MOUNTAINEER SPIRIT IN IRAQ

Richard Randall, my "life-long as close as a brother" friend shared this photo on Facebook. All of us who have long-standing connections with Appalachian know that the Mountaineer spirit would come in handy on that side of the world!

CAROLINE'S HEART

This is a test to see if I can upload photos from Picasa to my blog.

RECENT PHOTOS - IN HONOR OF PEPIN AND HIS LOVE OF NATURE

LEAVES FROM A TREE PEPIN PLANTED IN MIAMI

BLUE HYACINTH

MY PINK ORCHID

IN HONOR OF DR. JOSE CARRO - MY FRIEND, PEPIN

I woke up this morning with this tune going through my head. About 7:22 AM, my friend, Laida, called me to say her husband, Pepín, was close to death. An hour later, she called with the news.

His struggle over the last 6 months has been a testament to the strength of the human body and the courage of a noble, honorable, good, good man--one of the most decent men I've ever known.


May he rest in peace and may his family be comforted by the love and goodness he so unfailingly shared with them ....and everyone. _____________________________________________

"Turn, Turn, Turn" - as sung by The Byrds

Words-adapted from the Bible, book of Ecclesiastes
Music-Pete Seeger

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven.

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up,a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time for every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time for peace, I swear its not too late....

SADIE HAWKINS DAY - 1970

An annual tradition at Watauga High School (Boone, NC) along about this time of year - certainly associated with "the comin' of spring and the risin' sap"- was the annual Sadie Hawkins Day Dance. The theme had some connection with 'Lil Abner, and it was the one time each year when the young ladies got to ask the fellers to the Sadie Hawkins Day dance. On Sadie Hawkins Day, we all dressed up in our finest duds, as evidenced by this photo.

Here you see my cousin, Carol McNeely (who now resides in the DC area--a Ph.D, MD with a specialty in dermatology), yours truly, and my best friend, Betsy Randal (now lives in Raleigh, NC - a Ph.D in plant pathology who's now in Holland on a brief working assignment).

Can't say we have the original Daisy Mae look down pat, but it's obvious we "shore were havin' a good time!"

(Thanks to Richard Randall for this photo)

HAPPY VERNAL EQUINOX

Within thirty minutes of spring's official arrival, I ventured out to see what evidence of the new season I could find around The Farm. With the exception of the crocuses, a sole daffodil has mustered up the courage to open and herald the journey toward greater light and warmth. The Farm tulips have send out healthy leaves to scope out when it's time for their buds to surface, and the lilies and peonies are just beginning to break through the ground, as if to test the water and decide whether to wait a bit for warmer days. Pushing out their delicate and tender green shoots, the lilacs seem tempted by a taste of spring, but years of premature leafing has taught them to take it slow, especially when they sense the briskness of the morning. (I hope!)

Grackles and red-wing blackbirds compete with the winter birds for oil seeds at the feeder, and I was delighted to see a little chickadee claim his/her space among the larger and more aggressive new arrivals. My feeder barriers, i.e., rows of thorny chestnut burrs below the feeders, still keep Clousseau, Cato, and company (much to their frustration and disgust) away from the farm feathered friends. The entire farm cat contingency who would LOVE a birdy breakfast, but nasty, sharp thorns in their paws have modified their desire to venture around the birds' prickly restaurant.

It'll be a weekend of tilling the recently turned compost into the earth and poking a few onions in the ground for good measure. I'm tempted to get my greens going, and if I can find a few broccoli and cabbage plants, the beds just might find themselves full.

The chubby, peaceful Goddess smiles today. In her, I see many women my age who are perhaps a bit larger and definitely softer than in their early years, but for whom the love of earth and life has never been greater.

Namasté....and...happy, happy spring!!

Tanya

LENSES AND LEAD

Samuel, the writer, and Harrison, the photographer, are collaborating on a new blog, "Lenses and Lead." Check it out. These two crazy roomates just might have come up with something!

Aside: I'm trying to find out how to include my "twitters" on my blog. As yet, I have not been successful. HELP, Mary Ann !!!

MARCH 16TH

1944 - My parents' anniversary....65 years ago today, they were married on the campus of Lees McCrae college in Banner Elk, NC. A simple ceremony on a beautiful spring day, daffodils in bloom, blue sky...My dad in his military uniform...Mom in a navy blue suit, ruffled white blouse and a classic 40's hat...Honeymooned in Montreat, NC, and returned to Banner Elk a few days later to snow and sub-zero temperatures....

2008 - My dad's passage into the spirit world, only a few hours after he had signed an anniversary card to my mom....Mom, as always, was at his side when he peacefully drifted away...

2009 - Doesn't seem possible a year's gone by...The last couple of times when he's come to me in my dreams, Daddy's looked well, is walking as if he had never been ill, and has spoken clearly without any hint of the trouble he had speaking prior to his death. I miss him greatly; more greatly, however, I celebrate the freedom I see in his body and spirit in my dreams.

"I love you, sweetheart....."

WHAT AN EVENING!!

Liz Carroll and John Doyle performed last evening at Washington State Community College as a part of the Evergreen Arts & Humanities Series (for which yours truly serves as chairperson), and WOWZY, they gave a heck of a performance!! Our auditorium was PACKED--standing room only--with folks seated in the lobby just to get a "listen" of these incredibly talented musicians. (And I might add, two very, very nice and genuine people.)

They left Marietta this morning and hit the road to play two more gigs before boarding a plane on Tuesday morning at 6:00 AM to head to the White House, where they will play at the St. Patrick's Day luncheon for President Barack Obama and the Prime Minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen. How sweet is that!!

Following the concert, several people gathered at the home of the college president to meet and talk to Liz. (Alas, John was a bit under the weather and opted, quite wisely, to hit the sack back at the hotel). Such a gracious woman, Liz talked to people for a couple of hours and hung out as if she had known all of us for years. It was a delightful time.

For any interested Namasté reader who might be interested in learning more, check out www.lizcarroll.com and order this fantastic duo's recently released album, "Double Play." Highly, highly recommended. Get your copy NOW!!

I'M NOT RUNNIN' FOR PRESIDENT, BUT VOTE FOR ME !

In honor of my late father, who entered every contest in the name of Pete and who was SURE he was going to win $1,000,000 or a trip around the world at some point in his life, I'm entering the Name Your Dream Assignment contest (www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/contest), a contest that awards $50,000, a digital camcorder, and Lenovo® ThinkPad® W700ds with Microsoft Windows Vista® to the lucky winner. All I had to do was think up an interesting (or not) photo shoot, write a description of it, and get people to VOTE FOR ME!!

Information about the contest is included in the link above; it's a valid contest, and one of my friends who blogs is one of the judges.

Would all you folks who check in on Namasté take just one minute out of your busy day and go to the following link?

http://www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/senorawilder/friendly-faces-at-rinky-dinks-flea-market/

The winner is selected by a popular vote, and all you have to do is click on the icon that says Pic It on the left of my page. So far I have 16 votes, but I've posted my information on Facebook, and I'm sending out this email to a lot of people.

Will you vote for me? Will you get all your friends to vote for me and tell them to tell their friends to vote for me?

It's really easy and takes little time. I'd really appreciate your vote, and if I win, I'll work for world peace.

Read more below and thanks in advance.....

Tanya


What is Name Your Dream Assignment?
Name Your Dream Assignment is a contest for photographers of all backgrounds. We’re looking for the most creative, inspiring photo shoot idea out there. The photographer with the winning idea will win $50,000 to bring his or her dream assignment to life.

Who can enter?
Any resident of the United States who has a camera and a dream. Yes, anyone. You do not need to be a professional photographer.

What exactly do you win?
The Grand Prize is $50,000 to carry out your dream assignment, plus a digital camcorder and the Lenovo® ThinkPad® W700ds with Microsoft Windows Vista®. Two runners-up will also receive the Lenovo® ThinkPad® W700ds with Microsoft Windows Vista®.

THE SHOOKS (circa 1972)

Thanks to Bink, my college roomate, for sending me this jewel.....

FLEA MARKETS & COMPOST

SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH 7

Saturday morning found Farm Mom and officemate and daughter (everyone thinks I'm Mom, she's daughter) Very Mary at Rinky Dink's Flea Market for their weekly thrifting frenzy. With eyes peeled for the treasure of the day, they stopped by the "Bras & Underpanties" department down Aisle 2, located right behind one of Rink's many childrens' book stand.

(Note "The Curious Kid's Activity book of Boredom" right behind "A Day at the Mall. " As discerning readers, Farm Mom and Very Mary do not regularly purchase reading material for their younger friends at Rinks or the bras and underpanties on Aisle 2.)

These days, economic woes are inescapable, even at Rinky Dink's. As evidenced by the covering at the Longaberger Purses Booth, sales of "Aignier" purses and "Yard Orderments" are on the wane. Perhaps the economic stimulus plan will boost many Rinky Dinkers' discretionary income such that purses and orderments will soon be back in demand. One can only hope. After all, spring's almost here, and everyone's going to want a new cutesy yard orderment, like the ones of Ma and Pa bent over pullin' weeds with their butt cracks and underpanties showing..

(Very Vanna White Mary encourages all to write their congressperson in support of unemployed "yard orderment" workers.)

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

Farm Mom felt a burst of energy and decided it was a great day to work outside. Despite the afternoon's gale force winds, she picked up all the shoots from the grapevines she haphazardly pruned Saturday afternoon and hauled them and fallen branches from last month's ice storm to the fire circle. She had planned to start up the tractor and haul the bundles of branches with the tractor cart, but the 'ole farm tractor wasn't much in the mood for starting.

At that point, Farm Mom could hardly wait to begin her favorite early spring chore....spreading this year's compost and turning the yet to compost compost from one bin to the other so it'll be ready next year.

This year, the large bin (on the left in the photo below) held the rich soil that's now placed on the garden beds. With farm tools in hand and the almost rusted beyond repair farm wheelbarrow, the farm matriarch unloaded 15 huge piles of compost on the gardens, raked the rich new soil into the old, and beamed with satisfaction - -1..Her body was still upright....2... Her heart hadn't exploded.....3... The composted soil was beautiful....4... She can now think about getting peas, collards, spinach, and lettuce in the ground SOON !!- -

(Happy Buddha's standing in the bin that held the compost that's now on the beds. In the photo, he's anchored on the compost that got turned from the bed on the right to the one on the left. Actually this is a very boring photo unless you're Farm Mom and really into the compost.)

As she writes this, Farm Mom realizes not everyone gets as excited as she about making his/her own dirt, but there're few things that bring her greater joy. Once this good, healthy, rich black compost gets mixed in with the many years of composted soil that awaits it, it's a for sure that the veggies will be happy there, the weeds will be very, very happy there, and a very, very, very happy Farm Mom will have spend a great deal of the summer there...with her hands in the dirt she composted....YEAH !!

(Dark, dark compost + lots of TLC = good, healthy, organic veggies!)

BRIAN J. DENDLE

Back in the fall of 1974 when I landed in a graduate seminar on Benito Pérez Galdós as one the first three classes I took at the University of Kentucky, I was so petrified by my obvious lack of knowledge that I went to my advisor and asked for a schedule change. I was actually thinking I would drop out of gradschool completely, but my immediate concern was to get out of Dr. Brian J. Dendle's class as fast as I could. I knew NOTHING about Galdós or the history of Spain, and Professor Dendle's seeming lack of patience with underprepared graduate students (like me) intimidated me such that I could not say a word---I was frozen in fear while other grads engaged Dr. Dendle in intellectual banter that made me want to sneak out the door and never return.

To make a long story short, Professor McCrary, my advisor, convinced me to stick it out and assured me that beneath the dry, sarcastic wit of this obviously brilliant British professor lay a teddy bear of a person whom I would end up liking. Two summers later, Dr. Dendle and I took a group of students from UK to Mexico, and upon returning, another grad student and I lived at 272 S. Hanover in Lexington as we prepared for our written and oral comprehensive exams.

Fast forward to 2009. I can't imagine what my life would have been like without Brian Dendle's friendship and love over the years We've been the best of friends for 35 years now, and during my visit with him last weekend, I was reminded of how deeply I honor, respect, and love the "old geezer." I love this photo of him.....

Over the last couple of years, Dendle's kidneys have basically quit functioning, and this past week he began dialysis in Lexington. He had hoped to move to France to be with Claudine, his beloved partner, and start the dialysis process there, but I believe the RN who suggested he have his cemetary plot in order might have convinced him he'd best begin the treatments sooner rather than later. For the moment, his plans are on hold until he can figure out the logistics of dialysis in France.

When I left the house last weekend, it was all I could do to contain the huge flood of tears that burst forth the moment I got into the car. Selfishly, I didn't want a place I have known as home for three decades to get sold to another owner. The thought of not being able to stop in and have tea with Dendle in the sun room or upstairs made me very sad.

But then, I just decided that I'd have to go visit him in France. After all, Eliza wants to study there, so I can visit her when she's abroad and crash with Dendle and Claudine. The Bluegrass Commune, as we used to refer to his house, will just relocate and re-establish itself in Europe.
Make up the beds, Dendle....Shook's going to be a squatter chez toi en France.

WHERE I'M FROM

Note: This poem is an exercise my office mate, Mary Ann, recently used in class with her poetry students. Adopting the template from “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon, Mary Ann's students created their own poem. I played along. Here’s Lyon’s poem, followed by mine.

"Where I'm From"

I am from clothespins,

from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.

I am from the dirt under the back porch.

(Black, glistening

it tasted like beets...)

I am from the forsythia bush,

the Dutch elm,

whose long gone limbs I

remember

as if they were my own.

I'm from fudge and eyeglasses,

from Imogene and Alafair.

I'm from the know-it-alls

and the pass-it-ons,

from perk-up and pipe down.

I'm from He restoreth my soul

with a cottonball lamb

and ten verses I can say myself.

I'm from Artemus and Billie Branch,

fried corn and strong coffee.

From the finger my grandfather lost

to the auger,

to the eye my father shut to keep his sight.

Under my bed was a dressbox

spilling old pictures

a sift of lost faces

to drift beneath my dreams;

I am frmo those moments

snapped before I budded0

leaf-fall from the family tree.

_______________________________

“Where I’m From”

(Tanya's version)

I am from the musty, dark stacks of a library long gone
and
a bare, white-walled, sterilized infirmary,
from knitting needles and syringes and baseball gloves and ruffed grouse.
I am from a perfectly rectangular red brick house of the 60's.
(Squeeky clean and smelling of Clorox
by noon every
Saturday morning.)
I am from rhododendron bushes,
trilliums and jack-in-the-pulpits,
whose preachers, draped in deep burgundy, pontificate
to decaying underbrush.
I’m from piano lessons and hand-me-downs,
from Zebulon Vance and Mary McIntosh,
from Bob and Bertha, Hoyle and Ruth.
I’m from family gatherings and family gossip,
from silent shame mended with threads of an overriding love.

I’m from cleanliness is next to godliness
and salvation by grace through faith
and half of a memorized catechism
and
“Make sure you always have on clean underwear in case you have to go to the hospital.”
I’m from Taylorsville and Pigeon Roost,
from soup beans, cornbread, Grandma's biscuits and sausage gravy.
From a soldier’s flashbacks of foreign lands
to caring for others before oneself.

Out in the thicket, I lived in my imaginary cabin,
my treasure chest buried beneath its earthen carpet,
full of secrets still guarded to this day by roots and branches
and towering sentries in the distance.

I am from the mountains,
their rocks, my strength,
their creeks, the blood of my veins,
their steadfast grace and beauty,
my lifeline to peace.

IT'S JUST BEEN A "CACA" OF A DAY - LITERALLY

Please pardon my "French," but from the moment I got to the office today, things started downhill at a pretty rapid pace...


Major serious caca:

1) A colleague who suffered a fall down the steps at his house this past weekend has taken a turn for the worse. Brain damage seems to be pretty severe, and a long, long-term recovery, without prediction of a return to "normalcy," seems to be the prognosis.


2) A former student of mine who became a Spanish teacher...a really, really wonderful man - has a newborn son who was diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumor last week. The two-month old was not responding to stimuli as of this morning. My heart is broken for this family.



3) Two other former students have had brain malfunctions in the past three weeks. One, a young woman who's the daughter of Eliza's first babysitter and who chose Eliza as the flower girl for her wedding, was pregnant, suffered a seizure, and later was subsequently diagnosed with a massive tumor in the brain. The baby was taken by C-section last week, and the mom's condition at this point in time is in limbo. The other had a stroke two Sundays ago...We're talking about two young women under 30 who've had their lives altered tremendously!! Yes, #3 above seems more and more insignificant.

4) My college roomate's father is in serious condition with bone cancer. She and I had a long talk last evening.

No so major, but not fun caca....

5) A very, very important member of my arts and humanities series committee resigned today, just out of the blue. I have no one who can do what she's done for us in the past three years, and I certainly can't take over her job.

6) All adjunct positions in Spanish where I teach part-time have been eliminated next year due to budget cuts. That means my extra income, the income I use after bills are paid, will cease to be. I think I could be waiting tables on the side next year.

Irritating and appropriate for the day caca:


7) Loonis threw up three times this morning --fortunately on the hardwood floors and not the carpet.



8) And finally, as I was working in the yard this afternoon making piles of branches and sticks to move down to the fire pit, I stepped in a HUGE pile of really smelly poop! How fitting, no?



I think I'd best go count my blessings!!!!

HAIR

Inspired by these lovely women who had just spent $5.00 for their new "do" at the Rinky Dink's Flea Market & Hair Salon, I decided to follow suit and head to Terry's Hair Creations to join in a new look for spring.

Here's the before the scissors look. I really hadn't realized just how long my hair had gotten. I've been growing it with the intention of donating it to Locks of Love. Then one of Mary Ann's students told her there were some sketchy happenings in the Locks of Love world., and at that point, I opted to donate my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths in support of women who need wigs following chemotherapy for breast and other cancers.

Here's the after look. Whew! My head feels lighter, my hair feels fluffier, and heart feels happy to know I could donate 10" of thick, healthy, graying hair (an 8" length is required) to the cause.

Here's the catch....I now read that if the hair is over 5% gray, it's really not accepted since graying hair is much harder to match with other hair when dyed to make a wig. (It takes 5 ponytails to make one wig. )

Bah humbug! I've decided I don't care. I'm sending in the ponytail anyway in the hopes that someone will request a natural salt and pepper colored wig. If so, there'll be a thick hank waiting.

HERE WE GO AGAIN...

On this quiet Sunday morning, the Farm Mom and all the Farm Critters have once again awakened a to snow-covered Earth. When the rather heavy squalls subside, the sun pokes through the passing clouds, and the snow sparkles like a layer of glittery tiny stars all over the land. When the blustery winds return moments later, visibility is such that the road at the end of the driveway isn't discernible, the birds retreat to the thick underbrush, and every animal unfortunate enough to be outside comes to meow and scratch incessantly on the glass door, beseeching me to let them in. I'm a sucker, so one by one, in they come, and once again, they rule the roost in their demands for food, milk, comfort and affection (which I lavish upon them excessively until someone starts scratching on the sofa or tries to make a game out of my knitting!) Just a moment ago, Mr. BlueJay perched on the limb just outside the window as if to implore me to let his avian friends in as well, but he decided better when Loonis jumped up on the window sill. He's a smart cookie!

Kwan Yin's into her icicle bindhi, snow stole, and winter top knot. Her patience with the elements serves as a good reminder that complaints are useless. As Grandma Ruth would say, "You can't control the elements, so you might as well just hush up." This winter has tested the

lady's resolve, and her mellowness always wins out. Her mantra, (one she reminds me of multiple times a day) - - When in doubt, mellow out! (She learned it from our friend, Sherm.) holds great wisdom, and in my humaness, I try my best to listen.

The Farm prayer flags have also taken a beating lately, but I feel sure the winter weather's no worse here than in their native Nepal from where Brett brought them back a year ago or so. In their presence, I'm reminded of Papa, Grandma Sara, Granddaddy Marv, Gunner, Marvelous Cat, Dover, Ghost, Helen, Granddaddy Shook, Uncle Robert, Tornado, Ita, and countless others who bless The Farm from the spirit world. It's so true - those who are no longer incarnate on the planet do not cease to live...they just take another form, and here on The Farm, they fly in the wind, bathe in the rain, soak in the sun, grow in the Earth, and rest in the silence.

WORKS & WORKS IN PROGRESS

So, how does the Farm Mom pass time these days? Why, with knitting needles in hand, of course. It's been a season of pumping out scarves, hats, and dish clothes. Most of my projects have gone to the persons for whom they were designed, but here's a quick view of a couple of hats that remain at The Farm.

WORKS

In this photo, Minnie's modeling a hat I made backwards out of soft, organic wool. It serves to keep the head warm, nonetheless, and Minnie's totally happy to wear it when the big chill hits The Farm. (Note: Minnie's one of my first dolls and definitely my favorite; she was given to me the Christmas I was in 1st grade by my "adopted" sister, Minnie. Minnie (the doll) is in pretty good shape to be 51 years old, I think. She hangs out in the big room a lot.)

This beret is an experiment in combining handspun wool yarns. The teal band is from yarn I picked up on a trip to New Mexico several years back, and the purple tam section is from wool spun fromVermont sheep. This hat is a bit itchy, but it's really, really warm and provides a fashionably nerdy look to anyone who doesn't have a large head.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

My first sock, made from Frog Belly Green handspun wool from eastern Tennessee. Knitted on size 2 needles, these socks have no EFT (estimated finish time). I find the knitting fun but tedious and have a hard time seeing much progress on small needles with really small thread. I enjoy knitting on this project, but I'm obviously a ways away from the heel and toe, so stay tuned....

The photo doesn't do the color of this alpaca and silk scarf justice. It's really a pretty baby boy's blue with yarn overs every 6th row to give it a lacy look. I think the finished product will be delicately soft and fun to wear. I pick it up and knit on it when my frustration with the seeming lack of progress on the sock starts to surface. (I like projects that move along fairly quickly - hence, my preference for knitting scarves.)

I'm not sure what this is going to be OR if it will continue in its present shape and form. This yarn is the same handspun wool from Vermont sheep I used in the tam Minnie's modeling above. It smells of sheep, clean sheep, that is, and will be an incredibly warm scarf (should I continue with it) if anyone can stand the itch around his / her neck. It would definitely have to be worn with a turtleneck or on the outside of a garment.

I thank my mom for teaching me to knit and for her guidance as I've made several things in the past year. While I was in Boone, I picked up some BEAUTIFUL dark purple yarn to knit myself a sweater. I'm eager to start, and I figure if I get going soon, perhaps I'll have it finished for my 60th birthday in 4 years!

MOM'S VALENTINE ROSES

I took these photos this morning when the light through Mom's picture window was perfect. I love the way the light outlines the ondulations in the third photo.

TANYA'S TODAY'S TOP 10

February 15, 2009

Today....

1. Happy Birthday, Chintu !! You missed a Valentine birthday by less than 24 hours, but that's OK because it gives us all another day to contemplate love, especially our love for you.

2. I'm in awe of the beautiful mountains here in NC. I notice my breath is long and deep.

3. I'm going to have lunch at Black Bear Books with Samuel. He's working, and I'm going to grade a stack of papers at the bookstore so I can be with him for the afternoon.

4. Post grading, I'll ride over to Pigeon Roost to see my beloved Grandma Ruth and walk around the land for a while. I'll visit with Papa down at his resting place and fill him in on life in the physical world and hope he'll fill me in on the world of spirit. Maybe I'll "red up" the cemetary a bit.

5. I'm going to start my first attempt at knitting socks. I've found a pattern labelled "easy, easy sock pattern, " and I'm hoping to find following it and pumping out some socks a relaxing, fast, rewarding knit. If not, I'll stick to scarves.

6. I'm going to cook some good ole' collard greens for supper. Mom and I will indulge, and we'll save a huge plate for Sammy.

7. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a superior rating for Miss Eliza, as her Winter Color Guard group has an important competition in Dayton, OH.

8. I hope to talk to my dear friends, Potter Joe, Laida, Tania, and Brian. They're a good physical distance away, but as close as one can be in my heart.

9. I'll wear the same clothes I have for the last two days and love the fact that they're stretched out and comfy.

10. I'm consumed with gratitude for this day and my many blessings.

I HEART YOU !!!!!

"LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE AND THE HIGHEST GOAL

TO WHICH MAN CAN ASPIRE."

~Viktor Frankel

HERE'S TO THE "ULTIMATE & HIGH GOAL" ON VALENTINE'S DAY

AND

EVERY DAY

FROM

THE FARM

LAXMI

This beautiful goddess arrived via my email. The message referred to her as a Money Angel and had one of those pass it on to 6 friends and you'll be rich in 4 days messages. So, I decided to pass it on via Namasté with the hopes that everyone who reads the blog will receive a windfall that will allow him/her freedom from financial concerns for forever and bestow more than enough to share with those who, for what ever reason, get passed over on the windfall scene. (That way we're all covered!)

FARM NEWS !!!!

As evidenced by his unruly moustache and dental challenges, Utah's been hard on the Farm Potter, so when he recently got wind of a job possibility back in the Mid-Ohio Valley, he jumped at the chance, and by crackies, the stars aligned such that Potter Joe's headed back to The Farm. The Marietta College Art Department made an offer, and it took not a second's passing for Joe to say "Yep, I'm headed back east, east to Ohio that is."

Check out Potter Joe's beautiful work below....If you google him, you'll see even more. (Search Joe Davis Pottery) And it won't be all that much longer until you'll be able to see it up close and personal, right here at The Farm and in galleries all over the state, nation, globe.

Welcome home, Joe!!

OBSERVATION

Beware!! By all accounts and behaviours observed by yours truly over the past 24 hours, evidence points to a powerful arrival of the Winter Funk! Everything from our circadian rhythms to our melatonin and seratonin levels to our hormonal imbalances are bouncing all over the chart, and that spells DISASTER on a lot of levels, particularly in the arena of interpersonal relationships.

Over 25 years of journal entries confirm that it's that blah time of year when we all run a fairly strong current of malaise, depression, and/or irritability! According to my records and alas, I must confess, personal experience, it's "out of kilter" time, and this year, the blahs, depressions, sadnesses, disconnects, sensitivities and general yuks could have the potential to be really potent and butt-kicking.

Advice from The Farm, for what it's worth....

Be like the bear.....Gather up a good stock of carbs, 25 lbs. of chocolate, some chessy books, an I-Pod, and knitting projects, and retreat to your cave. Take a long winter's nap. Avoid contact with all other haywired humans and keep closely in touch with the animals and birds. (They seem to have this winter stuff under control.) Resurface only when wait there's more light than darkness in the day, the temps are warm enough to be tolerated in just a sweater, and the daffodils are well on their way to bloom. As a last resort, take drugs.

Happy zzzzzzz's ! See ya in April or May!




(Post disclaimer: This post is not written with any single person / group in mind. Everybody's funky now! )

FROM MY FACEBOOK PAGE....25 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

This type of thing circulates around Facebook and other sites a lot. I rarely participate since it reminds me of "chain" mail . (Anybody remember that fad from the past?) But, several people posted insightful "tags," and when I was home last week hunkered in from the snow, I decided to jump in and participate......

(NOTE: If I made one of these lists every day, it would be probably different each time.)

25 Random Things About Me

1. My children mean the world to me, and I hope they will always consider me a fun, fair, loving mom.
2. I am an INFP on the Myers Briggs scale, and that particular personality combo only pops up in 1% of the population. Explains why I feel very different from most people I meet, why I'm guided by my intuition, why I do things my own way, and why I'm pretty solitary.
3. In addition to the above, I am a double Virgo. Those who know me know I'm truly earthy and consider turning the compost one of the most exciting chores around The Farm. I love to have my hands in the dirt and work on the land.
4. I love living with lots of animals, except when they pee in the house.
5. I love growing things, like orchids, amaryllises, and all sorts of flowers in the summer.
6. I love birdwatching more than Miss Jane Hathaway, and I love to knit as much as my mom.
7. I don't like hairs in my bath water.
8. I don't understand why people use strong, smelly, tacky perfumes and fruity-smelling hair products. YUK !!
9. I love art. I dabble around with making handmade paper on occasion, and I like to take photographs, particularly of people and flowers. Hanging out with artsy, talented people inspires me.
10. I feel very safe with a lot of books around me. Sometimes I don't read them all, but I always keep them close by.
11. I listen to a LOT of music...all sorts of music. Recently, I've been obsessively listening to a mixture of classical, reggae, and alternative.
12. I love being around people from other countries and cultures, and I love languages.
13. Although I consider myself a very spiritual person with a deep faith in a higher power, I am not given to a high level of tolerance of fundamentalism and dogmatic inflexibility.
14. I avoid arrogant people and greatlly, greatly prefer to hang out with "salt of the earth" folks.
15. I have an insatiable sweet tooth. I wish chocolate and ice cream had the nutritional value and caloric level of artichokes, celery, and carrots.
16. I would love to be really, really wealthy...so much so that I could have a house in New Mexico, Hawaii, the mountains of NC, at the beach (preferably in a peaceful, transitioned Cuba), Spain, and Bali.
17. Although I do not condone substance abuse on any level, I would support the legalization of cannibus sativa for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that is makes beautiful paper. The Declaration of Independence is written on cannibus paper.
18. Although I would probably be much better off financially if I had chosen another career, I can't imagine doing anything else but teaching. I find adults abysmally boring and uptight: I really love the vitality and energy of my students. I am refreshed by working in an environment where I facilitate learning and communication in another language.
19. I bowled a high score of 11 one time.
20. If I could change one thing about me, I'd want to have a beautiful singing voice.
21. I would love to know Michelle and Barack Obama well.
22. I want to swim with the dolphins and hang glide off a high, high mountain.
23. Inspecteur Jacques Clousseau and Ed Grimley are my heroes.
24. I think Peace Studies and Human Rights Studies should be a required component of every student's curriculum in all grades. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights should hang on the wall in everyone's home.
25. I love to laugh, I love to give and receive love, and I really love my life!

HE'S NO GREAT FAN OF SNOW OR COLD WEATHER!

That would be Hendrix, the cat. Inclement weather forces him to rely on his feline prowess, instincts, and warmth in the barn. Hendrix greatly prefers to be stretched out in the sun on a lazy summer day with a huge pile of cat food within short reach. This past week, this handsome gray tabby, who now ranks as the 2nd oldest cat at the farm, protested so pitifully, yet eloquently, that he gained entrance to the house on the night temps fell to zero degrees. He'd probably gain access more frequently if he wouldn't spray and scratch on the couch and rocker - two unacceptable behaviours that signify your're out the door at The Farm!

SNOW - ICE - SNOW - ICE - SNOW ???

Branches covered with ice covered with snow creak and snap. Blue jays and cardinals stare at me through the window, reminding me food's hard to find and the feeders are empty. Those brave enough to venture out creep along the road, slowing down to a stop before inching down the hill at the end of the driveway.

Gratitude abounds for the return of electricity, especially since we've burned all the firewood and we're the only house on our road who got power restored, and even more importantly, since Eliza's cellphone was getting really low on juice.

Eveyone I know will be the recipient of the dishcloths I'm cranking out. I can knit for hours on these sort of days.

Here's a sample of farm dialogue on winter days:

(Yesterday's conversation between Farm Mom and Farm Daughter:
Eliza: "Mom, what WILL I do if I my phone goes dead? Can I sit out in my car and charge it?"
Mom: " Eliza, have you ever heard of carbon monoxide poisoning from sitting in a running car? What happens when one wants to go somewhere and the car battery is dead from charging a cellphone?"
Eliza: "Oh......")

Cancellation of classes yesterday and this morning means The Farm family (Eliza & Tanya, at this point) haven't taken a shower in three days.

Cabin fever for Eliza....No cabin fever for Tanya - just an element of disgust that she has to go into town to teach at Marietta College this afternoon.

(Today's conversation between Farm Mom and Farm Daughter:
Eliza: "Mom, can I go over to Chris's house?"
Mom: "No, not today, but you CAN take my car while I go into to teach to go get your nails done if you want to get out a bit today."
Eliza: "Well, if I can go to get my nails done, why can't I go to Chris's house?"
Mom: "Because the nail salon is in town where the roads are clear and Chris's house is 20 miles away from home where the roads are NOT clear. There's more snow predicted, you know."
Eliza: " You don't make sense. I can drive to get my nails done, but I can't go to Chris's."
Mom: "Yes, that's right. You have another option, you know. You can stay at home and not go anywhere if you keep pushing the point."
Dramatic exit by Farm Daughter follows....)

Plans for later on: A big pot of soup...cornbread....a good movie....and a fire, if I can scrounge up some wood from the barn.

TODAY'S WALK

A classic winter snowfall has left the farm blanketed in white. When I set out for a morning walk, the corgis, Loonis, and Cato decided to come along. Loonis made it as far as the entrance to the back field when she decided she would be inconvenienced by the little balls of snow clinging to her lustrous coat. At that point, she gave up on the idea of a walk and returned to the house.

Annie and Molly, however, couldn't wait to get out in the field, and they got silly like they used to when they were puppies. Molly took a snow bath and rolled around in a big drift for about five minutes while chubby, sweet Annie chugged along behind me, not venturing too far from the path. Cato, farm clown, flitted all over the place, chasing the snow he kicked up as he ran. He overflowed with "ornery-ness" as he ambushed Annie and Molly when they failed to notice him camoflauged in the snow and broom sage. He'd pounce on them from behind, jump in the air, spin around and run like the dickens when they turned around to see what had grabbed them in the butt.

The bird feeders are a whirl of activity this morning. Cardinals, blue jays, mourning doves, titmice, chickadees, juncos, and all sorts of finches are devouring our bird seed at a rate of about 25 lbs. every three days. The male cardinals and blue jays stay in constant competition for "¿Quién es más macho?" while the rest of the birds pig out. Their testosterone-inspired feeder wars are really quite humorous, especially since the rest of the birds could give a flip about who wins. They're too busy cracking the sunflower seeds and flying to and from the feeders.

Deer and raccoon tracks dot the back field, and I think I might have spotted a coyote's trail into the back woods. The creek in the back woods is frozen over enough for me to "skate" on, and as I stood in the silence by my "thinking tree" back there, my thoughts were accompanied by the falling shavings from the drilling of a red-bellied woodpecker just above my head.

Cato taking a rest in his snow blanket
The only side of the barn that hasn't lost boards

The quiet of a snowy winter day is one of the most peaceful "sounds" I know. My dad used to tell me to listen to it closely and not let my presence disturb the silence. So today, with Papa's words in mind and with the crows hovering around, I sank into the quiet, and I'm smiling big time!

NO, I DON'T WANT TO MOVE BACK TO THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE WINTER

The answer's fairly obvious.....

ARCTIC CLIPPER ON THE WAY

Every weather forecaster on every channel has made it clear...We're headed for cold, cold weather....cold weather like in the single digits with windchill temps below zero !!

In a nutshell: *&^#@ !!!!!.

BRRRRRRRRRRRR !!!!!!!!!

NEW TOY AT THE FARM

I took the plunge...And, I'll pat myself on the back for some savvy price comparison / sale shopping, finding no interest for 18 months on the purchase, and keeping the total just under what I had in mind! Eliza and I are celebrating the installation of a new 37" Samsung HDTV (see photo). Craig and Buddy, two young guys from the installation company who obviously had a little hangover going (but were very nice and competent), just completed placing the TV on the wall beside the fireplace in the big room. The folks from the cable company will be here next Saturday, and then, we'll be totally set to go. For now, Eliza and I will watch movies.

One of the requirements for the TV was that it fit underneath the quilt that has hung on the wall there for years because I'm having somewhat of a challenge with the idea that a TV has invaded my big room AND I really love my quilt in that spot. It works (!), and when the TV's not in use, it'll be out of sight. YEAH !!

Only one glitch...The DVD player I purchased along with the TV is officially "dead out of the box," so I'm off to Circuit City for a replacement. Normally, I wouldn't be so immediate in making the exchange, BUT I want to watch The Dude ( from The Big Lebowski) this afternoon to christen our new "toy."

Visualize The Farm Mom sitting on the couch in the big room, sipping her tea and knitting while the Antiques Road Show, The Daily Show, Jay Leno, or a movie plays in high definition on the wall ... There's a fire in the fireplace...kitties and dogs asleep all around... snow's blowing and the winter winds howl outside.

Norman Rockwell painting??? Christmas card photo??? Farm comfort at its best...!
____________________________________________

Addendum 6 hours later: The "dead out of the box" DVD has been replaced with an upgraded "live out of the box" DVD player for the same cost as the first since I was adamant about NOT bringing home a replacement in a box that had been opened and obviously very shabbily taped back together.

As I write this, five of Eliza's friends are watching The Dude and munching on Farm Mom's famous popcorn. YEAH !!! I think we're good to go!

BONNES NOUVELLES: L'INSPECTEUR CLOUSEAU ARRIVE DANS UN MOIS

Drum roll, s'il vous plait.....L'Inspecteur Clouseau returns to the big screen on February 6th, and as one of the world's greatest Clouseau fans, I'm pretty stoked! It's been a LONG wait since Clouseau and his new sidekick, Gendarme Gilbert Ponton, solved the mystery of the disappearance of the Pink Panther diamond, much to the dismay of Chief Inspecteur Dreyfus.

For a sneak preview of the new movie, click here. And, for the official Pink Panther 2 website, do the clicky thing here.

I'm sure I'll see the movie multiple times, and perhaps one of those times will be with YOU, beloved readers of Namasté! Be prepared to laugh!! En garde, mes amis!!

THE CAST: (Actor followed by role)

Steve Martin : Inspector Jacques Clouseau

John Cleese : Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus

Jean Reno: Gendarme Gilbert Ponton

Emily Mortimer : Nicole Nuveau

Andy García: Inspector Vicenzo Brancaleone

Alfred Molina : Chief Inspector Randall Pepperidge

Aishwarya Rai : Sonia

Yuki Matsuzaki : Kenji Mazuto

Jeremy Irons: Alonso Avellaneda

Johnny Halliday : Laurence Millikin

Lily Tomlin : Yvette Berenger

Molly Sims : Marguerite

BACK AT WORK: COMMENTS FROM OFFICE 237

" T, so you mind if I close the door? I'm about this close to crying...I mean really, the tears are right about here," said Mary Ann to Tanya as she pointed to her eyeballs.

"Why can't I ever find a pen that works? All these pens are useless. You'd think we'd have some pens in this office..I have no pens! ...Oh wait, there's one!! I found one, one pen that'll write," said Tanya, who was about five minutes late to meet her first class of the quarter.

"So much for light, love, and laughter, baby. That's what I WAS all about this year!" Mary Ann announced as she denounced her less-than-week-old 2009 words of the year.

"Can you believe it? Five students walked into class 30 minutes late because they were waiting in the wrong room...in the wrong building! Sheesh...Looks like it's gonna be a winning quarter," Tanya observed.

MANIFESTO: THE MAD FARMER LIBERATION FRONT

BY: Wendell Berry

(Sent to me on FaceBook by Sally Johnson...Considerations on the New Year from her.)

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,
vacation with pay. Want more
of everything ready-made. Be afraid
to know your neighbors and to die.

And you will have a window in your head.
Not even your future will be a mystery
any more. Your mind will be punched in a card
and shut away in a little drawer.

When they want you to buy something
they will call you. When they want you
to die for profit they will let you know.
So, friends, every day do something
that won't compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.

Denounce the government and embrace
the flag. Hope to live in that free
republic for which it stands.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance, for what man
has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.

Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.
Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.

Listen to carrion -- put your ear close,
and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.
So long as women do not go cheap
for power, please women more than men.

Ask yourself: Will this satisfy a woman
satisfied to bear a child?
Will this disturb the sleep of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.
Lie down in the shade. Rest your head
in her lap. Swear allegiance
to what is nighest your thoughts.

As soon as the generals and the politicos
can predict the motions of your mind,
lose it. Leave it as a sign
to mark the false trail, the way
you didn't go.

Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.

THE VOID

I just watched Samuel hop in Papa's old 1991 black Toyota truck and head out the driveway on his way back to North Carolina. It's been a year since he was last home, and the days he's been here seem so few...certainly not enough to satisfy his mom, who loves to have her children at home, at The Farm, with her....

We're all off in our own directions again....

LoriBeth flew back to Maui yesterday morning...

Brett and Betsy should have arrived in Bulgaria by now....

Holiday decorations still adorn the house; however, the drooping boughs on the Christmas tree signal it's time to get it down soon and pack away the angels and Santas who take their places around the house once a year....

Eliza and I are at home alone, wrestling with the thought that tomorrow we start our routine again...and Samuel goes back to work....and Brett and Betsy return to their classes.....and Lori'll be flitting all around Maui....and another year begins anew.

Blessings to all.....

GOOD KIDS

As with all families, we have our differences, and not every moment together is perfect, but I do think these guys share a solid love and respect that will allow them to remain closely connected at the heart and celebrate each other forever - wherever they are, whatever they're doing, whenever they need the other. Such is my hope and prayer for them.

This is my favorite 2008 holiday photo.