Misadventures of the Monster Librarian

Today is a great day. It is a sit-back-and-take-stock kind of day. It is a nose hair freezing day; it is a be glad to be inside listening to the wind howl, and not outside in it day. It is a look outside and see the swirling mists of white and enjoy it because you can turn your head and feel the warmth of a blazing fire nearby kind of day. As the year wanes and former Farmers arrive for visits, I am thankful; thankful for their visits and thankful that we have a lovely, big house to use for hosting friends and hosting parties. Our friend and former Farmer--"once a Farmer, always a Farmer" (sounds a little Narnian)--Becca, arrived yesterday. After dinner she and I went over to Mummy Dearests' place and hung out and talked; so good to catch up with former Farmers because we just pick up where we leave off, reminds me how truly like family we are to one another. I was able to take the day off to hang out with Becca, and thus far have spent the day sitting and talking wi...

I think that as Farmers, in this very distinct community, that we all have our moments where we stop and think, "what the hell am I doing?" It is very difficult to do work in the field that we work in under "normal" circumstances, but then add the fact that we live in the midst of where we work, well, that definitely throws a HUGE wrench into things. Lately I have been having a lot of those aforementioned wonderings. And yet, there are days that start winding down like today; days which catch me, shake me hard, rattle around the marbles upstairs, and almost shout, "SEE!" I was very tired this afternoon, recovering from a visit with my old college roomie College Kim--her and her boyfriend were here for just hours yesterday en route to visiting his family, who happen to live in western MA--and two trips to the airport in two days (one to pick up College Kim and one to pick up returning Farmer S today). And of course today also happened to be my milking da...

A Christmas Carol The shepherds went their hasty way, And found the lowly stable-shed Where the Virgin-Mother lay: And now they checked their eager tread, For to the Babe, that at her bosom clung, A Mother’s song the Virgin-Mother sung. They told her how a glorious light, Streaming from a heavenly throng, Around them shone, suspending night! While sweeter than a mother’s song, Blest Angels heralded the Saviour’s birth, Glory to God on high! and Peace on Earth. She listened to the tale divine, And closer still the Babe she pressed; And while she cried, the Babe is mine! The milk rushed faster to her breast: Joy rose within her, like a summer’s morn; Peace, Peace on Earth! the Prince of Peace is born. Thou Mother of the Prince of Peace, Poor, simple, and of low estate! That strife should vanish, battle cease, O why should this thy soul elate? Sweet Music’s loudest note, the Poet’s story, — Didst thou ne’er love to hear of fame and glory? And is not War a you...

This year, for the first time in my life, I will miss Christmas Mass. I am really bummed about that, as I do love the sacredness of Christmas that I always find in the Catholic church, but midnight Mass isn't going to be an option since we'd get back so late and I am opening the Kitchen tomorrow, and since I will be working tomorrow I can't go in the morning. Tonight I decided instead to go to the UCC church in town for their Christmas Eve service to see B1 and Farmer MacDonald do a reading. I am so glad that I went. The service was simple: a reading of the Nativity story being done by several SmallTown community members, with breaks between readers to sing Christmas songs. When the last reader had finished, Pastor L reminded us that the light conquers the dark in the world--this is my favorite message about Christmas. It was so lovely to walk into this small, old church on Christmas Eve, and feel the presence of so many hopeful people (so many of them Fa...

Happy Winter Solstice all. The days are getting (a very little bit) longer from now on out. The light of the world is coming! I learned today that "solstice," means, "the sun stands still." For more interesting facts about the solstice, check out National Geographic . from FOUR QUARTETS: East Coker O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark.  The vacant interstellar spaces......  I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope  For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love  For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith  But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.  Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought:  So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness the dancing. ~ T.S. Eliot

When Mummy & Hubby, Big & Little Fish moved out this summer the Farm saw fit to bequeath their house to TSO, RugbyGirl and I. We moved into the house, Avalon, in September, and I've yet to post any pics. Was at home sick today and in a moment of weird wakefulness I took these. Oh, and I am really into taking black and white pictures right now. This is one of my favorite things  about this house (there are dozens of favorite things about this house!) This is our cupboard for wine glasses and cook books galore, but we also have a stash of random on the top shelf: the cookie cutters we used when we were kids, a beer stein from Germany, etc. This definitely gets my vote for the best hallway. I love the way that this hallway leads EVERYWHERE. To the right you go into our kitchen, straight ahead goes into the living room and then if you keep going you will wind up on the front porch. And I love the way our coats look hanging on our wall hooks. A vie...

Here is a picture of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree, in our living room at Avalon. Did some searching to find out what the hell a "Tannenbaum," is, and learned that it's a fir tree. Who would have ever though that it would take me 29 years to ask that question... Tannenbaum, Ernst Anschütz, 182 4 "O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit, Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum, wie treu sind deine Blätter! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Du kannst mir sehr gefallen! O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Dein Kleid will mich was lehren: Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit Gibt Trost und Kraft zu jeder Zeit. O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! Das soll dein Kleid mich lehren."