Eliza Daley ~ Wordcraft & Musing on Home & Hope
It is Krampusnacht. Tonight, the long-tongued goat-man goes running through the streets, sometimes tagging along with the kindly old St Nicholas, sometimes striking out on his own, always seeking the naughty kids. He carries iron chains, a birch bough and a sack. Sometimes a good lashing is all it takes to straighten out the nastiness.… Continue reading The Daily: 5 December 2023
The weather continues to be challenging here. With Monday's wet snow, I had half a lilac bush break apart and fall onto my composter. That was a fun clean-up project. Power has been intermittent all week. Trees that were weakened by Monday's storm gave up when the weather turned colder and windier, and so they… Continue reading The Daily: 4 December 2023
St Andrew's Day St Andrew by Artus Wolffurt (1581-1641) Today is St Andrew's Day. Andrew, whose name means simply "a man" (though it can also be glossed as "virile" or "manly"), was the brother of St Peter. Both were fishermen and, as such, were part of the backbone of the local economy. He is imagined… Continue reading The Daily: 30 November 2023
In this culture, holidays are exhausting. Even when there isn't a grand production of a gathering, there is still a decided lack of sleep. There is often travel as well, since few of us get to live near our loved ones. And then there are all the tasks that needed to happen for the week… Continue reading The Daily: 29 November 2023
There were things that were supposed to happen here today. A surprise foot of heavy snow, fallen trees, and no power for over eight hours derailed my plans. There are still chain saws making noise out there several hours after nightfall and eighteen hours after the storm moved out of the state. Unfortunately, there is… Continue reading The Daily: 28 November 2023
The Winter Sleep Moon, also known as the Beaver Moon (Old Farmer's Almanac), is full today at 4:16am. We are moving into the waning of the Winter Sleep Moon. In calendars from the Northern Hemisphere cultures that didn't write things down (for many reasons), the waning of the first moon after Samhaine is probably when… Continue reading The Daily: 27 November 2023
This weekend, Jupiter and the nearly full moon are together in the eastern sky. They will be high in the sky around midnight. If you're really lucky you might see the remnants of 2023's Andromedid meteor shower which peaked earlier in the month but will last until early December. This debris field is associated with… Continue reading The Daily: 24 November 2023
Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your holiday! However you celebrate! Cheers!
If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it. — Shakespeare, Twelfth Night November 22nd is St Cecilia’s Day. Nothing of her story bears repeating, but through it she became the patron saint of musicians. And maybe there is more in that story of a feisty Roman girl that we… Continue reading The Daily: 22 November 2023
Last weekend, it was cold and wet outside, with blowing snow and ice. The porch wind chimes were never silent. So despite having a bit more garden work to do before winter really settles in, I did the only sensible thing and began the holiday cooking. The cranberry sauce is done. I baked my usual… Continue reading The Daily: 21 November 2023
By My Solitary Hearth 