This week, for the first
time in months, my driveway
was somewhat free of
snow. I spotted patches of
grass that have been lying,
frozen, under many layers
of ice and snow and ice and
snow. The pumpkin that
had been sitting at the end
of my walkway when the
first snow of the season
buried it, made its reappearance,
much worse for
wear.
People in Upstate New
York have a complex relationship
with Mother Nature
and her seasons. Summer
is like a juicy tomato
for the soul - full and sweet
and far too rare. We love it,
but we resent it a little, too
for being so beautiful, yet
so brief.
Autumn is similarly brilliant
and short. Before the
leaves have fully turned,
they’re already giving up
the ghost and lining the
streets. Just look at that
pumpkin of mine.
We are especially conflicted
about Mother Nature’s
longest season, Old
Man Winter.
He’s fun at first. He’s the
spry old elf, inviting you go
sledding the very minute
that enough clean, white
snow covers the hillsides.
He’s all jingle bells and hot
cocoa and peppermint candy.
He makes you want to
start a fire and sing ``Let It
Snow,’’ and mean it.
But by March, it’s a totally
different story.
He’s no longer the jovial,
grandfatherly figure. He’s
bony and haggard. His
beard is streaked with mud
and his fingernails are
dirty. He needs to brush his
teeth. Most of all, he needs
to crawl back to when he
came so we can forget about
him, at least for a few
months.
It’s been great, Old Man
Winter, but we’re ready for
Sister Spring to make her
appearance. We’re ready
for her to coax the electric
spires of forsythia, the tender
fingers of crocus sprouts
and the sunny-side-up faces
of daffodils.
And we’re ready for it
now.
I am a big believer in the
power of words to not only
define your wishes, but to
conjure them. When I am
longing for spring, I think
of William Blake’s words
from
``To Spring’’:
Come o’er the eastern
hills, and let our winds
Kiss thy perfumed garments;
let us taste
Thy morn and evening
breath; scatter thy pearls
Upon our lovesick land
that mourns for thee.’’
Read that last line again,
and tell me it wasn’t written
for Otsego County.
I also think of the poem
by Emily Dickenson that
reads, in part:
A Light exists in Spring
Not present in the Year
At any other period —
When March is scarcely
here
A Color stands abroad
On Solitary Fields
That Science cannot
overtake
But Human Nature
feels.
I know that light. It
shines on these hills today
just as surely as it shone on
Amherst in Emily’s day.
It is impossible for me to
choose my favorite words
written about spring. I
know for certain that they
are not my own though. It’s
possible that Ranier Maria
Rilke summed up springtime
in all is glory best,
when he wrote:
``Spring has returned.á
The Earth is like a child
that knows poems.’’
Because I believe in the
tremendous power of words,
as well as the necessity for
people to gather in warm,
happy places when winter
is dragging on into what
should rightfully belong to
spring, I’m inviting you to
help celebrate Mother
Earth and usher in Sister
Spring.
Join us at 7 p.m., April
22 (that’s Earth Day) at the
Hoffman Lane Bistro for
readings to and about the
earth and springtime.
If you would like to read,
e-mail me at
VillageWordsmith@gmail.
com. You can read original
work or read your favorite
poetry or prose. Or you can
just come out to listen and
lend your voice to a chorus
beckoning the fairest (albiet
muddiest) season of them
all.
Elizabeth Trever Buchinger
uses her words. You
can connect with her at
www.mormindfulfamily.
wordpress.com, or e-mail
her at
VillageWordsmith@gmail.
com.
Columns
This Wonderful Life
- Columns
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Passing along advice of seeing the humor
The best advice given to me many years ago when I started teaching had nothing to do with my discipline, English. Rather, a former mentor insisted on the necessity of having a sense of humor
Continued ... -
The week that was ...
For a number of years now, we have not been in Cooperstown for the spring season. And we must admit that we had quite forgotten what it is like. But since we decided that travel was not on the docket for this year, we have become reacquainted with the Cooperstown spring. And we must say we rather enjoyed it with the possible exception of occasional uncalled for snow and seemingly frigid temperatures.
Continued ... -
Local Voices From Around the Globe: Mother's visit was a benchmark for this year
Last week, my mother made the 25-hour plane trip out to Thailand to visit her son, me, after nine months of having only choppy Skype sessions and scattered emails to give her an idea of what I look and act like since having left home last August.
Continued ... -
Local Voices From Around the Globe: World traveler calls Euro-Tour experience of a lifetime
While I've had a great time throughout my entire exchange, I can say hands down that the month of April brought me the best memories of my exchange if not some of the best of my entire life. What kind of wonder would bring me to say this? Simple. Euro-Tour.
Continued ... -
Maryland port attacked
Havre de Grace, May 3. "This morning, a little after the break of day, a British armed force, under cover of armed vessels which anchored in front of this town ... landed below a small breast work which had been roughly thrown up, and in which were one 9 and two 4 pounders, manned by 50 militia.
Continued ... -
Memoir reflects on 'roller-coaster life and career'
Apparently, the third time wasn't the charm. The way Reynolds described him, the third husband was worse than the first two combined and that's saying a lot. Eddie Fisher literally walked away from Reynolds and their two infant children to chase a sex goddess. At least he got his just desserts when Elizabeth Taylor tossed him aside for Richard Burton.
Continued ... -
Imagine what might have been ...
A while back we got a telephone call from a reader of this column wanting to know why we had not written a column in support of Otsego Manor continuing to be owned and operated by Otsego County. And even though we have followed the debate over this issue in the newspaper, we readily admitted we did not feel we knew enough about the situation to take a stand.
Continued ... -
Herpes virus brings harness racing to a halt
I've been going to harness horse race tracks my entire life. My family has been in the business for years.
Continued ... -
Time, if not traffic, moves on ...
It is with sadness we note the passing of two people who we have known since moving to Cooperstown in 1982.
Continued ... -
Canadian capital captured
Dear Sir, I have just returned from Fort Niagara, where I saw a Captain of the United States' navy. He is just from little York, the capital of Upper Canada, and gives the following account, which is confirmed in official dispatches from Gen. Dearborn to Gen. Lewis ...
Continued ... -
Local Voices From Around The Globe: Exchange is like a life in a year
All exchange students realize the credibility of this statement. Like all lives no exchange is the same, all are incredible unique exchanges. The metaphor of life, from baby to old age, extends to every part of the exchange.
Continued ... -
Movie depicting legendary Jackie Robinson does not disappoint
Going to the movies is not something I do often. I can count the number of times I have gone on my fingers, unless you include trips to the drive-in. And even so, it took me years before I made it to one of those -- going for the first time two summers ago.
Continued ... -
'Dubious' about weather, Hawkeyes 'suitable' nickname
Unfortunately, it seems to us that this spring has, thus far, been anything but spring like. In fact, we are still more than happy to stay bundled up in our polar fleece.
Continued ... -
'Who's on Worst?' reveals the ugly in baseball
The Baseball Hall of Fame celebrates the greatest players, managers and owners from our national pastime. Any of us who have watched Major League baseball have inevitably seen some of these immortals practicing their craft. But we have also likely witnessed a sample of their opposite brethren, players who shouldn't have been in the Major Leagues. Has there ever been a definitive source that "celebrates" the non-accomplishments of the worst that Major League baseball has to offer?
Continued ... -
Swallow talk and bluebird vigilance
I assume the swallows have returned to Capistrano. They have returned to Hawthorn Hill as well.
Continued ... -
Local Voices From Around the Globe: Life in Hungry has taken a turn for the better
I can truthfully say spring has finally arrived in Hungary. It's almost time to wear shorts and sandals, for summer will be just around the corner. This brings me great happiness and great sadness, my adventure is coming to a close. Really what a time it was, I don't think I can compare it to anything else.
Continued ... -
The importance of speaking up ...
Over the years we have come to understand that, in writing a weekly column, it is not possible to always please everyone. And such was the case with our column that ran at the end of March in which we wrote about our experience as in inpatient following a total hip replacement.
Continued ... -
Public schools created
The Common School Act of 1812 marked the start of New York's public school system. Much of the credit for this was due to the radical Otsego County politician Jedediah Peck (1747-1821). To quote the NY Education Department:
Continued ... -
Book takes readers on path for equal rights
One of the most troubling aspects of our history is race relations. It takes a long time to achieve true equality in a society when the heritage of one ethnic group is slavery and Jim Crow laws. Even today African Americans are more likely to be stereotyped as athletes than doctors, lawyers or entrepreneurs. The path to a "color-blind" nation is still a work in progress.
Continued ... -
Local Voices From Around the Globe: Experiencing India at every new turn
Come, sit down. Hold this and, wait ... ah, there you go. Obeying these commands, I found myself seated on the pavement, wearing a turban and attempting to make sounds out of a recorder-like instrument for the black cobras in the baskets not two feet away from me.
Continued ...
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Passing along advice of seeing the humor
