In late February I was “nominated” for the 10 day farming family challenge by a Facebook – and real life farmer-friend. The challenge is to post pictures from a day in the life of farming that had an impact on me, without any explanation, and to nominate someone to take the challenge, for 10 consecutive days.

I first became aware of TAC in 2011, when my husband and I began living in Brooklyn half-time. Out walking one winter's day, I was brought up short by a series of beautiful arched windows in a restored industrial building, my attention caught because they were shiny bright in contrast with their dingy neighbors.

March is well-nigh, when here in the Northeast we begin to count the days until signs of new life become obvious. We generally view Winter as the season of trial and hardship, Spring as the season of hope and renewal; Winter as a time of monochromatic dormancy and Spring as a time of vibrant activity.

Keeping in Touch with La Basse Cour and Kortright Handworks!

"The Road Not Taken" is perhaps Robert Frost's most well-known poem. In it he describes a traveler's choice between two roads and reflects on the impact of such a small decision. Or rather, he reflects on the likelihood that one day he'll look back and imagine that opting for one road instead of the other will have "made all the difference". The poem's imagery is strong, and I can see Frost standing there at the fork, deliberating. I can see, too, the wistful, older man asking himself, "What if?". The wooded road is a metaphor for the human experience. We move forward making decisions, living with the consequences.

New Year's Day always seems the right time to learn something new. This year I chose a knitting tutorial, following the instructions presented in Beth Brown-Reinsel's book, Knitting Ganseys, published in 1993 by Interweave Press. (This book has since been revised and updated.)

I don't like to read fiction or poetry (especially poetry) from a translation. I do it, for obvious reasons, but all the while I am aware of not receiving all that the author intended to convey.

Social media is the perfect vehicle for the dissemination of aphorisms. "Like" and "Share" are such simple responses, and we have become so well-conditioned to receiving information in sound-bite-sized portions, that we seem content to take our wisdom by the teaspoonful, swallowing fast before clicking or swiping onward.

Winter is here, the solstice just a few days from now, and though I am not one who despises winter, I do find my thoughts sometimes drifting to summer, to warm golden light and green fields all round.

So does Proverbs 16:18 instruct us to be humble, to be mindful how easy it is to get carried away with ourselves. One step at a time, the author reminds us, even when we believe we are sure of the way. Nothing that goes wrong with a knitting project can rightly be referred to as "destruction", but overconfidence can lead to costly mistakes.