now. I can’t disagree with you on this one.
6. Wow, I truly LOVE this description of the fog. I’ve never really stumbled on anything as positive as this! It’s nice to know that someone out there sees the fog that way! Otherwise, I get tired of negative connotations about the fog. Reading this is very poetic. :)
7. Hear, hear! Amen to that!
Thanks for sharing!
I can see you in any number of nightgowns I made for you.
And fog in the Central Valley of California made the Christmas lights looks fanciful.
this is so sweet and so you. Felices Fiestas.
I love fog so much!!! Thanks for this post, it reminded me to do Cafe Writing!
[...] Indistinguishable from Magic, by Melissa A. Bartell [...]