Sunday, December 27. 2009
The Holiday Train Show at the NY Botanical Garden runs thru Jan 10.
I am taking the Mrs. down to the Kandinsky show at the Guggenheim today. I am a Kandinsky fan.
I can picture delicious Tautog (Blackfish) out there hanging around in the rocks, wanting and hoping to get caught and eaten on a nice warm platter - but Capt. Tom has gone south for Christmas - or maybe for the mid-winter - and I would guess that his boats up here are out of the water.
Update: Snow is melting today
Friday, December 25. 2009
 Our Christmas holiday, or feast day, or Holy Day, is a stew of thousands of years of solstice festivals with plenty of ancient gods in the mix.
Indeed, Christmas' pagan ancestry is just one reason Puritan (Congregationalist) Protestants made it a crime to celebrate it. (Another was that it was a Roman Catholic feast day.)
Here's the history of Christmas tree ornaments.
Here's Is Christmas a pagan holiday?
This Christmas Tree History site recalls:
The Puritans banned Christmas in New England. Even as late as 1851, a Cleveland minister nearly lost his job because he allowed a tree in his church. Schools in Boston stayed open on Christmas Day through 1870, and sometimes expelled students who stayed home.
The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal.
That is good marketing.
Readers know that I love Christmas for all of its historical and current pagan, secular, and religious meanings.
I spent Christmas Eve, as usual, with dear friends and family - and candlelight at church. That is all magical for me and my family. We try not to over-spend.
May yours be merry and bright.
A photog friend was skiing at Pico and Killington last week (thanks to global cooling) and took this snap. He didn't see the message until he got home.
The Lord is like that often, in my life. I miss Him and His blessing when he is right in front of me. Blind, but then I see...
(By the way, did you notice the Pileated Woodpecker holes in that tree?)
Tuesday, December 22. 2009
You would think that a farm barn is a farm barn is a farm barn, but it's not true. There are significant differences between regions and even countries.
In colonial New England, farmers naturally adopted the "English" style barn - basically a square framed box with a moderate pitched roof. It was not easily adaptable and eventually the "New England" barn evolved which was adaptable and expandable. Sadly, a lot of these barns no longer exist.
The Brunn Barn was one of the early progenitors of the "New England Barn" and has an interesting history in that it - well, no other way to put it - was "lost" for a while. Originally, the barn sat on the Brunn property which changed hands. The barn was moved to a different location on Butts Road near what was then Annhurst College (now the Woodstock Middle School and Hyde School complex) where it sat for most of the better part of hundred and fifty years. It was used as a general purpose storage building and even then, it didn't get much use. So it effectively was lost as everybody just thought it was an old building left hanging on eventually deemed a "hazard" and subject to razing - the building had fallen into some disrepair and externally was covered with tar paper shingles.
As it happened, Dr. George Looby, a large animal vet was looking for a barn for use as an agricultural exhibit for the antique tractor and farm equipment section of the Fair. This building was mentioned as a possible candidate and when Dr. Looby investigated, he discovered its history. It is built using the "scribe rule framing" post and beam construction technique - every mortise and tenon joint is unique to that joint only - they are not interchangeable as they would be in square rule framing. Scribe rule was the hallmark of New England Barns of the time period.
The Brunn Barn was moved to the Fair grounds and restored to its original condition. It now houses the mechanical and operations agricultural exhibition of the Woodstock Fair presenting the equipment and tools of the time period in which it was built.
Sunday, December 20. 2009
The bulk of the snow fell south of New England, but I think we have enough here to last through Christmas.
Lots more Christmas weekend random photos below the fold -
A tree late last night -
More below -
Continue reading "First half-decent snowfall, plus random New England snow photos"
Author David Foster Wallace (whose books I have never read) talked about Life and Work to the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College. Mr. Wallace, 46, committed suicide in the fall, 2008.
One quote from his speech:
The capital-T Truth is about life before death. It is about making it to 30, or maybe 50, without wanting to shoot yourself in the head. It is about simple awareness -- awareness of what is so real and essential, so hidden in plain sight all around us, that we have to keep reminding ourselves, over and over: "This is water, this is water."
It is unimaginably hard to do this, to stay conscious and alive, day in and day out.
The speech, it seems to me, is more the cry of a haunted midlife soul than something that eager and freshly-scrubbed college grads could use or even hear. In addition to a shrink, it sounds like the guy lacked God in his life. That quote reminded me of Zevon's Detox Mansion:
...it's tough to be somebody
And it's hard not to fall apart
Up here on Rehab Mountain
We gonna learn these things by heart.
"Norman Maclean, the great Montana writer, had a worse experience. He complained that an editor turned down his masterpiece, “A River Runs Through It,” because it had too many trees in it."
Quoted from the NYT on the 16th
Photo yesterday morning, before the snow.
Friday, December 18. 2009
A Bird Dog pup took an oath today. He took a vow this past summer, so he is now up to his ears in oaths and vows.
I looked up the etymology of "oath," which I rightly suspected to be of Scandinavian origin:
OATH, a solemn vow. (E.) M. E. ooth, oth; Chaucer, C. T. 120.—A. S. áð, Grein, i. 17; the change from á to oa being regular, as in ác, oak, ár, oar. + Du. eed. + Icel. eiðr. + Dan. and Swed. ed. + Goth. aiths. + G. eid; O. H. G. eit. ?. The Teut. type is AITHA; Fick, iii. 4; allied to O. Irish oeth, oath (Rhys); cf. W. an-ud-on, a false oath, perjury.
Here's "vow:"
The word vow (oath, assure) comes from the Latin voveo (I vow), which derives from the Greek verb ?????? (to assure, to promise with certainty; veveo).
I wonder how much our culture takes oaths and vows seriously in modern times. I like to think that I take all of my promises with the greatest seriousness - but don't we all?
When I think about it, the person to whom I have broken the most promises is myself.
In CT last week. A stacked-rail fence, I think - but maybe it's a zigzag fence:
Thursday, December 17. 2009
Christmas book? NRO reminds us of Florence King's collection of columns, STET, damnit. One quote:
The draft produced the kind of men that today's girls have never known, and relations between the sexes were better for it. What sticks in my mind about them is their self-sufficiency and competence in fixing things that broke and figuring out solutions to emergencies. Thanks to the draft I belong to the last generation of American women who could scream "Do something!" and get results. Most of my men were intellectuals, but they had been taught in basic traning to change a tire in 90 seconds, rig up electrical wiring, tie knots that stayed tied, and take a rifle apart and reassemble it while blindfolded. This last was never necessary in civilian life, but it made for a self-assured deftness that was awesome.
Except for a supply for starter logs under the eaves, I like to keep my firewood wet and out in the weather. I go through around 4-5 cords each season (which isn't much), but it's enough to keep my home fires burning.
Dry wood makes for a dramatic, short-lived blaze, but it will not smolder and produce the slow heat and the slow burn, the popping, and the flickering flames I want.
I like to see a little steam and wet ooze from my wood, not a flash in the pan.
The Canadian version has the old tune, good pics:
Wednesday, December 16. 2009
Pop culture and politics. Driscoll on Guido Beach Meets The Great Relearning. Culture from the bottom, up?
The Underarm Thermometer sales gal. Borderline safe for work.
If those guys at East Anglia had thought of this temperature trick, nobody would be giving them any grief.
Sorry, this was shut down. We'll try to find it again -
Woodstock, CT has always held a certain pride in the education of its children from colonial days to the present. Higher education beyond the basics of readin', writin' and 'rithmetic wasn't a staple of affluent farming communities during those times and Woodstock was somewhat unique in supplying the opportunity to colonial children. The "high" professions of religion, medicine and politics required a larger perspective on the world and the citizens of Woodstock provided that opportunity - mostly under the instruction of various religious and university educated leaders of the community.
As the town expanded and became more populous, the need for an organized "high" school became apparent. On January 12th, 1801 the town leadership "granted provision to build an academy on the North side of Town Common" and $100 was collected from 32 leaders of the community to build the facility.
Farmers from around the area supplied the appropriate amount of white oak and the raising was quite the social event. On Feburary 2nd, 1802, the building was opened for operation under the guidance of Preceptor Thomas Williams of Pomfret, CT.
Over the years, Woodstock Academy has both prospered and fallen on hard times. In the downturn of 1860, the original building was razed, basic post/beam construction saved and this building was it's replacement. Henry Bowen (remember him - Pink House?) donated $5,000 of the $20,000 raised and the rest is, as they say, history. Yale University had an interest in the operating of Woodstock Academy for many years (up until WWII) and supplied many of its original Preceptors and Instructors.
Woodstock Academy, while considered by the state as a public high school, is actually a private non-profit institution governed by a Board of Directors and operates outside the governance of the Woodstock Board of Education. It is considered a "free academy" - the only other similar institution in the US is also located in Connecticut, the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, CT.
Tuesday, December 15. 2009
Woodstock, CT, last week:
Monday, December 14. 2009
A practical Christmas.
Around here, the son and heir needs a new business suit or two from J. Press, and some new dress work shoes like these from Nordstroms. He is supposed to look professional at work. Suits only, it seems. J. Press or Brooks are always ok unless you work at Goldman. Those oxford shoes from Nordstrom's are great, very comfortable shoes for the price. I have a pair of em in brown which had been hiding in the back of the closet, but there are plenty of custom hand-made Italian- or Brit-shoe snobs around here who would only wear such things on rainy days. Not me. They are plenty good enough for me.
Decent shoes, if you have a few of them, last at least half a lifetime (or until gravity broadens your footsies and the old shoes don't fit). The lad could also use a pair of classic Brooks' tassel loafers too, but Santa is on a budget. Santa will try to help a little bit, but a fellow's permanent professional wardrobe is built over time. Fortunately for most guys, fashion doesn't play a role in it. What was appropriate from Brooks Brothers in 1960 is about right today in most work settings.
Me? I should dress well for work, but I can't be bothered anymore. A character flaw maybe, but I just got tired of it.
Who among our readers knows what "Shoes for Industry" refers to? Or, I should say, "to what 'Shoes for Industry' refers." And, in passing, where the heck do those " s belong? Inside or outside the . s?
Sunday, December 13. 2009
Matthew 18:20
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."
Yes, there is a dusting of snow:
Saturday, December 12. 2009
 In the WSJ: Deconstructing TV's No. 1 Show - 'NCIS' isn't young, hip or edgy, it just has the most viewers.
I watch it because I love Abby.
Friday, December 11. 2009
 The lists coming in to Santa this year seem to be more about work needs than personal wants. That's what happens as kids grow a bit older. It's more fun to surprise a kid with stuff they never thought of, but first things first.
The Hurricane daughter needs a new Armani business suit or two (as in photo). Armani is made for her (or vice versa), and she is expected to be well put-together at work in NYC.
Santa cannot do everything, but he can try to do a little, depending on what space is left on his Mastercard.
This year, Santa definitely needs the help of his cute nsfw elves (pictured below the fold).
Continue reading "Need, not want or wish for"
Thursday, December 10. 2009
Another in Captain Tom's photo series on his home town -
The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was established in 1860 for the purpose of encouraging the local and national agricultural community to organize to protect their interests. The Grange was originally modeled along the lines of Freemasonry with ritual, degrees of advancement, secret words and handshakes and closed membership meetings. It wasn't unusual for granges and lodges to have interlocking leadership. Where The Grange differed was that it had open membership - women, men and children over the age of 14 were encouraged to join.
The Senexet Grange #40, Woodstock, CT was established in 1901. Built entirely of fieldstone, it sits on its original location. The membership is still active (a lot of granges have since been disbanded) organizing holiday pie sales (absolutely the best apple pies and peach cobbler I have ever had - sorry Mrs. Francis, but it's true), an annual bluegrass festival which attracts musicians and performers from around New England, tag sales, and has a booth at the local Woodstock Fair. The proceeds go to various projects, the most interesting is the annual dictionary donation to the Elementary School third grade.
Tuesday, December 8. 2009
 This silly thing is going around the email circuit, so I guess we can use it here:
"The good news is that I truly outdid myself this year with my Christmas decorations. The bad news is that I had to take them down after 2 days ... First, the cops advised me that my clever display would cause traffic accidents as they themselves almost wrecked when they first drove by. Secondly, an old lady grabbed the 75-pound ladder and almost killed herself by climbing to the top (she was not happy). She was one of many people who attempted to do that. My yard couldn't take it either. I have more than a few tire tracks where people literally drove into my yard."
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