Polar Plunge

The water was a balmy 38 degrees. I didn't know this until tonight when I was watching the news. I had calculated in my head upper 40's. Even in the summer it doesn't get much warmer than 60 degrees. The air temperature was 32 or so and it started snowing just before we went in.

There were ice floes even. But, I went in. I did it for many reasons...the cause (NRDC Climate Change campaign), to embrace my Scandinavian roots, to feel alive and connected to planet, to show Maisie it is good to be adventurous, as a spiritual pilgramage...and I think I will do it again.

Thank you so much to all who donated and to John and Annette who were there for the occassion.

More Sights of the Season

In no particular order...Christmas Eve at great Grammie's, Tyler, Solstice sunset, beeswax reindeer we made...

Christmas Day

Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ~Carol Nelson

I think it is a longing for a time that is long ago gone and the people who have come and gone from our lives as well. Mostly it is missing the child in ourselves and the freshness and wonderment of the season. You can stay light in your heart about this day, but never again will you capture that innocence and carefree-ness.

Some Sights of the Season

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. ~Norman Vincent Peale

What M is reading right now.

This is the selection of books we read tonight before bed: Momma, Momma Carry Me; Where is Baby's Christmas Present; On the Day You Were Born; Ten Apples Up on Top; Maisy Takes a Bath; Max's Bedtime; and Bear in Sunshine.

She told me tonight when queried about what makes her happy, "books and reading". So, I assume she was very happy when she finally went to sleep.

Happy Winter Solstice

Today is the longest night of the year. May you have blessings and find moments of light to brighten and guide you at this mysterious, wonder-filled, glorious time of the year.

The Atomic

A very significant piece of my history was destroyed by fire yesterday morning, The Atomic. It was a gas station and general store owned and operated by my mother's family in Mayfield , NY. My grandmother lived across the road. I spent a ton of time there. My uncle and his family lived over the store. There was a creek that ran in back and a quarry. I loved that place. The business was usurped by unethical employees aided by a head injury incurred by my uncle. My grandmother's house was usurped by unethical family aided and abetted by the infirmaties of old age. And now the old gal has gone down in flames. R-I-P Atomic, old friend.

Today was brillant. The sky, the air, the snow, the company...I spent the whole day with my daughter and friends and family. HE is still feeling under the weather, so Maisie and I hit the road. First stop was the holiday open house at Nezinscot Farm in Turner. There, we met up with Tricia and Kevin and visited with the goats, alpacas, and sheep. We spent some time in the store seeing cheese (cheddar with bacon and blueberries) being made, listening to live music, drinking cider and eating donuts, looking for the barn cat and playing the piano. We then went to Livermore to K and T's home and played with Angelo, their dog and more piano! Then on to Yarmouth to a family holiday party where there was more piano and organ playing. Back at home, we gifted Mom with some anadama bread and we put up the tree! And...HE says she thinks she is feeling a bit better...finally!

First sticking snow of the season

In the bleak midwinter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak midwinter, Long ago.
Christina Rossetti

I, however, find it not bleak at all. My only infidelity to my wife is my love affair with Winter.

The Swiner

H1N1 Day 1 (painting)

H1N1 Day 6 (getting some fresh air)

Fever and cough really does describe this virus, but also just plain uncomfortable and CRANKY. Of course, a fever of 105+ might contribute to that and then add a double ear infection and you got a long, long, long weekend. For everyone.

Here We Come A WAAAsailing!

Happy Holidays!

The deep, dark beauty of November

This is one of my all time favorite poems. It is by Paul Smithers of Cottontown, TN. I found it in Yankee magazine when I was a teenager.

GOING DUST

This is mine, this calm and modest twilight

When night begins early to filter

between

The flaps of gray sky and the

evergreen

Mocks the maple. The kaleidoscope

plight

Of leaves, the cold end of summer

roses, blight

On the garden that comes in the

unseen

Hours of frost to others, these things may mean

Sorrow; to me they are joy and joy

outright.

I hope to die in such young November

As this and be laid to rest under just

Such a sky, to finally peacefully lie

In the scent of apples that will

remember

How I gazed on them once, when

going dust

Was a dream that living could not

mortify.

Dolly sighting in Porter, Maine

It appears that Ms. Parton has finally found the fountain of youth or a good plastic surgeon.

A girl and a horse

This could get VERY expensive!

Stella Natura

I am experimenting with biodynamic planting for the food garden. My first foray has been planting garlic (New York White). I used the recommendations in the Stella Natura for planting root identified plants, so the time was right on Tuesday night. I had to do it under the recently full moon (that seems like a good thing as well). We will see what happens.

Closer

It is said that we in the world of the living are closer to the world of the dead on this night- the veil is thinnest on all hallow's eve. There sure are a lot people I miss and would like to visit with (if it didn't mean scaring me to death). I've been thinking a lot tonight about a Halloween when I was very young, maybe 3 or 4 years old. There was a party in the basement of my grandmother's house across from the Atomic in Mayfield, NY. I remember there was all the fun sensory stuff...jello brains, eyeball eggs, pasta guts... then someone came upstairs and saw that the barn behind the store across the street was on fire. My cousins and uncle raced over, but they still lost a number of animals. This is the way I recall it, unfortunately the list of folks I can ask details about this event is REALLY slim. I also remember riding in an old red Willy's jeep with my uncle and parents, sometimes, and my cousins others times. Always on dirt roads requiring 4x4 power...man it was great! That must be where my love affair with the older SUV developed- that and Mac McClarey's mustard yellow 70's era Ford Bronco. And I remember rootbeer floats and one vivid dream-like memory of a witch on a broom stick flying over the full moon out the back window above the station before it was remodeled.

Perhaps it is true about the veil being thinner tonight...memory road seems to be on my GPS.

Lucky

While listening to Jay Unger and Molly Mason, drinking a tall glass of VO and ginger ale, tending the wood fire, and settling in from an end of October night that is beating at the door with wind whipped wet leaves, I found myself envious of Jenna at Cold Antler Farm and some of her minions. She writes about her enjoyment of the simple joy of homesteading in Vermont,as well as some of the very things I just listed and I don't begrudge her that, this cusp time to winter needs all the supporters she can get, but I begrudge the innocence of it all... I realized I will never again, if I am lucky, not know the worry that comes with being a parent in this world.

We done had ourselves a weddin'...now we just got to get married!

We threw a big wedding party for our friends and family on Saturday, October 24th. Everyone had a great time (that we've heard from). Now we are fervently hoping the Equality for Marriage law holds and the referendum is defeated so we can make it legal. Not that it changes our intentions or the gravity of the commitments made before family and God on that foggy, beautiful October afternoon.

The Reinstitution of Meal Time Prayer

Tonight I suggested to HE we reinstitute our plan to have a family prayer moment before each meal for which we are gathered together. When Maisie was very young, even before she was born, we had started to read from Earth Prayers before each meal. We felt it important to instill in her a sense of gratitude and reverence for something larger and more mysterious than any of us can comprehend. We are not religious in any identified sense...yet the desire for tradition and ritual run deep. We are not Godless, but rather define our God personally and intimately; not literally and fundamentally. It is the Creator, Holy One, Goddess, God, Great Spirit...a field of infinite possibilities...kind of a lot for a toddler to take in, but we want her to have some foundation to build from as she grows. So we start here.

Of course this did come on the heels of her pouring a cup of water into a plate of hotdogs, coleslaw, baked beans and sweet potato fries with lots of dip, aka, ketchup. This as all chased by applesauce and veggie yogurt with a fruit and fiber bar.

HE questioned whether I thought prayer would improve her table manners. Decidedly, it did not.

This is what we saw tonight

The white streaks in the window is SNOW! (or nose, as Maisie says)

First haircut

Know your farmer; meet your food.

There is only one more week remaining for our CSA. It has been a lean year for some crops. If anything, I have learned more about what I want to have coming out of my own garden and have plans to have a shared and expanded patch next year.

Cinderella, Cinderella...

Classic Cinderella pumpkins...ah, Fall.

Peace and Equality

Heather's mother surprised us with a wedding shower on Sunday. The warmth and genuine love and support generated among the women gathered was the truest gift and the best tincture for any wounds wrought by those who are small minded, ignorant and unjust. A simple "Thank you" does not fully convey the enormity of meaning this community enfolding meant to me, personally, and to us as a family. The gravity of being part of a clan is paramount. I fervently hope Maisie always knows she is loved and honored and that her intrinsic and fundamental worth is never debated on a familial, legal, societal or religious stage.

Please vote NO ON ONE on November 3rd. Do the right thing.

Uh-Oh...that can't be good.

There is snow in the forecast tonight, coming in on the coat tails of a nor'easter. We just had some wood delivered and Maisie has discovered my drawer of Smartwool socks. The Snow Queen she is drawing near and I love her with all my might.

Up Against Morality: Psalm 139

As many of you may know there is a referendum coming up this November in Maine challenging a law that was passed this spring giving all people the right to marry in Maine. It is about equality.

A christian (?) led group called Stand for Marriage is leading the opposition and raised enough signatures to force a referendum vote. The gist of their fight is: gay marriage weakens traditional marriage; gay marriage will be taught in schools, a church would be required to marry anybody who asked them to do so, and homosexuality is morally abhorrent.

The only people hurting marriage, any kind of marriage, are the two people in it. My relationship in no way threatens yours and if it seems as though it does, you, as a couple, have some work to do-on your end, not mine. As for gay marriage being taught in schools-so what? More importantly, I don't think this would be the case. I was never "taught" about marriage and marriage law in school. Were you? The third point is false; there is a clause in the law that protects religious freedom and institutions can limit who they perform services for...of course the members of your relgious community would be the ones being discriminated against and may leave the fold because of it, but, hey, at least you would be protecting sanctity. And finally, this type of moral argument is abhorrent...it is a moral of HATE.

For you are fearfully and wonderfully made... Psalms 139...no matter who you are or who you LOVE.

Hula Hoops

There must be a hula hoop resurgence. On Saturday we saw them at the farmer's market and then again at the Common Ground Fair. they sure are a lot more colorful than the one I used to have.