[stylist] Christmas story assignment try again

Sat Dec 10 23:41:38 UTC 2011

I suppose it could simbolize Jesus, since he was very sad about 
John the Baptist's death.  But maybe other people will know 
better.
Vejas

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Eve Sanchez <3rdeyeonly at gmail.com
To: newmanrl at cox.net, "Writer's Division Mailing List" 
<stylist at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:44:48 -0700
Subject: Re: [stylist] Christmas story assignment try again

Robert, yes it was on purpose for affect.  I probably shouldnt 
say anything
as I hate when one has to explain their work, but Mrs Haderly is 
not really
who the story is about.  Does no one see the 'Christmas spirit' 
of the
neighbors who watch this little old lady doing everything, but 
never make
contact with her? They are inspired 'by' her, but still she is 
alone.
People these days never make an effort to get close and often 
those alone
stay alone.  The sad thing is that just like it is not recognized 
in the
story, it is rarely recognized by the sanctimonious...  never 
mind.  It's
just something I see often and can't put into the words I would 
like as
there are children in this discussion group.  hahaha      Eve

On Sat, Dec 10, 2011 at 9:31 AM, Robert Leslie Newman 
<newmanrl at cox.net>wrote:

 Eve 2 things:

 #1 I'm wondering this --- Using the main character's name as 
many times as
 you did, almost at the beginning of each sentence, was that on 
purpose?
 Mrs.
 Haderly, Mrs.  Haderly, Mrs.  Haderly!!! For a story, that was 
super
 annoying!
 I'm thinking you use it at the beginning of a new paragraph, a 
new thought
 and from there, within that same paragraph, you then would refer 
to her
 doing something with "her," "she" and like that.  If the 
repeating of her
 name was a purposeful ---- mmm, gimmick  to create something --- 
mmm, an
 accepted writing/reading style --- what was it? (I'm not trying 
to be mean
 spirited in saying and/or asking all this.  We on this list 
truly need to be
 straight, yet respectful  in our questioning of one another.)

 #2 I did like the sentiment of the story.  Much of what we show 
on the
 outside is not what we show behind closed doors.  (Holidays sure 
can be a
 time for mixed emotions.)

 -----Original Message-----
 From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
 Behalf Of Eve Sanchez
 Sent: Friday, December 09, 2011 8:31 PM
 To: Writer's Division Mailing List
 Subject: [stylist] Christmas story assignment try again

 Here it is I attached and pasted.  Curious of what your guys' 
readers read
 'Mrs'.  Mine says letter by letter rather than the word that 
sounds like
 Missus.  Drives me nuts.  Is it just my crappy stuff or do they 
all do this?
 Eve

 Christmas Spirit

 by Eve Sanchez

 The neighbors all agreed that Mrs Haderly had the most Christmas 
spirit of
 all of them.  They often said she was an inspiration during the 
holidays.
 Mrs Haderly had to be in her eighties and she lived alone.  
Every year Mrs
 Haderly opened up her garage and took out her rickety wooden 
ladder.  With
 many impressed on lookers Mrs Haderly would climb up and down 
that ladder
 hanging lights and moving the ladder along as she went.

 The neighbors were impressed when they saw Mrs Haderly pull into 
her
 drive-way every year with a fresh cut tree that was purchased at 
the local
 charity tree lot strapped to the roof of her car.  Many 
neighbors watched
 with wonder as Mrs Haderly cut the twine holding the tree in 
place so that
 it fell to the ground.  Mrs Haderly would then drag that tree 
into her house
 and set it up near the front window for all to see.  Mrs Haderly 
used her
 antique Christmas tree stand that caused the tree to lean to one 
side, but
 this did not bother her.  Mrs Haderly would be seen stringing 
lights around
 the tree before carefully hanging the most beautiful glass 
ornaments you
 would ever see.

 Mrs Haderly would wrap the posts of her porch with garlands and 
holly.  A
 wreath of green and gold with silver bells would hang from Mrs 
Haderly's
 door to greet visitors.  Mrs Haderly would always bake small 
fruit cakes for
 the mail man and the paper boy.  Mrs Haderly would wrap these 
loaves with
 foil and ribbon.  The neighbors saw her leaving these in the 
boxes and smile
 at Mrs Haderly's generosity.

 When walking by Mrs Haderly's house, Christmas classics sung by 
Bing
 Crosby,
 Burl Ives, and Nat King Cole could be heard playing.  The 
neighbors would
 smile at Mrs Haderly's Christmas spirit.  "She's an inspiration 
to all of
 us." they would say.  In the front yard, to go with the carols 
being played
 was a plastic trio of carolers that Mrs Haderly had placed out 
every year
 since 1968.  It would stay there until the end of the holiday 
season when
 Mrs
 Haderly would take down the Christmas lights.

 The neighbors were impressed by Mrs Haderly and her devotion to 
Christmas.
 Every night Mrs Haderly would turn on the outside lights as well 
as the
 twinkling lights of her Christmas tree.  Mrs Haderly would then 
sit down in
 her recliner admiring the beauty of her tree topped with a 
porcelain and
 satin angel with feathery wings.  As Christmas approached and 
the nights got
 chillier, Mrs Haderly still ventured out to turn on her 
Christmas lights
 and
 inspired the neighbors with her spirit.

 On Christmas Eve Mrs Haderly would bake cookies of many types.  
When evening
 came she would take the prettiest of these cookies and place 
them on a
 plate
 with a golden ribbon trimming it's scalloped edge.  Mrs Haderly 
would place
 these cookies on a small table next to her recliner facing the 
tree.
 Mrs Haderly would sit and look at the tree with the colored 
lights and the
 ornaments from years past and fall asleep.

 On Christmas morning the tree would be the first thing Mrs 
Haderly would
 see
 when she woke.  The neighbors would be coming and going outside 
and seeing
 Mrs Haderly's lights still on, they would smile about her 
Christmas spirit.
 "Mrs Haderly is an inspiration to us all." they would say.  
Inside, sitting
 alone in her recliner, looking at her decorated tree, Mrs 
Haderly would
 silently cry.

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