Eliza Daley ~ Wordcraft & Musing on Home & Hope
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 The Daily: 29 September 2026
Well... life has been rather trying for me of late. The weather has at least been properly autumnal, with foggy mornings and bright blue skies for the rest of the day. The trees are turning, if not vibrant Vermont autumn, then at least a bit more color than brown. We even had a frost warning… Continue reading The Daily: 28 September 2026
The sun passed the ecliptic on Tuesday, September 22nd at 8:05pm (EDT), ushering in the autumnal equinox. The 23rd was what some folks call the first full day of fall, though in reality it is the middle of the season. Yesterday, the sun rose and set as close to true east and west as it… Continue reading The Daily: 25 September 2026
I'm having a delightful autumn... Can you hear the sarcasm? Should I have employed scare quotes? Because it is sort of scary... I am learning what happens when one contracts the lettuce bug and lets it run its course without seeking medical attention. Back in July, I had the runs, just like seemingly everyone else… Continue reading The Daily: 8 September 2026
Today is Labor Day in the US. This first Monday in September is the day that our country dedicated to honoring the working classes after the powers that be decided that May Day, the original Labor Day, was too closely tied to the actual labor movement. A parade of organized laborers was held in New… Continue reading The Daily: 7 September 2026
The Feast of the Assumption It is the Feast of the Assumption. In the Church calendar, this is the day Mother Mary was taken bodily up to heaven without the inconvenience of dying first. But in the older calendar of Europe, this was the time when it was recognized that the heat of summer was… Continue reading The Daily: 15 August 2026
The Hay Moon, or Mead Moon, went dark yesterday in spectacular eclipse at 1:36pm. Today begins the Blueberry Moon. This is the tenth lunation of my calendar. It is new between 19 July and 16 August, full between 2 August and 30 August. The Blueberry Moon of 2026 is very late, another three days and… Continue reading The Daily: 13 August 2026
Supposedly, the Dog Days have ended, but you wouldn't know it by the weather. It has been hot and humid for days, with no rain to break the heat. Not even much of a breeze most days. Just relentless heat. And... well... I'm not going to tell you what temperature wilts a Vermonter and sends… Continue reading The Daily: 10 August 2026
Lammas It's the probably not-terribly-ancient festival of bread, Lammas, Hlaf-mas, Loaf Mass. This holiday is possibly an English variant on the Irish first fruits and fair festival of Lughnasadh, but compacted into one day and generally lacking any ritual or narrative. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, churches in East Anglia constructed elaborate… Continue reading The Daily: 2 August 2026
Midsummer's Day is long past. We saw the last of the 15-hour days in my part of the world on July 20th, and the shortening of the days is hastening toward the autumn equinox. We lose over two minutes of daylight each day now, and sunrises and sunsets are rolling south on the horizon by… Continue reading The Daily: 27 June 2026
