No, not the dog days of summer…it’s time for pre-season FOOTBALL! Last night was the first game — Patriots and Washington in this household. It was a late night for me ignoring the game and now I’m off to work for the day. Not so bad since it’s cooler there than at home. Again, keep cool and stay hydrated. Hope your weekend brings just what you need.
Category: SOUL
On the Small Screen
Hoping to have a few DVDs waiting at the library for us today. I love a lot of the shows on @acorn_tv but “Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries” after “Mystery Road“ probably isn’t the best “next thing to watch” — it’s light and fluffy, fun and far-fetched, fine for when you aren’t into something that requires rapt attention — something to have on while dreaming of other shows to watch, and reminding oneself to get the series with her Aunt Phryne in it instead. Still, I am loving the telly we’ve been watching filmed from Down Under, and for now Ms. Fisher, who reminds me of Marlo Thomas’s “That Girl” on steroids solving murder mysteries will have to do.
Here Comes the Rain Again
Currently Reading
I have two books going at the moment — my morning read “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” recommended by a kindred here, and I’m so pleased she gave me a heads up on it…my nighttime read is a Tracy Chevalier novel, “A Single Thread.” I’m finding it slower going than Quiet, and I’m not sure yet about how much I like it. I enjoyed previous works of hers including “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” “Falling Angels,” and “Remarkable Creatures,” and I love how she uses “roman à clef” as she weaves her fictional narratives. For novels with excellent research on historical backgrounds, hers are well-done, but the pace of this latest read of hers feels slower, hence my hesitancy to comment on it.
Beating the Heat
A Welcome Rain
Yesterday was a gorgeous rainy day — and I say gorgeous because we need the rain — and the garden is thriving. Still working on one area for redesign, but I love when I can start seeing the vision come together — it’s like when you’re writing or painting and it takes a while and then all of a sudden, there it is, you’re almost there and you can see it. In the meantime, elderberries are ripening and I need to get some before the birds beat me to all of them. They’re great for cordials and immunity boosting syrups. The grapes are blowing my mind, and now that I realize how easy it is to make grape juice, that’ll be on the post-harvest to-do list. Dahlias, coneflowers, and glads are all bursting with blooms, we’ve had a few beans and blueberries, and before long the beach plums will be ripening. That’s just a taste of what we pack into this wee plot of land tucked in between the larger properties that surround us. It’s not really necessary to go big to grow good.
Garden Grooming
Did a bit of grooming in the garden yesterday afternoon before I realized just how humid it was despite the cloud cover and what felt like cooler air. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned previously how I’ve been trying to keep up with trimming off the spent sweet pea blooms from their vines before they turn to seed. I’m happy to report that I am remembering to do this, and my efforts are definitely paying off. The flowers are blooming later this year than in years past since I’ve implemented that bit of tending. Other garden tasks included a bit of weeding and planting — had some sprouted sweet potatoes and a ginger root that I’d forgotten about in the kitchen basket, so I cut them up and planted them in pots. Curious to see how they’ll do. More on the garden tomorrow. Whoopee for Wednesday!
One year
A year ago this weekend we were in Shelburne Falls, a magical place I’ve written about before. Unbeknownst to us, it would be our last “normal” getaway pre-pandemic. By normal I mean mask-free, hugs okay, indoor dining and open mic nights at local breweries — it was all still happening. We’d stopped in nearby Turner’s Falls on our way there, and delighted with what we found, looked forward to returning to explore it there further. I miss that.
Nevertheless, I’m thankful we have some photos of the time. Photos can make me feel wistful and nostalgic, sometimes sad, sometimes happy, it really depends on the photo, as well as my mood.
Looking at the year-old Shelburne Falls photos makes me happy, I suppose because I feel that hope is closer on the horizon now. In the meantime I have our photos to remind me of that weekend —The Deerfield River iced over, fresh snowfall, misty breath in frosty evening air, and plenty of walks back and forth from the Airbnb across the Iron Bridge, and past a silent Bridge of Flowers into Buckland — for favorite restaurants, the brewery and the coop. We enjoyed the Friday open-mic night at Floodwater Brewing followed by a cozy Saturday evening at the fabulous Blue Rock Bistro, sitting at the bar. Casablanca was showing on the screen and we shared a delicious meal and cocktails. Morning coffee run to Mocha Maya’s and homemade doughnuts from the Foxtrot Diner. Walks through quiet streets with friendly hellos and drivers who actually drive like people live there — and even better — stop to let them cross the street. Places like Shelburne Falls don’t need a pandemic to slow things down and illuminate what truly matters, they never forgot, but for others who have forgotten, our former speeded-up, business-as-usual world would be one of the few pandemic casualties I’d welcome.
St. Blaise
Candles feature today with the celebration of the Feast of St. Blaise, and the blessing of the throats. Legend has it that St. Blaise, a bishop and a physician, while on his way to be martyred, cured a child who was choking on a fish bone. In the Catholic Church, a priest will bless a parishioner’s throat with two crossed candles, praying for protection from choking and diseases of the throat. It’s fascinating how Christian and Pagan rituals and celebrations share so many symbols and themes — from candles, fire, light, smoke and herbs for ritual, to gods and goddesses (or angels and saints) who are patrons and protectors for various human experiences.
Imbolc
Between St. Brigid’s Day, Imbolc, Candlemas, GroundHog Day and St. Blaise’s Feast Day this week, there’s a whole lotta light and candle magic going on. I celebrate the Solstices, Equinoxes and cross-quarter days in some small way, as I find this to be a sort of anchor for the rhythm of my days and the flow of the seasons. They can certainly be something to look forward to, much like the phases of the moon for me. There is endless information available over how different cultures celebrate some of these festivals or feast days, but I prefer to do my own abbreviated versions of various rituals associated with my own Celtic heritage — and as we are now halfway through the dark season and moving into the light, naturally I have candles lit. Keeping it simple means I will actually celebrate with some intention. For St. Brigid’s Day and Imbolc, I have my herbal smoke blend with violet leaf, and a supper of salmon, with my riff on Colcannon (basically a mash of potato and cabbage) of kale and potato — the salmon symbolizes the return of Springtime for me, violets are early harbingers of the warmer days ahead, and the potato is a reminder of the importance of the dark of the underground, as well as the light from above for growth and renewal. Stuff like this is just one of the things that floats my boat, what floats yours?