The ancient world of the Mediterranean and Near East has a great number of interesting mythological beings. Some are related to old gods and tutelary spirits. Some are fairly accurate illustrations of the anxieties of humankind — or maybe mankind, since women didn't have much of a voice. Some are just ludicrous. One of my… Continue reading Wednesday Word: 29 September 2021
Month: September 2021
Dialing Back
Beginning today, I'm going to have to pull back from even aspiring for five posts a week. I know you've noticed that I've not been hitting that mark very often of late. This is the official notice that I have to stop even trying. It's not good for me. I wouldn't call it burn-out. I… Continue reading Dialing Back
Invisible Crows
The old lady swept her walk every morning in the dawn light and tended her garden at dusk. She was unknown and unnoticed in the neighborhood. Kept to herself. Smiled at small children and dogs on leashes passing by her gate but did not encourage conversation. She was unremarkable in every way, forgotten as soon… Continue reading Invisible Crows
False Harvest
We often talk about justice in terms of the harvest. There is a certain poetic fitness in this. The work that goes into creating a harvest, the sowing and cultivating, is balanced by a commensurate reward. You get out something proportional to what you put in. When applied literally this reward is nourishment, food —… Continue reading False Harvest
Harvest Fun & Games
There are many games associated with the harvest season. There are the seemingly infinite varieties of grabbing and transporting things without using the hands. I’ve bobbed for apples, passed an orange down the line using just my armpits, transferred raw eggs from one person to another with popsicle sticks, grabbed an apple on a string… Continue reading Harvest Fun & Games
Wednesday Word: 22 September 2021
New England is just bonkers over autumn. It may be because we have these gorgeous sugar maples and morning mists and warm blue sky afternoons and loaded apple trees (every other year). It may be that we just like this season of impending doom. Three whole months to tune up the winter complaints. But in… Continue reading Wednesday Word: 22 September 2021
Celebrating Harvest Home
Time is telescoping again. I’m fairly certain I was just writing about Lughnasadh a few days ago, and here it is the autumnal equinox. The Full Harvest Moon will have risen and set by the time you read this. The blueberry bushes are picked bare; peaches are a sweet memory; tomatoes are just an annoyance… Continue reading Celebrating Harvest Home
Summer King Harvest
He was a good boy. Did his chores without prompting. Loved his mama and daddy. Listened and more or less obeyed when big people spoke. He was a tidy child. Washed his hands and brushed his teeth with hardly any cajoling. Kept his room clean. Put his washed laundry away in an orderly system of… Continue reading Summer King Harvest
Finding the Mother Tree: Review
Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest Suzanne Simard Alfred A. Knopf, 2021 Note: There are spoilers in this review. This book is a work of non-fiction, but it is also a great narrative. Reading this review may lessen the creative tension in the narrative flow of the book. However, maybe you… Continue reading Finding the Mother Tree: Review
Couple Things…
I've had these two bits on my desktop screen for months now. I don't think I'm going to come up with anything else to say about either of these observations. However, I would like to share them. Also I think I'd like other opinions on the matter. (I've left the comments open.) So here is… Continue reading Couple Things…