Eliza Daley ~ Wordcraft & Musing on Home & Hope
June 22nd is the feast day of St Alban, one of the first British martyrs to the Christian faith, a sort of protomartyr, in fact. It is said that Alban was beheaded by Roman authorities on this date, though the year this happened may be any time between 209 and 304. Stained-glass portrait of St… Continue reading The Daily: 22 June 2026
Summer Solstice Today is the solstice; today, the sun stands still. Well, actually, it's been standing still for a few days now, and it will continue to do so for a few more days. In my part of the world, from 17 June to 25 June, day length is 15 hours, 30 minutes, and a… Continue reading The Daily: 21 June 2026
In the last few years I’ve seen a wide variety of people arrive at the conclusion that what we need as a society to avert self-destruction — self and everything else, that is — is a new religion. I’ve encountered novelists and sociologists (who might be predisposed), economists (who probably are not), celebrity chefs and… Continue reading The Daily: 7 June 2026
The heat promised for last week failed to materialize. It never got much above 60°F, and it was rainy and windy most every day. I still have tomatoes in the guest bedroom, chiles in the dubious bathtub, and lots of tender herbs and flowers in the basement under grow lights. I have not planted the… Continue reading The Daily: 31 May 2026
The Flower Moon is full at 4:45am tomorrow morning, so tonight is the closest moonrise to full. I suspect in lunisolar calendars like that of the Irish and Cymri, this full moon after the hawthorn bloomed would have marked Beltaine. Or perhaps Beltaine, the beginning of summer, was set to the seventh full moon after… Continue reading The Daily: 30 May 2026
The Venerable Bede, detail from a 12th-century codex (Wikipedia) I wrote in my garden calendar that today is the day to plant out the nightshades and sow the summer cucurbits and beans. If the weather holds, then as you read this I will be out in the veg garden covered in dirt — and indescribably… Continue reading The Daily: 25 May 2026
Today is St Dunstan's Day. Dunstan was a beloved bishop of Glastonbury in the early 10th century. He used his skills at casting bells and crafting music to bring beauty into his church. He believed music both glorified god and brought more people into the fold. Today, he is the patron of bell ringers, and… Continue reading The Daily: 19 May 2026
The Greening Moon went dark yesterday afternoon, but the trees have not quite embraced the green growing season. Many shrubs are leafed out and the grass is putting on inches every day, but most of the trees are only just hinting at leafy shade to come. The maples are still blooming, dropping their buds everywhere.… Continue reading The Daily: 17 May 2026
We don’t like mothers very much in this country. Yes, today is Mother’s Day, but how do you feel about that? Obligated to make a phone call, a Zoom meeting? Did you slap your head, remembering that you forgot to get a card? Did you then remember that cards aren’t really a thing anymore in… Continue reading The Daily: 10 May 2026
The Feast of St Julian of Norwich Julian of Norwich has been having a renaissance. Everybody knows the "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well" quote. Her books are ubiquitous. Her name tops the list of Medieval women writers, mystics, and famous people. But... we… Continue reading The Daily: 8 May 2026
