/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 – )