Worm Poo and Christmas!

Wow, Lucian, vermiculture — amazing! I’ve heard of these worm gardens, so to speak — as a matter of fact my college roommate and I said that if we ended up unmarried at retirement age we’d go in together and open a worm farm on the prairie. No, honestly, we said that very thing (in jest of course, but we still said it). And she had to go ruin it by getting hitched!

Now as absurd as the idea is of me running anything remotely like a worm farm, what is not absurd is all the good you are about to do by creating humus from castings and encouraging new veggie growth — hey, I bet the horticulture classes at HHS would be able to assist you with ideas for tropical plants that would thrive in your garden. Want me to ask???? Okay, I’ll do it anyway and let you know what they say.

I’m so proud of you — have I told you that? Yeah? Well, there it is again! We are heading into Christmas break here next week (1/2 day on the 21st and back on Jan. 3). SOL testing is in full swing and everyone’s a bit nuts. Like always. I’ve got a letter to you in the works from the kids — amazing how long that process can take…hope you have a marvelous holiday in your new digs — different as it may be from Christmas Past! Take care and I enjoyed your longer opus!!!! Leigh-Ann

Hey Lucian,
I read your entry and was so impressed with not only what you are up to now, but with the fact that you had paragraphs (ha Ha). Anyway, back to the worms, so very interesting. I made contact with many seed companys and the catalogs are on the way. I hope to get them to you sometime in January. I’m wondering with the approach of Christmas what it is like in Nicaragua or even the Department of Chnandega. Perhaps you could write a little more about that. I do thank you for the wonderful update; letting us know more about your daily life.
I will talk to you soon. I send you much love and lots of hugs and kisses.
Mommy
XXXOOO

hey lu… mommy and pops booked our tickets today… very exciting!!! i cant wait to come see you… just think your worms will be an amazing compost by then!!! maybe i can get a sponsor of sorts and bring toothbrushes or something… i know we have hygeine instructions en espanol… just a thought!!! I cant wait to see you… i am sure the time will fly by… keep up the good work, and give that turkey hell!

Hello Kid!

Man, was it great to hear your voice this evening! But the really best part [not including time with you] was standing back and watching your family talk with you, one at a time, getting to spend time with you. Watching their “Lucian gauge” go up a notch, still not near the full mark, but enough to get them thru to the next time they get to speak with you.

I was in h’burg this evening, finished my errands giving me time to pop in to see your family. I thought I’d take a chance that Jilli was there, so just my luck the little lady had just gotten back from an out of town venture. Oh, let me also add, that I was just in time for dinner. would you believe they had beans and rice?! … Just kidding. I did feel bad intruding on dinner, but they were almost finished, so it wasn’t that bad, I hope. Let me say here that they all look very good. Ms Millie looks very good, and she’s loaded with sparkling witt [which I just love]. I don’t know how to really explain it, but, she makes me feel lighter. Not in weight, but in spirit. You know how it feels when you’re on a plane and the plane just for a second drops a little bit and you’re up and then you feel like you float down? Well that’s how Ms. Millie makes me feel sometimes. Really cool feeling. It’s like she’s showing me its okay to breath. Slow down, don’t be so serious. Maybe she does the same for Jilli – she looked relaxed, guess she has the time to breathe in b/t semesters. She looks good Lucian. As I’ve said before, she is growing into herself with such grace.

I still love your mom’s new hair style; it really is a perfect fit for her. It’s a short, but sassy look, with soft curls. I almost reached out to touch the curl at her ear while we were sitting at the dinner table. Man, I bet she would have thought I was loosing it. But it looked so soft. She looks good, she doesn’t look as tired as she did the last time I saw her. I’m sure she’s looking forward to a little break from the school work routine. Your dad looks good too. I understand he’s taking better care of himself these days [which is every child’s wish for their parents]. According to Ms. Millie, he’s counting down each day to his retirement… she guessed he had 1000 plus or less days to go.

Jill had her lap top at the dinner table – so she set it up so I could read your latest update. And then they all lit up “Lets Call Lucian” Jill whipped out her cell phone and Irene [in the movement of a lady] ran to the computer. As you know the computer won. I felt guilty keeping you from them. With that written, I did enjoy taking with you. Sorry if I was out of the rhythm. I was confused as to if there was lag time b/t you talk and then I talk. I kept stepping on ya, sorry ‘bout that.

Kim [ my best friend since we were very little] returned a book I let her look at… get this.. It’s called “Lasagna Gardening” no it’s not how to plant and grow lasagna.
It’s a way of planting for a garden. They use a layer effect.

THIS IS FROM THE BOOK:

Once you have an established lasagna garden bed, growing vegetables can’t be easier. After planting, all you need is a little smart mulch management, and your chores are nearly finished. There is no such thing as a no-work garden, but this is close.

Getting started:

The process of making a lasagna garden to grow vegetables is the same as for any other lasagna garden. When you lay down paper to kill sod, you also create the perfect habitat for earthworms: darkness, dampness, and food. [they used wet newspaper]. Then you cover the paper with layers of organic mulch [not sure you can get that] so it won’t look like paper lying on the grass, and you make more food for your earthworms. They’ll work even harder, tunneling through and loosening the soil while breaking down the organic matter into nutrients your vegetables need to produce generous yields.

There’s more, like 230 pages more. But my hand is starting to make it’s existences known. I had 5 needles in it today. So I think I’ll just mail you the book.

So I’m going to call it a night. Please remember You are very much loved and respected. Keep writing in the journal! And if you’re homesick – See it as a gift. A gift of having people you love so much that it makes you more aware of your heart. I would worry more about you if you weren’t homesick.

Love ya kid – to the moon and back, we all do!

Ciao Luciano! How I wish I could hang out with you and the worms… And you know me, I may just drop it all and come join you (once you get your room cleaned out that is…ha ha!)

I sent you a long winded letter which will arrive by post. On the back there is a sticker with a smiley face… I haven’t had many opportunities to give out as many gold stars as you deserve. Bravo!

I have absolutely no gardening advice, what can I say… In a funny way, even though you are far away, it seems like you’re closer (okay, maybe not to the Virginia folk, but certainly to me) because I get to read and hear about you so much more… It’s really neat feeling a part of your great experience.

I’m curious about the people you meet, the personal stories (if you don’t feel uncomfortable sharing them). I know, I know, you’re busy doing important things like helping people learn how to better care for themselves, but if you find the time, I’m quite curious about this part of your experience as well.
Baci (kisses) to you, my cousin!
Love, Marena

Lucian
This is a step in technology for me!!! I have thought of you often and have kept up with you through Mom and Dad!! We are officially on vacation and I am taking a few quiet moments here. I have not read all of these but I am going to try, you are awesome & the work you are doing is amazing.Not so sure about the worms and farming but sounds interesting. I can not give any gardening advice, unless it comes from Kroger or better yet a TJ Maxx store I dont know much about it!!! We miss you here and will have you in our thoughts and prayers during this holiday season. I am going to try to keep in touch. Love to you Beth

Luciano Bello, Hi I’m not at all surprised at all you’re accomplishing in such a short time. You allways were pretty amazing. Sorry I don’t know much about gardening or worms but as you know plants can’t grow without water, it being the most important nutrient. I read that day water shortages in the plant are ideally corrected at night. Night water uptake can be 40 percent of all the water a plant needs. So if your having a drought during planting time watering at night should be helpful.

Chrismas is going to be by Lisa and Glenns this year and I am really looking forward to it. The kids are at a really fun age and they are all so adorable. Uncle Roy, Marena and I are going to sleep there on Christmas Eve so we can be there when the kids open their gifts from Santa. We’re going to try calling you on Christmas day so you can share part of our day and we yours.

Uncle Roy wanted me to tell you about his recent fishing trips for black fish. He and a friend of his, (someone who keeps his boat at the same marina} went out on a charter. There was an oriental man who was catching 4 fish to their 1. He was using a more flexible pole than they were but the key was he was using two hooks instead of one. Black fish live on the bottom of the ocean thus the flexible pole so one could keep on snapping the pole back and forth easily. The bait is crab and when using two hooks you don’t lose the fish since you have a better chance of hitting one of the hooks. Using this new tecnique was much more productive and a lot of fun. The weather has really been exceptionally warm for this time of year allowing them to go quite often since they’re both obsessed now.

I look forward to speaking to you on Christmas. We all miss you and are so proud of all the good things your doing for so many people that truly need your help so much. That really is the true meaning of Christmas.

Love you lots, Aunt Cathy

Hi Lou! Good luck with the garden. I’m sure Teddy will be looking over you and helping to guide! Maybe you need a little salt water or something! Everything you’re doing sounds so awesome—what a way to live your life. Marena wasn’t kidding when she said she may just show up one day!! Keep up the good work- you are making the whole family very proud! We all love you very much. Enjoy your Christmas (spending it like it was meant to be- helping out others!) We are very excited for Christmas here-Payton should be alot fun opening up his gifts. He caught on quick to the whole concept of Santa and what he does!! He had his first school concert the other day- would have made you proud Lou how he stood up in front of all the parents and sang his Christmas songs. It was adorable!! He is growing fast! He now has a big boy bed, which he uses to put his stuff animals on. He has learned how to climb into our bed and that is where he now sleeps every night!! Any advice Nene??? Well again have a Merry Christmas and I understand we are going to get to call you on Christmas day so I will talk to you then. Love ya!!

Tonight I shall tell the tale of the early days of Hogmenay. An old Scots custom, a reflection from the days of pagan celebrations during winter solstice. Hogmenay was indeed not the only ancient celebration in days of old. Rome had their Saturnalia festival, named after the Roman god of agriculture. This was the sixth planet from the sun and the seventh day of the week. The Saturnalia was a public festival, where slaves were excused from punishment. Many slaves used this time to treat their masters with disrespect. Slaves celebrated a banquet before their masters, some served by their masters, some dined with their masters. A seven-day festival of Saturn, which began on December 17. It was a time to eat, drink, and be merry – this lead to much tomfoolery. Saturnalia was one of the most popular Roman festivals.

The Vikings celebrated Yule. The first day of Yule, began the night of December 25th ending on the night of January 6th. Yule later became the twelve days of Christmas. During Yule, the roles were also switched between master and slave. Masters waited on their servants. A “Lord of Misrule” was chosen to preside over the “feast of fools” during the Christmas season. The Scots also had such a lord, but called them “Abbot of Unreason” this lord was generally a peasant.

But before I lose my way, let us return to the days of the Scots Hogmenay. Hogmenay is the word the Scots used for the last day of the year. Through the years we have grown to fall it New Years Eve. Legion, as I shall tell it, has a clan known as Lang Syne’s. Not known as fairies or elves or those other magical creatures. Their work depends on the will power of the big people. Well, part of their work that is. The Synes’ are the ushers of the New Year. It’s their job to bring in the New Year and the old one passes. There are many grunts within this clan, and their job is to help the big people keep the new years resolutions they make every year. Not an easy task for these little people. You may ask yourself where the Auld comes in to play. This is the part of the clan that have become the ancestors of the Lang Synes’ They live to hundreds of years old, and pass down their wisdom to each generation, so that the each new year may continue to ring in. And they be known for their enjoyment of a pint or two as the song is written. “And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! And surely I’ll buy mine! And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for days of long ago.”
So, keep this in mind my dear friend, as the New Years’ promise approaches; with every wish we make and every promise we shall keep, we are the keepers of Auld Lang Synes. As the New Year breaks the horizon, it is our gift to make new friends, cherish loved ones and give thanks for another chance to shine. OH, and do watch were you step, and don’t brush your shoulders, just in case a Synes’ is trying to do their job. And don’t be surprized if one makes and appearance some day soon….

That is happiness: to be
disolved into something
complete and great.
WILLA CARTER

Goodiight stars.
Goodnight air.
MARGARET WISE BROWN

Happy New Year Lucian!

Just finished watching my yearly movie- When Harry met Sally. Billy thought it was funny when I told him that I watched that movie every new years eve.

I’m looking forward to the new year. I look at it as a begining, a fresh start kind a thing. Silly maybe, but how I feel.

k, just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you this evening.

love ya!