Eliza Daley ~ Wordcraft & Musing on Home & Hope
for 18 December 2022 Happy Hanukkah! The other person with my name teaches music and vocal performance down in Boston. We got to know each other through arranging for domain names a while back. Some years ago she acquired a moose menorah. Since then, finding another one has been a goal of mine. Not that… Continue reading The Daily
for 14 December 2022 Halcyon Days Here is a phrase that seems to have forgotten its roots entirely. In our times, "halcyon days" refers to a golden past, a time when everything was wonderful. Sometimes it just means "youth" with overtones of innocence and insouciance. But this name has nothing to do with nostalgia. In… Continue reading The Daily
for 13 December 2022 Lucy Light Shortest day, longest night —traditional English proverb Before Pope Gregory tweaked the Julian calendar and caused a great deal of confusion, 13 December was celebrated as the winter solstice in Scandinavia. The poem by the late 16th century English writer, John Donne, “A Nocturnal upon St Lucy’s Day, Being… Continue reading The Daily
for 12 December 2022 The best food is the food you or your children make by yourself. — Mohammed in Tolstoy's Calendar of Wisdom for 11 December Sunday is cooking day in my house. I am off work and so have a whole day to do the long tasks. Conversely, on workdays it's very difficult… Continue reading The Daily
for 10 December 2022 10 December 1830 is Emily Dickinson's birth-date. In her honor, you might spend the day penning obscure poetry and witticisms. Or you could fall down the rabbit hole that is the search for the "real Emily", a person born nearly 200 years ago today. Apparently, there are questions of authenticity, not… Continue reading The Daily
St Nicholas December 6th is St Nicholas' Day. Nicholas is an interesting figure, or perhaps collection of figures, as the case may be. The official Nick was a bishop of Myra. His legends claim that he was born in about 270CE to wealthy parents in Greek Lycia. While still a child, he was orphaned by… Continue reading Jolly Old St Nick
for 5 December 2022 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… Continue reading The Daily
for 4 December 2022 It is said that nature abhors a garden, among other vacuums. But I think nature really hates holiday decorations. Or maybe any outdoor frivolity. There was that time that I hung 30 feet of juniper and pine garland on the front of my house in New Mexico and woke the next… Continue reading The Daily
for 3 December 2022 While listening to Nate Hagens talk with Betsy Taylor (another newbie Vermonter!) about "nature based solutions" I finally realized why I am not fond of podcasts. To begin with, I don't generally like listening to talk media because most of it is just horrible in all sorts of sociopathic and stupid… Continue reading The Daily
for 30 November 2022 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… Continue reading The Daily
By My Solitary Hearth 