The Word of the Day: “Drizzmal”

“It is one of those drizzmal days you both dread and look forward to–womb-like and tomb-like at the same time.” —Fred First, November 30th entry on his Fragments From Floyd blog.

At first I thought Fred had coined the word, but a bit of Googling revealed that “drizzmal” had been around for a while—long enough, in fact, to make the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:

drizzmal (adjective) : relating to weather that is cloudy and raining slightly. The weather is drizzmal.

The weather here has indeed been drizzmal and is likely to be so all week. I love these silvery drizzmal days, though, so I don’t mind. Also, I’ve been a bit under the weather (no pun intended) the last couple of days and have little desire to be out and about.

Plus, my days are brightened in other ways.

The guy who cleans my carpets came yesterday, so the inside of my house looks considerably brighter. (Why the previous owner of my house wanted white carpet in a farmhouse is beyond me. I’m thinking that a red clay color would be so much more appropriate.) While he was here, Mitzi the foxhunter stopped by with cookies; her visit brightened my morning.

Outside, three stars brighten the night. Karen the animal communicator gave the stars to me the other day. She also gave some to Claudia, so her porch a mile “over yonder” is also brightened.


I used to say that days like these were perfect for doing housework, but I’ve found other things I’d rather do. Like blog—and read blogs of friends—both friends I know and friends I’m unlikely to ever meet in person.

Or read. I’m currently reading the dreadful book that Amy T gave me, as well as Clockwork Phoenix, a wonderful collection of speculative fiction stories that Mike Allen edited. I’m also reading Rita Will, the autobiography of Charlottesville author and Master of the Hounds, Rita Mae Brown. And—since I’m querying my middle-grade novel and working on a YA novel—I’m thumbing through the recently arrived 2009 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market (I’m also a devout reader of editor Jane Pope’s blog).


And I have a bunch of other books in the queue—some I’ve been meaning to read for years.

Or critique. I’ve been critiquing fellow writer-buddy “Duke’s” mystery via e-mail and have about five chapters to go. Plus, two high school writers have e-mailed me about their work that I’ll soon critique. I’ll meet them in person during their winter break.

Or write. The current weather is perfect for working on that YA paranormal novel that I’m six chapters into. My desktop cats and I will have to get busy.

Camilla (above) and Eddie-Puss (below) are my usual desktop cats.

But housework? I dunno. In my bathroom is a framed bit of calligraphy: “Dull women have immaculate homes.” Outside may be drizzmal, but there’s no dullness in my house.

Perhaps there’s more to drizzmal than meets the eye. Like this:

I took this photo last week—the day a neighbor died. The orbs are probably raindrops.
I can't explain the red light on the brick wall or the horizontal shaft of light above.

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