http://www.coopercrier.com en-us Copyright CNHI All Rights Reserved. 5 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:08:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_241100956.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_241100956.html I went to my first county fair over 50 years ago, and ever since then I have been hooked. I spent several summers on a farm nearby, which is why we moved up into this neck of the woods close to 35 years ago. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:21:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_227082211.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_227082211.html This morning’s chill in the air is a reminder that summer is waning and flannel shirt days are just around the corner. As is summer’s wont, we will experience some hot dog days now and then. We have certainly had quite enough of lightning and thunder. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:38:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_206093959.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_206093959.html One of the advantages of our summer daylily business is the steady stream of insight and knowledge that is provided through casual conversations with visitors. Call it a kind of home schooling. I used to have lively debates with teacher colleagues about the pros and cons of home schooling. My aim here is not to engage in that debate, but simply to state that, given the right conditions, home schooling can be tremendously beneficial, both to students and parents alike. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:33:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_199173445.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_199173445.html Faith is a curious thing. It exists without requiring the kinds of proof that science demands if its conclusions are to be accepted. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:52:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_192145222.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_192145222.html There is a lone birch tree just around the corner from our place that I visit as often as I can. It is on one of my main walking routes, so we have the opportunity to keep in touch fairly regularly. At other times, it resides in my mind’s eye as a seminal image, one that informs me about myself and the world at large. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:35:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_185083534.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_185083534.html I have always been wary of zealousness of any kind, especially with respect to patriotism, an otherwise good and noble sentiment. Jingoism, patriotism in its most virulent form, nourishes only itself, certainly not the vital lifeblood of a nation. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:50:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_183085016.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_183085016.html As raindrops slither down the windowpanes of my study, and dark clouds hustle their way eastward, I think about the value of old and enduring friendships. Several days ago, I drove down to my old boarding school for our annual alumni day. It was a good day for many reasons and a sad day for others. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:03:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_164090506.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_164090506.html I guess politics, like it or not, are personal. A strange thought to have while awash in rivers of sweat the last two days while chipping and shredding brush with a friend. Repetitive physical tasks have that as their “renovating virtue.” They give one time, lots of time, to think other thoughts. Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:47:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_157084821.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_157084821.html Seems the normal patterns have revealed themselves up here on the hill. As usual this time of year, there is more than enough work to keep us busy from dawn to dusk. Lists abound, but what gets done on any given day has more to do with inclination than anything else. Thu, 29 May 2008 08:08:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_150080954.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_150080954.html An old and valued friend stopped by yesterday to say hello and to pick up a few daylilies. We did not have too much of a chance to chat, to catch up, but the few moments we did have were precious and memorable. Thu, 22 May 2008 15:13:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_143151428.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_143151428.html Sitting here staring out my study window watching dark clouds scudding eastward, it seems an eternity that we returned home from a two-week river journey through Belgium and Holland just a few days ago. Thu, 15 May 2008 12:50:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_136125136.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_136125136.html It is not necessary to travel to faraway places to get away. A walk will do just fine. I am not opposed to trips. I will be arriving back from one the day this column appears. Thu, 08 May 2008 11:06:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_129110748.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_129110748.html There is a lot of talk about change these days. We hear it from presidential candidates and we read about it in the papers and hear about it on radio. Thu, 01 May 2008 12:43:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_122123717.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_122123717.html Two days ago, my granddaughter Isadora and I spent a lovely hour planting her garden — her first. It is just down the hill from her birth tree, planted on the occasion of her birth almost four Septembers ago. We were out “perusing” the gardens together this morning and, of course, had to check her garden first to see if anything had popped up out of the ground. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:25:00 +0000 http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_116082634.html http://www.coopercrier.com/hawthornhill/local_story_116082634.html The other day while waiting for new tires to be installed on my car, I had a quite interesting conversation with an acquaintance about a wide range of topics, from bluebirds to politics to the ways in which “locals” view those of us who take up residence in places where, for generations, the landscape was inhabited only by those whose families had been there for quite some time.