She went to North Carolina
November 9, 2012 § 2 Comments
The idea of it kept coming up. So I went.
There are cows in North Carolina!
Also, there are lakes and beaches.
Water is very, very important, you know.
I wonder what was here?
I stayed with my friend Carrie in such a pretty neighborhood in the middle of Raleigh, inside the beltline. Tall trees and beautiful houses.
Tres charmant. Wouldn’t you feel cozy here?
I now know what they mean by southern comfort, southern charm, and southern hospitality. I went, I wandered, I saw what I needed to (though I didn’t get to visit the farm with Percherons. Oh, well.). I was so busy driving and looking and trying not to get lost (some of us still stubbornly refuse GPS and smartphones) that of course I didn’t snap enough pictures.
But I did get a full helping of red brick buildings, white steeples, historic paths, and a good barefoot run across that white sand beach of Jordan Lake. I jumped in on a sustainable-friends potluck and I visited Piedmont Biofuels (and met Lyle Estill, author of Small is Possible). I tried not to laugh at the accents (but usually failed to keep back a smile.) I ate well (thanks to Carrie, several food co-ops, and Anna’s Pizzeria) and drove a Fiat and learned a little more about this part of the country. What an interesting place.
What is a Blue Moon?
August 31, 2012 § Leave a comment
from The Farmers’ Almanac
For more than half a century, whenever two full Moons appeared in a single month (which happens on average every 2 1/2 to 3 years), the second has been christened a “Blue Moon.” In our lexicon, we describe an unusual event as happening “Once in a Blue Moon.” This expression was first noted back in 1821 and refers to occurrences that are uncommon, though not truly rare.
On past occasions, usually after vast forest fires or major volcanic eruptions, the Moon has reportedly taken on a bluish or lavender hue. Soot and ash particles, propelled high into the Earth’s atmosphere, can sometimes make the Moon appear bluish.
Why “Blue” Moon? For the longest time nobody knew exactly why the second full Moon of a calendar month was designated as a Blue Moon. Read the rest.
Mosaic
March 7, 2012 § Leave a comment
On Saturday, my family and I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art. This mosaic, which hangs in a hallway and which we almost sauntered right past, was created in Syria around 4 or 5 A.D. In another room we saw a statue from several centuries B.C. I have been to many museums and marveled at much art. Still these things sort of stop me in my tracks. First: it is amazing that they are so very old, and have somehow managed to last until today, and even found homes in the Midwestern United States. Second: it is a wonderful thing that art in itself is so timeless, so instinctive, and so intrinsic to humanity. That in all times and cultures it has sprung forth. Yes. Art matters.
A cup of coffee and a flake of hay
January 23, 2012 § 2 Comments
Photo Credit: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(… would, I think, be appreciated.)
Kinds of Honey 