/ˌfäsfəˈres(ə)ns/ noun any bright and luminous radiating light created by something without heat Each of them in his own tempo and with his own voice discovered and reaffirmed with astonishment the knowledge that all things are one thing and that one thing is all things—plankton, a shimmering phosphorescence on the sea and the spinning planets and an expanding universe, all bound together by the... Read More

/prəˈdijəs/ adjective marvelous, enormous, huge I must have a prodigious amount of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up! – Mark Twain (1835 – 1910)

Sanitize /ˈsanəˌtīz/ verb 1. to make clean and hygienic, to disinfect [Lisa Casanova, an environmental health scientist at Georgia State University] and other experts…recommend using milder soaps, like dish soap, to easily sanitize a surface indoors and outdoors. – Sarah Gibbens, National Geographic 2. to make something, such as writing, more acceptable by removing unfavorable parts If we’ve got the means to get here,... Read More

Jubilant /ˈjo͞obələnt/ adjective thrilled, rejoicing, feeling or expressing great joy Every explorer I have met has been driven—not coincidentally but quintessentially—by curiosity, by a single-minded, insatiable, and even jubilant need to know. – Jacques Cousteau (1910 – 1997)

Finality /fīˈnalədē,fəˈnalədē/ noun the quality of being an irreversible or ultimate conclusion As a great man’s influence never ends, so also there is not definite finality, no end, to a great survey; it runs along for centuries, ever responsive to the strain of the increasing needs of a growing population and an enlarging domain. – Cleveland Abbe (1838 – 1960)

Resolution /ˌrezəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/ noun 1. a firm decision to do or not do a certain thing One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: ‘To rise above little things’. – John Burroughs (1837 – 1921) 2. the state or quality of being resolute or determined Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one... Read More

Bauble /ˈbôb(ə)l,ˈbäb(ə)l/ noun a small trinket or decoration, often used to refer to the colorful, orb-shaped decorations that go on a Christmas tree Ripe strawberries hung from the little plants, row after row…they gleamed like baubles, bright and red among the leaves, weighing down their stalks. – from Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool, by Odo Hirsch

Improve /imˈpro͞ov/ verb to make or become better What you do today can improve all your tomorrows. – Ralph Marston (1907-1967)

Decorous /ˈdek(ə)rəs/ adjective proper, correct, polite Be true to your own act and congratulate yourself if you have done something strange and extravagant to break the monotony of a decorous age. – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1808 – 1882)

/ˌkôrn(y)əˈkōpēə/ noun 1. a horn containing an overflowing supply of food A common decorative centerpiece for Thanksgiving is a cornucopia filled with fruit and vegetables. 2. an abundance With the long hours of daylight in the Alaska summers, the gardens served up a cornucopia of amazing and extra-large produce. – from Alaskan Holiday, by Debbie Macomber (1948 – )