The Sunday New York Times Magazine devoted their whole 10-10-10 issue to Eating Together. Well, the previous weekend the Heath Gourmet Club celebrated its 29th anniversary --- 29 years of serving ourselves. Michael Pollan wrote about the 36 Hour Dinner Party that he enjoyed with famous chefs and his son in Napa, consuming a whole goat and a lot of really good produce and olive oil. They also had the pleasure of cooking in an outdoor 'cob oven.'…
I was bragging about not having had any frost yet, but when I went out this morning there was frost on the north side of the house. However, just the merest frosty kiss on the south side. Only half the basil hit the dust. I am happy for the cool nights and days which make working outside such a joy. The holiday weekend promised to be beautiful and my son Chris, and son-in-law Gerry, came to help my…
Cindy at My Corner of Katy asks us to post three photos on Thursday. They don't even have to be related. The assumption is they might be related to gardening I suppose and you might wonder what toddler snowsuits have to do with my garden. Well, I consider that my garden includes that most tender crop, all the children of my community. I am very happy that our local independent department store, Wilson's, and my newspaper, The Recorder,…
Richard Richardson turned his grief over the passings of his brother and daughter into a magical garden that is now open to the public. The Three Sisters Sanctuary, right next to Richardson's business Good Time Stoves in Goshen, has been in the making for 18 years. The story of the garden is now told on its own website, along with information about events like concerts and plays, and how you can hold your own event in this amazing…
The children of the Erving Elementary Preschool were so proud of the sunflowers they grew that they sent representatives to the Recorder/Greenfield Garden Club Sunflower Contest in August. When the children returned to Erving they carried back prize ribbons for the heaviest sunflower head and for the third tallest. But their garden is about more than glory. The preschool class of 3 and 4 year olds, led by teacher Mary Glabach with the assistance of Kristin Lilly, Becky…
One of my favorite poets, John Donne, made a little money from time to time writing epithalamions, wedding songs for the nobles who wanted to add a little extra dash to their nuptials. Hiring a poet is all very well, if you don't have a truly talented, loving and insightful friend. Fortunately for our friend Rebecca, one of her best friends wrote and read what I consider an epithalamion at her wedding. I will not give you the…
Thinking there might be a Flower Boy or two, the bride's attendants were billed as Flower Children, but the boys did not appear, or at least not in the procession. I didn't get a photo until they were sitting at the bride and groom's feet as they listened to tales of Amperands, jars of blueberries, roots and fruitfulness, and other things that made the 10 year old boys among the attendees squirm. But to take a step back. When…
More about this beautiful celebration tomorrow, once we have regained our romantic senses.
When photographers ask me the best season for visiting the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, I say there is no Best Season. The joy of the Bridge is the ever changing and ever beautiful array of flowers from April through October. Right now, if you enter the Bridge on the Shelburne side, you will not only have the variety of color and texture on the Bridge, look up and you will see the glory of the hillside…
Lots of sowing was done in the last two years to bring about the harvest of a strong renovated Roundhouse at our wonderful Franklin County Fair. I was glad to be present for the re-dedication - during which many people were thanked, too many to list here, but I was glad that one of my colleagues at The Recoder, Irmarie Jones was thanked for all her help promoting the renovation and fundraising. While the Fair is 162 years…