SNOW GLOBE OF JOY

SNOW GLOBE OF JOY
I was standing¹ decked out in a bedazzling red sequined gown inspired by the dressMarilyn wore in the “Two Little Girls from Little Rock” number in Gentlemen PreferBlondes, on a spectacular, cheerfully decorated stage, at my sold-out 2019 Christmas showin Madison Square Garden. My face was aglow² from the joy of the occasion, but mostlyas a result of the gifted hands of my gorgeous longtime makeup³ artist, kiki—confidant anddear friend Kristofer Buckle⁴. Roc and Roe⁵, in their own little merry ensembles⁶ (theyperformed a special rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that night!) were onone side, and Tanaka was on the other. Behind me were my “singing siblings”—mybrother, Trey, and sisters Tots and Tekka, who have been with me through all my seasons,tumultuous and tranquil⁷. And in front of me, yaaaass, in front of me, were tens ofthousands of my amazing, diverse, enormous family of loving fans.
I looked out and saw fabulous⁸ flocks of Lambs in sequined onesies and other suchglitzy garb⁹ (the arena¹⁰ was overflowing¹¹ with sequins, studs, and crystals!), holding signsand holding hands. There were little girls in crushed-velvet dresses on their fathers’ bigshoulders; there were old men with no hair next to young women in head wraps; therewere Black people, white, indigenous¹², Asian, Middle Eastern, and countless¹³ mixes andvariations; gay, straight, fluid, trans, nonbinary, people who were liberal, conservative,devout, agnostic, abled and disabled; people of every shape, hue¹⁴, persuasion¹⁵, and beliefyou could imagine.
And as I gazed upon the marvelous multitudes, as if a lone¹⁶, bright star was shiningright down on her face, I saw Liron, a woman who was once a twelve-year-old girl whohad the lyrics¹⁷ to “Looking In” written on the door of her bedroom in Tel Aviv, now awoman who is an invaluable¹⁸ member of my inner team and a treasured, loyal friend. I sawthe knowing eyes of girlfriends and colleagues—people I have worked with, laughed andcried with during every era of my life. My universal family of fans, who have given meunparalleled, unstoppable, unconditional¹⁹ support since Day One, were spread out beforeme like a crystal-clear ocean of love.
For so long I wished I could get five people to be in harmony at Christmastime, andhere I was in a family of thousands of Lambs, fans, and friends, and everybody wassinging “All I Want for Christmas Is You” together! They were singing with me; theywere singing to me. Our voices were ringing so loudly and jubilantly all of New York Citycould’ve heard us and joined in. In that moment we were all united in our own universe ofthe Christmas spirit. Tons of white confetti flakes²⁰ came floating down on top of us fromthe ceiling. It was like the whole world was with me in one big snow globe of joy!
The next day I was utterly²¹ exhausted²² and entirely²³ exhilarated as I woke up to theBillboard headline: “Wish Come True: Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’
Hits No. 1 on Hot 100 After 25-Year Wait.”
Wait. What?!
Right at the end of 2019, I got my nineteenth number one! The Lambs made it happenagain! My fans made it the most streamed song globally in a single day ever! I had workedhard and focused with my small team to give the song big energy on its shining silveranniversary, but making it to number one—that’s huge! That’s only something genuinefans, not just marketing²⁵ plans, can do.
After the wonderful whirlwind of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ended I made mytraditional sojourn²⁶ to my own winter wonderland, Aspen. With blood and chosen family—Roc and Roe, Tanaka, Shawn and his wife, two of my dogs, Cha Cha and Mutley, in tow,I was ready to nestle in and let our new traditional festivities begin! The days weresparkling and crisp. The grassy²⁷ fields outside our homey- yet- sprawling²⁸ chalet wereblanketed with thick crystal-white snow, as if glittery clouds had settled down to sleep inour backyard. Content to stay in our cozy²⁹ onesies all day, the kids and I put on our puffycoats and ski boots right on top of our PJs and dashed out into the fluffy³⁰ blanket of flakesto make snow angels. Eyes pointed³¹ up at the bright-blue sky, we let the fresh smell of pinewaft over our faces and tickle³² our noses.
Inside, the beautiful bustle³³ of family warmed the whole house. From Handel’sMessiah to the Jackson 5, Christmas music was the infinite soundtrack (with laughing,dogs barking, and kids scurrying³⁴ as the backgrounds). The halls, the walls, everywherewas decked and decorated, and fires roared in the fireplaces. In the living room themassive tree was filled with white lights, gold balls, cherubs³⁵, and gilded³⁶ butterflies andtopped with a beautiful angel star with gold-tipped wings and cream gossamer³⁷ fabricflowing down from them. (In the family room is always another old-school-style tree withbig, multicolored lights, giving a fuller, much happier Charlie Brown vibe. We decorate itwith homemade ornaments³⁸ and happy Polaroid pictures of each other; I also add cherishedornaments Lambs from all over the world have sent me over the years.) Garlands andlights cascaded³⁹ down mantels and doorways⁴⁰, and white candles and poinsettias were allabout. Cups were filled with rich hot cocoa and yummy butterscotch Schnapps.
At Christmas I have time to cook my favorite dishes—my father’s linguine with whiteclam sauce (for Christmas Eve, of course) and stuffed shells. Santa comes by the house tospread some cheer, and we ride and sing on a two-horse open sleigh, hey! We sing carolsand actually frolic in the snow. It is real. It is loud. It is fun. It is Joy. It is my world.
I was already feeling full of gratitude⁴¹ (and hot chocolate and Schnapps) during ourAspen getaway holiday when another Billboard²⁴ headline broke: “Mariah Carey BecomesFirst Artist at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in Four Decades, Thanks to ‘All I Want forChristmas.’” Yes, thank you to the fans who have loved my little Christmas love song sodeeply—so much so that it held the number-one spot on the charts for three weeks,making it the last number-one song of 2019 and the first number-one song of 2020, thefirst year of a new decade?… Really, what is a decade again?
After all the swirling⁴², toasting, singing, and celebrating. folks peeled off to cozy upinto their places for the night. The kids were snuggled up in the family room, watching amovie, and everyone else was content in their bedrooms. I tiptoed quietly into the livingroom and sat by the fireplace. All was dark except for the stars twinkling outside of the bigwindows against the black-blue sky and the warm amber⁴³ glow from the fire. I reveled in asweet, quiet, private moment with myself. I took it all in.
I am peaceful.
I am complete.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 aglow   

adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地

参考例句：

• The garden is aglow with many flowers.园中百花盛开。
• The sky was aglow with the setting sun.天空因夕阳映照而发红光。

3 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

4 buckle   

n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲

参考例句：

• The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
• She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。

5 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

6 ensembles   

整体( ensemble的名词复数 )； 合奏； 乐团； 全套服装（尤指女装）

参考例句：

• I love to play in all types of ensembles. 我喜欢参与吹奏各种各样的合奏曲。
• The 5th Brigade is now taking 895 Land Warrior ensembles to Afghanistan. 第五旅现在携带895套陆地勇士装备去阿富汗。

7 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

8 fabulous   

adj.极好的；极为巨大的；寓言中的，传说中的

参考例句：

• We had a fabulous time at the party.我们在晚会上玩得很痛快。
• This is a fabulous sum of money.这是一笔巨款。

9 garb   

n.服装，装束

参考例句：

• He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
• Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。

10 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

11 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

12 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

13 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

14 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

15 persuasion   

n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派

参考例句：

• He decided to leave only after much persuasion.经过多方劝说，他才决定离开。
• After a lot of persuasion,she agreed to go.经过多次劝说后，她同意去了。

16 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

17 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

18 invaluable   

adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的

参考例句：

• A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
• This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。

19 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

20 flakes   

小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人

参考例句：

• It's snowing in great flakes. 天下着鹅毛大雪。
• It is snowing in great flakes. 正值大雪纷飞。

21 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

22 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

23 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

24 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

25 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

26 sojourn   

v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留

参考例句：

• It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。
• I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。

27 grassy   

adj.盖满草的；长满草的

参考例句：

• They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
• Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。

28 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

29 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

30 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

31 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

32 tickle   

v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒

参考例句：

• Wilson was feeling restless. There was a tickle in his throat.威尔逊只觉得心神不定。嗓子眼里有些发痒。
• I am tickle pink at the news.听到这消息我高兴得要命。

33 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

34 scurrying   

v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We could hear the mice scurrying about in the walls. 我们能听见老鼠在墙里乱跑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We were scurrying about until the last minute before the party. 聚会开始前我们一直不停地忙忙碌碌。 来自辞典例句

35 cherubs   

小天使，胖娃娃( cherub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The high stern castle was a riot or carved gods, demons, knights, kings, warriors, mermaids, cherubs. 其尾部高耸的船楼上雕满了神仙、妖魔鬼怪、骑士、国王、勇士、美人鱼、天使。
• Angels, Cherubs and Seraphs-Dignity, glory and honor. 天使、小天使、六翼天使－尊严、荣耀和名誉。

36 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

37 gossamer   

n.薄纱，游丝

参考例句：

• The prince helped the princess,who was still in her delightful gossamer gown.王子搀扶着仍穿著那套美丽薄纱晚礼服的公主。
• Gossamer is floating in calm air.空中飘浮着游丝。

38 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 cascaded   

级联的

参考例句：

• His money cascaded away in a couple of years. 他的钱在三两年内便滚滚流失了。
• The water cascaded off the roof in the thunderstorm. 雷雨中水象瀑布一样从屋顶泻下。

40 doorways   

n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The houses belched people; the doorways spewed out children. 从各家茅屋里涌出一堆一堆的人群，从门口蹦出一群一群小孩。 来自辞典例句
• He rambled under the walls and doorways. 他就顺着墙根和门楼遛跶。 来自辞典例句

41 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

42 swirling   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

43 amber   

n.琥珀；琥珀色；adj.琥珀制的

参考例句：

• Would you like an amber necklace for your birthday?你过生日想要一条琥珀项链吗？
• This is a piece of little amber stones.这是一块小小的琥珀化石。