Snow Moon The fourth moon in the lunar year is the Snow Moon, though I sometimes think it should be called the Hunger Moon. There is not always snow, but there is hunger — in both belly and mind. At this time of year, many of us become restless, wanting to be more, do more.… Continue reading New Year by Snow Moon
Author: Eliza Daley
I'm an inveterate book-slinger, gardener, baker, geologist & writer. This blog is a collection of book talk, recipes, gardening tips, observations & essays on nature & culture — with a healthy dose of armchair philosophy & sociology — my attempt to muddle through all the mess and feel the wonder of this world.
Chionophobia
I have chionophobia, fear of snow. This is not a professional diagnosis. Nor has it always been true. I used to love skiing and ice-skating. I could build a mean snow fort well into my nominal adulthood. The sharp scent of snow elicited memories of birthdays and mountain nights. The silence of snowfall still takes… Continue reading Chionophobia
Hügelkulture
Because it's time to start planning those gardens, folks. And because there are all these broken trees after that last nor'easter. Hügelkulture (pronounced HOO-gl-culture) is the most fun word ever to come out of agriculture. Sounds like the hoopla around faddish felt gnomes or something, doesn’t it? Or maybe a really bad New Mexico cannibal… Continue reading Hügelkulture
Nor’easters Explained
Nor'easters Explained: We interrupt your spring-leaning inclinations to bring you this winter weather warning.
The Good Ancestor: Review
The Good Ancestor: A Radical Prescription for Long-Term Thinking Roman Krznaric The Experiment, 2020 The Good Ancestor by Roman Krznaric A book that inspires reading is a good book. A book that inspires thought is a better book. A book that inspires action is the best book of all. The Good Ancestor is the best… Continue reading The Good Ancestor: Review
Candlemas Augury
There were no shadows in the winds that day… Mom had diabetes. Turns out intermittent refrigeration wasn’t the only hazard awaiting the insulin-dependent. No, in the end it was a few years of consecutive losses for Eli Lily. Granted, this was largely because of the increased cost of refrigerated shipping, but still. The problem wasn’t… Continue reading Candlemas Augury
Sunny Day Forecast
And he saw his shadow… The barn door knocks against its frame, sending staccato signals into the night. Nobody out there to interpret the message. All these ghost ranchitos. Only me in here, and I know the message: that barn door needs to be rehung. If I can find the hardware. I watch as the… Continue reading Sunny Day Forecast
Of Candles and Divinatory Beasts
If Candlemas be bright and clear there'll be two winters in the year. — traditional adage from Scotland There are many weather marking days throughout the year. Candlemas, falling on 2 February, was the day that our ancestors began to get nervous about the spring. A fine Candlemas portends a bad harvest and winter dearth;… Continue reading Of Candles and Divinatory Beasts
The Meaning of Imbolg
So what is the true meaning of this holiday? Is it all about the sheep? Is it a more general quickening of life in a more generalized belly? Do sheep have anything to do with it? Or is it maybe all about cleaning?
Brigid: Saint of Ireland, Once and Future Goddess
The Feast of St Brigid, or Imbolg, is an ancient and somewhat forgotten holiday that falls on 1 February, midway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. Brigid’s Feast Day is said to be set to this date at her request so that her day would precede the Marian Feast of the Purification of… Continue reading Brigid: Saint of Ireland, Once and Future Goddess
