Shiny & New

One admittedly very nice thing about being back in an office as opposed to the farmhand days of the past few years is the ability desire to actually feel a little bit polished.  When I was last working here in the family biz, it felt like most of my days were spent sneaking furtive glances out the window to the world I longed to be a part of.

A few years in the sun's unforgiving glare, the wear on my body and my heart, the sneaking arthritis in my right hand... those and other reasons have shown me that, beyond a certain scale, farming may not be for me.  This new chapter that Christian and I are undertaking... 30 acres, a blank slate, a haven for dogs and all the other animals we love to care for [and consume], that's a space I can see myself inhabiting for the rest of my days.

And that means I get to actually wear "real" clothes [in other words, not my $2 second-hand jeans and the sweatshirt I found in a dumpster on campus back in the day] unless I'm out doing chores or working on a project.  My high heels to muck boots ratio will finally be in balance.

Enchant, stay beautiful and graceful, but do this, eat well. 

Bring the same consideration to the preparation of your food

 as you devote to your appearance.

 Let your dinner be a poem, like your dress.
                                                                               — Charles Pierre Monselet

Wisdom & Gravity

"I'm grateful for our house,

for this cozy bed and covers,

for my friends and for gravity....

ya know mom, with out gravity 

we would be just flying around in the sky...."

                    — G. Cure, age 5

Poems by My Grandfather

I drafted this over a year ago and for some reason never posted it. I'd actually forgotten about it completely till now when I stumbled across it. I would have been four years old in 1991....


My aunt and grandmother have been cleaning house from top to bottom recently, and came across these poems written by my grandfather, a man of few words and big smiles.


Sept. '91

Kate came into
my bedroom to
wake me from a nap.

"Get up - You're a
sleepyhead couch potato"
she said
with a wonderful
smile in her eyes.



[Untitled]

I looked at Jill today
and for some reason thought
"She's Rosie's daughter"
and it pleased me

and I played golf
with nice people
and enjoyed it

and no matter
what happens
in this world

What I enjoyed
on this day
in time and space

Can never be erased.

old haikus

turn off, alarm, please
I need a few more minutes
late to class again

oatmeal, newspapers
wrapped up in my fleece blanket
breezy sunny day

vegetarian
chili and cheez-its for lunch
way way too much salt

I'm falling asleep—
public bureacracy and
EEP again

and now to Udon
for passionfruit with Heather
then maybe Beaners?

our yard looks so strange
naked, no trees, but trucks stuck
Mother Nature wins

homework and Apple
dinner, study group and bed
uneventful life


Hope the open seas
and sushi are good to you
I miss miss miss you!

Tradition and change
passing on the street with barely a hello
that is what the world has come to today
and probably tomorrow too.




note: I found this picture somewhere on the web but I don't remember where... hence the lack of credit where it's due. My apologies.