The Beauty of the Snow - a poem by me

The Beauty of the Snow

I wake in darkness. Rise.

The world tied with a sugared bow

as promised, I now gaze upon

the beauty of the snow.

It sparkles, gleams; it beckons.

“Test my drifts, and watch me blow.

I am the winter’s blanket;

a glory named the snow.”

I reach for sound, for anything;

for birds, for cars, but no.

A muffled world encompassed in 

the silence of the snow.

Not everyone is happy.

I must hide my thoughts, and so

I pour hot chocolate, make some toast,

and celebrate the snow.

Shops close and flights delay.

Our schedules lose accustomed flow.

Ashamed, (I’m such a child at heart!)

I wish for deeper snow.

Beauty, wonder, danger?

Do you see it friend or foe?

No mind. We are but witnesses

to power of the snow.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Bulletin Boards

This is a sampling of some of my favorite bulletin boards I've done for the New Madison Library over the last few years. Many of them began as an idea I found on Pinterest, or an idea shared by another staff member. Then, I just made them my own.

Here's my most recent:

And here's a throwback to one I did for the Greenville Library more than 10 years ago. This one was really big, on a bulletin board that was (as far as I can can remember) about 4 feet or so across. I think "Light Up the Night was the theme for the summer reading program.

It's this bulletin board piece that inspired me to do a couple other art pieces.

Click the links below to check them out.

https://tracyonoz.blogspot.com/2015/09/enchanted.html

https://tracyonoz.blogspot.com/2021/05/your-invitation-to-moonlight-ball.html

Thanks for stopping by!

JOY

die-cuts, tissue paper, and modpodge with some Procreate digital editing.

Definition of JOY from 1984 Websters dictionary: a very glad feeling; happiness; great pleasure; delight.

Definition of JOY from google: a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

My definition of JOY: bubbles of happiness that erupt from your heart, creating a warmth to bask in. 

An effervescence of the soul that erupts in smiles, or bursts of laughter. 

How can one define joy without the words bubbles, or effervescence? 

I have chosen the word JOY once again as my word of the year. I think it may be a permanent choice. Similar the the Golden Rule, it is an umbrella that encompasses other words I have chosen in the past:  gratitude, soul, and energy to name a few.

Joy is truly a choice.

If you have children running through your house laughing and screaming in play, you can roll your eyes and click immediately to order earplugs on Amazon, or you can close your eyes for a moment and think how lucky you are to hear children laughing and screaming in play, in your home.

If you have a party that leaves behind all the clean-up that comes with parties, you can vow to have that party at someone else's house next time, or as you clean up you can think how fortunate you are to be in a position the have people to throw a party for, and a house to throw it in.

For me joy and gratitude (my second favorite word) are very closely linked.

I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year! Choose joy!

The original from my new 2026 planner/scrapbook/sanity preserver.

Thanks for stopping by!