Veterans Day

Thank you to all those who serve.

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All Good

It was nearly 10 pm before I got home last night.  The program went really well (except for the virtual component, which could have been better). We had a record crowd. In fact, we had so many that we had to simulcast it to the gallery where we had an overflow area. We ordered the perfect amount of food. We only had one of the boxed lunches left.

After the program, the speaker and I could finally have our lunch. After that, I took her on a driving tour of campus before taking her back to her hotel with a detour through town so she could see it. The university sits on the edge of town. I was able to go home for about two hours before going back to pick her up for dinner. Our reservations were at 7 pm, the service was slow but excellent at the restaurant we went to. The food was delicious. 

Today will be another busy day, but my speaker will need to be at the airport by 3:30 pm, and then I can go home and get some much needed rest.

Long Day

I was late getting home last night, and after a long, tiring day, I basically collapsed on my couch before getting up and crawling into bed a little while later. I wasn’t even thinking about writing a post for today, that’s why this post is late. It’s going to be another long day, as I will be taking our guest speaker to dinner tonight. She’s a lovely lady, so it was a very pleasant day, just busy and tiring.

Pic of the Day

Pic of the Day

My November Guest

My November Guest

By Robert Frost - 1874-1963

 

My sorrow, when she’s here with me,

     Thinks these dark days of autumn rain

Are beautiful as days can be;

She loves the bare, the withered tree;

     She walks the sodden pasture lane.

 

Her pleasure will not let me stay.

     She talks and I am fain to list:

She’s glad the birds are gone away,

She’s glad her simple worsted grey

     Is silver now with clinging mist.

 

The desolate, deserted trees,

     The faded earth, the heavy sky,

The beauties she so truly sees,

She thinks I have no eye for these,

     And vexes me for reason why.

 

Not yesterday I learned to know

     The love of bare November days

Before the coming of the snow,

But it were vain to tell her so,

     And they are better for her praise.

 

 

About the Poem

 

The title of this poem seemed apropos for today. It’s November, and I have a guest coming. However, I hope my guest’s visit will be a happier one than in “My November Guest.” 

 

“My November Guest” was published in Robert Frost’s first published volume of Frost’s poetry, A Boy’s Will, (1913), which is among the best of Frost’s poems in which he speaks of Fall in rural New Hampshire.

 

The poem is about sorrow. At some point in his life, the poet must have experienced extreme pain and sorrow during the month of November. There is an air of familiarity created by the poet, and he and his guest have walked and talked along the “sodden pasture lane.”  Sorrow is personified as a woman – a friend, companion, and she is considered a regular visitor, and “a guest” She is someone the poet dearly loves.  He is very comfortable in her company and doesn’t wish to be separated from her – “She talks and I am fain to list.”  She is dressed for the weather – that time of year in New England before the first snows of winter – wearing “simple worsted grey.”

 

In the very first line, “My Sorrow, when she’s here with me,” marks the peak of the poet’s togetherness with sorrow.

My Sorrow, when she’s here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;

Walking with the poet, she (Sorrow) speaks of the beautiful Autumn days, finds ecstasy in the withered trees, and the autumnal browns. Fall is a season marked with desolate earth, deserted trees, the “sodden pasture lane,” and the departure of the birds. The poet’s Sorrow finds beauty in the Autumn days. She reprimands the poet for not being able to experience the joy in Autumn and asks for an explanation. The phrase “Simple worsted grey is silver now with clinging mist” reflects the mood of the poem, the coexistence of joy and sorrow.

Not yesterday I learned to know

The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise

In the first three stanzas the poet is forced to listen to his ‘guest” extol the virtues of Autumn, “the dark days of autumn rain” and she seems convinced that he has “no eye for” the beauty that surrounds him at this time of year.  Those of us familiar with the poetry of Frost know this to be false and we know that he does appreciate these beauties.  However, the constant repetition of “She” creates a sense of easy familiarity with his guest, “She walks,” “She talks,” “She thinks,” “She’s glad” and, out of respect or deference, he doesn’t make any effort to correct his companion, for ‘they are better for her praise.”  In actual fact, it was not just yesterday that he discovered this fact, he has known it for many a long day:

Not yesterday I learned to know 

The love of bare November days

Pic of the Day

A Full Plate

I have a full plate this week, and I’m not talking food. I have three sets of VIPs coming in this week. Today, I’ll be at the museum by myself. Tomorrow, I have to give a tour to foreign dignitaries and then leave right afterwards for the airport to pick up a VIP speaker for my Wednesday program. Once I have picked her up, I’ll take her to lunch before we meet with some colleagues of mine at another museum. Then we’ll be off to get her checked into the hotel before whisking her away for dinner. Wednesday, she will be giving her talk, and I’ll give her a tour of the university and the surrounding area. I’ll probably take her to Montpelier to see the nations smallest capitol and the Vermont History Museum. Then, it will be another dinner before taking her back to her hotel. Thursday, I’m going to be taking her to do some shopping at some of the country stores Vermont is famous for, though I won’t be taking her to THE Vermont Country Store. It’s actually not very close. One place in particular that I want to take her has these delicious (and famous) cider donuts. They are a must have in my opinion, especially if they are fresh out of the fryer. We’ll probably have lunch at this particular place while we are there. Then, it’s back to the airport. If that’s not enough, we then have another set of VIPs coming for a special Veterans Day program. This program is not one I’m involved with, but I do have to be present for. I think that’s everything. If it’s not, it should be. It’s definitely a full plate.

Pic of the Day