: A talk with the ancestors Hey, ancestors, I want to talk to you about mom. You all know she’s in assisted living and on …
: Thinking back on my phone call with mom last night, how she was cried, worried she would go to Hell. …
: The Wild Geese From Wendell Berry, The Country of Marriage Horseback on Sunday morning, harvest over, we taste …
: You may have noticed how much I’ve been quoting Patrick Harpur’s Daimonic Reality lately. It’s been …
: Vinegar custard Based on Albert E. Brumley’s All-Day Singin’ and Dinner on the Ground: Traditional Songs and Recipes …
: Many years ago, mom needed some books to fill up her bookshelves so I gave her some that I still had …
: Our mental health crisis Patrick Harpur, Daimonic Reality: Modern depth psychology came about because the daimons would no …
: Two wonderful songs by local folk music legend and forest protector Andy Mahler. 🎵
: The longlivers After my recent post, I decided to look into the context of the Lewis quote on the longaevi from The …
: Me, anytime I have a cold brew coffee. Rachel has listened to an unusually large amount of talk from …
: C.S. Lewis on the longaevi Patrick Harpur, Daimonic Reality: In his book The Discarded Image, C. S. Lewis tries to depict the …
: Lost River country The dark chthonic waters – essentially ancestral waters – rise from the unseen land of the dead into …
: “Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad” is the key to understanding the politics of our …
: I need to get outside today. Rachel and I are going to take a walk this morning, then I’m going to …
: The animism hidden behind cutting edge technology In an echo of Bruno Latour’s “we have never been modern”, David Abram argues “we are still animist.” …
: The future is always unknowable but sometimes its impenetrability is tangible. As I plan for my mom, …
: My responsibility in a full cosmos Robinson Jeffers: As for us: We must uncenter our minds from ourselves; We must unhumanize our …
: One week ago, at about this time of day, our lives went topsy-turvy. I took mom to the ER for …
: Fascinating visualization of the change in how 25-35 year olds use their time over the past century
: The land of God Wendell Berry, “Two Economies”: Some time ago, in conversation with Wes Jackson in which we were …
: Unfolding I write to you from within a constrained world. Caring for my elderly, injured mother, thinking only …
: Now that offices have re-opened, it’s been a day of phone calls and a visit to a new doctor for mom. …
: I’d appreciate prayers, etc., for my mom, Rachel, and me. Mom has been falling increasingly often, …
: Three years ago today I posted on carceral environmentalism and I still like that phrase.
: You say witch and I say UFO I see UFOs are in the news again. I haven’t been paying much attention; I’m waiting for the episodes …
: Me and the robot Today in letting the machines talk to the machines: Copilot just helped me build a process that will …
: A full cosmos On Tuesday evening, Rachel and I were discussing the extent to which members of a certain …
: Meeting the apparitions on their own ground Patrick Harpur, Daimonic Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld … I will be outlining a way of …
: "In an era where everything is bullshit and crime..." This was an off-the-cuff remark I made today, …
: Squirrel in the neighbor’s mulberry tree. Photo by Rachel.
: Today I learned that the East Fork of the White River (which runs south of town) is called …
: The disappearance of Mr. Robert Kirk Andrew Lang’s introduction to The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies: [The author, …
: Gordon: “So a broken heart is also a heart that is breaking open so that it becomes larger, so that …
: Trickster Squirrel George Hansen, The Trickster and the Paranormal: the trickster is a character type found in …
: The rich and powerful used to pose with a hand inside their waistcoat, like Napoleon. Now they pose …
: Godspeed, Gordon This morning I was watching Gordon White’s tribute to the recently-departed Peter Carroll. I’ve …
: The bodies of peasants Patrick Joyce, Remembering Peasants: How little we know about these bodies, these bodies that do …
: The grace of peasants Patrick Joyce, Remembering Peasants: And here we might step back a moment and consider that …
: A game no one wins “The man with an experience is never at the mercy of the man with an argument,” said the Holiness …
: Appalachian beans Having read the beans section of The Foxfire Book of Appalachian Cookery, I went in search of …
: Pete at Just a Few Acres Farm is signing off YouTube. I’m genuinely sad to see him go. Also, …
: Traditional Irish prayer quoted in Remembering Peasants: With the powers that were granted to …
: A culture of centers Patrick Joyce, Remembering Peasants: [In Irish houses of the old style] it is bad manners to knock …
: Prophesy, son of man We were visiting with my in-laws this evening, talking about all sorts of things. Eventually the …
: Not going to be a lot of work on projects this weekend. Yesterday I met up with Todd for lunch in …
: Roadside shrine near Medora, IN
: Drawn to our grandparents A friend recently said that he identifies more with his grandparents than his parents. I agreed, and …
: The peasant home Patrick Joyce, Remembering Peasants: The dwelling is also a constitutive part of the relationship …
: The Magic Mountain Still trawling the archives. I used to have a Buttondown newsletter. The following—a themed issue …
: Rare earth I continue to come across some old drafts as I clean out my Dropbox. Here is a poem that I can’t …
: “A company man for USA, Inc.” I had an old draft that ended with that line but apparently I deleted …
: A land full of people Patrick Joyce, Remembering Peasants: The means of survival is land. Peasants do not see land like …
: I’m moving stuff out of Dropbox so I can stop paying for it. I found this in a drafts folder but I …
: Still listening to the new David Benjamin Blower while cranking through month-end closing today. …
: Stages of Love Everyone knows about child development; adult development is less appreciated. One aspect of adult …
: Pimento cheese Made pimento cheese for a gathering of friends tonight. I’ve always loved pimento cheese but this is …
: I’m not sure how I heard of David Benjamin Blower or when I followed him on Bandcamp but I’m glad …
: "May is Mary's month" Flesh and fleece, fur and feather, Grass and greenworld all together ; Star-eyed strawberry-breasted …
: Wonderful episode of The Emerald: “Carry That Weight: On Mythic Burdens and Cosmic Supports.” If …
: This is the sort of bread Rachel turns out on a random Thursday. She’s gotten so good over the last …
: A quick search of my posts reveals that I am excited at this time every year when the tree frogs …
: Great segment from John Oliver on the continuing dangers of AI around mental health, suicide risk, …
: A really interested tidbit from Joel Salatin about how North America before the Europeans actually …
: CNBC newsletter: Musk’s Tesla is beta testing an in-vehicle version of xAI’s Grok chatbot. First …
: The Louvin Brothers, “Dying from Home, and Lost.” The harmony on this one really reminds me of my …
: It’s ridiculous, really, that I haven’t read any of the Foxfire books yet. I’ve checked out from the …
: This might interest a cross-section of folks here: A Greek Orthodox priest has released “Paradise …
: “We do not easily remember peasants” Patrick Joyce, Remembering Peasants: We do not easily remember peasants. The realities of their …
: It’s clean sweep week here in town—the time of year when the city will, free of charge, pick up …
: Thinking about Johnny Cash this morning brought to mind this from Over the Rhine: “Earthbound Love …
: Johnny Cash, “Satisfied Mind” 🎵
: Let the machines talk to the machines Finished reading Sacasus’ “AI as Christian Heresy.” His final paragraph clarified something that’s …
: Excellent quote on Todd’s blog on how the rich (and genAI users!) are harmed by lack of pushback.
: Robin Sloan’s magic postcards are cool. I’ve always thought QR codes are a great technology for the …
: Economic theory tells us the stock market is a future earnings prediction machine. But have you ever …
: Projects update: The Green Man’s Patch; Firewood The Green Man’s Patch That, by the way, is the name Rachel and I have settled on for our …
: What is home? This morning, Rachel and I were talking about home. We often talk about plans and projects, and what …
: One of the prettiest dogwoods I’ve ever seen, across the street from the credit union.
: Rachel got a nice picture of our chives in bloom. Edible and pretty!
: A survey of the fruit on the Green Man Micro Homestead (just made that up! maybe a bit overstated?): …
: So they’re remaking Little House on the Prairie. Come on, guys, we already have a bad version of …
: What is adulthood? When you situate yourself in a nexus of relationships–ancestors, community, spirits, nonhumans, and …
: Nate Hagens has put out an excellent three video series on the role oil plays in our modern world …
: Projects update: F150 and gardening A few small tasks completed on the F150 this week: Sticky tailgate handle just needed some WD-40. …
: There is no safety in love If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. Many times over the years I …
: Today in the garden Garden phlox is always one of the first things to bloom: Bleeding Hearts. This is a plant passed …
: When there are no brakes on the speed of knowledge David Orr, as quoted in “Prophetic Possibilities": The increasing velocity of knowledge is widely …
: You know, drinking straight milk kefir isn’t bad. As an adult I’ve never been a milk drinker (though …
: Day trip to the shrine of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Today I’ll be driving through southwestern Indiana’s coal country and then up to the Terre Haute …
: A neighbor cut down what appeared to be a perfectly healthy, mature maple on Tuesday. In response, …
: Rachel is making spinach pasta today.
: The feeling is the prayer The final word is the opening word of the Tao Te Ching: A Way called Way isn’t the perennial Way. A …
: Projects update: an unexpected task No F150 work this week—waiting on parts. This week was an unplanned project. I have a neighbor I’ve …
: Just saw a sixty-something man, no shirt, huge eagle tattoo spreading from shoulder to shoulder, …
: Working on a project for a neighbor but I need one final measurement from inside his house. I keep …
: Cherry blossoms are nice, for sure, but have you ever seen a redbud luminous on a karst hillside?
: Last night was the full moon so how about a moon song from Cat Clyde? 🎵
: I’ve put NASA’s Artemis blog into Inkwell so I can keep up with the mission. I didn’t think I would …
: Hail, lady, sea-star bright I recently came across a wonderful Marian prayer and thought I’d share it here. I’ve added to the …
: Current F150 repair list I mentioned before that my ‘96 F150 is my summer (and likely much longer) project. It actually runs …
: Gregory Cello: “Your town needs you, not your nation.” Or to quote myself: On a human scale, …
: CNBC: Over a decade ago, Meta – then known as Facebook – hired social science researchers to …
: Projects update: Pond, F150, scrapple We got a lot done this past weekend. On Saturday, we had a good, full day celebrating our …
: A simple breakfast kefir bowl: 3/4 c milk kefir 1/2 c rolled oats Stir together and refrigerate …
: Murphy Campbell, “Shady Grove” 🎵 More of these crazy talented young people playing folk music …
: To do this weekend: Make farmer’s cheese. Make scrapple. I’m picking up the neck bones tonight. Fix …
: Pull quote from an interview with Kingsnorth in the latest Mortise and Tenon.
: Reinhold Niebuhr, The Irony of American History: Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our …
: I’m trying to remember a few lines of some piece of Christian devotional writing that has a …
: The future is invisible; we will find our way along the way.
: Projects update: pond, F150 I used to post notes about what I was working on and I’d like to get back into that habit. Not …
: File this under “I want to believe”: How AI Slop will Spark the Next Human Renaissance (YouTube …
: My background and the strange world of "total work" Mentioning “total work” earlier today has me thinking again about how strange our contemporary work …
: Prestige dramas are too much work Adam Smith, “The Work of Leisure” (Local Culture, Fall 2025): For Snyder the main obstacle to the …
: Sally Fallon Morell talking about scrapple, a breakfast food made from pork bits. I actually came …
: The Haunted Smart House Lights turn on and off randomly; speakers in different locations of the …
: Memory verses for localists: “And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to …
: Rachel and I are watching the X-Files for the first time. (We were around in the 90s but were busy …
: I’ve had General’s Cedar Pointe pencils on hand at home for years now, but today I’ve started using …
: Garage cleaned and arranged! A pickup filled with trash! Some good, free stuff on the front lawn …
: We watched The Mask of Zorro tonight for the first time in many years. What a stone cold classic. I …
: Who else imagines Peter Thiel corrupting the normally ethically-bound Claude AI into a Pentagon …
: Last night at the shelter It was a good night at the Men’s Warming Shelter. Papa John’s donated a lot of pizza and everyone …
: New, old word: hearth-fasted Chris Smaje, Finding Lights in a Dark Age: The free play of patriarchy within the household is …
: These ginger bran muffins from the Old Farmer’s Almanac are good. You could even crank up the ginger …
: This is as far as I got with a handsaw. My father-in-law is going to come over with his chainsaw to …
: My task today is to take down this tree. We’re having a woodstove installed soon and the chimney …
: Signs of life all over the yard! Blooms on the lilac bush: Native honeysuckle Rachel transplanted …
: Principles of “The Pro-Human AI Declaration”, signed by a wide range of people and organizations: …
: There’s a lot to like about this post: honesty about what life is like out here in the hinterlands, …
: There was a robin singing his heart out at 3am today. I guess he’s excited about a break in the rain …
: If you’re looking for American-made jeans, I’m happy with a pair from Dearborn Denim. I buy …
: The Mortise and Tenon folks have signed onto Writers Against AI: “The Prompt is not the Craft.” …
: Doing some work in the garden today, topping up raised beds with fresh soil. We pulled the last of …
: Finished reading Radiance of the Ordinary: Essays on Life, Death, and the Sinews that Bind by Tara …
: I’m really looking forward to summer this year. At the old job, I was consumed with audit work from …
: Experience and argument Tara Couture, writing about a place near her farm: There’s something mysterious there, attractive …
: In negotiations with the US military, Anthropic is attempting to limit the uses of its technology. …
: The more I listen to Cat Clyde the more I like her. 🎵 Her album with Jeremie Albino has been on …
: Tara Couture: “We always lived in a peaceful home, something I think of as the most important …
: Wiped away Tara Couture, Radiance of the Ordinary: We douse the meat in chemicals to make it look vibrant and …
: David Bentley Hart has a translation of the Tao Te Ching coming out in May. I may have to add that …
: One evening, several days ago, a squirrel was eating at the feeder outside the window, the golden …
: What is a writer? After coming across that “writers against AI” image, I decided to put it into my micro.blog …
: Kingsnorth: Writers against AI
: "Don't take yourself so seriously!" I always hated it when people told me not to take myself so seriously. Hated it. I’ve always been a …
: Tara Couture on the other side of pleasure In Radiance of the Ordinary, Tara Couture opens the chapter “The Dance” with a truly cozy (there’s …
: I love this Robert S. Duncanson painting “Landscape with Cows Watering in a Stream.” It caught my …
: Since reading a great quote shared by @ReaderJohn earlier today, ordinariness has been on my mind …
: One of our senators is talking about a new national crisis: Americans being killed by illegal …
: Hooray! It’s woodland crocus time! Always the first thing to pop up in our yard.
: I’ve found myself referring to the notes and bibliography of Finding Lights in a Dark Age even more …
: I was reminded today of Alan Jacobs’ review of the final Harry Potter book. Calling the series “the …
: Chris Smaje on realignment Chris Smaje, Finding Lights in a Dark Age (thanks to Donny for the recommendation): Just as …
: When even the Holiness people think you’re strange… Erik Davis reminded me of Finis Jennings Dake today: My favorite relic of those months is a version …
: Remember the recent article about young men watching hours of porn per day? We all understand that …
: The work of the river flowing through Clairvaux Abbey Leaving aside my nagging worry about what this meant in terms of pollution, the following is …
: So is The Cotton Patch Evidence by Dallas Lee the book to read if I want to learn more about …
: This second issue of Robin Sloan’s pop-up newsletter on AI offers a series of helpful metaphors …
: A portion of “The Deer’s Cry”, or “St Patrick’s Breastplate”: I arise today through the strength of …
: A drive around Amish country Rachel and I drove around the Amish settlement in Daviess County today and came across this guy …
: Philip K Dick famously said, “The symbols of the divine show up in our world initially at the trash …
: Another entry in the series “we’re more Appalachian than Midwestern”: I grew up hearing a lot of …
: Such is the centrifugal power of our economy that even the Amish are increasingly working away from …
: We just had a northern flicker at our suet feeder! First time we’ve seen one of those around here. …
: Gardening, this side of Eden This post is a little long and rambly, but I think I’ll leave it. A few days ago I posed a question …
: I found “Nordisk Sang” in a long-forgotten folder of music from iTunes. Haven’t listened to it in …
: An insightful observation from Bernd G. Längin in Plain and Amish: All these conservative …
: A question for Christians: how would you square a belief in the inherent dignity of honest work with …
: I love this series of three haying videos from Just a Few Acres Farm: Cutting Tedding Raking and …
: The first day of the last month of true winter around here. This is always the month when I start …
: “A Farm Winter, with Jerry Apps” What a wonderful storyteller! Well worth your time. I hadn’t heard …
: Despite being a good speller, I can never, never, never remember how to spell Cincinnati. …
: When I’m looking through the library catalogue for books on the Amish, it’s very annoying to have to …
: They should have kept the name According to Steven Nolt in A History of the Amish, the split between the tradition-minded Old Order …
: We no longer have a teenager in the house. Happy 20th birthday, Darcy!
: Sometimes you have neighbors who help clear the whole neighborhood of snow. Sometimes you have …
: Matt Stansberry asks, “What does success look like in this situation?” For me, one measure will be …
: A bit of hope. Our kids will be better prepared to build something better after these next few awful …
: A lot of places are closed today, including the credit union’s branches. I’ll be working remotely. …
: As of 6am, we had ten inches. More is supposed to be on the way throughout the day. Good news: it is …
: One of the southern Indiana electric companies asked people to conserve energy over the next couple …
: Patience in the face of a snowstorm In The Amish Way, the authors describe patience as one of the key characteristics of Amish life. The …
: A one-person protest “The Real Reasons Your Appliances Die Young,” via @isaacgreene. It’s not just planned obsolescence. …
: Grown in the Hoosier hill country There’s a turn of phrase in Colter Wall’s “1800 Miles”: “we don’t got these kinds of cliques where I …
: Farewell, Joe Today we’ll be burying Rachel’s grandpa Joe. With his death, all of our grandparents are gone. …
: FYI: The nightly blessing is defusing the lock anxiety.
: Hoosier hysteria Here in the heart of IU country, it would be hard to overstate the excitement about the football …
: I deleted a quick, frivolous post this morning when I realized why it bugged me after posting it: it …
: Rachel has inherited a dulcimer made by a local musician named Jim Fox, who has made many over the …
: No Sunday Sales This morning I read a section in The Amish Way discussing the prohibition of business on Sunday and …
: Byung-Chul Han on digital self-surveillance and passivity Byung-Chul Han is very quotable. From Psycho-Politics: Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon isolated inmates …
: Good news: the vet confirmed that Ralph has already been spayed. (Yes, her name is Ralph.) Further …
: A couple of changes to my work routine this week: I’ve started walking to work every day. Just …
: After @ReaderJohn linked this excellent piece by Teddy Macker, I went in search for more. This on …
: Update on my Anabaptist reading Currently reading: The Amish Way by Kraybill, Nolt, Weaver-Zercher Finished reading: Against the …
: On my morning commute (i.e., walking a few blocks to work!), I’ve started listening to Remembering …
: I’m honestly a bit surprised how much I’m enjoying this biography of Eberhard Arnold, founder of the …
: This is cool: a device for stirring natural nut butters.
: Byung-Chul Han, kicking off Psycho-Politics with a banger: We are living in a particular phase of …
: Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, then with cracked …
: Donny quotes William E. Pannell discussing his crisis of conscience after the 1963 Birmingham church …
: Inspiration: Jack Baumgartner Profile of Jack Baumgartner in Plough: “Downstairs, I start the hot water for coffee. I stir the …
: Tolstoyans Today I learned about the tolstoyans. I knew about Tolstoy’s beliefs here but I was unaware that …
: Karl Heim, as quoted in Against the Wind: “Every compromise between the Sermon on the Mount and the …
: The ups and downs of a new job. Last week I had a discouraging day. Today was difficult but, in the …
: Happen Films is a great New Zealand documentary film company. Their latest is “The New Peasants,” …
: Made a small table out of a piece of firewood and some kindling (black walnut, I believe) that I’ll …
: Speaking of the Amish, you all know I have an interest in them. I realized the other day that I …
: Thanks to some past discussions here (can’t remember who or when exactly), I’ve been intending to …
: Well that was a discouraging day. Just when I felt like I was getting the hang of the new job, I …
: Opening line of a 2015 book: “It is becoming undeniably clear that Western civilization has entered …
: A nightly benediction Growing up, I watched my dad check the door locks every night–and I picked up the habit from him. …
: The look on Rachel’s face when I said, “I just subscribed to Plough magazine”… “There’s a whole …
: Been having a good time working on a rough table for outdoor, fireside use. This is a piece of …
: Christopher Schwarz making his woodworking books freely downloadable really is an extraordinary …
: The Joy of Being a Heat-Generating Body Shard of the sun spalled into space, hidden in bodies in far-distant days. In jubilant work, we …
: Last night one of Darcy’s friends told her our house has “chill vibes.” I take that as a great …
: Electric vehicle demand is collapsing with the expiration of the tax credit.. While EVs were never …
: Going to be an usually wet and warm Christmas week. Should be pretty quiet here at work–a good time …
: We have a Christmas tradition of visiting the West Baden Springs Hotel and the French Lick Springs …
: I decided over the weekend that I wanted more than a single Wendell Berry resources page on my …
: Why Port William? Dear A—, You asked me why I love Wendell Berry’s fiction. There’s no accounting for taste, as you’ve …
: Last year we had goat kebabs for Yule and we want to do that again this year. Last year we couldn’t …
: Everything is so charged now that CPE classes for CPAs are now prefaced with a reminder that while …
: Does anyone have experience with a good medical alert bracelet-type device? Needs to be very low …
: Port William Surnames In one of his Just a Few Acres Farm videos, Pete was repairing a plow and mentioned the coulter. …
: I’m working on a Wendell Berry resources page. So far I have a list of his fiction in publication …
: We did get to hear some good singing today at the funeral. Hearing this today draws up out of my …
: Today I help carry to his grave a small and angry man. He abused his children when they were young, …
: Wendell Berry, A Place on Earth: Margaret has taken off her hat, and put on an apron over the …
: Made an early Christmas present for Rachel today: an oak rolling pin. Started out square but with a …
: Ralph, the garage cat Meet Ralph, our garage cat. He started showing up a few months ago. His hair was terribly matted and …
: ChatGPT has a TV ad showing a young farmer, working her multi-generational family farm, asking …
: I somehow missed that Jesse Welles is on Bandcamp. Listening to Pilgrim now. One song features …
: A month of dumbing down my smartphone Almost a month ago, I dumbed down my smartphone. Here’s my report. The immediate effect was about a …
: One of the things I appreciate about Wendell Berry’s fiction is the quietness in it. It’s not …
: A good article about the current penny shortage. It’s unsurprising, I suppose, that this …
: We’re on the edge of most winter storms here. In Indiana, winter storms tend to include all of …
: This Indian pudding (cornmeal custard) is really good! Some historical background in this video.
: The practice of neighborliness Nothing original below. To the contrary, I’m trying to remember that less alienated era I grew up …
: The new job has me working on Black Friday for the first time in a quarter-century. (This is …
: Rachel’s parents have a really cool limestone clock carved by Rachel’s great-grandfather. The …
: If they don't go, I’m going anyway One of the good things I learned from my upbringing in the Holiness church: going it alone. I keep …
: All week long I’ve been looking forward to organizing and cleaning the garage today. So what are …
: This video series on Suzanne Lupien just keeps on giving. The latest episode is about her …
: Whoever designed the battery placement on a 2014 Chevy Malibu is a malicious, hate-filled demon. …
: Reminding myself after failure: Having An Opinion is not your task. Your task is small, local, …
: Finished reading Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story by Wendell Berry. Fictionalized account of a …
: Amish wisdom From Uncle Wendell’s latest: Since his return, Andy has lived his story and his family’s in that …
: Test run at hand-dipped candles, using old candle nubs and a can. Obviously greater volume of wax …
: So this stuff is crazy, obviously. But could it not be the case that we’re in a fad period and …
: As your accountant, I don’t recommend a fifty-year mortgage.
: Dumbing down my iPhone There are a few signs that my iPhone is nearing the end of its life, so I’ve been thinking about the …
: My worldview is more aesthetic than rational—and I’m fine with that, since no one is looking to me …
: Adam Kotsko: “That time I unexpectedly stopped ruining my own life” I’ve found Kotsko’s writing …
: Actor and humorist Nick Offerman on what he has learned from Wendell Berry. When Offerman asked to …
: Reading this by Alan Jacobs brought back to mind a question that occurred to me as I was reading …
: James Bridle points out that solar panels are getting cheap enough that they’re being used as …
: Today’s earworm: Punch Brothers cover of “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. A very good song to have …
: A fool and his advice are easily parted.
: The general consensus used to be (here in America) that the Christmas season began the day after …
: Thyme and cabbage soup on the fire
: Biggest carrot we’ve ever grown!
: Final trick or treater count!
: Half a day of work, a haircut, and then Halloween fun begins. Should be a nice day for trick or …
: Rachel’s bread making just gets better and better. Look at this perfect thing! It’s intended as a …
: I wanted to learn a bit more about the archangel Raphael so I read the book of Tobit today, which I …
: The Jack o’lantern I carved today and the pumpkin painted by Darcy last week. Bring on Halloween!
: Two years ago today, I made a trip to some family graveyards with the intention of facing some old …
: Universally beloved IU football coach Curt Cignetti just signed a massive new contract, one clause …
: Finished reading: Angels in the Cellar: Notes from a French Vineyard by Peter Hahn. I cannot …
: The Householder There is wisdom, even kindness, in concepts like “householder” and “laity.” Broadly speaking, these …
: If I had to, I think I could go the rest of my life with a boxed set of Fraiser, Lord of the Rings, …
: About to head out on a day trip full of visits to sacred sites and tending to the dead in family …
: Robert Saltzman An aphorism is a pithy observation that contains a general truth. Aphoristic words …
: Today was our annual trip to Huber’s to pick a pumpkin for this year’s jack-o’-lantern. Beautiful, …
: Peter Hahn, Angels in the Cellar: Before I settled on the vineyard, my life was intensely cerebral, …
: Rachel and I went out on our first date thirty years ago today! It’s for this reason—and all the …
: We also put up our Halloween lights today
: Backyard fire on this Sunday evening.
: I’ve often thought of @patrickrhone’s “master generalist” self-description. I may adapt it for …
: My mom gave me this roadside tchotchke last week. Looks to be from Columbus, Mississippi or …
: I’ve accepted an invitation to join the finance committee of my local community foundation in …
: Thich Nhat Hanh’s teaching on helping hungry ghosts is very good. Finding a way to compassion for …
: A steward, not an owner Peter Hahn: Our sequoia is also special to me because we share an origin story - we are both …
: I have a tab open with Wordsworth’s “The World is Too Much With Us” and I’ve read it several times …
: As I drove by the Landmark Baptist church near our house, I decided to refresh my memory on …
: Fresh from Henry County, Kentucky
: I completed a spirit house today. Inspired by (but not intended to be exactly like) Thai spirit …
: The confidence with which people tell others what to do, think, etc., just astonishes me. I had that …
: Webinar speaker: “All I can say is stablecoins are here to stay.” Ah, the argument from …
: Adam Kotsko: You and I are not voting on what will happen by having an opinion. The world has never …
: Gonna give Kagi News a try for a while. I like that it’s updated only once a day, and you can choose …
: One of the highlights of the late season here in the garden is the woods purple. It’s also one of …
: Nietzsche argued that Christianity is a slave morality—an argument best exemplified by Chik-Fil-A. 😄
: Remember the video I shared about Suzanne Lupien a few days ago? Well, there’s also one about her …
: 🎵 I’m proud to be an American / where I know there’ll be a fee 🎵
: Acting in trust From the latest essay by Rhyd Wildermuth: Again, worlding is what we do and is not dependent on …
: Hobbit Day thoughts It’s Hobbit Day, as all civilized Shirelings know. Specifically, it’s Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday, as …
: Beautiful video: “Suzanne Lupien, a solo 70-year-old homesteader, uses draft horses, compost, and …
: I’m making persimmon pudding for an equinox meal today. There may be misappropriation of pulp going …
: This looks like the churches I grew up in, with two differences: We would not have had a …
: Alan Jacobs: It’s especially important to remember that people love hating their enemies — they …
: Jesse Welles has a new song about the death of Charlie Kirk 🎵
: Another sign of the shift out of summer: we can hear the scrap yard a mile from here in the morning. …
: Listening to the first episode of the Newkirks’ series on mediumship. Turns out there is an active …
: One of the things I’ve learned since taking this new job is that the feeling of vague dread every …
: Owens House shadow box Rachel made a shadow box in honor of our house and all the ancestors and spirits of place. Her …
: Nicely observed. There are no “side effects.” There are only effects you like and effects you don’t …
: Rachel, Darcy, and I visited the Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum today. Pretty cool! Mostly it made …
: Really good reading advice from Alan Jacobs
: One of the best things about our garden this summer has been these galia melons. They’re apparently …
: Rachel and I have spent much of the day cleaning up around the juniper trees at the back of the …
: A pox upon all lava rock, plastic landscape edging, and all the works and ways of Orthanc …
: Quoting myself from two years ago: Two ecosystem services provided by humans: gratitude and …
: Good article on the fake personality of chatbots—in part because of lack of persistence through …
: Wow. Wow. Wow. Georgian priest chants the 50th Psalm in Aramaic 🎵
: Now playing: Tibetan Mantras for Turbulent Times. Also see their website (click on album name) for …
: It’s still very hot but the season is shifting: I’m seeing more spider webs.
: Found this while doing some research at the local historical society. I was on the cutting edge of …
: At the new job, I’m back doing work that requires a ten key. (I guess it’s not technically a ten key …
: Drawing up meaning If your baseline assumption is that the universe if meaningless, you will of course find no meaning …
: Rachel and I just spent an entertaining hour getting a bat out of Darcy’s room. The good news is …
: Tolkien: [Frodo] found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, …
: Welcome to the dog days of summer We’re in the dog days of summer around here. Hot and humid. But also, the corn is tall and the …
: “Join Ice” by Jesse Welles 🎵
: New job starts tomorrow. Feels like the night before the first day of school, right down to getting …
: Lots of feelings today. Like everyone, I had plenty of half-assed and “good enough” days. And (as a …
: Today is my last day after 24 years. I said some goodbyes yesterday and there will be a few more …
: Good episode of The Emerald podcast: “Reimagining our Ancestors.
: Adam Kotsko on how the post-literate AI world will kill God
: Reminder to myself in the low light of winter: strong sun on a patch of brown eyed Susans. Also: …
: We’ll see how committed to the truth the Democrats are when Bill Clinton gets implicated in the …
: Going through a new door I have a new job at my hometown credit union as the Accounting Manager. After twenty-four years at …
: RIP, Ozzy. Many years ago I started trying to catch up on all the devil music I had missed in my …
: Really good essay from @jaheppler on 19th century Americans bringing bison near to extinction.
: A home remedy I hadn’t thought about in years: baking soda and water mixed into a paste for bee …
: The men who live in my memory The men who live in my memory had work to do. That work had a purpose: to feed their families. They …
: John Michael Greer is never boring. In this interview, the (eventual) focus is on Trump and American …
: The prime directive of localism as a political and religious commitment is the tending and feeding …
: Remember those ice cream cups with the paper lids with a tab and the wooden spoon?
: A bumblebee sleeping in last Friday.
: The free version of The Morning Dispatch gives me about all of the news I want in a day. I hardly …
: Goodfellowship by Li Po Hast thou not beheld the Yellow River Which flows from Heaven? It runs rapidly down and empties into …
: Something I don’t feel like I see much anymore: oncoming drivers flashing their lights to warn of a …
: I may have cut the biscuits a bit thick.
: Wendell Berry: “There are no sacred and unsacred places. There are only sacred and desecrated …
: It’s good to see a squirrel lounging on our picnic table in peace. They’re too busy to lounge for …
: Memories of Jimmy Swaggart Jimmy Swaggart has died. He was a really big deal in my childhood. I went to one of his crusades in …
: “This is a love letter to generous neighbor Corn.”
: Talking head says “apocalyptic beliefs based on biblical prophecy should have no bearing on Middle …
: Anthem of place: ”Ozark” by Jesse Welles Jesse Welles’ new song “Ozark” feels particularly lyrically rich. Here’s a sketch of what stood out …
: A post of mine from three years ago today: “Life within limits”
: The penny dropped for me this morning: Indiana removed some wetlands protections a year or so ago. …
: Some garden photos from this morning. It’s Limestone Heritage Festival weekend here in town and the …
: Excellent post by Brian Miller on lessons from his father. I truly, truly wish for more men like …
: I’m caught up on all the available seasons of the new iteration of All Creatures Great and Small. …
: Rhyd Wildermuth: The world is a mess and will only get worse. But that world isn’t our world. That …
: Rachel found a little friend in the collard greens today.
: Song of the day: “Que Sera Sera” 🎵
: The real heroes of our time will not be any culture warriors, either left or right–and certainly not …
: This is a good video exploring the geography of Indiana and why it is the smallest of the Great …
: Jesse Welles is a folk legend in the making: “The Great Caucasian God” 🎵
: One of the best things in my life is Rachel’s bread. It’s been ages since we last bought bread from …
: I’ve been in the ER with mom since 7am today. Likely a bad episode of vertigo but they’re doing …
: Kenneth S. Cohen, The Way of Qigong: The Chinese are fond of repeating, “To relax, you must be …
: “It is important to have a secret, a premonition of things unknown.”
: My friend and neighbor has a new book out today: Orthodox Saints of Wales
: Monarch butterfly in the garden this evening. Also, I was able to get relatively close to a red …
: In a few years, when fully automated, unfailingly polite AI customer service is installed, we’ll …
: “My Billionaire Daddies are Fighting” 🎵
: Future Jeremy: if you ever get the “oh my, my lord” earworm again, this is its source. “Shooby” by …
: Syncretism all the way down Some of us children of empire are rightly worried about further damage to colonized cultures. We …
: This morning, pumping gas at the station on the edge of our neighborhood, I felt again what I’ve …
: Proverb quoted in The Way of Qigong: In stillness be like the pine. In movement be like clouds and …
: Outside of work, I try to live according to what I’ve learned from Wendell Berry and Ivan Illich. My …
: New Aesop Rock album release day!
: Recommended: “Radical Neighboring” Sand River Community Farm is an experiment in gift economy and …
: “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” by Thomas Gray, read by Iain McGilchrist
: Some big collard greens going into the smoothie this morning.
: Kenneth S. Cohen, The Way of Qigong: Alan Watts used to say that angels, like Daoist Immortals, can …
: Speaking of things to watch, I’ve been enjoying Tia Weston’s YouTube series in which she remodels a …
: We started watching the newer All Creatures Great and Small series this evening and it’s delightful. …
: “Can Wendell Berry save us from Peter Thiel?” The Earth Loving Faithful against the End Times …
: The two original raised beds are flourishing!
: More on rational abstraction Following up on my post about rational abstraction. That mode of thinking is an acquired skill, …
: Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen has a new video following up on his earlier video on Trump as trickster. …
: Couple of pictures from the garden this evening.
: The free world realized in the twentieth century that gulags couldn’t break the human spirit. So it …
: It’s sometimes said that Tolkien had no “magical system” underlying LOTR. This post makes a good …
: Good interview with Mary Berry, daughter of Wendell Berry and executive director of the Berry …
: Take Kent Rollins’ two ingredient biscuit recipe, add a half cup of raisins and two teaspoon of …
: Genevieve Harrison: At the heart of Microsoft’s decision lies an uncomfortable truth about modern …
: Austin Kleon: The computer used to mean the world to me. The computer was a portal to the world I …
: To my surprise, it doesn’t look like I’ve ever urged you to listen to John Lithgow’s reading of The …
: “Way over yonder in the minor key” by Billy Bragg. Written by Woody Guthrie. 🎵
: Dog vomit slime mold has appeared in our garden and, let me tell you, it is aptly named. I’ll spare …
: This is awesome: “Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ at Sold-Out Virginia Tech Concert Sparks Seismic …
: We’re living in the age of Trickster—and The Emerald podcast has re-issued an episode on that …
: The meditation app Headspace has added an AI therapist to help you process your emotions. And, …
: Dismay at irrational human behavior is a mistake rooted in two false beliefs: That rational …
: Thank you, lilacs, for a beautiful few weeks. See you next year.
: My Political Action Plan I came across this in my notes from two years ago. I don’t recall if I planned to do more with this …
: The line from Lord Summerisle, which I’ve used of myself before, applies again today: “A heathen, …
: French chicory as a decaf coffee substitute I love coffee. I could easily be one of those people drinking pot after pot, but I limit myself to …
: A new Port William novel by Wendell Berry is coming this year! If you do order it, consider ordering …
: A footnote in the book I’m reading led me to The Myth of Disenchantment: Magic, Modernity, and the …
: Charles Eisenstein: Lord knows I tried long and hard to make the case for peace, going back a …
: April vacation I’m back to work after taking last week off–and I’m delaying dealing with all of these messages by …
: This is a wonderful Webb Pierce song about a man addressing his lover as he considers leaving his …
: It is a well-established pattern with advocates of new technology to answer all critiques with an …
: Darcy took some photos today during our trip to Madison, IN. A great little town, if you’re ever …
: ChatGPT, make us look like we’re in a Studio Ghibli movie.
: If all goes as planned, I’ll be visiting the (Wendell) Berry Center in Kentucky on Friday. I’ll …
: I’m not the best at taking pictures but the @dwalbert corner of our front room is looking great.
: Every once in a while you come across a song you could listen to for the rest of your life: The …
: Joan Baez, “With God on our Side” (Live) 🎵
: Concord grape leaves opening up
: One of my projects for next week’s vacation is to restore an old chair. The seat will need caning, …
: One week until vacation. We’ll mostly stay around home. Maybe one day down to Madison, IN. Maybe a …
: Today’s walk to Murray woods.
: Colter Wall’s cover of “I Never Go Around Mirrors” is the distilled essence of country music. His …
: I got a handmade straw hat from the local Amish community. My family and friends’ reaction has been …
: Wendell Berry’s agrarian values From this interview, via Sarah Hendren An elated, loving interest in the use and care of the land. …
: One thing I learned from my fundamentalist upbringing, which has served me well: I have never …
: Erik Davis has a worthwhile piece on the supposed trend of a Silicon Valley Christianity. He calls …
: The night of a thousand buckets So how’s climate change going for y’all? On Wednesday, April 2nd, a big storm rolled through the …
: In the course of a tariff discussion with friends in a group text, I threw out this statement of …
: Hamilton Nolan: If you need a cause, if you need a purpose, if you need a crusade that will do the …
: We’re all okay this morning. Thanks for the expressions of concern. No significant damage but it was …
: Power is out. I get to use my hurricane lamp! Also, we have plenty of candles around, being pagans. …
: Tornado warning, so we’re all in the creepy basement for the next twenty minutes or so. I hope …
: It’s very windy here at Green Man’s Grotto. Our resident pond frog is taking in the air before the …
: We have some severe weather headed our way so we’ve been watching Max Velocity live on YouTube. His …
: I used Kent Rollins’ recipe for homemade tortillas and quesadillas. I’m sure a Mexican grandma would …
: Sand cherry and jane magnolia blooms
: Rachel just reminded me that I had a Tabasco sauce tie collection in the early nineties. I loved …
: Imaginal pollution Rhyd Wildermuth: People — many of them friends I’ve known to be otherwise reasonable — have become …
: Post from two years ago: The Tao makes no effort at all, yet there is nothing it doesn’t do
: This morning, my 78 year-old mom called to tell me she has the flu so I’ve been talking to the …
: Come and get it! I used Kent Rollins’ recipe. So easy.
: We were trying to remember Pete’s method for pork chops on the grill. Eventually I found the video. …
: Solstice ashes have been spread on the garden. Equinox fire is burning.
: Business idea: hardware store with a spot in the corner for pie and coffee. Black coffee only. We’ll …
: I didn’t get to have my Agent Cooper coffee and cherry pie at the diner I stopped at the other day. …
: Are we sure there’s a “masculinity crisis”? Or maybe the problem is that we’re looking to pop …
: Our town had a successful tornado siren test last week. Then, days later, we had a tornado warning …
: Finished watching Twin Peaks: The Return Finished watching “Twin Peaks: The Return” (aka, season three). I almost stopped watching it early …
: Resolution: fall asleep in the sunshine more often
: “It’s Spring again / Don’t God keep a promise / It’s Spring again / Mother Earth keeps her word now …
: Visit to Native American Mounds I visited a few southern Indiana mounds last Friday. Taking the last visit first, I went to the …
: Spring break this week for most folks at work, which means a slower pace. Fewer meetings. It’ll be a …
: Ancestor shrine I’ve moved my ancestor shrine back downstairs where it can be in a more actively used part of the …
: Feeling drawn back to some OG anti-war journalism today. Subscribed to Chris Hedges’ substack and …
: The beautiful Wabash, and Francis Vigo looking like he’s just been surprised on the toilet
: George Rogers Clark memorial. Very impressive structure, though I’m disinclined to be impressed by …
: Wheatland, IN. One of those little southern Indiana towns with dilapidated structures that give …
: Setting out on my trip to Vincennes and Evansville mounds with the full moon ahead and pink sunrise …
: I bought an AccuSharp sharpener on the recommendation of Megan Fitzpatrick and it did a good job on …
: It’s been another beautiful day. Dark now, but the back door is still open. It’s good to hear kids …
: I know no one in power gives a shit about the health of the planet, especially not the so-called …
: A proverb is one man’s wit and all men’s wisdom. Lord John Russell, as quoted by Jackson Crawford …
: It’s a beautiful spring day here. Rachel is outside giving our pond its spring cleaning. I’m inside …
: We heard a hawk call while we were doing some transplanting, looked up, and saw three(!) of them. …
: First sighting of the frog in our pond this year! Looks like he survived the winter. Can you see his …
: Pretty excited about this one. I started reading it online through the university library just to …
: In memory of my dad My father and I, we check the locks– that’s what the Abels do. Neurosis passed along the line just …
: Josh Radnor: Give up on your war against reality When I fight reality, when I wail and moan that …
: Someone said recently–and I agree–that the time for new projects, clearing the decks, etc., is the …
: I’m making my way through some links Ted Goia provided on a possible new romanticism. This, however, …
: Well the fried cornmeal mush was okay. It was a little like trying to fry slices of jello. And it …
: I’ve prepped cornmeal mush for frying in the morning. I’m following Kent Rollins’ recent video. …
: We live on a 1/10 acre city lot, mostly covered in a house, detached garage and driveway. Rachel …
: The proud tongue is tied in prayer. The parched tongue is quenched in prayer. The prayerful tongue …
: New folks in the house Rachel and I are too cheap to be collectors. One exception to this general rule is that we have …
: Lovers of Tolkien’s legendarium: the YouTube channel In Deep Geek is worth your time.
: Turn your radio on One alternative to streaming music I don’t think I’ve ever seen discussed: radio! You probably have …
: While I’m in here reviewing these reports, Rachel is outside having a blast and being ridiculously …
: Spring is coming and I'm making lists Also, I’m putting off reviewing financial reporting this morning. Projects to complete in the next …
: Day trip to Jasper Rachel had an appointment in Jasper, IN, last Friday so we made a day of it. Jasper is a pretty …
: I’m developing an interest in folk art. I have a couple of pieces coming in the mail so I’ll share …
: Fascinating post by Ted Goia: The New Aesthetics of Slop. At the same time, perhaps it would be wise …
: Ah, spring really is on the way. Woodland crocus is the first flower we see in our yard every year. …
: One of my favorite songs 🎵 As for your tender heart— This world’s gonna rip it wide open It ain’t …
: This, from Alan Jacobs, is one of the most clarifying things I’ve read in a while. In the current …
: Remembering Ivan Illich on international development The text critiques the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID while invoking Ivan Illich’s …
: Unexpected 2” of snow last weekend. Flurries right now. Temperatures below freezing all week. 2-4” …
: I watched the Twin Peaks prequel movie “Fire Walk With Me”—and it was dark and disturbing. It had …
: Crow visitors! We’ve been hoping to attract some crow visitors for a while now by putting out bread and popcorn in …
: Take it from someone who used to sell beard oil: you don’t need to buy beard oil. Making your own is …
: In a chat with friends this morning, we were surprised at how few of us had ever been called for …
: Finished the original run of Twin Peaks. If you haven’t seen it and you have a high tolerance for …
: Woke up this morning from a very disturbing dream AND with “Sh-boom” by the Chords playing in my …
: In our final months in the Holiness church, the Spider Man movie and soundtrack came out. Rachel and …
: My film wish: a low stakes Jane Austen style plot set in the Shire.
: I agree with this guy’s assessment of February. Via Austin Kleon.
: Good post from Manuel Moreale on the ways in which we label people. Individuals over identities, …
: I’m (finally!) getting a little better at noticing the mundane causes of my mood. Today I feel …
: How we’re celebrating Imbolc/Candlemas Content warning: paganism This year, a few holidays fall into this weekend: Candlemas, St. Brigid’s …
: I started watching Twin Peaks a few days ago. I know, given my interests and the fact that I’m a Gen …
: Enveloping mist. Bare trees bloom from the chill gray, Lonely shapes in black.
: Charles Eisenstein: “Economic growth is finding something people used to do for themselves, taking …
: A border collie running an agility course is a being happier than which none can be conceived.
: Happy 19th birthday to this kiddo!
: Prayer before a fire (stealing lines from both Gandalf and Gordon White): I am a servant of the …
: Lovely night for a backyard fire
: I finally read that Kingsnorth essay “Against Christian Civilization” and, yeah, it’s a banger.
: This article is being passed around in my little circle here at micro.blog. Absolutely worth …
: One of the most clarifying things Charles Eisenstein says is (paraphrasing): If you were placed …
: We pruned out Concord grape vines today. It’s more complicated than I would have thought! Hopefully …
: Rebecca Solnit very effectively satirizes a prominent model of online activism.
: Wisdom from Gabor Maté on healthy anger, and how to process unhealthy rage.
: There seems to be an epidemic of anger, and it’s been this way for a while now. I made a traffic …
: I realized this morning I’m still 47. I’ve been thinking I’m 48 for…I don’t know…months now?
: For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Matthew 16:26) …
: “Omnipresent AI cameras will ensure good behavior, says Larry Ellison.” General Ludd, we need you …
: It feels sometimes that critics of euthanasia laws–see the closing paragraphs here–expect everyone …
: I’ve been enjoying the Axe and Anvil blacksmithing YouTube channel, though he doesn’t seem to be …
: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Apparently, give too much …
: Brian Merchant, Blood in the Machine: In 1589, William Lee of Calverton developed one of history’s …
: Video about the meaning of Gandalf’s speech to the Balrog. “Servant of the secret fire.” I’m putting …
: Austin Kleon mentioned The Book of Building Fires in a recent newsletter and, of course, I’m …
: Spring Mill (and Rachel!) in the snow.
: Happy birthday to Robinson Jeffers (1887-1962), “inhumanist” poet of the central California coast. …
: The winter storm seems to have moved out at this point. This is one of those times I’m thankful to …
: Some pictures from the neighborhood today. Rachel and I have been listening to the Telepathy Tapes …
: There were a couple of us in line to fill up our kerosene tanks in advance of tomorrow’s winter …
: Alexander Beiner: So what does metaphysics have to do with the assassination of Brian Thompson? As …
: Stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it: “Stand by Me” by the Staples Singers. 🎵
: First Day Hike at Spring Mill state park.
: I’m glad to have encountered Lewis Mumford’s phrase “life cannot be delegated.” I’m also glad for …
: Any recommendations for reduction in blue light exposure? I wear prescription glasses but I think …
: I’ve listened to two episodes of “The Telepathy Tapes” and my brain is melting. It’s a podcast …
: I’ve gotten away from hiking over the past year—and I felt it today. It does me a lot of good in a …
: After the recent rain, there’s a lot of water rushing out of Donaldson Cave at Spring Mill State …
: I think about this one now and then. The most sensuous poem I know. The minute observation of his …
: It’s okay if you don’t like Christmas. Take this as your official permission. 😄 It’s the year’s most …
: I may not agree with everything Charles Eisenstein says in this column, but I totally agree with his …
: One last fun bit about solstice: all the ash from the fires yesterday will be sprinkled onto the …
: Closing out the day with a campfire, the flame of which traces back to the spark struck this …
: Goat kebabs. No local farmer had ground goat available but one did have shoulder steaks. Me and a …
: Rune Hjarnø Rasmussen’s speech on renewing relationship with fire, given before the Yule fire …
: (Looks like I’m live blogging Yule. 🤷♂️)
: Dang, that chili was good. The recipe called for two pounds of ground beef, which felt excessive. We …
: Chili is cooking over the coals. We went with chili because it’s easy to cook outside—which was more …
: First act of the solstice: light the Yule fire from flint and steel. I wanted to use that method …
: Darcy works at Bath and Body Works and she reports that–five days before Christmas–there is an …
: Rachel and I are establishing a new holiday season tradition: playing gin rummy every evening with …
: United Health by Jesse Welles 🎵
: OpenAI whistleblower found dead by “suicide”
: The Given Life, part four Just beneath my skin is a religious zealot, full of fierce denunciation, austerity and ecstasy. …
: I do wonder (especially after reading Dopamine Nation) if we are living in an age of widespread, …
: Once upon a time, Joshua Klein asked “should it be easy?” and that question has lingered with me. He …
: I’ve been learning how to cook with and maintain cast iron lately. The learning has been mostly from …
: “Resist the enclosure of the human psyche.”
: Finished reading Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke. Thanks to @toddgrotenhuis for mentioning it. The …
: My only advice is never to give advice.
: Looks like I’ve been on micro.blog three years today. I was briefly on the service once or twice …
: One benefit of living in a small town: parades with fire trucks and classic cars and tractors and …
: Got a flint and steel in the mail today and I’ve successfully made a small fire from it. The plan is …
: There are many powers in this world. Which ones am I feeding with my time, attention, money, energy?
: Cheap man’s mocha: half a mug brewed coffee, half a mug milk (I used oatmilk), 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 …
: I’ve added “The Owens House” as a blog category to contain all posts about the history of our house. …
: I recently wrote a bit about the Schroers, who were the second family to live in our house. Over the …
: What if Trump isn’t lying so much as attempting to shape reality around himself? We know he was …
: Alan Jacobs: I cannot, of course, provide documentary proof for that claim. But as the Marxists …
: We got all festive today! This morning we cut our Christmas tree and decorated it. This is our …
: Good essay from @tinyroofnail: But here again Farmer stands out as an example. He did not begin by …
: Jamie Dimon says AI will lead to shorter work weeks. We’ve heard this one before. Screw you, Jamie …
: Watching the turmoil of my 78 year old mom has made me utterly certain that the doctrine of eternal, …
: Wendell Berry: This book, like several others I have written, is intended as a part of a public …
: Going to the store on a Saturday with some small plumbing part in hand always makes me think of my …
: Wendell Berry’s characterization of agrarianism (from his introduction to The Art of Loading Brush): …
: Bless Brother Ali. He can be righteously angry on one track and beautifully moving on another. …
: I’ve found my Amish lumber source! A guy named Emmanuel. His lumber is a fraction of the Lowe’s …
: More from Uncle Wendell: I imagine the dead waking, dazed, into a shadowless light in which they …
: Wendell Berry, A World Lost: However we may miss and mourn the dead, we really give little …
: Claire Carlson, “Rural America Did not Push Donald Trump to Victory in 2024”: This data speaks for …
: Wendell Berry, A World Lost: From Dick I learned that the countryside was inhabited not just by …
: Remember when I built a house for our sickly neighborhood cat Morty? He came by on Halloween but we …
: This is an excellent, excellent post by Donny. The Jonah Goldberg piece he links to is also worth …
: I could go on a rant about these crap junction boxes, which we tried to work on at my mom’s house …
: Worth your time: An hourlong documentary covering four seasons in the life of a 76 year old horse …
: There’s nothing like having your preferred candidate unexpectedly trounced for making you …
: Don’t miss @dwalbert’s woodcarving sale from now until November 17. Some truly beautiful work …
: Worth your time: “The Abandoned Americans” by Peter Savodnik.
: I am not fragile. I am one of a species evolved over millennia to be survivors. We have survived …
: Came across this in my mom’s basement. I think everyone around here had this painting. Rachel’s …
: A few folks have been talking about Dougald Hine’s book here recently so I looked back to see what I …
: Watched Heartland (1979) this morning. Wanted something slow and calm, and this fit the bill. …
: Halloween is easily the best night of the year in our neighborhood. It’s like living in an 80s …
: I don’t know what mailing list I got put on, but I’ve now received several free issues of …
: Nick Cave says something I’ve often heard from Christians: Freedom finds itself in captivity. …
: I am a Jack-o-lantern traditionalist: no stencils or fancy carving tools, just a pencil and a small …
: I mentioned a few weeks ago that a neighborhood cat has taken up residence in our backyard. Today I …
: Cool story of how Paul Sellers was commissioned in 2008 to make credenzas for the White House …
: Repaired and refinished a cedar chest I picked up over the summer. Before: After:
: Every year since Darcy was two, we’ve gone to Huber Orchard to get our pumpkin for carving. It’s one …
: Really good TED talk on humanity’s relationship with fire and how (as an animist might say) we have …
: The Excesses of God Robinson Jeffers Is it not by his high superfluousness we know Our God? For to …
: Wendell Berry, Another Day: Sabbath Poems, 2013-2023
: The Given Life, part 3 After we left Springville church, we started attending Peerless Trinity Pentecostal Church. A …
: The private property on the northeast side of Murray Forest is being logged. I’ve spent most of my …
: Today at the historical society’s research library, we discovered that our house was built in …
: Audit is officially over as of today. I’m started to feel normal after a weeklong cold. I’m off work …
: Will there still be old men sitting in restaurants at 6am drinking coffee and talking about nothing …
: Rachel has more or less finished the floor refinishing project. I think it looks wonderful! She also …
: I’ll be so glad when this election is over. I always resist writing about electoral politics because …
: The Given Life, part two My earliest religious memories took place at Trinity Pentecost Mission. (Yes, Pentecost. Like …
: The Given Life, part 1.5 I need to clarify some terminology. I mentioned in the first post in this series that the Holiness …
: Good list of eight ways of connecting from Ted Goia. Some of these I was already doing okay with and …
: This morning I heard a bit from The Wayfinders by Wade Davis, a book about the Polynesian open ocean …
: To all the folks complaining about how popular Halloween is among adults today, I offered this as my …
: This is a good list of ideas for cleaning up your garden at the end of the growing season while also …
: Thinking about the research I did yesterday, what will future researchers do, given the demise of …
: Rachel and I are continuing to research the lives of our ancestors of place. Today we looked into …
: Rachel continues to do great work on the floors. The living room is now done; we can start moving …
: Had breakfast with the distinguished author today.
: Gave blood today at a drive across the street. Thanks to @JohnBrady for posting that one article …
: I hope you’ve had the experience of listening to someone recall people and places as you pass …
: When we first began our garden in 2020, we intended it not only as a collection of pretty flowers …
: We’re finished with the floors for today. Now I’m sitting here in this upset of furniture waiting on …
: Two rooms ready for sanding. Both have a rectangular section in the middle with an older finish. …
: You never know what you’ll find when you pull up the carpet on a 114 year old house. Someone covered …
: We’re pulling out the carpet in the front half of the house today. In every project Rachel and I …
: Rachel is repainting the front half of our house. All the books (plus some records and CDs) had to …
: The Given Life, part 1 My wife and I left the Holiness churches at the beginning of 2004 and joined the Lutheran …
: We are five days from “pencils down” on the audit. It’s been a tough one. No problems, just a lot …
: I won’t pretend that I have a sophisticated understanding of AI or a nuanced idea of where and how …
: Righteousness is a hell of a drug.
: Tomorrow Rachel and I will have a slightly early equinox celebration. The persimmons I’ve been …
: Look at the beautiful color of that persimmon pulp
: It’s persimmon season here in southern Indiana! The persimmons we have here (diospyros virginiana) …
: Ray Bradbury’s story of meeting Mr. Electrico is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
: Disincentivize information warfare.
: The thing about Rachel is, she doesn’t take long to decide on something—and then once the decision …
: Charles Eisenstein: It may seem, from the infant’s point of view, that he’s achieving something. …
: I saw a hawk pin down then carry off a pigeon in the garden today. A few days ago I saw a hawk …
: Really interesting presentation this evening at the Lawrence County Museum about the history of …
: Content warning: paganism I’ll be linking to this post (partly jokingly, partly seriously) when I …
: The Old Farmers Almanac says that late summer drought conditions can lead to an early shutdown of …
: I’d like to find out more about this Divine Glory brand sandpaper I pulled off this old belt sander …
: Dahlia with bees plus Pete, one of the neighborhood cats who sometimes stops by to look over our …
: For a few years now, our two cats have had nice high spots to get away from it all. From the chair …
: “We have the wrong type of undead culture.” No ghosts; only zombies. Good post from Paul Watson.
: John Michael Greer, A World Full of Gods: An Inquiry into Polytheism: Much of polytheist theology …
: My friend and neighbor has a new book out today from Ancient Faith: Holy Fools: The Lives of Twenty …
: Sierra Ferrell’s harmony on this song takes me straight back to childhood in Trinity Pentecost …
: We just watched “Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre” (1996) and it was very good. I read the novel many …
: Two things about this: One of the smoothest key changes I’ve ever heard. Canst thou shred on a …
: I’ve thought about this video shared by Denny several times over the past couple of days. Our …
: Josh Radnor: The most trustworthy people in the world are those who have been to the underworld. …
: As of yesterday, I finished my two big summer projects: refinish my in-laws’ dining set and build a …
: A few months ago, a very generous friend decided to give me some of his grandfather’s tools: a bench …
: Hanging cayennes are so pretty. And that’s red switchgrass to the left.
: I like the “On this Day” feature here at micro.blog. Today it brought up a thought experiment about …
: People ought to be warned about middle age. My daughter is 18 and needs help dealing with …
: That’s some big tomatoes! They’re an heirloom variety; unfortunately the person we got them from …
: My newsletter subscriptions are shifting in the right direction: less cultural criticism, more …
: Picked up an unusual (to me), older nativity set today. The images are decals/stickers, not painted. …
: Entrance to the back yard. Watch out for hanging cucumbers!
: Bad news: I got a minor cut from one of my chisels. Good news: I’ve successfully put a sharp edge on …
: Today is Darcy’s first day on her new job at Bath and Body Works. It’s a new chapter for her!
: In episode 17 of the M&T podcast, Joshua mentions his influences and it’s all the usual suspects: …
: As with all opinions that don’t matter, I hold firmly to the idea that the Midwest consists of …
: Rachel and I are now lifetime members of our county’s historical society. This is not step one of my …
: We’re shifting to late summer and that means the buzzing drone of annual cicadas. Nothing sounds …
: Over the weekend, Rachel harvested 3.5 pounds of Concord grapes and made jelly! I’m having some on …
: Easily my favorite, most used flea market tool is a Klein folding rule. Sturdy, compact, and better …
: Sometimes I go looking for Rachel in the backyard and can’t find her because of the density of the …
: I was glad to read this bit from Bill McKibben in his tribute to Wendell Berry: I’m lucky that I …
: William Stringfellow’s discussion of the Powers in An Ethic for Christians and Other Aliens in a …
: Happy 90th birthday, Wendell Berry!
: Have you seen these integrated LED light fixtures? “No bulbs to replace”—which means when the bulb …
: New song from Nick Shoulders: “Apocalypse Never.” Cling to joy, don’t let it die Like the waters, …
: As Andrew Belfield said yesterday: Well, between “friend” & Google’s Olympics ad, it’s been a bad …
: More on the signs of the reversal of technological progress: it’s interesting that Goia frames it as …
: I’m kinda glad I’m not a subscriber and can only see about a quarter of the 52 reasons to fear that …
: Lord of the Rings has obviously had a huge impact on me. I’ve mentioned before how the Litany …
: In other gardening news–to balance things out–the squirrels have absolutely demolished our …
: Check out these Concord grapes! They’re still a touch sour but they’re almost ready.
: We found the graves of the first owners’ of our home today. We put some flowers from our …
: I read through the abstract for our house this evening and worked out the history of ownership. The …
: Two unlikely dreams re: the Bedford pie safe: Acquire one of the 16-20 known to exist and preserve …
: I found out this week that my hometown has a unique piece of furniture: the Bedford pie safe. It is …
: Pickled some banana peppers tonight. Should be about a week until they’re ready to eat.
: I visited Corydon—Indiana’s original state capital—for the first time on Friday. It was the capital …
: On a solo drive through southern Indiana today. First stops: the Medora brick factory and the Medora …
: Work has begun on my next project: building a cabinet for a friend. It’s in trade for some of his …
: I have a couple of friends who refuse to shop at Walmart because the Walton family have funded …
: Before and after on the table and chairs refinishing project for my in-laws. I have one chair (not …
: I mentioned recently that this apocalyptic humidity is wreaking havoc on the finish on the table and …
: Like Ray Charles’ “Night time is the right time,” Waylon Jennings’ “Amanda” is a song made by its …
: Paper ephemera in my copy of this Forster essay collection. Any ideas what 76/mvt means?
: I’m feeling the itch to go on another southern Indiana day-long road trip. Some previous trips: …
: I note with some disappointment that a few new businesses in my town are called Star City [etc]. …
: This humidity we’re having. My in-laws want a polyurethane finish on their table and chairs. When I …
: The Adam and Eve story has always been a fruitful (heh) one for me. Two times I reflected on it: …
: I’m nearing the end of the table and chairs restoration project for my in-laws. It’s taking me a …
: Robin Wall Kimmerer: People often ask me what one thing I would recommend to restore relationship …
: Jon Stewart on why “get on board or shut the f* up” is not exactly a pro-democracy rallying cry.
: As if I wasn’t already behind on my projects, I picked up a chair today for $5. I don’t know …
: Steve Robinson on the death of his father. I know what this kind of conflicted memory is like. I’m …
: For as long as I can remember, my heroes have almost always been old men. Maybe because my first …
: From American Peasant, a new book by Christopher Schwarz: So then, what does the craft [of …
: First tadpoles we’ve seen in the pond this year!
: It’s always sad and yet predictable when small towns and nonprofits are victims of fraud. And it’s …
: Tom Johnson’s repair of this table leg is a joy to watch.
: Rhyd Wildermuth: A garden is a gathering of spirits, of old friends and new, of allies and …
: Old Farmers Almanac: The exact dates of the Dog Days can vary from source to source, and because …
: Darcy brought me two prayer cards from the Pisa Cathedral. One is for “Madonna di sotto gli organi” …
: Darcy is home and we’re all very thankful. The Abels are not a traveling people. Rachel and I …
: Now having contributed–perhaps unwisely–to election talk, I return to ignoring politics and focusing …
: This, from over a year ago, still pretty much summarizes my outlook on the election. We’re living …
: Sad coal mining song from Kathy Mattea. Of course it’s sad. There aren’t any happy coal mining …
: This morning I read the chapter “A Mother’s Work” in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. In …
: This term—from blogging’s heyday—popped into my head this morning. Anyone else remember this?
: Went to my favorite junk store and spent a total of $11 for a Winchester and a Blue Grass brace bit …
: We sent Darcy off to Europe for 12 days this morning. (Spain then south of France then Italy.) That …
: Charles Brooks takes photographs of the interior of various instruments and the results are amazing. …
: A more elegant way of saying what I was trying to say yesterday. Robin Wall Kimmerer: When …
: Adam Kotsko: Simply put, the way we were taught the market for consumer goods is supposed to work …
: Communist Manifesto: Constant revolutionising of production, uninterrupted disturbance of all …
: Everybody makes fun of “prepper Jeremy” until the water main breaks. Now I’m sitting here having my …
: This 1975 documentary about a Kentuckian chairmaker is worth watching.
: How about some garden pictures? Kitchen garden (other vegetables and herbs are spread throughout our …
: Robin Wall Kimmerer: The animacy of the world is something we already know, but the language of …
: Thomas Berry: “the universe is a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects.” (Via …
: I’ve just sent a chair restoration question to Tom Johnson of Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture …
: I got a bit aggressive while sanding off the old finish and it introduced a waviness to one side of …
: There are several sparrows dustbathing among the flowers and sitting in the shade of the grape arbor …
: I updated my Sanity Project page. This page is the story of our garden, from 2020 onward. Today I …
: I had forgotten about the Twitter house style until I recently followed some folks on Mastodon via …
: Isn’t this some beautiful kale and chard?
: I really like this working definition of enchantment from R.G. Miga: Enchantment is the process of …
: The opening line of “Carmel Point” by Robinson Jeffers has been on my mind recently: “The …
: I find myself in the strange situation that if I want to have any idea of what is going on with my …
: I did finally get the finish right on the leaf and now I’m stripping the table itself. I know it’s …
: On a human scale, nationalism is no better than globalism.
: I’ve been pretty okay with this whole high school graduation thing but then Rachel sent me this pair …
: I’m planning a post on my pet theory about the origins of the religious tradition in which I was …
: My lovely wife Rachel made a video of our garden this morning. (Yours truly is the cameraman.) I …
: This, from Freddie deBoer (via @ayjay), is true. I picked up the opinions habit early on because I …
: The pileated woodpecker seems to be a regular at our feeders now. She has a distinctive, sharp call …
: Rachel’s dad was cleaning out his garage and offered me this rickety workbench. I took it home and …
: The honeybees are loving the lavender right now.
: Another good one from Cory Doctorow: Red Lobster was killed by private equity, not Endless Shrimp
: Today was launch day for an endowment management system that a group of us have been working on for …
: It’s been a frustrating few days trying to get the finish right on this leaf of my in-laws’ …
: A clarification on what I posted earlier: I am not saying that everyone is right about the object of …
: The stakes are too high for everything now. This is a direct consequence of centralization, …
: Adam Savage’s lathe display (source)
: Rachel just harvested this huge pile of lettuce from one end of our raised beds and it didn’t even …
: It all started with a post from Alan Jacobs about that Apple ad, which pointed me to this post by …
: Recently my in-laws asked me to refinish their dining room table and chairs. They’ve brought it over …
: Starlings…sheesh. Not only are they: An invasive species whose introduction can be blamed on …
: Cory Doctorow: “AIs and self-driving cars are the new jetpacks” I don’t know if this will prove to …
: Pileated woodpecker at the feeder on our back porch. These are our celebrity sightings.
: Last day of high school for Darcy! It’s a bit sad, of course, but honestly we’re all three ready for …
: For a brief time in the spring here in the White River watershed, the redbuds fairly glow with their …
: Rachel and I went out to the nightmarescape that is our backyard in the dark after the rain. Slugs …
: A crow has showed up in our backyard a few times now to eat seed. We’re that much closer to our goal …
: “How Jung and Tolkien Tapped into the Collective Unconscious”
: One of my finds from my Friday drive was a Stanley no. 80 cabinet scraper. $15, which I thought was …
: Wonderful, ten minute documentary about the Zuni Map Project—an art project to “depict the …
: I made a frame for a scanned copy of the Civil War letter from an ancestor.
: I’m on the road today—driving from Salem to Paoli to French Lick to Loogootee, looking for old tools …
: Beautiful lavender. Also, the grapes are doing something new! Turns out they’re flowering. What I …
: OFA on how to garden vertically. Because of our limited space, we’re trying to do more of this. For …
: Phil Ford: Pleasure and pain, love and death, exist in an unresolved and irresolvable tension with …
: Rhyd Wildermuth: The longer the litanies of crises grow, the more favorable the winds become to …
: Columbine flowers, red and yellow atop long, thin stems: spring lanterns.
: Wow! Testimony of Paul Robeson before HUAC in 1956. Audio is a reenactment by James Earl Jones but …
: Matthew Crawford, on “eyesore” yards (yards containing scrap or spare parts): Nobody wants to live …
: Cardinal points of my politics: The nonhuman world is beautiful, fearsome, and faithful. It is …
: I am one-tenth of the way through Why We Drive by Matthew Crawford and—as expected—I have so many …
: A good weekend for cheap, reused stuff: I came across a thrift/junk store (location: secret) with a …
: Sugar snap peas, sweet alyssum, lettuces. We started planting sweet alyssum because it is a good …
: Darcy’s senior prom is tonight.
: R.G. Miga, on the current crisis sparked by both an overabundance of information and a lack of trust …
: A couple of cops had a car stopped in front of our house last night around 2am. Probably a drug …
: Paul Sellers: Soon I will be well again. I’m a patient man because I was trained to that end. …
: It’s May Day and you know what that means around here, don’t you? Watching Wicker Man! I’ll be …
: Rachel and I have been complaining about these “whole body deodorant” commercials (which of course …
: Finished reading Sourdough and The Suitcase Clone by Robin Sloan. I liked Sourdough even more than …
: Letter from C.G. Jung: Dear Frau V., Your questions are unanswerable because you want to know how …
: Charles Eisenstein: It may seem, from the infant’s point of view, that he’s achieving something. …
: I don’t subscribe to that many newsletters/substacks/etc. but it’s clearly too many, judging by the …
: I mentioned over the weekend that a tree frog has been hanging out at our pond, calling late into …
: There’s a frog at our pond and he’s talking to some neighbors. I think it’s a gray tree frog. Here’s …
: At the pond store in Monrovia. A person is saying their bullfrogs have disappeared and they suspect …
: A couple of days ago I posted about the idea of a “Speaker for the Squirrels” and got some good …
: Could these actually be tiny, tiny grapes? This is very exciting.
: Emphatically agree with this article. And I do not say that as someone who cannot manage technology; …
: We were meant to be inspired when Business Leader said his rule was, “better than yesterday, not as …
: I was looking for the “always convalescent from some small illness” quotation a few days ago and …
: Related to this: I’ve always loved the phrase “speaker for the dead,” though it’s been so many years …
: There seems to be a natural affinity between animism and anarchism. Animism sees people everywhere. …
: Lovely video from Pete Larson on the rhythms of life.
: Rode down the Milwaukee Trail and came across several patches of stunning fire pinks growing out of …
: Don’t yuk someone else’s yum. Patrick Rhone …
: Went to the Spring Farm Day at Grass Corp. They seem like the real deal—a family farm, raising …
: Remember last week when I refinished a table my in-laws gave me? Well they liked it enough that …
: There are far worse ways to spend an hour of your day than picking four cups worth of lilac flowers. …
: Rachel got this video of our first hatchlings of the year. We have a row of four bird houses on the …
: Very useful distinction from Alan Jacobs: The goal of libertarianism is to increase individual …
: Replace Bradford pears with dogwoods. Now that’s a campaign idea we can all believe in.
: New video: April 2024 in the garden
: Finished reading Mr Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookshop and Ajax Penumbra 1969, both by Robin Sloan. I’ve …
: Our lilac bush is blooming and the scent makes me so happy. You can smell it all around the house. …
: Apropos of nothing, I’m thinking this morning about how a series of ironclad mutual defense …
: My in-laws are preparing for retirement and so are paring down their possessions. They gave us this …
: It is always better to pray for peace than for the defeat of your enemies because there is no …
: I know…it’s a TED talk. But trust me, this one is good: “Let your garden grow wild.” Relatedly, this …
: Tom Shippey’s marvelous exposition of Tolkien’s Ringwraiths.
: My employer says they will be celebrating National Deskfast Day this Friday by supplying coffee and …
: Beautiful, short film about 85 year old Helen Dew: For Helen, a key element in building personal …
: A quick video of the moment the eclipse happened at our house. You can hear some of the neighbors …
: Lots of people out walking and riding bikes. Beautiful day. Feels like a less hot July Fourth. We …
: The head of Indiana’s DNR (who is also my neighbor) says all campgrounds and state park lodges are …
: Remember the weird post in the woods near my house? Well there’s a new development. Now there’s a …
: Came across a guy in the woods walking his pit bull. “Out looking for mushrooms?”, he asks. “A …
: So there’s an eclipse coming, if you haven’t heard. We’re in the path of totality. In fact, we’re at …
: I built a serving tray out of a gate I found alongside the road a few weeks ago. Plenty of flaws, …
: We’re regularly getting woodpeckers at our feeders now. And a few days ago I saw an eastern …
: I received issue 16 of Mortise and Tenon Magazine today—my first one. It is, as I expected, a …
: I’ve been listening to the really excellent episode 108 of the Weird Studies podcast, on skepticism …
: Nearly every time someone mentions Eclipse Day (which I always imagine with capital letters), I …
: In episode 103 of the Weird Studies podcast, J.F. and Phil consider the Tower card of the Tarot. As …
: Can you believe that Rachel used to say she had a black thumb?
: Lower Cascades Park. Bloomington, IN.
: New staff member started yesterday. I think he’s going to be great. You know what’s not great? The …
: Pete Larson: “Why I Farm.” This is different from Pete’s usual videos, which are typically …
: Door is done! Now everything around it needs new paint.
: Two things that prompted the memory of quitting social media I just posted: Reading Nobody is …
: The clearest and most disturbing realization I had after quitting Big Tech/algorithmic social media …
: New video: Screen door, before painting.
: I published my blogroll as a page using Manton’s plugin.
: World Central Kitchen: During this sacred month of Ramadan, World Central Kitchen is working to …
: I have a new staff member starting next Monday. I’m excited to have him join, not least because it’s …
: Good post from DC: our energy “needs” are skyrocketing due to the demands of cloud computing, AI, …
: EFF: “Congress Should Give Up on Unconstitutional TikTok Bans.” This bit is particularly worrying to …
: I’m hoping to finish the screen door today. This morning I’ve been planing it to size. Maybe I’m …
: One of the highlights of early spring for me is seeing the Italian coast while watching the …
: David Graeber, Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology: against policy (a tiny manifesto): The …
: If you ever take a notion to listen to some cowboy music, Don Edwards' album Saddle Songs is worth …
: OFA has an article on what to add to your soil in the spring. Here’s what we do. Three of our five …
: I seem to have found myself in a terminological drift. Green Man’s Grotto originally referred to the …
: New video: March 2024 in the Grotto. Two videos in one day! Will he keep up this breakneck pace? …
: New video: Nessie lives!. Wherein our killer bullfrog appears for the first time this season.
: Rhyd Wildermuth has just published an excellent article on degrowth (paywalled). Put as simply as …
: Trillium on a moss-covered rock
: First spring ephemeral I’ve spotted in Murray Forest this year: cut-leaved toothwort
: Worth reading: “The IKEA Humans” by Samuel Biagetti Jennifer and Jason are drawn to IKEA because it …
: Peter Larson, A Year and a Day on Just a Few Acres: Every place on the Earth has its own, unique …
: Worth reading: “Here lies the internet, murdered by generative AI” by Erik Hoel Dougald Hind’s …
: No one is more surprised than me that the screen door I’m building is square and the half-lap joints …
: Still the funniest video on the internet. Rachel and I think of this every few months and laugh …
: Two great ideas from the “In Defense of Maintenance” episode of the Mortise and Tenon podcast: …
: I’m looking forward to this book: Land Healing: Physical, Metaphysical, and Ritual Approaches for …
: Rex Krueger says “don’t measure”—and I’m trying to live by that as I build a new screen door for our …
: My grandpa’s license plate. My dad’s tool box. He added the State Farm sticker; I added the Mortise …
: Lost Art Press is having a sale on their book Anarchist’s Tool Chest. Also, they have a great FAQ on …
: The Luddite comic I posted a few days ago mentioned a couple of movements I hadn’t heard of before …
: New use for chatbots: having it rewrite a blunt statement into a more professionally acceptable …
: Pretty colors across the street this morning.
: Elizabeth Oldfield: I want to be a conscientious objector to the culture wars. I want to hold fast …
: This is so good. “Welcome to the future. Sabotage it.” Jeremy …
: Despite an unusually warm February, there doesn’t seem to be any early wildflowers in the woods so …
: Ted Goia has a good follow-up post on his dopamine culture piece. In the follow-up, he focuses on …
: Two more things from the show last night: They opened with “The World Can Wait.” Linford said the …
: The Over the Rhine show last night was…well, they seem to get better with each passing year. The …
: Hanging out at the record store before the Over the Rhine show. I’m thankful to have such a great …
: I have a very special sweetgum tree in my yard. I’ll tell you the story sometime. But it does …
: Finished reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers. The best thing about this book was …
: Speaking of zines, here’s a good post from Jay Springett on the subject.
: First pro bike race of the spring Cobbled Classics, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, in 48 hours! I will be …
: So whaddya say, folks, should we just start sending zines to each other through the mail? (via …
: Song in my head today: Marty Robbins, “Bouquet of Roses”
: Really illuminating post by James Shelley (via @patrickrhone): Whether papyrus or the internet, …
: I’ve lived in different areas of Lawrence County for my entire life–but everything started in one …
: Ted Goia’s “The State of the Culture, 2024” is grim but necessary reading—and it contains the image …
: I always look forward to the spring ephemerals.
: We’re expecting a bit of snow today but OFA says it’ll be an early spring. Warmer-than-average …
: A friend and I were talking last year about our mutual need to over-intellectualize everything we …
: After our mishap last weekend, we got the new part in today and now we have a working stove.
: New video: Green Man’s Grotto, February 2024. A tour of our backyard garden at its worst, with a few …
: Adam Kotsko, “The Information Environment: Toward a Deeper Enshittification Thesis”: The near-total …
: This morning I’ll be preparing the final tax returns for the beard products business I co-own with …
: Is there any way to get the “new post” page on the web interface to remember (instead of having to …
: This is a great piece on Eminem’s boxes of rhyming notes. Via Austin Kleon’s Friday newsletter.
: Woodland crocus is always the first flower in our yard—and this year it’s even earlier. According to …
: This from Rebecca Solnit (via @sod) feels like a dispatch from a foreign war correspondent. “Do …
: Interviewing candidates today for a newly created financial analyst position. I’m comfortable …
: Well, other projects have been put on hold since our screen door has gone from “let’s fix that this …
: Video: Reading “The Beauty of Things” by Robinson Jeffers Yes, I opened an account with Evil Empire. …
: Anyone know of a way to see a list of posts that haven’t been categorized? Ideally, within the …
: Why I will not be compelled to speak publicly about [insert atrocity here] Denny: If history demonstrates that Israel committed genocide in 2024 how will you feel about your …
: I’ve taken a notion to post occasional videos. Hikes, gardening, woodworking projects, …
: I was delighted to be reminded of Malcolm Guite this morning when I came across his YouTube channel. …
: Sometimes the world is terrible—but sometimes I just need a nap.
: Around here, Candlemas means crêpes by candlelight (even if it is the middle of the day).
: We (mostly Rachel!) made a decent dent in this weekend’s project. It’ll take at least one more round …
: So one of our projects is to rip out (almost) all of the landscaping on the south side of the house …
: Video of Bronson Cave, Spring Mill State Park
: Prayer after Eating Wendell Berry I have taken in the light that quickened eye and leaf. May my …
: I love this Imbolc essay from Rhyd Wildermuth.
: It’s 7pm and that has come to mean one thing at the Abel house this winter: it’s time for tea and …
: Gardening is afoot! Rachel is planting sweet peas and prepping some other indoor containers for seed …
: At the moment, my plan is to continue reading Wendell Berry’s fiction until I’ve read it all. Using …
: Not only is memorizing Dune’s “Litany Against Fear” during childhood not silly, I commend it as a …
: Any ideas what this might be?
: John Halstead’s post “Re-placing Ourselves” contains that blend of an animist worldview with Wendell …
: Either I’ve gotten trapped in a “woodworking + Maine” algorithm or there seems to be a high per …
: Technology is a program of control. Within certain limits, this is good & necessary. Outside those …
: Poor Darcy is spending her last day as a minor on the couch sick. Likely won’t be much better …
: The east fork of the White River has a lot of fog and ice this morning.
: A company offers free access to the Headspace meditation app, yoga classes, blood pressure monitors, …
: I like Ted Gioia’s seven heretical questions about progress. But, being the animist, agrarian(?), …
: We’re in the “path of totality” for the solar eclipse on April 8. I found out this morning that IU …
: I slip into sleep naming gratitudes: A litany against fear. Night-voices may wake and shake me, But …
: Wendell Berry, Hannah Coulter (p158): Sometimes, a haunted old woman, I wander about in this house …
: Snow day at the Abel house! Green Man’s Grotto is chilly.
: Is there a mechanical need for motorcycles to be revved or are these men who feel like their voices …
: “Why return-to-office mandates fail” Remote work can be productive if managers are willing to adapt. …
: So, my daughter has an interest in doing some volunteer work before college–both in order to get …
: Wendell Berry, Hannah Coulter: There can be places in this world, and in human hearts too, that are …
: Wendell Berry, Hannah Coulter: The living can’t quit living because the world has turned terrible …
: Our little pond is mostly frozen now, except where a little water flows. I wonder if Nessie is still …
: Wendell Berry reads “The Contrariness of the Mad Farmer”
: Finished reading Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry. 📚 This was his first novel but my edition is the …
: I’m disappointed that it’s too cold to be in my garage working on my weekend project but I’m going …
: I have my weekend project: a router sled. Attempting to surface my low bench with a hand plane …
: In the barber shop today, the person before me and the person after me were having their mullets cut …
: Well worth reading: “Dancing in the Theatre of my Enslavement: Reflections on turning forty as a …
: I’m going to have to make this pine needle soda. Easy and, according to Old Farmers Almanac, more …
: The big winter storm is moving through our neck of the woods and the result is mostly relentless …
: There aren’t many videos on the Daoist Foundation’s YouTube channel but I was impressed by the one I …
: Woodworking notes 1/7/2024 Well it’s been about ten months since the last of these. I continued building things in 2023 but …
: Happy 132nd birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
: My wired headphones went through the washer AND dryer and still work. And even if they didn’t I’d …
: Catching up on @dwalbert’s “Road to Jockey’s Ridge” this morning. Loved this from “The Changeable …
: Skillful use of music in movies can heighten the mood to such an intense degree. Aren’t you glad …
: I made a New Year’s lucky lunch of sausage and sauerkraut and black eyed peas. I got choked on it. …
: Some day trips I want to make in 2024: Prophetstown state park in Lafayette Turkey Run and Clifty …
: For various reasons, I didn’t spend as much time in the woods as I would have wished in 2023. I hope …
: The second trimming of the tree. For the next few days the tree will be another food source for the …
: It is said that God is able to witness the multi-faceted suffering of the world, hear the prayers of …
: Has anyone read Human Scale by Kirkpatrick Sale? I had a nice copy of that book that I acquired from …
: I love Tom Johnson’s antique restoration channel. This video is one of my favorites because of his …
: There is a certain expectation—picked up from the tourism industry, perhaps—that the ideal place the …
: I never tire of opening a new bar of Dr Bronner’s hippie soap and seeing “All-One!” stamped across …
: My first attempt at a Black Forest cake won’t win me a spot on the Great British Baking Show—but …
: Today’s task: Black Forest cake for Christmas lunch. None of the elements seem particularly …
: Happy Solstice, everyone! The Winter Solstice has always been my favorite of the Quarter Days. I was …
: The times in which we live are almost enough to make me into a Gnostic. The stupidity on display …
: Wendell Berry, “It All Turns on Affection”: For humans to have a responsible relationship to the …
: In this house we say Happy Holidays because even though we celebrate Honda Days, others may …
: It probably says something about me that this is one of my favorite Aesop Rock songs.
: In a recent continuing education course on AI, the speaker said, “No one will lose their jobs to AI, …
: Just received a shipment of coffee that a neighbor recommended to me.
: An appropriate reading when you’re coming down with some kind of sickness: It isn’t hard to inhabit …
: Some of us have been saying to upset Christians for years that “Happy Holidays” does not exclude …
: Amazing story (via @ayjay) on newly discovered ways that redwoods survive fire. We went on Tom’s …
: Thank God for “thought leaders” who help us “pre-solve” problems.
: Matt Cardin: For much of my life, I read books and other things in a frankly desperate, craving …
: The holiday party at work did not go my way…
: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is Polar Express but with Nazis
: Wendell Berry, “Renewing Husbandry”: I remember well a summer morning in about 1950 when my father …
: Finished reading Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. Beautiful and heart-breaking. I think I’ll keep …
: Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow (p248): All I can answer is that I did love her all her life—from the …
: I’ve been an admirer of Wendell Berry for over twenty years now—but, weirdly, I’ve only ever read …
: We often hear about child development, less so about adult development. There does seem to be an …
: I readily admit that I know only a little more than nothing about classical music. A few years ago, …
: So the lesson from this weekend’s hullabaloo at OpenAI appears to be that not even the board of …
: Daniel Immerwahr, via @tinyroofnail: If small, rugged farms have not filled the countryside, what …
: If there’s a new Romanticism on the horizon, I’m here for it.
: There’s a tiny town an hour or so away called Pumpkin Center—universally pronounced “Punkin Center.” …
: Alan Jacobs makes a good response to Freddie deBoer’s assertion that people believe in religions …
: The number of books I’ve read has dropped over the last couple of years because I no longer have a …
: Finished reading When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté. Fewer …
: I made Indian Pudding and whipped cream. (Not exactly the most accurate or sensitive name for it.) …
: Finished reading Owning Your Own Shadow by Robert A. Johnson. Great, short introduction to the …
: New Aesop Rock album release day is a good day.
: Thankfully most of my CPA continuing education can be done via webinar—but today’s is on the north …
: James Hillman, “The Poetic Basis of Mind”: Because symptoms lead to soul, the cure of symptoms may …
: It was a great time tonight, despite the unseasonably cold weather. (36F!) Every year we have …
: Appropriately enough for the opening of Allhallowtide, the print shop finished the scan of an 1864 …
: I repeated a previous design this year. The star eye is a little lopsided so I’ve decided that’s him …
: The saddest mummy/archaeologist love story you’ve ever heard. 🎵
: Planning to carve a pumpkin today, so I’ve been looking at some of the ones I’ve done over the …
: I did some grave visitation today ahead of Allhallowtide. I’ll be busy on the actual days and I have …
: Speak softly and carry a big stick. (I cut a limb from a recent oak fall and now I’m lugging it back …
: A few days ago a friend sent me this interview with Robert Sapolsky on free will. It was well-timed. …
: Alan Jacobs: If you’re reading the news several times a day, you’re not being informed, you’re …
: It appears that the president will be making a case for more war funding tonight. Remember: he may …
: So I’ve been using Kagi for search and I like it. Unfortunately you can’t make it your default …
: Hopefully I’ll get back to the “These Weird Times” series at some point soon. When I said a few …
: Many thanks to @johnbrady for calling this to my attention in a comment on my earlier post …
: Once you decide that you are on the side of life, you suddenly have a lot more clarity about thorny …
: I built a candlestick out of a limb that fell from our sweetgum tree in the front yard. The base is …
: Watched Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger Than Paradise. We used to spend a lot of time doing nothing in the …
: U-pick, I pick, we all pick pumpkins. We’ve been doing this ever since Darcy was a baby. We’re not …
: I believe these are red oak acorns. Whether they are or not, I’m processing them using these old …
: Currently reading Gabor Maté’s book When the Body Says No: Exploring The Stress-Disease Connection. …
: Started using Kagi as my search engine after @JohnBrady recommendation and I’m already getting more …
: Interesting haul at half price books today
: My local writing group’s prompt this month was to write about a dream. It’s a fiction-focused group …
: History may move in cycles–but this moment in time feels like a stuck record.
: Alan Jacobs: Wherever power is, the corrupt will be drawn to it by an irresistible magnetic force. …
: So Blood in the Machine starts with an epigraph from Run the Jewels? Dude, I’ve already bought the …
: Cory Doctorow reviews Blood in the Machine, a forthcoming history of the Luddites. I’ve had it on …
: Rachel made persimmon drop cookies!
: Indiana persimmon—straight off the ground and warm—an absolute delight.
: Powerful song by Derek Spencer on a real life tragedy in small town Kentucky. This guy deserves more …
: Happy Hobbit Day! Unfortunately I won’t have as much time for celebrating today but I will certainly …
: It’s a Soundgarden Superunknown kind of morning.
: Made it through a thing today that had been giving me anticipatory stress. Also, two days from …
: Following on from the “husbands in cars” memory: Rachel made a good point that our services were …
: A phenomenon I associate with country churches in my childhood: an irreligious husband waiting in …
: “The Weird” versus “weird” {TWT02} Part two in a series. Two definitions of “weird” from Merriam-Webster: Of strange or extraordinary …
: Aesop Rock has announced a new album and it looks like he’ll be doing some tech critique. The first …
: Nine days from the final draft of audited financial statements. Almost there! The bad thing about …
: Folks, Rachel found the bullfrog that lives in our pond eating a bird as big as the frog itself. …
: Last night Rachel and I watched “The Unbinding”, the new documentary from the Newkirks. If you’re …
: I saw that today’s photo challenge word was “cycle” just as I settled in here at Taste of Belgium in …
: Cory Doctorow calls tools like ChatGPT “plausible sentence generators.”
: The Mavericks 1994 album “What a Crying Shame” mostly reminds me of Dwight Yoakam, which is probably …
: We have reached that point in the annual audit that I feel like an old-timey telephone switchboard …
: Well look at this: actual newsprint. From Heartwood, a forest protection org. Newsprint, by the way, …
: Added “Sketches of the Goat God in Albion” by Gyrus to my collection of sources on Pan. Excellent …
: Introducing “These Weird Times” {TWT01} Part one in [a series]. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. The passing of Labor Day …
: So here I was listening to Sleep’s “Holy Mountain” while compiling a statement of cash flows when I …
: To be involved in the economy is to be materially implicated in corruption, destruction, and any …
: Erik Davis: Sometime it really pays off to be a perpetual student of religion and the occult. …
: Lovely post from Elizabeth Oldfield on “the ordinary grandeur of the ways we love each other”
: My “make things, not content” t-shirt gets a surprising number of compliments. The number of people …
: Two ecosystem services provided by humans: gratitude and awareness.
: Martin Shaw, Bardskull: They say the best way to die is to let go of everything. To lack a centre. …
: Master Hsueh, as quoted in Road to Heaven by Bill Porter: You can learn the basics anywhere. There …
: Taoist and Buddhist shrines in China. Shinto shrines in Japan. Catholic shrines all over Europe. …
: Master Hsieh, as quoted in Road to Heaven by Bill Porter: Lao-tzu said to cultivate tranquillity …
: Weird country track of the day: “Turn on the Dark” by Nick Shoulders. 🎵 (Weird country should …
: A thought experiment: Imagine consciousness as a tiny seed of light, and that multitudes of them are …
: Whew, this is good. So much here to think about. I wrote a denunciation of apps. Alan Jacobs …
: Ordered a copy of the I Ching through my local bookstore–and it happened to be the translation by …
: Two songs that I discovered as covers and still prefer over the original 🎵 Mavericks, “All that …
: Rachel and I watched the Earthing documentary over the weekend. Basically, it makes the argument for …
: Michael Bogdanffy-kriegh—who is always worth reading!—has a good post today on the impact of some …
: Bill Porter, Road to Heaven (1993): One of the mountains we visited was Tailaoshan just inside the …
: About to do some herbal tea taste testing. Anise hyssop, spearmint, chocolate mint, peppermint, …
: Look, I’m glad people are re-discovering HP Lovecraft but some of us have been living in fear of …
: If you have interest in the film and/or paganism, The Sing-Along-A-Wicker-Man Scrapbook by David …
: View of the Ohio River at Troy, Indiana and the magnificent Christ of the Ohio statue overlooking …
: On the banks of the Wabash. (Near the Atheneum in New Harmony.)
: Another way to support the local bee population: plant enough basil that you can allow some to bloom …
: Another good documentary on New Harmony, produced by Indiana University. This one gives more …
: Good video about the remarkable Robert Owen, textile manufacturer, co-operative socialist, and …
: Grist mill at Spring Mill State Park. It’s our local state park and it’s easy to forget how …
: A friend invited me to take what I wanted from a stack of old records he inherited. Some good stuff, …
: Made a pasta tree for Rachel to dry her homemade pasta.
: Darryl Cherney and Judi Bari with some top notch Earth First! tunes. (In this case, BLM refers to …
: We’ve seen a monarch butterfly several days this week and yesterday spotted a yellow swallowtail …
: Once I get this next big batch of work to the auditors, I think I’ll take a day off. I want to plan …
: Sitting on my back porch during lunch break, I drifted to sleep while thinking about the back to the …
: Check out all these tiny bees (not sure of species) with their full pollen sacs on this sunflower.
: The Narrow Road to the Deep North: Finally, I sold my house, moving to the cottage of Sampū for a …
: If you’re looking for a plant to attract bees, you might try Joe Pye Weed. It’s not spectacular; …
: Rachel found four monarch caterpillars on the swamp milkweed this morning–and there was much …
: Viktor Frankl: Idealists are the true realists.
: Don’t forget to subscribe to @dwalbert’s substack, where he will be writing about section hiking the …
: Earlier today, @ReaderJohn posted a link to a Joseph Campbell quote, which was behind a paywall. The …
: Wonderful TV interview with Jung. One bit to point out: both in regards to advice to older people …
: At Breckinridge Cemetery on the north side of Bedford, IN, is a monument to the unidentified Civil …
: Happy birthday, Wendell Berry! Read something of his in honor of the day. Maybe an essay like …
: Anna Havron has a really wise post today on how to function in a crisis. I’m not in a crisis right …
: Andy Couturier, The Abundance of Less: “This is the same fire that burned with the blast from …
: I don’t listen to a lot of hip hop but, when I do, it’s usually someone from Rhymesayers. Today, …
: “Haven’t I said enough? Haven’t I said far too much?” 🎵
: I’m thankful that the heat wave seems to have broken. It’s a beautiful morning out there right now.
: A friend sent me a link to the No Labels organization and asked if I had any thoughts. I replied: …
: Spending the evening at a DIY music festival, listening to a bunch of local folk musicians. The …
: Rachel is already planning for 2024. This will more than fill out the backyard, a.k.a., Green Man’s …
: It’s hot today BUT we’ve seen a hummingbird and a monarch butterfly in the Grotto.
: A good article on working with the Five Remembrances
: Five Remembrances (Thich Nhat Hanh version): I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to …
: Rachel made a zucchini pie and–you know what?–it’s really good. (Y’all, we have so many zucchinis.)
: There’s a secret government program that has recovered nonhuman “biologics” and is working on …
: There’s been a lot of talk about discovering other users on micro.blog lately, so I’ve reworked my …
: Anonymous discord user, speaking the truth: A degree of stillness then a confrontation with the …
: “Children of Ted: Two decades after his last deadly act of ecoterrorism, the Unabomber has become an …
: Come and get it. Inspired by Rhyd Wildermuth: Gardening is only a political act now because of all …
: Walmart’s grocery pickup app now allows you to bring your own reusable bags instead of …
: Good talk by Lyla June, a Diné woman and scholar, presenting the lessons her ancestors have to teach …
: You know what? The pickled kale is fantastic. Crisp and sweet and sour. It would be good on …
: Today: pulling nails on salvaged, century-old 2x4s and listening to Colter Wall’s new album Little …
: The sunflower fully opened today
: My current and upcoming reading pile 📚 What’s in yours?
: Attempting pickled kale, using this recipe. I added two cloves of garlic and a jalapeño. Now it sits …
: There has been some welcome talk here on micro.blog about practical actions people can take to …
: Chai update: after making Chetna’s recipe and finding it lacking in flavor (which could very well be …
: Black Sabbath playing “War Pigs” live. Still one of the greatest anti-war songs. (That drummer, …
: Rachel got a great video of a bee enjoying one of the zucchini blossoms.
: Penda’s Fen, folks. I never heard of this movie before yesterday and now I can’t get it out of my …
: Neighborhood lions, carved in limestone.
: Make your own toothpaste: 4 tbsp melted coconut oil, 3 tbsp baking soda, 3 tbsp bentonite clay, …
: Pan, an ongoing collection of sources Keeping everything in one spot. Will be updated over time. Wikipedia article. Useful as links to …
: I’m more proud of this carrot than I have any right to be
: Touring the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering today. Maybe I’ll get to meet …
: My mom told me about a creepy guy who came to her door and I want to say, “Why are you answering …
: Asha Amemiya, in The Abundance of Less by Andy Couturier: “So, why do you think so many people get …
: Plans for my next woodworking project: Get one of my hand planes in working order Build Rex …
: I love vinyl records too, but you know what’s cheap and plentiful for the person who wants to own …
: Inspired by this video from Rex Krueger, I decided my best way into hand planing would be to go …
: Recording taken by me on the morning of August 8, 2020, at the Canyon Forest Nature Preserve. …
: Anyone have a good chai recipe for a newbie? I tried this one from Chetna of Great British Bake Off …
: Three things that (synchronistically?) fell into my world this week: Atsuko Watanabe, in The …
: Price, our scrawny black cat, somehow got out of the house last Friday. (He’s done this before. He …
: I am very grateful to David Walbert @dwalbert for two posts—here and here—in response to my posts on …
: R.G. Miga, who (judging by context clues) lives near Cayuga Lake, asks what the lake wants: It’s …
: Using apocalyptic sunbeams to make tea.
: I received my micro.blog sticker today and I’ve added it to the side of my laptop shelf.
: I have a shameful lack of knowledge about the history–and ongoing story–of Native Americans. Anyone …
: Well this is beautiful: short documentary about Alfie Jacques, one of the last wooden lacrosse stick …
: I had a four day weekend due to Independence Day and I spent it closing in about half of the open …
: I’m so glad to have maintained a log of the books I’ve read since 2005. Not least because it’s such …
: Now moving on from a book about limits on tools to one about simpler living.
: Finished reading Ivan Illich’s Tools for Conviviality. Short book but not a quick read. Dense with …
: Ivan Illich makes an excellent observation on the ways in which science as a tool (remember he …
: This is a good example of my favorite type of Rhyd’s writing, and why I’m a paying subscriber. His …
: When everyone around you speaks of the apocalypse, the most radical act is to imagine the future.
: Darcy in today’s parade with the color guard and marching band.
: Today’s smoothie consists of greens and mint from the garden (left) and raspberries and chicory …
: I encountered Gary Snyder’s phrase “we are the primitives / of an unknown culture” this week and it …
: One of the foundational ideas in Ivan Illich’s Tools for Conviviality (see this post from yesterday …
: In Tools for Conviviality, Illich develops a theory of tools. Illich defines “tools” as “rationally …
: A little Solstice berry gathering along the Milwaukee Trail
: Purple coneflower. Joe Pye weed in the background.
: So I’d like to visit some area cemeteries this summer and I’d like to mark them on a map app and …
: One of my favorite tools: my dad’s Petersen Manufacturing (Dewitt, Nebraska) Vise Grips, complete …
: The previous owner of my house left behind some heavy duty Lyon shelving in the garage. It is a heap …
: It’s been a rough week here with the sudden decline of our fifteen year old dog Murphy. Last weekend …
: It’s “Limestone Month” here in Bedford and this morning Rachel and I went on a tour of Green Hill …
: 2 Samuel 5:24: And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry …
: I’m sad to finish Jung’s Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Next, I would like to at least read The …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, p.356 It is important to have a secret, a premonition of …
: Now spinning: Beach Boys compilation “Endless Summer.” Not my usual music but it caught the …
: I know I’ve been posting a lot of pictures of local limestone sculpture lately but I’ve been trying …
: Now spinning: the Abyssinian Baptist Choir led by Professor Alex Bradford. Liner notes by no less …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, p.300 We cannot visualize another world ruled by quite other …
: And then, as if to prevent me from getting too carried away in my praise of Memories, Dreams, …
: Purchased for the car. I can’t tell if I’m getting wiser or crazier as the days go by.
: Finally getting some rain! It’s been about a month since our last significant rainfall. Hopefully it …
: Today I learned that “archeology” is an alternate spelling for “archaeology.” And the strange thing …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, p.235: Our souls as well as our bodies are composed of …
: I could read Memories, Dreams, Reflections all day long. It’s a book full of mysterious visions and …
: Thanks to @readerjohn for passing on this article about an 80-ton limestone carving of Washington …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, p223: Gradually, through my scientific work, I was able to put …
: I rescued a good bit of old trim from a nearby remodel. It was just going to go into the trash! It’s …
: Ivan Illich, Tools for Conviviality, p.29 (pdf): A convivial society should be designed to allow …
: Entrance to Green Man’s Grotto is finally complete. We’ll see if the wood-burned sign weathers well. …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections p.161: I was never able to agree with Freud that the dream is a …
: One last picture of the completed project. It’s definitely utilitarian carpentry but it solves a few …
: I’ve changed my ideas and practices a lot over the twenty-five years or so of my adult life. But one …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, p.143-144: Among the so-called neurotics of our day there are …
: Rachel and I went on our first foraging expedition today and came home with a bagful of wood sorrel, …
: Now it just needs a few pieces of trim, some paint, and a pile of dirt. I’ll post a final picture …
: The supervisor inspecting our work. He has requested that we use the space to plant peanuts.
: Work on the raised bed within the back deck has begun in earnest.
: Lisa M. Rose, Midwest Foraging: The end goal of foraging actually isn’t gathering delicious wild …
: Really good Weird Studies episode on dreams, the underworld, and James Hillman. Appropriately …
: Monuments at Beech Grove Cemetery are not quite as impressive as at Green Hill. Still, a few nice …
: I found out this week that a high-stress accounting project I had spent months on was unnecessary …
: I may attempt this wall mounted tool chest from the New Yankee Workshop someday–but, of more general …
: It’s not that the world is not our home; it’s that we have forgotten who our family is.
: On Top Gary Snyder All this new stuff goes on top turn it over, turn it over wait and water down …
: My town is the self-proclaimed limestone capital of the world—and despite it being very chamber of …
: Clive Thompson says there is a biophilia paradox—and I could not disagree more. The problem is that …
: Jung, Memories, Dreams, Reflections: Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its …
: Here’s the question that matters: what would you do if you believed the world around you was …
: This is cool: collage artist turns a corner store into an art experience. Things like this can only …
: Been playing with the bird sound identification feature of Merlin Bird ID this morning. We’re in …
: We built a new raised bed this week. That’s not a trick of perspective: it actually is much narrower …
: Parker Millsap Sometimes I remember. Sometimes I feel the magic. Amen, Parker.
: If you’re still holding out hope that renewable energy is the future, you might want to read this.
: Blue flag iris in our wildlife pond says good morning.
: So I’m a religion nerd from way back and one of my very favorite topics is the differences between …
: Parker Millsap’s new album is great. The title track is my favorite so far.
: We’re really good at accidentally growing mushrooms
: William Anderson, Green Man: The image of the tree that speaks, prophesies or warns seems to …
: “The Green Man”, a poem by William Anderson Like antlers, like veins of the brain the birches Mark patterns of mind on the red winter sky; ‘I am …
: Megan Garber: In the future, the writers warned, we will surrender ourselves to our entertainment. …
: Rachel found the cleverest little frog taking a nap on our fence. I believe it is a gray treefrog.
: Sugar snap pea pods are developing!
: Dougald Hine suggests an approach to tradition that deviates from the default moves of both …
: First evening of frogs croaking at our little pond. What a lovely, lovely sound.
: Finished reading At Work in the Ruins by Dougald Hine. This book is worth your attention. Dougald is …
: Dougald Hine: The crude choices offered at the ballot box encourage us to reduce politics to such …
: We added a dozen bullfrog tadpoles and a dozen large snails (species unknown) to our little wildlife …
: It’s good to hear the music of the ice cream truck rolling through the neighborhood.
: Finally feeling better after a back injury and flu/covid–but now I’m so far behind on everything …
: Dougald Hine: The fossil economy breaks the possibility of such a cycle [of human reciprocity with …
: The universe is getting entirely too literal for my taste. In 2024, we face the likely prospect of …
: “A heathen, conceivably, but not, I hope, an unenlightened one.”—Lord Summerisle, and me.
: Happy May Day! Around here that means its time to watch Wicker Man. Possibly repeatedly.
: This is a beautiful pile of lilac flowers from the bush in our front yard. I’m making lilac simple …
: Today I was sitting on a bench at an Amish nursery near Loogootee, IN, listening to a couple of …
: “We all come from first peoples somewhere in the world. We have not always been trammelers of the …
: I read years ago (can’t remember where) that the difference between leftists and liberals is their …
: I’ve joined a small, local writing group. For the next meeting, I’m working on a fable-ish piece of …
: Re Spotify nonsense: I used to think I couldn’t live without Spotify for music discovery. Then I got …
: Loreena McKennitt sings a version of Yeats’ “The Stolen Child”.
: Lilac will be blooming before long. Sweetgum leaves emerging from the buds.
: Three poets have been insisting on me getting to know them better: Yeats, John Clare, R.S. Thomas. …
: Goia says, “I’d pay more for trust.” What about those without discretionary income? Also, the trust …
: That’s a proper Hestian shrine my atheist wife has set up in the corner of the kitchen.
: Newly built window box is up. Lean out the window and there’s a salad waiting for you.
: Plastics storage facility in Richmond, IN, is ablaze, smoke is assuredly toxic, and will burn for …
: They shall change their cartridge boxes into screw boxes, neither shall they learn war anymore.
: Old Gods of Appalachia live performance last night in Indianapolis was great. There were three …
: Old Gods of Appalachia live show tonight!
: A word in defense of solitude Freddie deBoer’s recent essay about the escapism built into much of online life is well worth your …
: Martin Shaw, Bardskull: Because for the sore awfulness of this century we need more fur, not less. …
: Listening to Martin Shaw’s interview on Rune Soup and, ugh, I really need to read Bardskull. Also, …
: The tragic death of Warren Dean Jones During a recent walk to Murray Forest, two carvings on the side of a church caught my attention. One …
: 2016 Ford Escape: Battery is buried under a bunch of other stuff, made intentionally complicated to …
: Murray Forest 3/29/2023 Observations: Cut-leaved toothwort White fawnlily Spring beauty Rue anemone Lemon balm American …
: Spent a few minutes at an auction this morning. First time we’ve been to one in years so we were …
: Twenty five years of marriage with this girl today!
: Woodworking notes 3/27/2023 I finished a tabletop shelf for all of my work electronics, plus an inset pencil cup. Plenty of …
: Anyone with experience growing amaranth? Anything I should know?
: The Tao makes no effort at all, yet there is nothing it doesn’t do The Tao makes no effort at all yet there is nothing it doesn’t do if a ruler could uphold it the …
: Beautiful documentary of Red Pine revisiting the Chinese hermitages he made famous with Road to …
: Jay Owens More-than-human thinking isn’t just about recognising the near-to-human cleverness of …
: Green Man’s Grotto is showing signs of life! Phlox is blooming: Yarrow is back and is spreading …
: David Cain: “Most phone use is a tragic loss of life”
: I wear a black graphic t-shirt every day of my life. Last week I realized I could design my own and …
: Checking the PO box, saying hi to Joe Palooka.
: On music discovery: if you are fortunate enough to have a good, local record store like Landlocked, …
: Happy vernal equinox! Here’s hoping for a shift toward more spring-like weather. Rachel and I have …
: I’ve been grinding through some numbers over the last few days so I’ve been half-watching the four …
: Alan Jacobs: The cultivation of taste, in morals as well as in art, is neither snobbish nor …
: The bookcase is finally completed and set in its corner of the dining room where I work. I’ve placed …
: Woodworking notes 3/14/2023 I’m nearing completion on the bookcase. (So, so slow.) At this point I just need to apply some wood …
: I’ve found myself dipping into this Red Pine translation of the Tao Te Ching this week. I …
: Amazing documentary about a would-be terrorist.
: JeffersCast Episode Three: “The Treasure” This episode includes a reading of “The Treasure,” followed by a few comments.
: Newbie question here: any chance this is eastern red cedar? Definitely aromatic. Reddish brown. …
: Finished watching “The Woman King.” I don’t understand how Viola Davis was not nominated for an …
: Letters with @jsonbecker, week five This is the final letter for my part of Jason Becker’s Letters project. Be sure to follow the rest …
: Very wet here today. Poor squirrel at the feeder is soaked. Wind is whistling. It feels like we’re …
: Thinking about this post from @patrickrhone tonight so I compared a cross section of end grain from …
: Following up on my previous post, it’s worth noting that he regards this as a counsel of perfection …
: The heart of Jeffers’ Inhumanist philosophy is the turn away from the human, toward the nonhuman. A …
: “The Sun is Alive, and Why That Matters” by Charles Eisenstein. Interesting case for the aliveness …
: Letters with @jsonbecker, week four I’m late cross-posting this fourth in a continuing series of letters with Jason Becker. Week one. …
: Progress picture on the bookshelf. I’m waiting to cut the joint for the bottom shelf until I get the …
: I’m just not built for the hour-long TV dramas; I’m more of a “rewatch favorite sitcoms over and …
: Never has anyone complained about the neighbors so beautifully. (This is Jeffers, if you couldn’t …
: Snow trillium. First flower I’ve seen in the woods this year.
: JeffersCast Episode Two: “Hurt Hawks” This episode includes a reading of “Hurt Hawks,” followed by a few comments.
: Proof of concept for some shoe boxes I’m making for Rachel.
: Letters with @jsonbecker, week three This is week three of a continuing series of letters with Jason Becker. Week one is here and week …
: Got my tickets for the Old Gods of Appalachia live show in Indianapolis!
: Woodworking notes 2/14/2023 Finally completed the stool (using this Steve Ramsey video). The build was delayed first by illness …
: Rachel’s seedlings are doing great!
: Poetry is a bodily art Robert Pinsky, The Sounds of Poetry: The theory of this guide is that poetry is a vocal, which is …
: Letters with @jsonbecker, week two This is week two of a continuing series of letters with Jason Becker. More information and the …
: JeffersCast episode one: “Carmel Point” Introducing JeffersCast, my wildly amateur podcast (using micro.blog’s wavelength app) about the …
: What have you done with one string lately?
: I’m curious. Do you have songs in your head never, rarely, often, always? Do you consider yourself …
: Woodworking notes 2/6/2023 Over the weekend I completed one side of the trellis on the grape arbor. I’ll put up another on the …
: It’s letter writing day! I’ve just emailed my second letter for @jsonbecker’s Letters project. I …
: A fantastic essay from Paul Kingsnorth that captures so much of my own feeling. It even turns on a …
: It’s Candlemas! I reserve the right to celebrate holidays in my own way, and today is no exception. Candlemas …
: Now playing. It’s a good album, but I love the cover.
: Letters with @jsonbecker, week one A couple of months ago, Jason Becker created the Letters project in which he and a volunteer …
: Two paths ahead of us with regard to climate change Early on in At Work in the Ruins, Dougald Hine discusses the overall response to climate change. He …
: I don’t recall what brought it back to mind but today I’m listening to Hem’s album “Eveningland”. I …
: Bookshop.org has zero information about changing your password. How is this possible? I had to send …
: Dana O’Driscoll writes about “The Way of Wood”—about humanity’s interaction with wood, the loss of …
: The argument against conceptual clarity with regard to Ultimate Things: The Tao that can be told is …
: Sometimes I am so happy with the songs my brain brings up out of memory: “Rough Side of the …
: Celebrating this kid’s 17th birthday today!
: Excellent video of bobcats roaming the nature preserves stewarded by Sycamore Land Trust here in …
: My extraordinary wife Rachel has recorded a cover of “Oh Yeah by the Way”, a song from our favorite …
: Keep asking yourself: What sort of person do I want to be? You may fail to reach your goal. No one …
: When I saw that @ayjay was reading Matthew B. Crawford’s book Why We Drive, it inspired me to …
: The open future of the Tao In Hunger Mountain, David Hinton describes the Taoist cosmology as it developed in ancient China as …
: I finished a wooden mallet today with some scrap leather on the ends. It’s very amateurish but I am …
: Okay I’m turning on this activity pub thingy that links to mastodon in some magical way I don’t …
: Ted Gioia’s eight techniques for evaluating someone’s character. A solid list. Perhaps the most …
: Paul Kingsnorth on conscientious objection to the Machine Paul Kingsnorth, saying something similar to my post from yesterday: The alternative [to living for …
: Refusing Empire, telling a new story One of the main goals of the functionaries of Empire is to bring everything and everyone into the …
: Three great apps I learned about from the micro.blog community that I now use every day: Ulysses, …
: Sam Kriss: Everyone now knows that the state is an instrument, a pointy stick which one group of …
: New motto: Anachronism forever!
: So Cory Doctorow’s new book is about an accountant?? I’m in. To be fair, it’s a book about a …
: I made very mediocre caramel cookies to celebrate Robinson Jeffers’ birthday. Get it? Because he …
: Happy 136th birthday to Robinson Jeffers, irascible inhumanist.
: I’ve added my mailing address to my bio so, you know, send me a letter or something!
: Stewart Huff killed it yet again at the Comedy Attic. Criminally underrated comedian.
: Excellent post by Caroline Ross on the value of small talk: As a form of simple hospitality, a few …
: Looks interesting: Sonorous Desert by Kim Haines-Eitzen 📚 This, of course, interests me because of …
: This looks good: Repair Revolution by John Wackman 📚 I do try to repair as much as I can. Sometimes …
: The song “Morning’s Here” from Friends is how I actually feel about mornings.
: Greg Moore riffing on the litany against fear in order to make a point about new year resolutions. I …
: We just started watching “Somebody Feed Phil” and the dude is like the Mr. Rogers of food and travel …
: I’ve been listening to Colter Wall’s “Western Swings & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs” on repeat for …
: The most important book I read this year: Wild Mind, Wild Earth David Hinton’s new book is an exploration and treatment of the wound deep in our culture—the …
: The now-time of the hands Caroline Ross: When we cannot touch, cannot be held, do not regularly make things with our hands, …
: Moving from human-centeredness to a land ethic David Hinton: Within the West’s epochal cultural transformation, [Robinson] Jeffers held a crucial …
: Today’s solstice celebration food: Swedish meatball soup and pistachio drop cookies. Both highly …
: Happy winter solstice! I went into the woods yesterday intending to cut a larger Yule log from a …
: “Ten Theses on Intergenerational Stewardship” by Prince Michael zu Salm-Salm, a German aristocrat …
: Lunch at the West Baden Springs Hotel
: Impractical utopians: a bit more on the smartphone conversation I have an longstanding interest in what could be called alternative modes of living. Examples: …
: Finding a third way to address smartphone addiction Dave Danielson @ddanielson has a good post on the choices presented by a lot of writing about …
: Wendell Berry: from saving the planet to local care Wendell Berry, “Word and Flesh” in What Are People For?: The question that must be addressed, …
: I’m making fire cider in an attempt to beat back all the sickness going around right now. …
: You know those paragraphs of SEO pablum on recipe sites these days? Annoying. But a garlic bread …
: A Fragment of the Creation Story … And the Mother of All gave to another of her children the gift of storytelling. “With this gift, …
: I’ve created a linkroll page–a sort of directory to my favorite places online.
: What is the point of poetry? Bless the English teachers hearts, but the most boring question you can ask about a poem is “what …
: Ideology is too narrow Jack Leahy: [All ideologies seek to] contain the uncontainable cosmos in rational, propositional …
: I’ve decreased my Spotify usage this year—moving more toward Bandcamp, vinyl, and even CDs. That …
: Jack Leahy: Distraction is nothing other than a way to avoid, in the short term, the radical …
: Good news: Tribes celebrate plan to remove dams on Klamath. “The Klamath salmon are coming home,” …
: Floofy Pie Rachel and I made Julia Child’s “Fluffy Pumpkin Pie”—which will forevermore be called Floofy Pie in …
: Looking through this book again, which has been and remains influential on me (despite now falling …
: Preparing for winter A few updates on Green Man’s Grotto: We finished all the transplants mentioned here and both of the …
: Vermicomposting update We started vermicomposting sometime in July 2022. We ordered our worms from Uncle Jim’s and set up a …
: Want to help regenerate your local ecosystem but circumstances limit what you can do at home? Look …
: Helpful video comparing both health benefits and environmental impacts of dairy and plant-based …
: The “free range fantasy” Dana O’Driscoll: Another challenge that many of us trying to move into sacred action face is what I …
: Cam Cole continues releasing blazing blues rock.
: Wendell Berry’s fateful decision When reading books or watching documentaries about sustainable, regenerative practices, it is a …
: The best hot chocolate Makes two servings of rich, not overly sweet, hot chocolate. You’ll never use those packages of hot …
: My summer of not finishing books comes to an end As I said earlier today, I finished reading In Limestone Country by Scott Russell Sanders. While I …
: In Limestone Country by Scott Russell Sanders Nothing makes the commonplace come alive quite like the work of a skilled writer. I’ve lived in …
: A quiet, snowy afternoon listening to Ella
: So Amazon Drive is ending on 12/31/2023 and I discovered I have some mp3s hanging out over there …
: Frank Brown Cloud has posted an excellent essay on the role of belief in our economy—particularly …
: “Don’t obsess over politics”—click through to read a good quote posted by Patrick Rhone. It’s not …
: Walking through my neighborhood, seeing so many people living on small city lots using leaf blowers …
: Look at that butterfly. I asked him about Twitter and Elon and he just stirred his wings. I asked …
: Halloween 2022 It’s been a busy week—new staff member at work to train which requires time in the office—so I …
: This year’s Jack-o’-lantern. Pictures by Darcy.
: My daughter Darcy has declared this Spooky Saturday. She says this involves Starbucks for breakfast, …
: Three songs so miserably sad it’s hard to listen to them more than once: Keith Whitley, “Don’t …
: I have no idea if the internet is already over, but this is a glorious essay. Via @joshua
: ”What Feminism Means to Me” by @Annie Mueller is excellent: I could do what I wanted, to a degree, …
: It looks like my Belgian tripel was somewhat successful. The ABV is low for the style but it tastes …
: Eight uses for fall leaves from the Old Farmer’s Almanac. We’re raking ours up, mowing them to shred …
: Regenerative agriculture (like what you see in “Biggest Little Farm”) is animism in action.
: We finished the grape arbor. Now it just needs some paint and we’ll be ready to plant grapes next …
: Ok so I watched Biggest Little Farm and that was one of the most emotionally intense, beautiful, …
: It’s going to be a beautiful weekend here so one more big push to finish a few projects: finish the …
: What hath Jon Stewart wrought? In a recent post, Robert Rackley riffs on an article by Jon Askonas at the New Atlantis arguing that …
: Luxury surveillance Chris Gilliard: These “smart” devices all fall under the umbrella of what the digital-studies …
: Animism Graham Harvey: Animists are people who recognise that the world is full of persons, only some of …
: We’re having a beautiful Fall here in Indiana.
: Fall Break: Huber Orchard and bottling day Rachel, Darcy, and I have been enjoying a week off from school and work. Mainly we’ve been getting a …
: A really excellent video on the complicated task of defining what we mean by the word “religion.” …
: Speaking of podcasts, I’ve finished season one of Old Gods of Appalachia and I absolutely love it.
: Theme music for Spooked podcast makes me happy every time.
: I’ve really been enjoying looking through blogroll.org, which (if I’m not mistaken) is the excellent …
: Why people change In July 2020 I wrote the following: Two reasons people change: “Mugged by reality.” Someone’s …
: Some music from this evening: Townes Van Zandt sings “Pancho and Lefty” Iris DeMent sings “God …
: Tolkien, Lord of the Rings: “Bilbo used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a …
: “The first commercially-available CD (Billy Joel’s 52nd Street) was released forty years ago …
: Camping at Hardin Ridge again, this time at a site with no electricity. So beautiful and quiet. …
: Choose reality Alan Jacobs: I think we’re looking at not one but two futures — a fork in the road for humans in …
: Wendell Berry, “Family Work”: Children, no matter how nurtured at home, must be risked to the …
: Hypocritical asceticism Jack Leahy makes a a defense of hypocritical asceticism. Basically, we have to start somewhere. Even …
: Monarch on (what we believe to be) Jerusalem artichoke.
: Expanding Green Man’s Grotto We’ve started expanding Green Man’s Grotto. We emptied one of the old raised beds by transplanting …
: A damp but thoroughly enjoyable morning at Hardin Ridge.
: A personal calendar The way we organize our year is a reflection of our values—that is a commonly observed truism. My …
: Happy Equinox! Happy Hobbit Day! The Road goes ever on and on, Down from the door where it began. …
: Hobbit Day is tomorrow, September 22nd. Are you making your preparations?
: The death of the queen has some people pining for the Great Chain of Being. I’m also not a fan of …
: We’ve been hoping for a dragonfly or two to find out little wildlife pond. Well, tonight we have a …
: Finished reading The Hobbit. It’s been a few years since the last time I read it. Now moving on to …
: Douglas Rushkoff was invited to speak to a group of tech billionaires about the future of …
: Interesting page on permacomputing, a.k.a., “radically sustainable computing.” Plenty of links. This …
: The loss of the night sky Jack Leahy: There are probably fewer greater illustrations of the alienation from our true human …
: The problem is our solutions Jack Leahy: The entire canyon had become blanketed in by fog. No, not fog. Up here it isn’t fog. Up …
: Saturday at the horror convention I had a great time with a friend at the HorrorHound convention yesterday. We watched one feature …
: The British royal family owns a considerable chunk of British land. If you want to preserve that …
: Brewed a Belgian tripel from a kit today. Haven’t brewed beer in a few years so I had some …
: Alan Moore: I worship a second century human headed snake god called Glycon, who was exposed as a …
: I baked a Pennsylvania Dutch funeral pie. Definitely has a mincemeat vibe.
: Unknown/Unknowable Just as earlier writers would cite scripture to prove their arguments, modern writers cite science. …
: What do we hold sacred? Charles Eisenstein: Today I saw a monarch butterfly. It was the only one I have seen this summer, …
: Finished reading The Green Man by Kathleen Basford. Actually, there isn’t a lot of text—mostly great …
: Having a really good time reading Neil Gaiman again. Right now I’m making my way through his short …
: Alan Jacobs makes an excellent suggestion, which I plan to implement: You can also listen to music, …
: Hobbit Day is 33 days away By some curious chance one morning long ago in the quiet of the world, when there was less noise and …
: How to be a good ancestor Roman Krznaric’s TED talk: It’s time for humankind to recognize a disturbing truth: we have …
: What if climate change doesn’t kill us? Charles Eisenstein makes an important point here: My main message to the environmental movement is …
: The end of the my audiobook era And, with that, a ten plus year relationship with Audible has come to an end. Since I started …
: Daily Dracula has been such a fun way to read the novel. And now the action is building up as we …
: Ridiculously cute frog actually sitting on a lily pad in Green Man’s Grotto. Maybe he’s admiring the …
: Principles of Permaculture A reference post. From Toby Hemenway, Gaia’s Garden: The aim of permaculture is to design …
: “The Reassurer” by Wendell Berry A people in the throes of national prosperity, who breathe poisoned air, drink poisoned water, eat …
: There is no such thing as the “environment” Sallie McFague, Blessed are the Consumers: Everything is interconnected. Philosopher Bruno Latour …
: God is Ultimate Concern A reference post, to define what I mean by God. As to the ontological status of God, I’m undecided – …
: I love the YouTube channel “Living Big in a Tiny House”. Not only are the houses cool, the New …
: Happy 88th birthday, Wendell Berry! No one needs me to recount the greatness of a living legend like Wendell Berry. I’ll limit myself to …
: Remembering Christian CounterCulture I have mentioned previously that I was raised in a fundamentalist Christian church — and I remained …
: Sanity Project is a page I’ve set up detailing our effort to turn our backyard into a healthy …
: Thanks to @crossingthethreshold for mentioning Practicing Peace in Times of War by Pema Chödrön. …
: Backyard project updates: Rachel spotted what we think are dragonfly larvae in the pond. She also …
: This is a damn fine hour of stand-up by Stewart Huff, a really underappreciated comic. It’s at my …
: Spicebush swallowtail on orange butterfly weed.
: An update on our worms. (Thanks for asking.) They’re doing well. We’re determining through trial and …
: So the frogs are clearly enjoying our pond. As I mentioned before, we found a generation of “wild” …
: Monarch butterflies have been put on the endangered list. Folks, plant that milkweed!
: Jug Rock and Hindostan Falls After my visit to the Geode Grotto, I stopped by two other southern Indiana landmarks: Jug Rock and …
: The Geode Grotto in Jasper, Indiana In need of a distraction from work stress this past week, I googled “religious shrines in Indiana.” …
: I got a great bit of mail from @aa recently! The color of the leather coaster is beautiful. Check …
: A few more plants have been added to the pond in Green Man’s Grotto. Tadpoles — both those we put in …
: Last night’s concert, the good and the bad Last night we went to Red Bicycle Hall in Madison to see John Moreland. Not the best experience. The …
: Speaking of Green Lung, I’m too much of a boring middle-aged CPA dad sort of human to have what the …
: Now spinning — though with headphones since my wife and daughter don’t exactly like psychedelic, …
: If you build it, they will come. When we built our pond, we put in six bullfrog tadpoles and several aquatic plants from a pond …
: Think globally, act hyperlocally The amount of land (more or less) under my control right now is 0.14 acres. This amounts to: 1.79 x …
: Chicken of the Woods. Spring Mill State Park.
: We built a pond! Green Man’s Grotto has been extended and now includes a small pond (4’ diameter, 2’ deep with a …
: One of the perks of working remotely for the last couple of years: watching the Tour de France live. …
: This is worth watching (Netflix). Also good (if a bit less inspirational) is “Living Soil”. Watched: …
: Life within limits Oliver Burkeman: A life fully lived just is painfully bittersweet, the joy inextricably intertwined …
: The next step we’ll be taking to increase relatedness here at our house: vermicomposting. We have a …
: Spotted at a local greenhouse: tiny iridescent frog nestled inside a tiger lily.
: Catching up: Vacation in California Happy belated solstice, everyone. We’re at the turn of the year – days start getting shorter and the …
: Inspiring, short documentary about Jadav Payeng, who has been planting a forest since 1979 to save …
: Bumblebee on purple coneflower 🌱
: Visiting Tor House and Hawk Tower, home of Robinson Jeffers and his wife Una, was an amazing …
: Nevertheless, I’ll be looking for you tomorrow, Jeffers.
: Day three. What can you say about these god-trees, the redwoods?
: Highlight of day two of our California vacation was the sea lions hanging out, watching the humans …
: California vacation day one: Travel hell. Holy crap what a day – and it’s still not over. The Indianapolis to Dallas flight was delayed by two …
: If all goes as planned, I am three days away from visiting Muir Woods, so I’m reading this in …
: Butterfly weed in Green Man’s Grotto is starting to bloom. Come on, butterflies!
: Ted Goia on fourteen signs that you are living in a society without a counterculture. This is true. …
: American Columbo is in bloom.
: I made some pawpaw muffins this morning using this recipe. I would have liked them to have a …
: Clive Thompson on the words he has never spelled correctly. Likewise. I’m a good speller but words …
: Trans-species collaboration In the stirring closing lines of Carmel Point, Robinson Jeffers writes: We must uncenter our minds …
: In response to Jean, sharing my favorite picture of the Oregon coastline from our (best) vacation …
: Entwined being of plant and soil In the course of this article on future agricultural possibilities that actually build the soil, …
: I’m a beekeeper now About three weeks ago, a friend asked me if I wanted to help him keep bees–to which, of course, I …
: Hear me out: octopuses are aliens.
: Increasing relatedness on my city lot I’ve emphasized below an essential line from Gordon White’s interview with Tyson Yunkaporta: Gordon …
: Waiting for An Evening with Neil Gaiman
: Bee friends (sweat bees?) pollinating our strawberries.
: Pleated inkcap mushroom popped up in the raised beds this morning. The raised beds sit on brick, not …
: Pretty excited to get confirmation of our tour of Tor House, the home of poet Robinson Jeffers, …
: Welcome to Green Man Grotto, a newly established native plant area in our backyard. The only thing …
: I believe the amount of anger in the world could be reduced if everyone had the freedom to take …
: Thanks to Austin Kleon for telling us there was a word for this: tsundoku. I work at my kitchen …
: Rachel and I took a quick walk in Murray Forest at lunch today. We saw a box turtle and both a …
: Harry Marks: And let’s not forget what everyone brings up when they talk about why “return to …
: It’s May 1st and you know what that means, don’t you? Time to watch The Wicker Man!
: It appears we have ourselves a holy fool skating along the boardwalk in San Diego: “Slomo: The man …
: Patrick Rhone: “The first approximation of others is ourselves.” Along these same lines, the most …
: Robin Sloan: The speed with which Twitter recedes in your mind will shock you. Like a demon from a …
: HOMEBREW 2, the second mailing of what I’m grandiosely calling an analog media project, was dropped …
: I really enjoyed looking through this collection of random pairings of books from Robert van Vliet’s …
: From the weekend: the view from a lookout point at Brown County State Park
: Big news today: the butterfly milkweed is coming back up!
: I picked up The Zombies on picture disc for Record Store Day. Meanwhile, at home, a squirrel is …
: Happy Earth Day. Later today, Rachel and I plan to mulch some open areas in our backyard for more …
: Robin Wall Kimmerer: The mosses remember that this is not the first time the glaciers have melted. …
: Spring wildflowers My recent hikes have been all about the wildflowers. The Indiana woods - even abused places like …
: Something made me think of Lodge 49 today and I want to take this opportunity to recommend that …
: Introductory note: This poem surely lies behind what I’ve written lately about self-consciousness …
: The Gnostic Road When the communities around you are policing their borders and in a state of war with other …
: Plans for our family vacation this summer are starting to come together. I was initially trying to …
: Jon Batiste: What a wonderful world 🎶
: Trust the method One of the mantras of those that believe what public health officials have been telling us about …
: O happy fault! Blyssid be the tyme that appil take was! Therefore we mown syngyn Deo gratias! – Final stanza of …
: “How do I live a meaningful life?” Is there a state of life that is identifiable as “meaningful?” What does that look like? Is the …
: My favorite Tiny Desk Concert: Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles
: An essential question: Who does this benefit? One of the first questions to ask when you’ve uncovered an ideology is, “who does this benefit?” …
: Activism is an ideology Whenever you bump into an idea that people seem to accept without knowing why and, in fact, bristle …
: Dark Green Religion Introductory note: The following is an edited transcript of a video I posted in the early days of …
: Looky what I got today. I believe it’s a Royal Empress. Once the ribbon arrives I can start clacking …
: It’s as if people respond better to a welcoming - as opposed to punitive - environment: “New York …
: What counts as success in the climate change crisis? At 20:30 in this video, Charles Eisenstein talks about something that has also nagged me. He says …
: I've kept a very inconsistent journal since 2006, beginning with my first Father's Day. I wish I had …
: Wrapping up Spring Break After a couple of intentionally uneventful days midweek, we hit some of our favorites local spots on …
: Spring Break, thus far This week has been Spring Break, which is why I haven’t posted much. We front-loaded the week with …
: David Cain: One financial lesson they should teach in school is that most of the things we buy have …
: Last night I was walking through Donaldson Woods, one of the few remaining stands of old-growth …
: If the ability to tell right from wrong should turn out to have anything to do with the ability to …
: David Cain: Self-imposed rules aren’t constraints, they’re good decisions made in batches. That is …
: After reading this post on canonical address books by @annahavron, it occurred to me that something …
: Oliver Burkeman on the reality distorting effects of the attention economy: As you surface from an …
: Oliver Burkeman on the reality distorting effects of the attention economy: As you surface from an …
: This is a great post that I needed to read today. “My point isn’t that we’re not living in a Diet …
: This is a great post that I needed to read today. “My point isn’t that we’re not living in a Diet …
: When Rachel gave me a record player for Christmas, she included with it an album of Big Band …
: When Rachel gave me a record player for Christmas, she included with it an album of Big Band …
: Started reading Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. 📚 Quoting Seneca, Charles Eisenstein, and …
: Alan Jacobs has recently posted about his news consumption habits in response to a worthwhile piece …
: Alan Jacobs has recently posted about his news consumption habits in response to a worthwhile piece …
: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7) …
: Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7) …
: 🎵 “I had a thought about darkness; a thought’s just a passing train.” - John Moreland 🎵
: Craig Mod: Boredom is everything, man. I think our loss of boredom in contemporary society is one …
: Craig Mod: Boredom is everything, man. I think our loss of boredom in contemporary society is one …
: “Go to the Limits of Your Longing” by Rainer Maria Rilke Translated by Joanna Macy Listen God speaks to each of us as he makes us, then walks with us …
: Stopped in at the Gus Grissom Memorial at Spring Mill State Park today. He was the second American …
: Stopped in at the Gus Grissom Memorial at Spring Mill State Park today. He was the second American …
: When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he gave them a command and warning: do not eat …
: When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he gave them a command and warning: do not eat …
: It’s Beer and Waffles Day! The first race of the season is one of my high holy days. 🚲
: It’s Beer and Waffles Day! The first race of the season is one of my high holy days. 🚲
: So when I heard that Third Man Records had a 7” of “A Glorious Dawn” available, the only decision …
: Austin Kleon mentioned Betty Davis on the occasion of her death a few days ago - and what I want is …
: Yesterday a friend and I visited the Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites in Marion, OH - mainly …
: June 25-26, 2014, was a two-day window in which same-sex marriage was legal in Indiana. (More on the …
: Dan Olson’s video “Line Goes Up - The Problem with NFTs” is an excellent critique of crypto …
: Dan Olson’s video “Line Goes Up - The Problem with NFTs” is an excellent critique of crypto …
: The Black Belt was a region in the American South known for its rich, black soil. It was home to …
: Looking for writing app recommendations I’m having a hard time finding something that meets all my needs. I’m looking for a writing app …
: Once (2007) causes me such exquisite emotional pain that I have to put a few years between each …
: 🎵 Sister Rosetta Tharpe - “God Leads Us Along” 🎵
: I’m on a sixteen day streak with Day One. I’ve never been able to maintain a daily journaling habit …
: I’ve finished all of the films in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology and I can’t recommend them …
: This is an excellent video on how Amazon can afford to offer free shipping to Prime members. …
: This is an excellent video on how Amazon can afford to offer free shipping to Prime members. …
: I’ve now watched the first two films in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology and both have been …
: Now reading: “The dropout: a history” at Aeon. I’ve been in a sort of project of disconnection for …
: Now reading: “The dropout: a history” at Aeon. I’ve been in a sort of project of disconnection for …
: Now spinning: D-Vine Spirituals. It’s a new release of recordings of Black gospel groups from the …
: I’ve been making notes about the influences on my life. I noticed a surface-level contradiction …
: I’ve been making notes about the influences on my life. I noticed a surface-level contradiction …
: Washington Post: “An 8-year-old slid his handwritten book onto a library shelf. It now has a …
: Austin Kleon recommends studying something you love in depth - and it just so happens that I’m …
: Austin Kleon recommends studying something you love in depth - and it just so happens that I’m …
: From The Revenge of Analog by David Sax, on the story of digital progress: Our world would be …
: From The Revenge of Analog by David Sax, on the story of digital progress: Our world would be …
: Plans for the next issue involve cardboard and spray paint.
: This is a great presentation by Doug Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope, on the way people can …
: Fantastic documentary: Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski
: I received my order from Half Letter Press, which focuses on booklets and independent publishing. …
: Robinson Jeffers, standing beside Tor House and Hawk Tower, his handmade stone outpost on the …
: Robinson Jeffers, standing beside Tor House and Hawk Tower, his handmade stone outpost on the …
: The IRS will require you to use ID.me to access your taxes online. Last year, ID.me was locking …
: The IRS will require you to use ID.me to access your taxes online. Last year, ID.me was locking …
: Chilly hike at Spring Mill State Park today
: Worth watching. I didn’t know anything about her previously. Colette
: Rob Sheffield says the CD revival is here. I’m going to stick with collecting records for now, but …
: I’ve set up a page for a zine I recently completed. It’s a collection of some of my poetry from the …
: I’ve set up a page for a zine I recently completed. It’s a collection of some of my poetry from the …
: In response to a recent post I wrote mentioning zines, @lewism pointed me to an episode of Rolf …
: 🎵 Now spinning. I first heard Robert Finley on the Colbert show a few days ago and fell in love with …
: Austin Kleon’s latest (subscriber-only) newsletter issue is about the creative seasons. Two things: …
: Austin Kleon’s latest (subscriber-only) newsletter issue is about the creative seasons. Two things: …
: A Russian farm has given its dairy cows virtual reality headsets in a bid to reduce their anxiety. …
: A Russian farm has given its dairy cows virtual reality headsets in a bid to reduce their anxiety. …
: Sunday cooking: broccoli with garlic sauce, hot and sour soup, and vegetable spring rolls.
: Sunday cooking: broccoli with garlic sauce, hot and sour soup, and vegetable spring rolls.
: Today I found a copy of Over the Rhine’s “let’s stay together” record. I’m thankful both that I …
: The Dig (streaming on Netflix) is a beautiful movie contemplating death and the past. Ralph Fiennes …
: “Amazon Prime is an economy distorting lie” by Matt Stoller. Really good explanation of how Prime …
: “Amazon Prime is an economy distorting lie” by Matt Stoller. Really good explanation of how Prime …
: This article on the yin-yang role of gorse in the ecological concept of succession reminded me of …
: This article on the yin-yang role of gorse in the ecological concept of succession reminded me of …
: It’s a new year - and that means well-intentioned people making resolutions and other …
: It’s a new year - and that means well-intentioned people making resolutions and other …
: Great article on the current legal fight over recognizing the legal personhood of Happy, an elephant …
: Great article on the current legal fight over recognizing the legal personhood of Happy, an elephant …
: Austin Kleon: Cultivate a willingness to be bad
: Austin Kleon: Cultivate a willingness to be bad
: Today’s record store purchases
: I love books and lists - and book lists most of all. This post by Mario Villalobos brought two books …
: Useful distinctions from Erich Fromm’s book On Disobedience
: Useful distinctions from Erich Fromm’s book On Disobedience
: 📚 What I Read in 2021 📚 While I read fewer books in 2021 than in prior years, those books had a large impact on me. The main …
: From Erich Fromm, On Disobedience (nearly every line of this book so far is worth quoting): In …
: From Erich Fromm, On Disobedience (nearly every line of this book so far is worth quoting): In …
: Fascinating piece by Nicholas Carr on GPT-3, an AI tool for generating text. It has been fed …
: Fascinating piece by Nicholas Carr on GPT-3, an AI tool for generating text. It has been fed …
: When it comes to crypto assets, I lean skeptical but I hold that opinion loosely - since I won’t be …
: When it comes to crypto assets, I lean skeptical but I hold that opinion loosely - since I won’t be …
: John Halstead has written an thoughtful post on prayer from a non-theistic perspective. (John …
: The HBO Max documentary “Beanie Mania” is worth watching. Beanie Babies seem to be one of those …
: In process: my first attempt at a zine, which will contain a few of my winter haiku. I was inspired …
: What would the world be, once bereft Of wet and wilderness? Let them be left, O let them be left, …
: I noticed my feet this morning….
: One of the things I’m most grateful for this year is the opening of an independent bookstore nearby. …
: I was reminded this week of Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley’s bonkers Evelyn Evelyn project. Webley …
: I’ve been reading a bit about surveillance capitalism (Privacy is Power and a couple hundred pages …
: Several days ago I watched Bright Star, Jane Campion’s film about the final period of John Keats' …
: Look into the trees, gentle your eyes, engage your ancient talent for spotting movement. Listen for …
: I’ve had my eye on this series at my local bookstore. They’re great books, obviously, but they also …
: Went to see Over the Rhine - the best band in the world - at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater last night.
: For the last several months in response to all this, I’ve been reading about solitude and silence - …
: Went to see Over the Rhine - the best band in the world - at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater last night.
: For the last several months in response to all this, I’ve been reading about solitude and silence - …
: I love documentaries about extreme sports - probably because I am so unlike the people who do such …
: More from the Lilly Library: a 15th century missal and a Gutenberg Bible
: First illustrated edition of Canterbury Tales, 1484, at the Lilly Library