food as history

Tonight I attended my first ever Passover Seder meal, hosted by one of the staff at the Farm, who is herself Jewish--I say this last part because the only Seder meals I ever knew of (before coming to NE) were hosted at my church, which is Catholic. So, I feel like this meal was particularly meaningful.

We gathered. We heard the story of why the Passover meal happens and is still relevant today. Passages from the Haggadah were read, with stops between to eat or drink. Food is central to this celebration, as each thing consumed represents part of the story; reminders of the history of the Jew's flight from slavery. Traditionally consumed are:

• "Matzoh: Three unleavened matzohs are placed within the folds of a napkin as a reminder of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt, leaving no time for dough to rise. Two are consumed during the service, and one (the Aftkomen), is spirited away and hidden during the ceremony to be later found as a prize
• Charoses: a mixture of apples, nuts, wine, and cinnamon, as a reminder of the mortar used by the Jews in the construction of buildings as slaves
• Beitzah: a roasted egg, as a symbol of life and the perpetuation of existence
• Karpas: a vegetable, preferably parsley or celery, representing hope and redemption; served with a bowl of salted water to represent the tears shed
• Zeroah: traditionally a piece of roasted lamb shankbone, symbolizing the paschal sacrificial offering
• Wine: four glasses of wine are consumed during the service to represent the four-fold promise of redemption, with a special glass left"

**The bullet point information came from here.

After the traditional foods were consumed, we were served a meal including chicken, coconut stew and roasted potatoes.

I think what was most interesting to me is, that in sharing the Seder meal, I was able to see how our two faiths overlap; this week is equally important to Christians as we prepare for the death and resurrection of Christ. A night well spent. If you ever get the chance, go.

extending out, drawing in

I wrote about our dearest R some time ago. R, after 80 years at the Farm, passed away this past November, just 4 months shy of her 100th birthday. R was a pillar of the Farm who is very greatly missed, so it was only natural that we throw a birthday bash to celebrate her life and the impact that she had on the Farm, but more importantly on the people who knew her. This past weekend the Farm hosted a day of activities which R loved: hikes on Farm trails; games of Pick (think Scrabble--in lieu of keeping score everyone has to come up with a story at the end, using all their words); story telling; desserts; and a contra dance to end the evening.

During the planning phase of the event the coordinators were unsure how many people to figure on; the last I'd heard there was a rumor of about an extra hundred people around the Farm for the event; so I counted myself one of the pleasantly surprised to see around 140+ people stuffed into the Farm's dining room, living room and dish areas. DB--a staff member who has been here for over 25 years--likes to say "once a *Farmer, always a *Farmer," and never has that expression been more true. As I walked around the Farm that afternoon I ran into former Farmers, board members and other old acquaintances dating back to my early years at the Farm. People I hadn't seen in 6 years were popping up, and in true Farm spirit, walking around the Farm like they'd never left it. The Farm is such a magical space that returning to it feels like returning home, a sentiment I have heard repeated before.

The day was positively ripe with memories; a time set aside where people shared funny and touching stories about R, bad jokes (which she was famous for); a time for us to celebrate a life, not be sad for what was lost, but rather look toward the future and how we can preserve all the things that R stood for: thriftiness, hard work, a genuine love and commitment to community, a real sense of duty to others.

I don't really know how to do R justice. It is hard to explain to a stranger how others'actions or idiosyncrosies, which we are privy to, become part of our daily routines too: throwing stale bread to birds, handing graham crackers and sweets out to the littlest of the Farm children, napping on an old bench in the sun.

I turn to a poem by Uncle Walt which really reminds me of R:

A child said, What is the grass?

A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full

hands;

How could I answer the child?. . . .I do not know what it

is any more than he.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful

green stuff woven.

Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,

A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropped,

Bearing the owner's name someway in the corners, that we

may see and remark, and say Whose?

Or I guess the grass is itself a child. . . .the produced babe

of the vegetation.

Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic,

And it means, Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow

zones,

Growing among black folks as among white,

Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the

same, I receive them the same.

And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.

Tenderly will I use you curling grass,

It may be you transpire from the breasts of young men,

It may be if I had known them I would have loved them;

It may be you are from old people and from women, and

from offspring taken soon out of their mother's laps,

And here you are the mother's laps.

This grass is very dark to be from the white heads of old

mothers,

Darker than the colorless beards of old men,

Dark to come from under the faint red roofs of mouths.

O I perceive after all so many uttering tongues!

And I perceive they do not come from the roofs of mouths

for nothing.

I wish I could translate the hints about the dead young men

and women,

And the hints about old men and mothers, and the offspring

taken soon out of their laps.

What do you think has become of the young and old men?

What do you think has become of the women and

children?

They are alive and well somewhere;

The smallest sprouts show there is really no death,

And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait

at the end to arrest it,

And ceased the moment life appeared.

All goes onward and outward. . . .and nothing collapses,

And to die is different from what any one supposed, and

luckier.

~ Walt Whitman

Mummy & Monster take Manhattan

This week best friend Mummy and I were able to sneak away for an overnight in NYC; Mummy had a conference and I just wound up tagging along.We left Tuesday afternoon and headed into the city, driving, which was still new to me, having only ever done it with once before. We farmers traditionally drive to the train station and take a train into the city. The drive to Astoria, where we stayed with Sarah & Joel (at their great apartment), took less time than the entire train process (driving to station, waiting for train, taking train in, catching subway) and provided us with lots of time to chat.

Driving in we encountered some rain, but it managed to hold out enough so that Mummy, Sarah, her Mom (who was also visiting) and I could go for a walk through Astoria Park, where we were able to admire the Triborough and Hellgate Bridges (I think those are the right names...?) Met up with Joel and went to a fun place for dinner where we all tried different things, sharing our food; felt like a really good and communal way to eat!

Wednesday Joel showed Mummy and I to the subway and we all headed into the city for our days' (mis) adventures. While Joel was at work and Mummy was conferencing, I managed to see and do the following things:

• Ate breakfast in Union Square—even admired the pigeons
• Saw City Hall (from a distance)
• Walked through Trinity Church and its' Cemetary
• Walked down Wall Street past the New York Stock Exchange
• Saw the Federal Building where Washington was inaugurated in 1789
• Walked through Financial District
• Saw where the 9/11 Memorial is being errected
• Made it out to Battery Park and saw the Battery Park Library, which just went green
• Mummy and I met up with my cousin Jessi and had lunch with her at Grey Dogs (the location near Union Sq.) YUM! (Now I've gone to two locations of Grey Dogs. Lunch was great, but I think I love their breakfasts more).
• Walked to Washington Sq. to see the mini Arc de Triumph
• Went to Sweet Revenge with the cousin, for cupcakes and coffee (they are known for their pairings: every cupcake has a suggested wine/beer to go with it).
• Walked tons more to Amy’s pastry shop for treats for my housemates

I had a very busy day walking/subwaying around NYC (mostly) alone. Are you ever alone in that city?! First time I've taken on the city by myself and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Really felt more at home there; this is because Sarah let me borrow her super helpful map. (Streetwise Manhattan--check it out if you are ever going to be in the City; totally worth it!)

I loved our time in the City, but one of the first things I said to Mummy upon arriving back in the sticks was, "look, you couldn't see the stars in the City."

a portrait(s) of NE sap season

I heart the Friend of the Farmer blog! And I really enjoyed this blog about maple sap/syrup. It explained maple sap season in a way which I have not. I mentioned it in two previous posts: here and here. Reading his blog made me aware that I never posted any sapping pictures, so I thought I would share some now. (This is really my lame attempt to blog again after my absense lately). Mas luego!

(Right): Amos checking out the boiling vats.

(Below): Double bucketed tree.

(Below): The boiling vats where the sap becomes syrup.

the joys of audiobooks

When I was working as a Librarian, parents would often ask for a list of great books for their kids to read; I particularily was asked this question a lot at this time of year since spring break is coming up, which means more time at home and traveling. I gave them loads of suggestions, but also made sure to point out that the library also had said "great books," on CD and MP3 players--think books on a player the size of an iPhone--which can also be checked out just like books. I was always surprised at how few people knew this. I found that audiobooks were great for my antsier kids (I played them while we were doing projects at the library), and also, who doesn't love being read to? And yes, audiobooks are also available for adults. I personally choose to check out any book which I really have a hard time getting into, but really want to read. Case in point: Moby Dick, though I don't suggest that for a long overnight road trip alone. Wowza, that was rough.

So, for those of you traveling this spring break, think audio books to keep your little monsters (or spouse) quiet during that car ride! ALA just came up with a list for Great Kids Audiobooks (and yes, these books are also available in print format!):

“The Alvin Ho Collection: Books 1 & 2.” Listening Library.

“Chasing Lincoln's Killer.” Scholastic.

“The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County.” Recorded Books.

“The Chosen One.” Macmillan Audio.

“Diamond Willow.” Recorded Books.

“A Dog on His Own.” Full Cast Audio.

“Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.” Weston Woods.

“Emperors of the Ice: A True Story of Disaster and Survival in the Antarctic, 1910-13.” Brilliance Audio.

“European Playground.” Putumayo Kids.

“Field Trip.” Monkey Mama.

“Heart of a Shepherd.” Listening Library.

“Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad.” Weston Woods.

“The Jesus Storybook Bible.” Zonderkids.

“Knuffle Bunny Two: A Case of Mistaken Identity.” Weston Woods.

“Leviathan.” Simon and Schuster Audio.

“Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken.” Live Oak Media.

“Mañana Iguana.” Live Oak Media.

“Music for Abraham Lincoln: Campaign Songs, Civil War Tunes, Laments for a President.” Enslow Publishers.

“Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales.” Hachette Audio.

“Peace, Locomotion.” Brilliance Audio.

“Picnic Playground.” Putumayo Kids.

“The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour.” Listening Library.

“Riot.” Listening Library.

“The Scrambled States of America Talent Show.” Weston Woods.

“Songs from the Garden of Eden: Jewish Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes.” Secret Mountain.

“A Soup Opera.” Jim Gill Music & Books.

“The Tapestry Book 1: The Hound of Rowan.” Recorded Books.

“We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.” Brilliance Audio.

“Wild Girl.” Listening Library.

“The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children.” Brilliance Audio.

For an annotated list of the above recordings, including recommended grade levels, visit the ALSC Web site. More information about all of ALSC’s Children’s Notable Lists is available on the Web site at www.ala.org/alsc, click on “Awards & Grants” and “Children’s Notable Lists.”

List found here.

Dean Martin, puppets, bloodletting and witchcraft

What do Dean Martin, puppets, bloodletting and witchcraft all have in common? Well, each of these three subjects has its own special collection at a university library somewhere in the United States. For those of you who don't know what a "special collection" in a library is: it's just a collection on said subject; which is constantly collecting old, rare and useful books on that topic. Sometimes these collections will also have a librarian assigned specifically to that subject too.  For more on weird special collections, click here.

New York City's Battery Park Library branch has gone green. Interested in seeing the library which is is "expected to receive LEED Gold certification from the U. S. Green Building Council"?--click here. I am going to try and visit this library branch when I am in New York City this coming week!

in appreciation of a spring day

Today was one of those gorgeous days. A leave your coat inside, sit in the warmth of the sun kind of day. A lean your head back, close your eyes and listen to the birds chirping kind of day. It was wonderful. It made me wonder at how 50-something degree weather can seem so cold in September, and yet, so wonderfully warming in March.

I wandered around this afternoon admiring everything. I feel like it is easy to often lose sight of what is good and pure and simple, so I try to occasionally pause and smell the proverbial roses. As I walked, I breathed in deep draughts of air, smelling the familiar smell that comes with spring. I love the smell of dirt, unearthed from months of snows and freezes and rains and snows and plow trucks which unintentionally tilled the earth. I love that early spring assures me that I can in fact smell colors.

Like a pig roots, I too snuff around and am awarded with the heady perfume of spring. There is something amazing about the spring air in the country. It seems that everything is a player in this symphony; from the largest to the smallest, all seeming to add to that earthy quality. From the tiny, seemingly insignificant buds appearing shyly on trees; to the snowdrop flowers, timidly peeking through fall's leaves; the leaves themselves add to the quality of decay, and become fertilized bedding for new growths through their rot. Is it possible that I smell all these things at once? At all? Wandering around, I hoped that I could take in the spring smell of today and catalog it in my mind, tuck it away some place so it would not be forgotten.

Ah, spring. I love Mummy Dearests' reflection on the changing of seasons and just had to share it (full blog here). How is it that she usually knows exactly how I feel!?

"I am made of New England seasons. Ingrained in my smell-memory is the woody sweetness of boiling sap. The spongy dirt smell of the loam as it thaws after winter. The equally distinct and tangy-sweet smell of manure as it too thaws and runs, rusty brown, into the roads. These are the smells of spring - smells that halt me in my tracks and all of a sudden I am three or six or ten, smelling the same exact thing. And there is a melancholy when these memories flood me. There is a sense of the past and an urgency to breathe in as much of it as I can before it too passes and a new season begins."  ~ Mummy Dearest on Life in Avalon

ides of March

What is the "ides of March," all about anyway?  Well, "ides," harkens to the middle of a Roman month, which in turn calls to mind the events around the assasination of Julius Caesar. Historians believe that the "ides of March" expression is traced back to the events on March 15, 44BC, when Julius Caesar was murdered. The murder was a double crossing of epic acclaim, as Caesar was betrayed by dozens of noblemen, and even Marcus Brutus, Caesar's own apprentice.

Shakespeare--"borrowing" from Plutarch's version of the famous scene--wrote about J. Caesar's demise, and in doing so immortalized the line, "Beware the ides of March." Is anyone else as impressed as me at all the lines that we use from Shakespeare without always being aware of it!?

Caesar:Who is it in the press that calls on me?
I hear a tongue shriller than all the music
Cry "Caesar!" Speak, Caesar is turn'd to hear.

Soothsayer:
Beware the ides of March.

Caesar:
What man is that?

Brutus:
A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March.

Julius Caesar Act 1, scene 2, 15–19

Vincenzo Camuccini, Death of Caesar, 1798

gossip along the grapevine

Sometimes life at the Farm can feel a little like the Norman Rockwell painting, "The Gossips."  Last week we received a gentle reminder of how gossip in community, like wild fire, spreads fast and can do damage--luckily in this case, just hurt feelings. Gossip among the staff is bound to happen since our worlds are so entangled with each other; working and living in a small radius leads to a lack of conversation on much outside of community sometimes, as we get so wrapped up in our lives here.

But, I would rather focus instead on the benefits of community chatter. How when you are out sick, friends and neighbors hear and check on you, or ask after you; how when something exciting (i.e. being accepted into grad school) happens, friends and neighbors pass along their congrats; or in today's case, when babies are born, the entire community hears about it and seems to swell with pride together.

Two community members who met here, married not far from here and both still work at the Farm, welcomed twins--a baby girl and baby boy. I love that I heard about it from B2, who stopped his truck to announce not only the sex of the kids, but also their names, weights and inches. As I wandered around the main house people kept saying things like, "Did you hear...?!" or "They're here!" I even heard squeals and cheers from the office crowd on the upper floors as I meandered through. Ah...a community brought together to celebrate each others triumphs, our collective familial joys.

life is happening

We are finally begining to (sort of) see spring around here. It has been (encourageably) been in the 40s during the days, though still going down to freezing again at night--it's what is called "sap weather" around here. Many Farmers have worked hard, tapping hundreds of trees for sap to make into maple syrup (as I mentioned in a previous blog). And as it is getting warmer and warmer and more spring-like, th weather will brings an end to the sap collecting. (For the sap to run from the trees the weather has to be warm during the day, but cold at night--fun fact for the day!)

Here at the Farm all the sap gets boiled in these huge vats, which are brought to boiling by this really hot wood fire. The sap starts in one tank and as it gets hot and thickens it travels from vat to vat, and after getting it's brains boiled out it becomes maple syrup; it is a really cool process to watch. There is a Farm tradition of going out and having a hot cup of "sap tea;" hot, boiling sap and farm cream; it is actually disgustingly sweet, but something to enjoy as a reminder of this time of year.

I just started volunteering at one of the libraries in our system, about 25 mins. from the Farm (really about 10 miles away on these lovely, winding back roads--buccolic New England). The director is really great and excited that I am coming to volunteer. The lady I worked with last week kept introducing me as, "she's not just the new volunteer, she's a REAL librarian too!" Looking forward to my work there and staying current in library life. Seems that the library is goregous and the people are great too! I am really excited because the Library has two special collections: Art and Gardening (both passions of mine) and also a huge cookbook collection for a small town library. Will definitely be visiting this library even when I am not working!

Speaking of gardening, I want nothing more than to dig my bare feet into the dirt of my own garden again! Can't wait to order seeds soon and start my indoor work of planting things that will be transfered outside in a couple of months! TSO are again sharing a plot this summer, and also planning what flowers and things we will be planting around our house soon. I am like a kid before Christmas, positively busting with excitement for the sites and sounds of life!

mr. golden sun

Been meaning to write lately. Spring is in the air and I feel so glad; inspired down to my core. Daylight savings has given us more sunlight, and though we got rain yesterday and high winds again today, I am so glad for the sun making more of an appearance lately. Huzzah sun!

And besides the sun, I also want to welcome my newest followers David and Anna. Thanks for joining.

"The Sun"

Have you ever seen
anything
in your life
more wonderful

than the way the sun,
every evening,
relaxed and easy,
floats toward the horizon

and into the clouds or the hills,
or the rumpled sea,
and is gone--
and how it slides again

out of the blackness,
every morning,
on the other side of the world,
like a red flower

streaming upward on its heavenly oils,
say, on a morning in early summer,
at its perfect imperial distance--
and have you ever felt for anything
such wild love--
do you think there is anywhere, in any language,
a word billowing enough
for the pleasure
that fills you,
as the sun
reaches out,
as it warms you

as you stand there,
empty-handed--
or have you too
turned from this world--
or have you too
gone crazy
for power,
for things?

~ Mary Oliver

the air smells sweet

Ok. So, maybe the air down by the dairy yard isn't that sweet, especially as you walk up the hill towards the pigs, but there is a sweet smell in the air all around Main House. The end of February/beginning of March means two things at the Farm. 1. The Farm Winter Olympics (which unlike the world olympics, is a yearly event here). For more on this event, please see my last entry. And 2. Maple syrup time! Reason #2 is why the air smells so sweet.

The team that takes care of the forestry and grounds around the Farm began tapping trees a week or two ago and has already begun collecting the fruits of their labor. And today I enjoyed some of said fruits. I stopped by the Sugar Shack--where the sap is being boiled in various vats of various consistencies; which in the end turn out our DELICIOUS maple syrup--to check on the progress of our sap/syrup, but also for a cup of our famous Farm sap tea. Sap tea is basically hot sap--which is not quite syrup yet--which is then mixed with Farm cream and consumed hot. It is one of the richest things I have ever had, but something that is must every sap season.

I sat and watched as our neighbor Rick fed the fire below the vats of boiling sap, marveling at how the sap can be a metaphor for what the Farm does to us, if we allow it: we are taken in as we are found; we are put over metaphorical pressure cookers everyday, being challenged in our jobs; and then there is this sweet reward in the end. Oh, I'm not unrealistic. I know that our work at the Farm doesn't always result in fairy tale endings, but in all of our struggles we, like the sap, transform into something different, something more clarified.

Life is good.

huzzah Olympians!

The Farm Olympics began last Wednesday, the kick-off taking place after breakfast. I volunteered to get the kick-off stuff together; my theme became "let's all look foolish and laugh at ourselves," because to me the Olympics represent not only team building, morale building and community building, but also encourage us Farmers to be able to not take ourselves too seriously. The Farm "Olympians," as I called my volunteers, were garbed in togas made out of the Kitchen's most ridiculous and tacky table cloths that came from God only knows where. We ran into the dining room as our morning meeting ended, announcing the start of the games and telling everyone to follow us outside for the lighting of the Olympic fire. And, yes, we run with lit torches made out of old, broken hockey sticks; and oh, yes, there is an Olympic fire which we light with our torches. It was a glorious, hot fire on a cold morning!

From the lighting of the torches we rolled right into a game of no-rules snow basketball, playing in FEET of snow. And no-rules snow basketball is just as fun as it sounds. The game wound up being like football/rugby: lots of grabbing the ball and (attempted) running and LOTS of tackling. And now, we are on the eve of the Farm Olympic games' end and we have had so much fun. Some of this years' events included: a synchronized dessert eating competition, broomball games, speed reading of Fox in Sox (this was hosted by the Farm childcare program), wood chopping and a farm themed crossword puzzle, to name a few.

Tomorrow, the last day of the competion, is chock full of last minute events. The Farm team will have a hay bale roll/egg carry obstacle course event and the Kitchen (my team!) has it's identify-spices-using-you-nose event, as well as our perennial chili cook-off! Huzzah! I am looking forward to all of these events, and maybe even the end of the Farm Olympics too. It will be nice when I can stop fretting over how I'll do in the events, since I am slightly competitive and love to participate in as many events as I can. When I listed all the things that the Olympics are good for, did I mention teaching humility?