December 2023 – Ink-Stained Wretches

FRANCINE PAINO

A.K.A. F. DELLA NOTTE

So this is Christmas – And what have you done?

So begins the first verse of John Lennon’s 1971 hit song. His good wishes toward wo/mankind had a political message wrapped in the lines. But politics aside, it was and still is a good message. But the question, What have you done? requires some thought. What have you done to keep the Christmas spirit alive throughout the year? What have you done for your fellow man? For your family? For your neighbor? Hard self-examination is required. Before tackling what we have done throughout the year to keep the spirit of Christmas, let’s dive into how we keep the spirit of Christmas fresh each December.

In the not-so-distant past, the commercial hype, converting the spirit of giving to the spirit of buying, began after Thanksgiving. Now, it fills the airwaves with meaningless noise throughout the year and begins a concentrated assault by mid-October. By December 25, the message is stale and lost if one is not careful about blocking out the frenzied for-profit communications, images, and messages that have little or nothing to do with Christmas. You might ask, how do you do that? There are many ways. It just takes a little effort and prioritizing. Here are a few.

First, before Thanksgiving, never watch movies or TV programs with Christmas themes, and do not indulge in “Christmas” centered shopping, decorating, sending cards, or partying. Does that put more pressure on stuffing everything into the four short weeks of Advent (the time of awaiting the special arrival?) Yes. And that helps prioritize what’s really important.

Then, here are uplifting classic books, movies, and performing arts that address the questions of what you have done or can do.

In books, there are hundreds of Christmas stories. My favorite is Christmas Classics. Twelve stories of Christmas, including The Gift of the Magi by O’Henry and The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen.

And who can get through December without watching A Christmas Carol? The Charles Dickens classic story of an unhappy, mean-spirited old gentleman who is taught the real meaning of Christmas and caring for his fellow man was well-received in 1844. It inspired an early theatrical production by C.Z. Barnett at the Surrey Theatre on February 5 of the same year, a few weeks after the first publication of the novella. There are at least 16 movie adaptations, and the list of movies and shows is too long to include, but a short trip to Wikipedia will provide it. My favorites are the 1938 and 1984 versions – (1984 stars George C. Scott.)

Then there are the live performing arts. In Austin, the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Chorus Austin perform Handel’s Messiah every year. The score and excellent musicianship lift the soul. The annual Nutcracker ballet, as much part of the Christmas season as lights and fir trees, is performed by almost every dance company and ballet school in every U.S. city. Ballet Austin’s production runs yearly for most of December. It is accompanied by the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

At this point, you may think, well, not everyone can afford these things, and you’d be right. Books can be reserved at public libraries for those who cannot afford them.

Theater tickets and live concerts can be pricey, it’s true. But many of the movies on TV are free, as are concerts and ballets on public TV stations.

For those who would love to see the Nutcracker ballet but cannot get to a theater, one of the best recorded performances before a live audience is the 2012 Maryinski Ballet and Orchestra under the artistic direction of Valery Gergiev. It can be rented for far less than the cost of a theater seat, and to create the theater atmosphere, put on something nice but comfortable. Don’t watch in pajamas or an old housedress. Turn off all the lights and let the screen be the only focus. Have a cup of tea or coffee with a sweet treat – or a glass of wine. Get into the mood.

Most of these stories, concerts, and ballets are appropriate and recommended for the young, but if something lighter is desired, there are hundreds of adaptations of the classic in TV shows and movies, for children. On the lighter side, Entertainment Weekly published The 30 Best Christmas Movies for Children, by Danny Horn, November 16, 2023, which included Home Alone, Elf, and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

For a more modern take on an old story, Disney’s 2018 reimagining of the Nutcracker, with Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s music, is brilliant. The effects are magical, the storyline is unique, touching, and beautiful, and the outcomes for the Nutcracker characters are unexpected. It’s a story for all ages, and as soon as I’m done with this blog, I shall pour a cup of hot coffee and enjoy it again.

There are abundant enriching and inspiring events, shows, and messages to refresh our hearts during Christmas. And it may help keep the spirit alive and generous throughout the year.

Again, in the words of John Lennon: And so this is Christmas. Hope you have fun. For the old and the young ones- The near and the dear – For the rich and the poor ones, black, white, and yellow, A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year – And let’s hope it’s a good one – Without any fear.

By N. M. Cedeño

December again. Time to assess this year’s writing. I’ll start off by saying, the year didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, but not as badly as I’d thought either. A number of issues combined to throw me off my schedule and destroy my focus, but I have learned some new things.

For instance, I learned that x-rays and sonograms successfully diagnose kidney stones about eighty percent of the time. If that path to diagnosis fails, doctors search for other causes. It may take six or eight months of tests to explore other possible diagnoses before the problem can be correctly diagnosed. This second path to diagnosis by eliminating other options is not one that I recommend. It prolongs pain, destroys work productivity, and ruins peace of mind.

I also learned in September that baseball-sized hail falling like rain can strike with no warning. We were extremely lucky no one was outside when the assault from the sky began or someone might have been killed. Repairs are ongoing (roof, deck, gutters, garden shed, light fixtures, A/C, windows, screens, cars, etc.). As of this writing, I am awaiting yet another contractor to complete yet another repair. Dealing with three separate insurance adjustors, talking to contractors, and scheduling repairs consumed all my time for October, then half of my time for November. Trying to get active teenagers to extracurricular events with cars out of commission was another challenge.

But without some strife we wouldn’t appreciate when things are actually going smoothly. Over the years, I’ve learned to take notice and enjoy the times when everything is running like a well-oiled machine. The easy times don’t last, but neither does the strife.

Now that I’ve covered the excuses, I’ll get to the writing numbers:

Stories submitted as of late November: thirty-five.

I plan to reach thirty-six or more before the end of December. I had hoped to submit four stories per month on average, but that was not to be this year. However, submitting an average of three stories per month in a difficult year is a victory in my book.

Acceptances were low this year, too– so far only two. I have twelve submissions still pending, so maybe I’ll see more acceptances in the new year.

Publications of stories: four.

Three of my stories appeared in Black Cat Weekly courtesy of editor Michael Bracken. One appeared in an anthology-“Danger at Death’s Door” in Crimeucopia: One More Thing To Worry About from editor John Connor.

For the moment, I have one publication pending, a short story for an anthology coming out in the spring of 2024.

I did receive two invitations to contribute stories to projects this year. One I had to turn down thanks to a short deadline and the ongoing strife. The other offered a deadline far enough in the future that I could easily say yes. Also, a new editor asked me to contribute a story to a project, which I really appreciate. I had intended to reach out to new editors this year, but with the strife, that plan was postponed.

For 2024, I’m looking forward to setting new writing goals and working with more editors. I plan to watch my middle child graduate from high school in the spring and start college (!) in the fall, and see my youngest through driver’s license testing, the end of junior year, and the start of senior year (!) of high school. Also, someone else (Hooray, Pat Kelly!) will be taking over the duties of president for my Sisters in Crime Chapter, leaving me more time for writing. I’ve been on the board in various capacities since 2016 or 2017, and it’s time to bring in fresh blood. Here’s looking forward to a busy, productive 2024!

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N. M. Cedeño is a short story writer and novelist living in Texas. She is active in Sisters in Crime- Heart of Texas Chapter and is a member of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Find out more at nmcedeno.com