Flashes of Delight
Always seek those moments of sparkle
Hello!
I learned a new word last night during the monthly “Well Fed Head” book club meet-up: Bagatelle.
bagatelle
noun
bag·a·telle ˌba-gə-ˈtel
2: any of various games involving the rolling of balls into scoring areas
3: a short literary or musical piece in light style
In this case, we were chatting about “The Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett (Amazon | Bookshop | Library)*, and one smarty-pants reader (hi Kelly!) called it a ‘bagatelle,’ referring to the novella as a light, charming, literary piece.
*affiliate links, where I may earn from qualifying purchases
I also saw that the word means a trinket, along the lines of a ‘stocking stuffer.’ And I don’t know about you, but the trifle treasures that awaited me in my Christmas morning stockings are some of the best moments in my memory bank…even the year my mom thought I was too old (I was not) for Stocking Gifts, and did a Christmas-eve run to Walgreens and filled it with a thermometer and Andie’s mints…
This week has had some MAJOR personal life hiccups (ahem, layoffs), and ever the magpie, I try to look for bright shiny things to be excited about. Yes, even new words. But what excites me about this particular word is how it connected with the last two books I read: “Things to Look Forward To” by Sophie Blackall (Amazon | Bookshop | Library) and “Everything, Beautiful” by Ella Frances Sanders (Amazon | Bookshop | Library).
Both books explore the theme of unexpectedness, looking for beauty in dark spots, and re-examining what’s important. Reading them back-to-back was one of those serendipitous moments where life flows together seamlessly. They are also bagatelles.
I’ve put together another round of phone screen wallpapers to remind subscribers to look for the little things in life, plus a year-end list of favorite “latest crazes.” Consider being a monthly or paid subscriber today!