Walk With Me Wednesday

November 25, 2020 By Carole

The weather last Sunday was not ideal for getting out, it was raw and cloudy. And we went for a walk anyway. First, because it gives me blog fodder. Second, because it’s good to get moving. Third, because we’re enjoying finding new places to go together.

Dale suggested a portion of the rail trail in the next town over and I agreed readily. He’s actually done this walk many times while hunting but it was the first time for me.

I was fascinated by this tree. I think it’s a beech tree and all of those knots are amazing. Maybe a little creepy, too? Definitely cool. Not cool was the sofa that someone had dumped next to it.

Not surprisingly, there were cairns. I think we see these more often than not and I love the reminder that someone else walked here . . . someone who took the time to gather stones and pile them up . . . someone who is saying hello . . . look at this and be present.

In this week of amplifying gratitude, I am grateful for these walks with Dale.

Thanksgiving Week . . . With Pie

November 24, 2020 By Carole

The decision has been made with regards to pie. There will be 3. And they will be full sized. As cute as those little pies are I worry that they will be . . . fussy to make and more challenging than just following my usual pie formula. So, later today I will make 2 sets of pie dough instead of my usual 5. And tomorrow I will make a pumpkin, a mincemeat, and a cranberry pecan. In the spirit of pie, I found this poem to share with you. I think the title couldn’t be more appropriate because pie = perfection!

Perfect for Any Occasion

Pies have a reputation.
And it’s immediate—no talk of potential

Regarding a pie. It’s good
Or it isn’t, but mostly it is—sweet, very sweet

Right then, right there, blue and red.
It can’t go to junior college,

Work hard for the grades,
Work two jobs on the side.

It can’t slowly build a reputation
And a growing client base.

A pie gets one chance
And knows it, wearing as makeup

Those sparkling granules of sugar,
As a collar those diamond cutouts

Bespeaking Fair Day, felicity, contentment.
I tell you everything is great, says a pie,

Great, and fun, and fine.
And you smell nice, too, someone says.

A full pound of round sound, all ahh, all good.
Pies live a life of applause.

But then there are the other pies.
The leftover pies. The ones

Nobody chooses at Thanksgiving.
Mincemeat? What the hell is that? people ask,

Pointing instead at a double helping of Mr.
“I-can-do-no-wrong” pecan pie.

But the unchosen pies have a long history, too.
They have plenty of good stories, places they’ve been—

They were once fun, too—
But nobody wants to listen to them anymore.

Oh sure, everybody used to love lard,
But things have changed, brother—things have changed.

That’s never the end of the story, of course.
Some pies make a break for it—

Live underground for a while,
Doing what they can, talking fast,

Trying to be sweet pizzas, if they’re lucky.
But no good comes of it. Nobody is fooled.

A pie is a pie for one great day. Last week,
It was Jell-O. Tomorrow, it’ll be cake.

Walk With Me Wednesday

November 18, 2020 By Carole

I’m happy to tell you that the weather cooperated and we were able to get out last Sunday for a walk and some forest bathing.

A few weeks ago I spotted a sign for a trail behind the historical museum in a nearby town. We started there.

It’s a lovely little road paved with fallen trees.

And some buildings at the end, including this old blacksmith’s shop.

Also? Very short. Very very short. So we went on the search for someplace more . . . extensive . . . to walk. We wound up at a local Mass Wildlife spot and took a walk around some abandoned cranberry bogs.

The colors are gone and it’s mostly brown now but the winterberry was vibrant! It stood out in big patches across the fields and bogs and, while I tried to capture photos that really showed it, this one is the best I got.

The forecast is looking hopeful for this Sunday, too, and I’m already contemplating where we should go!

Saturdays Are For Poetry

November 14, 2020 By Carole

This week’s poem is Try to Praise the Mutilated World by Adam Zagajewski, a Polish poet known for combining the historical and political with the spiritual. This poem is a beautiful reminder that things can be terrible and wonderful at the same time.

Try to Praise the Mutilated World

BY ADAM ZAGAJEWSKI
TRANSLATED BY CLARE CAVANAGH

Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June’s long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You’ve seen the refugees going nowhere,
you’ve heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth’s scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the gray feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.

On Veteran’s Day

November 11, 2020 By Carole

*photo credit to Crystal Clear Photography*

Later this morning I will be giving a speech on our Town Common. There won’t be a ceremony but it will be recorded and shared by our local cable company. I thought you might like to read what I’m going to say . . .

Greetings from the Board of Selectmen! It gives me great pleasure to wish the men and women of our country who served in our armed forces a Happy Veteran’s Day. Veteran’s Day looks a lot different this year than it has in the past but our appreciation for your sacrifice is as deep as ever. While we can’t gather to celebrate your service due to safety measures, thanks to creativity and modern technology, we can still honor our nation’s heroes.
I am not someone who has served in the military and I recognize that means I cannot fully understand the sacrifices our veterans have made. I don’t know what it takes to have the courage to leave home, to give up my personal freedom to follow a command, to be willing to sustain physical injury and emotional turmoil for the sake of people I don’t even know. But what I do know is this: this country would not be what it is were it not for our veterans. And what I want you to know is this: I see you. I honor your humanity. And I extend to you respect and recognition.
And so, on behalf of our town, thank you for your service. The sacrifices you made have given us freedom and security and our gratitude is immeasurable. Your unwavering service in peacetime and war, here in this nation and throughout the world, is respected and remembered and appreciated. Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Happy Veteran’s Day.