YOUR BLOG AWAITS. You write about your life. In other words, you write what you know. But right now you feel like you don’t know much. What to do?
In my former life as a voice and writer on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius/XM 110, I had a spot called The Naturalist’s Datebook, during which I brought you something on nature’s calendar, 7-days a week, for about 90 seconds. The piece ran on the radio for six years, concluding its run at the end of 2011.
At the end of every single one of those little daily ditties I said this:
Look around
Write it down
And keep your eye on nature
Such good advice.
Because nature has its own calendar, and it’s right there, out your window or under your nose when looking for something to respond to. Writers respond. Just like all artists. We respond to things.
Like what?
How about the day in nature?
Today is February 1. Know anything about that?
February gets its name from the Latin verb februare, meaning to purify, and there is strong historic evidence of many rituals of purification during this time. The Saxons called the month Sprote-kale because kale sprouted in this season, later changing the name to Sol-monath in recognition of the welcome return of the warm sun. The month was not in the early Roman calendar and was reportedly added by Numa, the second king of Rome, who also added January, though at first February was at the end of the year, moved in 452 BC to its current place between January and March.
Feel like responding to any of that? If not, do you — like I do — have a not-so-secret weakness for gems? (Hint about me: I check the “new acquisitions” page of the Smithsonian gem collections oh, hmm, let’s see, ah, all the time). Maybe knowing what can be known about the gems of February will unearth something in you.
The birthstone for February is amethyst, which range in color from pale to very deep purple. The name of the stone comes from the Greek word amythestos, and means “not drunken,” which explains why for centuries the stone has been thought to have the power to ward off intoxication, and is still seen today in new age addiction treatment. Want to gaze deeply into a big amethyst? See the Smithsonian’s 1,000 carat rock here.
Not a name person, or a gem person? (How could that possibly be? Ooops. Sorry. That was my outside voice). What kind of person are you? Read up. Want to know more about doing the kind of research that promotes writing memoir? Read this post. And write on.
