writer's blocks of ice

Writing comes hard in these white days of winter. The imagination needs stirring, but first the ice of the imagination needs to be bashed open with a heavy, blunt implement.

Writing of any kind is a brutal business -which is why I stand behind the term "word-smith". A smith is anyone who forms something by beating it and wrestling with it. Here is an illustration of a smith which I can relate to. He is looking with disgusting disdain at his last sentence, a particularly dull one. Here is an old photo of an ice-harvester, tools in hand. For me, my pen is the axe and that confounded word that doesn't fit right is the awkward chunk of ice. Notice the stunned look on this guy's face. He simply cannot think any more about writing an interesting, thought-provoking blog entry.

The ice-smiths of old longed for this time of the year so they could tote their sledges laden with saws and axes onto the milky ice of the frozen rivers. They then heaved and hoed until sweat rolled down their back and chins. Woolen garments were peeled off, one by one, as they hoisted great chunks of clean ice from the clutches of nature's frigid chest. These quarried blocks were layered in sawdust and packed tightly into warehouses where they awaited summer-customers who had money for such luxuries.

Ice-cream didn't just happen back then, folks, like it does now. (as in "pick up some Edy's on the way home, wouldja?") You had to mix, crank your arm off, pack, and freeze this precious stuff in an "ice box" which held that precious block of ice from the ice-wagon.

Why am I going on and on about smiths and ice-harvesting and the cranking of heavy cream?

Because I went out in minus 20 degree weather this morning to look at rows of old doors in an unheated warehouse.
Because I would've taken pictures of all kinds of interesting things to spark the imagination to post on my blog but my camera was frozen.
Because it is only the first week in February and I am so through with winter.
Because I would choose ice-cream over hot chocolate, if offered -defying all logic.
Because I am feeling that way (frozen, dazed, and wrestle-y) about word-smithing today and every day, recently.

I promise that my next entry will be much more airy, animated, blithe, bouncy, bright, bucked, buoyant, cheery, chipper, chirpy, contented, effervescent, enlivening, enthusiastic, full pf pep, gay, glad, gladsome, good-humored, good natured, hearty, high, hilarious, hopeful, in good spirits, jaunty, jocund, jolly, joyful, light-hearted, lively, merry, optimistic, peppy, perky, pleasant, roseate, rosy, sanguine, snappy, sparkling, sunny, sunny side up, up, upbeat, vivacious, winsome, zappy, zingy, and zippy.

Thank you, dear readers. And thank you, thesaurus.com from the bottom of my word-smithing heart.