Miss Emily | As if some little Arctic flower

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As if some little Arctic flower
Upon the polar hem—
Went wandering down the Latitudes
Until it puzzled came
To continents of summer—
To firmaments of sun—
To strange, bright crowds of flowers—
And birds, of foreign tongue!
I say, As if this little flower
To Eden, wandered in—
What then? Why nothing,
Only, your inference therefrom!

—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886; written c. 1860, first published 1890)

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Wanted: An Illustrator

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Chicken World E. Boyd Smith (1910)
Whys and Wherefores William Dodge Lewis and Albert Lindsay Rowland (1930)
The Progressive Road to Reading Book Two Georgina Burchill, William L. Ettinger, and Edgar Dubs Shimer (1909)
Gilbert and Bebe Daughter C (a few years ago)
Missy & Rocky On the Road Again Daughter C (2013?)

She’d be perfect, don’t you think?

Boys! Boys! Boys!

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Teen Scene 1001 Groovy Hints and Tips (1970)

Page 11:

“If you follow only one rule, let it be this one. Be yourself. The really strong boy-girl relationships are based on what people really are, not what they pretend to be.”

Page 13:

“If you’ve got a car, a scooter or a bike, play damsel in distress and ask his advise on some mechanical thingamajig.”

Page 13:

“Most boys hate sarcasm in a girl. You may be a quick wit with your girl friends, but cool it when he’s around.”

Page 16:

“Know enough about sports to keep up a conversation with boys, but don’t know more than they do.”

But by all means, be yourself!

Guide to Daily Reading | Decombobulation

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I don’t know what happened but somewhere along the line this week the days got mixed up. No. I got the days mixed up. I shall correct.

Yesterday, the 17th, we turned the page.

It does not matter how many, but how good, books you have.

Seneca

I feel as if there should be a better translation but I can’t find one. Let us move forward.

Today in the year 1709 Dr. Samuel Johnson was born.

That’s sort of funny because Dr. Johnson wasn’t born. Samuel Johnson was born but Dr. was conferred.

Daily Reading

  • Macaulay’s Dr. Samuel Johnson

This is Macaulay’s (1831) review of Boswell’s Life of Johnson. I’m sure it exists somewhere but I can’t quickly find it.

The first few pages are about Boswell and I may go back and read them more carefully some other time. They’re pretty descriptive and funny, too.

“That such a man [Boswell] should have written one of the best books in the world is strange enough. But this is not all. Many persons who have conducted themselves foolishly in active life … have written valuable books. … But these men attained eminence in spite of their weaknesses. Boswell attained it by reason of his weaknesses. If he had not been a great fool, he never would have been a great writer.”

Macaulay has his opinions.

Stay well. Be safe. Keep Reading!

Crappy Old Shiny Things!

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Russell’s Warehouse Antiques & Estate Jewelry, Greenwood, Mississippi.

That is a hand cut crystal punch bowl adorned with sterling silver sitting on a three piece mirror and sterling tray set. The the ladle is also sterling and crystal. You cannot tell me that the entire set up wouldn’t look simply beautiful on my dining room table this holiday season, can you? Didn’t think so.

The punch bowl is $3495.00. Can’t remember what the tray set was priced.

There were a lot of shiny things. I liked the sterling punch bowl set, too. Only snapped a pic of the round tray because one just like it is sitting underneath the silver chaffing dish in my silver cupboard.

You can imagine that once Russell discovered we had an interest in all of his crappy old shiny stuff, and sort of knew what we were talking about, he was keen to chat!

Mother of Pearl

I spied this but didn’t know what it was. Russell did not make us guess, as he later did with the silver leg of lamb holder! It is a caviar spreader. Apparently caviar and silver do not react well together. And so silver makers started making caviar spreaders from mother of pearl. Now we know.

Yes. We bought it. Who doesn’t need a single mother of pearl caviar spreader?

I love caviar.

Miss Emily | On such a night, or such a night

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On such a night, or such a night,
Would anybody care
If such a little figure
Slipped quiet from its chair—

So quiet—Oh how quiet,
That nobody might know
But that the little figure
Rocked softer—to and fro—

On such a dawn, or such a dawn—
Would anybody sigh
That such a little figure
Too sound asleep did lie

For Chanticleer to wake it—
Or stirring house below—
Or giddy bird in orchard—
Or early task to do?

There was a little figure plump
For every little knoll—
Busy needles, and spools of thread—
And trudging feet from school—

Playmates, and holidays, and nuts—
And visions vast and small—
Strange that the feet so precious charged
Should reach so small a goal!

—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886; written c. 1859, first published 1891)

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Found in Greenwood, Mississippi: The Truth

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Turnrow Book Co.

Nice. Lots of Delta stuff of course. Wonderful Kids Section. Found something for our grandson, ‘Phen.

Linch cafe and coffee shop upstairs.

What we were hoping for

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Oyster Trio App

The restaurant at the Alluvian, Giardina, is well known— and rightly so.

Weather last evening was perfect so we wandered down to the Courtyard and looked at the menu online. Settled on three apps, a salad, and wine.

Oyster Trio. Mini Catfish Cakes. Cajun Shrimp and Grits. Giardina’s Salad.

Called it in and they did a right proper room service.

I am a fan of decanters.

Best First hotel room service we’ve had in … I have no idea.

Guide to Daily Reading

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Baptized this day in 1685 John Gay.

Born this day in 1861 Charles Battell Loomis.

Born this day in 1880 Alfred Noyes.

That infallible source: “John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist and member of the Scriblerus Club.” And it sounds as if he was something of a spendthrift. Pals with Alexander Pope.

I’m all for being economical with words but this is going a bit too far, don’t you think?

I see. In approximately the same number of words my crappy old books indicate that he was a humorist.

Alfred Noyes? TIS: “Alfred Noyes CBE (16 September 1880 – 25 June 1958)[3] was an English poet, short-story writer and playwright.” Though there’s quite a bit more about his life and work.

Daily Reading

O-U-G-H from the linked site:

Composed well over a century ago, this bit of light verse by Charles Battell Loomis nicely illustrates the vagaries of English spelling and pronunciation. Here’s how the poem “O-U-G-H” was introduced in an issue of The Indiana School Journal in 1894:

But you really don’t have to write anything on the board. Just try reading it aloud.

There you have it. You know the drill.

Not what we had planned

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Lobby of style Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood, Mississippi

That’s a famous Bill Dunlap painting. Everyone in Mississippi knows where you are when you snap this pic.

We had planned—and indeed executed the start of the plan so well that we left the Farm at 12:12– to drive to Clarksdale, enjoy some time in The Loft suite, order takeout from a good Mississippi cooking restaurant, and then tomorrow do some strolling around and go to the Blues Museum.

Once we got to Clarksdale, we took a look around, gave it the benefit of the doubt, looked around again, and began to address the what-do-you-want-to-do-? problem. Next thing you know Mr. Big Food was getting directions to The Alluvian. And then next thing you know he was booking a suite.

Τhe Viking store and cooking school are across the street. I’ve heard Viking isn’t as good as it once was, but it’s still fun to look at.

View of the Alluvian Courtyard

A much nicer view than Downtown Clarksdale.

Miss Emily | Have you got a Brook in your little heart–

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Have you got a Brook in your little heart,
Where bashful flowers blow,
And blushing birds go down to drink,
And shadows tremble so—

And nobody knows, so still it flows,
That any brook is there,
And yet your little draught of life
Is daily drunken there—

Why, look out for the little brook in March,
When the rivers overflow,
And the snows come hurrying from the fills,
And the bridges often go—

And later, in August it may be—
When the meadows parching lie,
Beware, lest this little brook of life,
Some burning noon go dry!

—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886; written c. 1859, first published 1890)

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Guide to Daily Reading | No comment edition

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Daily Readings

The Solitary Reaper

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

RTWT

3% Sympathetic for Starkvegas

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The Pop Porium, Main Street, Starkvegas

Eight-five (85) flavors of popcorn. Sweets, too!

There’re new signs on Main Street: “10 minute curbside pickup.” And a cop on his scooter thing tagging rear tires with some magic fairy dust to apprehend offeners.

Also new in Starkvegas– increased sales tax. I don’t like the idea but am sympathetic– sort of. I don’t know how sales tax works in other states but in Mississippi eighteen and one half percent (18.5%) of the 7% state sales tax is “diverted” back to the municipality in which it was collected. Starkville ended the fiscal year (which starts in July) with a 1.6% shortfall compared to 2019, about $110,000. So the powers that be added another three percent onto the sales tax. Diversions to Starkville are now up 6.8% through August.

The three percent increase in Starkvegas is no doubt intended to put a bandaid on the coming blood bath. Last year September’s diversion was $658,313. If you do the math, that represents the sale of $52,200,000 worth of goods and services within the city limits of Starkvegas. It’s more than December, 2019. (And remember, MSU is its own entity. It’s not part of town. It gets its own diversion. It ended the year down ~17%.) So while sales are up July-August– the two months where folks could start doing things– business is likely to crater this fall.

Small example. Remember when we did four or five Arts & Sciences Tailgates each season? Fun times. We– and by we I mean Mr. Big Food and I– did ALL of the cooking. We did almost all of the shopping. We could bring a tailgate for 120 people in for just at or under $500. I doubt too many other tailgates that size– and there were a lot bigger– could do that. So we’re talking, for us alone, $2000-2500 worth of groceries we’re not buying in Starkville. Increase $500 to well over $1000 for a catered tailgate, multiply that by the number of tailgater and home games. We are taking some very serious money.

Those people who are not going to tailgates are also not staying in hotels rooms, eating out, and buying a new State hoodie for $70.

So yeah. I have some sympathy for the city of Starkville. But I am really sorry for the businesses.

Miss Emily | Besides the Autumn poets sing

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Besides the Autumn poets sing
A few prosaic days
A little this side of the snow
And that side of the Haze—

A few incisive Mornings—
A few Ascetic Eves—
Gone—Mr. Bryant’s “Golden Rod”—
And Mr. Thomson’s “sheaves.”

Still, is the bustle in the Brook—
Sealed are the spicy valves—
Mesmeric fingers softly touch
The Eyes of many Elves—

Perhaps a squirrel may remain—
My sentiments to share—
Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind—
Thy windy will to bear!

—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886; c. written 1859, first published 1891)

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Mornin’ Sally!

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Light morning here at Big Food etc. Off to the Bone Doc for X-rays and Pronouncement. And he’d better pronouncement my arm/wrist/hand ready to be cast free on account of the fact that I pronounced it so last week. Wouldn’t want him to disagree with my diagnosis.

Then Starkvegas errands! Yay! The reward? A Plate Lunch at one of Starkvegas’s finest restaurants. To go. Then back to the Farm to prep for the Big Adventure.

Stay tuned. You will not be disappointed. Cross my heart.

Guide to Daily Reading | Everyone’s gotta go

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On this day in 1852 the Duke of Wellington died.

On this day in 1321 Dante died.

Daily Reading

Final verse of On a Bust of Dante

O time! whose verdicts mock our own,
The only righteous judge art thou;
That poor, old exile, sad and lone,
Is Latium’s other Virgil now.
Before his name the nations bow;
His words are parcel of mankind,
Deep in whose hearts, as on his brow,
The marks have sunk of Dante’s mind.

Stay well. Stay safe. Keep reading!

Miss Emily | The Bee is not afraid of me

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The bee is not afraid of me,
I know the butterfly;
The pretty people in the woods
Receive me cordially.

The brooks laugh louder when I come,
The breezes madder play.
Wherefore, mine eyes, thy silver mists?
Wherefore, O summer’s day?

—Emily Dickinson (1830-1886; written c. 1859, first published 1890)

The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

Missy is Appalled

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It began in the 1940s, when “schools unbolted the desks and kids were no longer facing the teacher.” Instead children were divided into small groups and instructed to complete worksheets independently with occasional input from teachers. “That was also when our verbal test scores went down and the relative ranking of our elementary schools declined on a national level.” On the International Adult Literacy Survey, Americans went from being No. 1 for children who were educated in the 1950s to fifth for those in the ’70s and 14th in the ’90s. And things have only gotten worse. Between 2002 and 2015, American schoolchildren went from a ranking of 15th to 24th in reading on the Program for International Student Assessment.

Behind the WSJ paywall, but long excerpt here; My emphases

But you know Missy. She’s not one to sit around complaining. She and her pack are doing something! A few years ago she wrote an epic novel, Vitiosus Canes, Virtutum Actus, to “offer up to children of all species a world of sterling characters, exquisitely crafted dialogs, and soaring adventures.” It was a best seller! [Link goes to Part 4 in the four part series.]

Now, she and her pack– including Tiger the Cat– are starting a school for wild and domestic animals. I myself have been chronicling their efforts in a little volume titled, Miss Missy’s School.

Preview of “Chapter Ten: It’s Parliamentary, Sir,” below the fold.

Continue reading →

See what I mean?

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L. Yesterday evening; R. This morning

US rainfall potential 12 hours apart. I’d call that a considerable change, wouldn’t you?

L. Visible; R. Infrared
Forecast clouds, rain, pressure for this morning
Forecast clouds, rain, pressure for Thursday morning

I will keep an eye on it.