Eliza Daley ~ Wordcraft & Musing on Home & Hope
Today is... the equinox? Vernal Equinox Quiz True or False: The vernal equinox is when spring begins. Not exactly. The beginning of spring depends on where you live, and it is more a cultural phenomenon than a meteorological one. Tradition in Ireland has spring beginning with St Brigid’s Day on 1 February. Spring weather may… Continue reading The Daily: 17 March 2024
The storm that was not supposed to be a storm ended up dumping over a foot of snow on Central Vermont. My son's town had no power for eight hours on Sunday. Many rural locations did not have power until Monday evening. There were blips all weekend, knocking the electricity out which knocks out computer… Continue reading The Daily: 12 March 2024
The Hunger Moon went dark at 5am yesterday morning. Today the Sap Moon is a thin crescent on the western horizon. It is the middle of spring. But for all this weather... But maybe that is the point of spring. Maybe it's our ideas that are unseasoned. Humans celebrate the vernal equinox with stories of… Continue reading The Daily: 11 March 2024
The last moon of winter, the Snow Moon, went dark today at 5am. In acknowledgment of the spring sun's rising earlier and earlier — 6:12am in my town yesterday — those who follow Daylight Savings Time have had an hour removed from their morning today at 2am. This morning's sunrise is 7:10am, meaning we've lost… Continue reading The Daily: 10 March 2024
Lion and Lamb March is upon us once again. An Old English name for March was Hlyda, meaning “loud”, presumably referring to the roaring March winds. This name survived as Lide in the West countries. Eat leeks in Lide and ramsons in May, And all the year after physicians may play. — proverb from western… Continue reading The Daily: 1 March 2024
To underline Friday's assertion that everything is falling apart, perhaps led by our economy, in his weekly news summary, Justin at ClimateandEconomy.com shared links to two hypertension-provoking articles. Both were written and published by what we would normally consider conservative experts, those who are more inclined to cheer-lead despite all evidence to the contrary than… Continue reading The Daily: 26 February 2024
If Matthew finds ice, he breaks it. When the cat lies in sunshine in February If he doesn’t break it, he makes it all the harder. she'll creep behind the stove in March. St Matthias with his ice breaker... If there is sharp frost on Matthew’s Day, it will last till March. The fox is… Continue reading The Daily: 24 February 24
It may seem strange, but I follow the tradition of fasting in Lent, not for self-mortification, but perhaps for self-abnegation. It is a good practice to deny the selfish maw of want every now and then, and spring – which is what “lent” means – is a good time to practice. This is the time… Continue reading The Daily: 20 February 2024
On Valentine's Day, I woke to several inches of snow draped over my corner of the world. This is not the feet of snow that had fallen to the south, but it was far more than we in central Vermont were told to expect. No road prep happened. No clearing of walkways. And because we've… Continue reading The Daily: 19 February 2024
Parentalia As February marked the last month in the ancient Roman calendar, the Romans spent this time of year setting themselves in accord with the world. The 9-day festival of Parentalia began at sundown on 12 February and culminated with the day of Feralia, which began at sundown on the 21st. Parentalia was a sacred… Continue reading The Daily: 12 February 2024
By My Solitary Hearth 