The Heart of the Matter

Welcome to August! Did you know today is Lammas Day, what was considered Thanksgiving in Britain? That's a fact. On a more superstitious note are bits of folk wisdom like

'Dry August and warm doth harvest no harm'. 

'If the first week of August be warm, the winter will be white and long.' 

Of course, I'm pretty sure that might not work for Culebra, where yesterday a local of a certain aged status told me that it was the hottest he'd ever known it to be. Since it's been hotter, that made me hope for an easier August, September and October; we'll see about that. 

My favorite custom for the day is one I found here - "It is a day on which many quaint customs were enacted; but the one great custom, which marks it as a link with a very remote past, is the removal of the fences from many lands throughout the country, and the throwing open to common pasturage of lands which, till this day from the end of last Lammastide, had been used as private property."  How wonderful is/was that?

 

Storm catcher

It's also the month of, if you are fortunate enough to be there, the Edinburgh Festival.  There are so many events that you really have to go read about it for yourself, if so inclined. For my money, I know I'd want to be there for Philip Glass' interpretive performance of La Belle et la Bête. And listening to him and Patti Smith 'come together for an intimate evening of poetry, music and song in tribute to their friend, the great Beat Generation poet Allen Ginsberg' would also be pretty amazing. Ah well, I'll be listening to the sounds of Culebra in August instead. 

One more thing: today is the 213th day of the year, so if you made some list in January of something(s) you wanted to accomplish this year, this would be the time to get cracking. Of course, the clear cool or cold weather of January is much more invigorating than the doggish days of summer, but your goals don't care so neither should you. Or I. 

Heart of the Matter still life

Have a toast your totem Thursday. Do something trusting.