March On: Lion or Lamb?

Dear March - Come in -    

How glad I am -

I hoped for you before -

Put down your Hat -

You must have walked -

How out of Breath you are -     

Dear March, how are you, and the Rest -

Did you leave Nature well -       

Oh March, Come right upstairs with me -

I have so much to tell …

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

The fact that Merry Mount is located in Central Ohio brings the blessing of four distinct seasons, but also often violent transitions between those seasons.  March offers great variety.  Each morning, as we plan for the daily trek to the barn, we prepare for either the blustery “roar” of the lion or the pleasant “baa” of the lamb (or goat).  Although March is clothed in a cloak of grey, the pasture begins to show verdant signs, and the sharp ears of daffodils, irises, and tulips poke their way through winter’s mulch and spring thaw.  From afar, the willow demonstrates itself with shades of chartreuse. Resurrection is upon us.

As we invite March to come in, we also do not want her to “wear out her welcome”.

CPW 

Let Beauty Awake

Let Beauty awake in the morn from beautiful dreams,

Beauty awake from rest!

Let Beauty awake

For Beauty’s sake

In the hour when the birds awake in the brake

And the stars are bright in the west!

Let Beauty awake in the eve from the slumber of day,

Awake in the crimson eve!

In the day’s dusk end

When the shades ascend,

Let her wake to the kiss of a tender friend,

To render again and receive!

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

A sunrise at Merry Mount:

A sunset at Merry Mount:

Let Beauty Awake!

CPW

There's a Place for Us

There's a place for us,

Somewhere a place for us.

Peace and quiet and open air

Wait for us

Somewhere.

                  -Stephen Sondheim

On July 25, 2013, we (Pat and Loretta Woliver) found our place. The property located outside of Mount Sterling, Ohio in Madison County, is approximately three acres and contains a farmhouse, a barn, and a garden shed.  Surrounded by “big sky” and a thousand acres of corn and soybeans, the location provides spectacular views.  Thrilled by our new home, we sought an appropriate name and therefore consulted our close friend and neighbor Victoria “Vivi” Elwood (see myfriendboughtafarm.blogspot.com).  She suggested that since we were close to the small town of Mount Sterling, we should consider a name related to “sterling”.  After some consideration, instead of “sterling,” “mount” came to mind- Merry Mount. 

What is in a name?

A place called Merry Mount. Why a place name? To some, it may seem pretentious, but in our enthusiasm, we reveled in our excitement over “living a dream”.

Most often, a place name designates a location, but sometimes the people that occupy the place and the events that occur there give added significance to the name.  Consider Mount Vernon, Benbulbin, Bredon, Capricorn, Nohant or Howard's End. Each place has either historical significance or has inspired artistic expression or both.

 I googled Merrymount and was led to The Maypole of Merrymount, a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Early in the story, the following passage appears:

“May, or her mirthful spirit, dwelt all the year round at Merry Mount, sporting with the Summer months, and revelling with Autumn, and basking in the glow of Winter's fireside. Through a world of toil and care she flitted with a dreamlike smile, and came hither to find a home among the lightsome hearts of Merry Mount.”

We were hooked.  Merry Mount it is.  We want our Merry Mount to be a place of merriment and revelry, a place where closed-minded Puritan thinking is avoided, and a place where our guests and we can savor the many sensuous delights that exist here.

Why should I want to write a blog?  I am certainly not a Gene Logsdon or Wendell Berry, but I occasionally want to express myself and perhaps this blog will provide “food for thought” or maybe “stir the pot that contains the food.”  It is my hope that strangers will respond to what they find here.

C. Patrick (Pat) Woliver