tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34220992011-11-04T14:28:06.923-04:00Notes from a Hillside Farm; being Musings and Observations on Life, Letters, and our Most Holy Faith, by a Lawyer, Sheep- farmer, and Communicant of the Orthodox Church John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.comBlogger8431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-52628574852295316362011-11-04T14:26:00.001-04:002011-11-04T14:28:06.960-04:00

Feeling my age courtesy of xkcd:

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-56370154915268844012011-10-30T19:51:00.000-04:002011-10-30T19:53:02.556-04:00

A sunny afternoon after the storm. Some of the flock had wandered off, so I headed off to the usual hiding places and headed them back to the barn.        

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-61246910950740566212011-10-30T09:07:00.000-04:002011-10-30T09:07:34.936-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-2533069252378610052011-09-17T14:40:00.000-04:002011-09-17T14:40:59.614-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-46440470962379020962011-09-11T20:31:00.001-04:002011-09-11T20:35:12.184-04:00

Listening to the 9-11 Memorial service on the way to Church this morning I caught performances by James Taylor and Paul Simon. Not bad, but if I were programming and had to go the folk route, I might have chosen this instead:

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-37637445976715874282011-04-25T11:42:00.001-04:002011-04-25T11:42:14.502-04:00

Susan went down to the barn at sunset on Easter to feed and found these two with their mother.  Late in the season, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.   DSCF0100.AVI Watch on Posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-39253496167018952382011-03-24T19:28:00.001-04:002011-03-24T19:28:04.232-04:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-79048004334631126912011-03-09T12:48:00.001-05:002011-03-09T12:48:39.750-05:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-16905811998108259132011-03-08T14:19:00.001-05:002011-03-08T14:19:21.509-05:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-73829668326131982011-03-07T12:01:00.001-05:002011-03-07T12:01:13.846-05:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-18271157828755493692011-03-04T17:54:00.002-05:002011-03-04T17:58:18.264-05:00

Already he had begun dreaming of a refined Thebaid, a desert hermitage equipped with all modern conveniences, a snugly heated ark on dry land in which he might take refuge from the incessant deluge of human stupidity. ~ J.K. Huysmans, A Rebours A snugly heated ark might be tempting if I wasn’t sure to bring every species of folly into it with me. Like Noah, I’d spend all my time

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-66057669841471007892011-02-26T13:22:00.001-05:002011-02-26T13:22:58.720-05:00

Spiritual tourism offers the benefits of wisdom derived from those who submit to authority and discipline and tradition without having to do so oneself. Gregory Wolfe, Image Journal Editorial "Religious but not Spiritual"

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-10463637583776969672011-02-23T08:30:00.001-05:002011-02-23T08:30:36.904-05:00

See the full gallery on posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-52563591210202943382011-02-21T15:49:00.001-05:002011-02-21T15:49:57.479-05:00

In tribute to Alan Jacobs website here a two tree photgraphs from my achive.  The first is an ancient oak outside of Charleston, South Carolina and the second shows the fall foliage in the treeline next to the house.  

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-22340458921805940342011-02-21T15:37:00.001-05:002011-02-21T15:37:28.962-05:00

via gospelofthetrees.net A new web site by essayist, Auden scholar and Wheaton professor Alan Jacobs. Lots of leafy goodness with apt quotations to go with the photographs.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-80160711829810706122011-02-21T15:28:00.001-05:002011-02-21T15:28:33.208-05:00

The fire on the mountain in the pictures below never came any closer to us.  High winds drove the flames up over the rigdeline, hopping Skyline drive and burning through Shenandoah National Park down into Rapahhanock County.  There is rain today, with sleet and snow predicted for the evening which should put an end to the burning.  Our local free paper, The Warren County Report, has online

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-39391930577280566992011-02-19T14:18:00.001-05:002011-02-19T14:18:55.161-05:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-47802534243998422492011-02-19T13:47:00.001-05:002011-02-19T13:47:13.466-05:00

High winds, dry conditions and a careless burn equals twenty acres in flames and spreading up into the Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive.  Friends and neighbors further down the slope are holding their breath, waiting to see if the wind changes.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-80064442453126273132011-02-19T09:20:00.001-05:002011-02-19T09:20:18.163-05:00

More pictures of sheep and lambs from the morning feeding. Download now or watch on posterous P2180001.AVI (4581 KB)  

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-55043828514556095952011-02-16T10:05:00.001-05:002011-02-16T10:05:10.225-05:00

I think I get it. I know, I'm probably the last blogger of the biblioblogosphere to talk about e-readers, but I think I just got it.Obviously, I love books as things. The physical artifact. Paper, ink, boards, cloth, leather, all of it. I have not really understood the fascination with e-books. Until now. They seem pretty unsatisfactory, by and large, but are improving. I'll also admit I have

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-91362490158738790502011-02-12T10:48:00.001-05:002011-02-12T10:48:16.306-05:00

Download now or watch on posterous P2120002.AVI (7914 KB) Download now or watch on posterous P2120003.AVI (10189 KB)

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-21482505860618828232011-02-10T09:47:00.001-05:002011-02-10T09:47:43.119-05:00

We had a dusting of snow last night.  Here a few pictures from this morning's trip to the barn. See the full gallery on posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-44770363766542536282011-02-10T09:46:00.001-05:002011-02-10T09:46:15.288-05:00

Download now or watch on posterous P2100007.AVI (1813 KB)

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-77410275527439393032011-02-10T08:55:00.001-05:002011-02-10T08:55:40.625-05:00

via youtube.com Tom Waits re-imagined via Brazil

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-75202238562315278662011-02-09T13:08:00.001-05:002011-02-09T13:08:33.045-05:00

See the full gallery on posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-49634023976011384942011-02-07T14:26:00.001-05:002011-02-07T14:26:26.753-05:00

via fatbackandfoiegras.blogspot.com Susan and I went to Barbados last August. We didn't take part in any food festivals, but we did eat a lot of local food and hit a few fancy restaurants. The author here really does tell it like it is.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-44462086060964565002011-02-07T08:38:00.001-05:002011-02-07T08:38:18.628-05:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-27743272214678944492011-02-06T07:16:00.001-05:002011-02-06T07:16:03.021-05:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-29558604310773281452011-02-06T07:06:00.001-05:002011-02-06T07:06:05.121-05:00

via journal.neilgaiman.com Author Neil Gaiman, his dogs, some neighbors and a lamppost in the woods ... You are never too old for Narnia or make-believe.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-16889029974561121362011-02-05T16:20:00.001-05:002011-02-05T16:20:06.187-05:00

See and download the full gallery on posterous

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-172689742454904352011-02-04T14:10:00.001-05:002011-02-04T14:10:41.553-05:00

The big storm that hit most of the country this week missed us.  The last of the snow in this picture is hiding in those spots where the trees overhang or shadows linger for most of the day.  This picture was taken during the post storm porch shovel.  Our deck was built by the low bidder about 17 years ago and we do not subject it to more stress than we have to.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-35178127498316378862011-02-02T17:16:00.001-05:002011-02-02T17:16:33.770-05:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-85647543009409397182010-06-20T16:03:00.001-04:002010-06-20T16:03:49.182-04:00

Susan and the Blackbird

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-20004251221859104562010-06-19T11:40:00.000-04:002010-06-19T11:40:58.396-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-19852542488888950362010-06-16T20:06:00.000-04:002010-06-16T20:06:42.369-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-23114534251325471492010-05-29T16:48:00.000-04:002010-05-29T16:48:26.913-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-54339270109377075172010-05-27T08:58:00.004-04:002010-05-27T09:16:15.077-04:00

I mentioned the passing bear a while back but he was only one of the cavalcade of wildlife that has come through with the coming of Spring. Since Summer will be hard upon us shortly I thought I would give the rest of the list before I forget:Tadpoles, swarming in the seep flowing from the barnyard spring.Box turtles, up from hibernation, inexplicably migrating across Browntown Road in defiance

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-81348287766873634052010-05-16T22:45:00.002-04:002010-05-17T21:22:52.283-04:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-82859207040602899712010-05-16T08:15:00.002-04:002010-05-16T21:11:47.884-04:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-29486241207116876512010-05-16T08:14:00.000-04:002010-05-16T08:14:21.916-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-28424476096782629892010-05-09T11:52:00.002-04:002010-05-27T09:14:21.752-04:00

I was walking home across the south pasture when I noticed a young black bear about fifty yards away.  He saw me about the same time I saw him   I stopped.  He stopped.  He stood up to get a better look.  I could see just fine from where I was, so I stayed put and stood very still.  He dropped back to all fours and ran further down the little creek bisecting the pasture.  Since he stopped right

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-63862898234876014322010-04-28T09:35:00.001-04:002010-04-28T09:36:51.879-04:00

I find that I get a number of hits each week from a link to an old post with a list of maxims for living from Father Thomas Hopko. I just recently ran across a blog dedicated to meditations on a shorter version of Father Thomas' list: Forty Maxims, which appears to be a last years' Lenten project from Holy Cross Orthodox Church in Maryland.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-32947188424014472752010-04-24T16:27:00.000-04:002010-04-24T16:27:37.684-04:00

The little round objects on the fenceline are the sons' soccer balls.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-39194870867066727952010-04-22T23:17:00.001-04:002010-04-22T23:20:39.223-04:00

Pithless Thoughts: Curmudgeophan - On Ortho-blogging

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-23439937513048199242010-04-22T23:06:00.001-04:002010-04-22T23:09:16.480-04:00

ORA ET LABORA: The Thirty-Eight Sayings of St Anthony the GreatBack in June of 2008, following a recommendation from Father Thomas Hopko, I tried to blog about each of the thirty-eight sayings of Abba Anthony. I made it to number four before setting aside the blog for a year. A few people followed the series, short as it was, drawn by the words of the Saint rather than anything I had to say.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-12775906240202095322010-04-22T10:13:00.000-04:002010-04-22T10:13:06.716-04:00

Nation Shudders At Large Block Of Uninterrupted Text | The Onion - America's Finest News SourceComes under the heading "Too true to be really funny."

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-39324031533603638522010-04-20T09:30:00.003-04:002010-04-20T09:36:07.441-04:00

While taking younger son to school this morning we heard a story on West Virginia Public Radio about a business that provides doves for release at funerals. I turned to younger son and said' "When I die, please, do not do a dove release." He said, "No way, but I might do a sheep release."

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-86230300389325875382010-04-18T11:25:00.001-04:002010-04-18T11:26:10.621-04:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-36601560329458965782010-04-18T10:54:00.000-04:002010-04-18T10:54:38.924-04:00

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-15556688133755445492010-04-15T16:24:00.001-04:002010-04-15T16:25:58.552-04:00

Argentina criminals 'evade capture by dressing up as sheep' - TelegraphYet another thing to worry about down on the farm! The money quote from the article: They can't pull the wool over our eyes forever.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-51738995817281324552010-04-14T21:49:00.000-04:002010-04-14T21:49:17.209-04:00

Susan found the baseball near the barn. I don't know how it got there, maybe dropped by a passing robin as a harbinger of spring.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-57576424213320761332010-04-13T16:54:00.005-04:002010-04-15T16:31:52.779-04:00

I had one of the first Google mail (gmail) accounts. When Google bought blogger it offered them to us early adopters when it was still an invitation only beta. For reasons that are now obscure, when I set up the account I used john.bell@gmail.com as the address. Now, there are a lot of people on the planet named John Bell and a number of them have signed up for gmail accounts over the years.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-4462427686938857152010-04-11T10:09:00.000-04:002010-04-11T10:09:59.263-04:00

Here is a new lamb, born slightly out of season. Younger son has named her "April."

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-42459472318604109942010-04-11T10:07:00.000-04:002010-04-11T10:07:36.854-04:00

Sheep, not being inclined to much reflection, are not great doubters. Here is sun, here is grass, there is water. Enough said.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-18402576137421126202010-04-10T22:54:00.000-04:002010-04-10T22:54:51.120-04:00

We will be getting ready for our annual shearing marathon in the next few weeks. Here is a picture from last years clip with younger son doing the honors.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-64547037484413518702010-04-08T09:05:00.002-04:002010-04-08T09:18:08.241-04:00

This is one of those mornings where it feels like someone turned up the gravity. Much work, many bodily aches and pains and grief for my friends who are returning from the internment of their child. But still, it is a beautiful morning, and as the apostle says, His strength is made perfect in weakness. Or as a decidedly non-apostolic writer put it:Ring the bells that still can ring Forget

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-41675676965725028612010-04-07T15:24:00.004-04:002010-04-07T16:49:27.825-04:00

A member of the St. George Orthodox Military Association stopped by and left a comment on my post about the funeral service Monday. I thought I would copy his words up here on the front page for those might miss it in the comments.Thank you for your posting and sharing the information and details of the Orthodox Funeral for PFC. Winston James Miroy. I learned of the untimely passing of PFC.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-56396400461749057142010-04-07T15:22:00.000-04:002010-04-07T15:22:20.268-04:00

With temperatures near 80 it is hard to imagine that just a month ago we were all but snowed in. The lambs are bigger now and enjoying the green pastures. 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-16582620939702544752010-04-06T21:29:00.005-04:002010-04-06T22:48:35.803-04:00

Last night I attended the funeral of Winston James Miroy, age twenty, the oldest son of good friends of mine. The service was held at my former parish in Northern Virginia. It was a bit different from the normal Orthodox funeral because it was held on the Monday after Pascha, (Easter Sunday for you in the West). In the week after Pascha all services are changed to celebrate the joy and hope of

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-27349088252787592402010-04-05T08:11:00.000-04:002010-04-05T08:11:21.529-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-61876814775736892942010-04-04T15:46:00.002-04:002010-04-04T16:13:16.127-04:00

I started this blog on an Easter Sunday in March of 2002. After a few years of faithful posting I am afraid that updates have become sporadic at best. The last spasm of regular writing was back in October. I had actually been doing pretty well until I finally got around to getting some much delayed blood work and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The last five months have been spent making

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-19795510136596050912010-04-04T14:02:00.002-04:002010-04-04T14:05:10.475-04:00

The day of Resurrection; let us be radiant for the festival, and let us embrace one another. Let us say, brethren, even to those that hate us, ‘Let us forgive all things on the Resurrection’, and so let us cry, ‘Christ has risen from the dead: by death he has trampled on death, and to those in the graves given life’.From Vespers for the Sunday of Pascha

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-33522215117330686612009-10-28T20:04:00.001-04:002009-10-28T20:07:16.096-04:00

These poems by Charles Reznikoff particularly struck me this evening:New York: 1951 Seven PoemsHere is the last of the series, go read them all:VIITe DeumNot because of victories I sing,having none,but for the common sunshine,the breeze,the largess of the spring.Not for victorybut for the day's work doneas well as I was able;not for a seat upon the daisbut at the common table.Thanks to Bishop

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-61436535822827482062009-10-27T23:06:00.003-04:002009-10-27T23:32:48.238-04:00

I had an errand to run this evening so I set off down the six miles of (to steal a description from Tom Waits) "black anaconda of a two lane" that runs between our farm and the town limits. I have a love-hate relationship with this road. Just a week ago the poplars were losing their leaves to wind gusts and I drove to work through sun-lit golden spirals. The view of the mountain as I approach

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-49044306827080721942009-10-26T22:57:00.002-04:002009-10-26T23:04:56.464-04:00

Garfield Minus Garfield is a site dedicated to removing Garfield from the Garfield comic strips in order to reveal the existential angst of a certain young Mr. Jon Arbuckle. It is a journey deep into the mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness and depression in a quiet American suburb.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-71691129451140850872009-10-25T22:58:00.000-04:002009-10-25T22:58:34.786-04:00

 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-53631007706417417252009-10-25T22:56:00.000-04:002009-10-25T22:56:55.271-04:00

Tourists were backed up about a mile waiting to get onto Skyline Drive. This is what they were waiting for, looking up instead of down. 

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-41512316908555221082009-10-25T16:59:00.002-04:002009-10-25T17:02:20.634-04:00

 Click for a larger image.

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Tonight's moon is a waxing crescent, and I am not on my sickbed. Nonetheless, the skies have been cloudy, my health could be better, and the sight of the moon earlier did bring a little cheer. Hence this poem, another translation from the Chinese by Jonathan Chaves:RISING FROM MY SICKBED, I Saw the moon as the Sky ClearedThis was the night of the mid-autumn moon of the year i-ssu [1605]Up from

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The unseasonable cold has retreated. This afternoon would have been summerlike except for a certain crispness in the air. Once the sun started falling the illusion of summer vanished. The crisp evenings still have ladybugs and asian stinkbugs dashing inside at every opening of a door. The ones who have made it inside make smaller and larger circles around the window glass. Today I saw a fly

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John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-61809102589373090972009-10-20T22:36:00.002-04:002009-10-20T22:42:23.515-04:00

When I came home today I found the infallible sign that warm weather is over; hundreds of ladybugs crawling over the house looking for a way in. They were latecomers this year, having to compete for space with the Asian stinkbugs who have been staging their own invasion.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-7615453869212502592009-10-19T22:58:00.001-04:002009-10-19T23:01:39.326-04:00

I don't comment much here about politics. It's not that I don't have opinions but rather, as a rule, there is not much new or helpful I have to offer on any given issue. It seems we cycle around the same set of mistakes year after year regardless of the party in power. This is an observation that goes back at least to Ecclesiastes. Here is one of my favorite restatements of it:The Gods of the

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Yes, that white stripe down Hogback Mountain is snow. Last night our steady rain on the farm turned to snow up on the higher ridges. Around here a little altitude can make quite a difference in your thermometer reading.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-81764880055342537002009-10-17T22:27:00.000-04:002009-10-17T22:27:10.341-04:00

When I published my first post on this blog, the young man in the uniform was twelve. He is now twenty, a college student and part time soldier with the Virginia National Guard. The photo was taken this spring at Fort Benning at his graduation from basic training. It seems like just a day or two ago that his mother and I brought him home wrapped in small blankets. Enlisting was his idea. I am

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-40348115517386516652009-10-16T21:59:00.000-04:002009-10-17T22:01:34.038-04:00

No, this is not a lightning strike. This is what happens when a small point and shoot digital camera and an unsteady hand meet the Browntown 4th of July fireworks display. This was not the picture I intended, but I kind of like the effect.

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When I hung up my jacket this evening I found four pens in the inside pocket. I am not sure how four ended up there. Most days there are one or two, some days none at all. There seems to be a steady movement of writing implements from my desk to my jacket, to the top of my dresser and back again. I pick up what pens I see on the dresser in the morning, and take them out of the various pockets

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Amazon dropped the latest Wendell Berry's poetry collection, Leavings, on the doorstep last week.  It is vintage Berry; part polemic, part lyric, part pastoral with a few oddities thrown in.  I am still spending time with the poems, so no review today.  I do want to share the short poem that begins the collection.  So, bending fair use a bit, here it is: LIKE SNOW Suppose we did our work like

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No, I don't know what she was after in the wheel well. No, I don't know how she managed to get her head stuck. No, it was not easy getting her unstuck. Yes, she's fine.

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-77220989218338549142009-10-13T20:39:00.000-04:002009-10-13T20:39:22.048-04:00

With the leaves turning I can look up the mountain and see the tourist traffic on Skyline Drive looking down on us. This summer Susan and I took our own trip on a free entrance day and took this picture of our home. Right now the green is mixed with yellow, orange and brown.

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Well, I did not set out to take a year long blog sabbatical. About this time last year I took a day off. A day became a week, a week became a month and the days, weeks and months just piled up. Not much has changed since then. We still raise sheep on the family farm. I still practice law in a small firm in a small town. I still worship at the local Greek Orthodox Church. The kids are

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John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-88757504829728186392008-10-09T08:10:00.000-04:002008-10-09T08:10:51.755-04:00

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John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-47693907095167150992008-10-07T08:21:00.000-04:002008-10-07T08:21:39.955-04:00

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John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-74479442231664213512008-06-18T21:05:00.002-04:002008-06-18T22:48:22.570-04:00

Abba Anthony said to Abba Poemen, "This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath." This is a classic word from the Desert; no compromises, no illusions, no excuses. It is a very different word than we get from our culture. We have legions of experts ready to tell us that our faults are not in ourselves. We

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I've taken a few days off from the blog, but will start regular postings again this evening with the next installment of Abba Anthony. In the meantime, here is a picture from a couple of winters ago; Susan bottle feeding a newborn down at the barn.

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John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-41246598649891079522008-06-11T22:14:00.002-04:002008-06-11T22:28:25.459-04:00

In a comment on the last blog post "A.F." cites a few passages from St Peter of Damaskos included in volume three of the English translation of the Philokalia. I will move the last excerpt up here both because it cites St. Anthony and it captures my best intention for the series:“…St. Antony says that every word or act ought to be supported by divine Scripture. It is in this spirit that I begin

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The first two sayings record Abba Anthony questioning his own life. With the third saying we see Abba Anthony taking the role of elder, giving a word in response to a question. Now if I were a true disciple seeking a word from an elder, I would listen, then spend a few years putting the word into practice and only after mastering the first advice would I dare come back for more. Being more of a

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No update tonight. A long day at the office and an air conditioner that could not keep pace with the heat rising to my third story nook have left me with little to say and less energy to say it. With what few brain cells that were not steam cooked, I will contemplate further on Abba Anthony's third saying and report back tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a picture of the home place taken from

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-37793230417766742302008-06-07T23:02:00.001-04:002008-06-09T12:03:35.124-04:00

The second saying is relatively short, so I quote it here in its entirety from Sr. Benedicta Ward's translation:When the same Abba Anthony thought about the depths of the judgement of God, he asked, "Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age? Why are there those who are poor and those who are rich? Why do wicked men prosper and why are the just in

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The second Abba Anthony post is partly written and will go up later this weekend. Friday night we went to the end of school awards ceremony at the boys' school. Today we finished shearing a little later than planned due to the same thunderstorms that delayed the first Anthony post. With temperatures in the high 90's Susan and I were about as hot as the sheep were before the wool came off. I did

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The first saying of Abba Anthony finds him afflicted with akedia, a Greek term variously translated as despondency, listlessness, sloth or, as Kevin Edgecomb does, melancholy. Akedia is sometimes called the Noonday Demon. It is a condition similar to what we today call depression, but with an element of restlessness. The afflicted monk finds himself all but paralyzed when he tries to pray and

John S. Bellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06214099314497888932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3422099.post-20104772780565670792008-06-04T22:12:00.002-04:002008-06-04T22:18:12.255-04:00

The start of the Abba Anthony series will be delayed by a day. A line of thunderstorms came through this afternoon and cut off power until just after sundown. I brought home fried chicken for the family and evening chores were done dashing between downpours. The power is back on and I am glad of it, but it was pleasant to sit in the kitchen for a while this evening reading by the slanting

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I have been listening to Father Thomas Hopko's podcasts lately. On his May 26th episode he revisits his commencement address from St Vladimir's Seminary last year. As in many of his talks Father Thomas recommends St Ignatius Brianchianinov's work The Arena and C. S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man. I have pulled both off my library shelves for a re-read, but first I am taking another of his

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Updating the blog slipped through the cracks the last few days. I have remedied this by backdating some posts of pictures I had been intending to put up. It was a busy weekend. I took a lamb off to a local butcher Thursday for the men at my parish to use on a trial run for the Greek Festival at Church later this summer. The weekend was spent shearing. We are almost there, but still have enough

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 Tonight's loaf fresh from the oven.

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