Peter, my brother, sent me the link ‘On Confinement’ from the Book of Life. There is also a reference to Xavier de Maistre ‘A Journey Round my Room‘, written in 1790. At this time, we are all learning from the School of Life.
In response to the conversation between Janice Stein and Jane Jacobs, I received the following astute observations from Willy Hunter.
“Citizenship is a part-time job for us all. Some people express it via social works, and other’s via committee work, and others by being elected. Some people get to do it more or less in their jobs. Like teachers and nurses etc..
Forgiveness is actually for the forgiver and service is for the server “
This week, we have tried to maintain our fitness regime through snowshoeing and walking. Unfortunately, the private gym at FE (Fitness Experience) in Middleton has been closed down. Similarly, the province has closed parks and trails. From Cathy, my personal trainer, I am beginning to understand my body. Now, I need to understand my mind. That seems to be one of the premises of The School of Life. Interestingly, there are several School of Life sites in Europe, but none in North America.
Emergence Magazine is offering a set of activities for the online community: a monthly book club, contributor conversations, biweekly Nature Writing course, and a facilitated workshop on the theme of vulnerability.
Before today’s snowfall (Tuesday) I was able to spend time clearing multiflora rose from the hedgerows. It was remarkable to see how different species grow together. Their form dictated by their interaction e.g. deadly nightshade, high bush cranberry. We continue to prune in the orchard, as well as topping the conifers which reach towards the overhead power lines. Today, for the first time, we were able to snowshoe down through the property.
Postscript
My favourite book on the coffee table is Arne and Carlos. 2017. Field Guide to Knitted Birds. Trafalgar Square Books.
Acknowledgements
Willy Hunter for the OK to quote from his email. Cathy Bruce West for her Healthy Bodies advice. Peter Maher for the link to The Book of Life. Heather for her companionship and custodian of the pruning instruments. Edward Wedler for his graphics contributions
References
On Confinement from The Book of Life.
Xavier de Maistre. A Journey Round my Room.
The School of Life. theschooloflife.com
Emergence Magazine. March 24,2020. Contributor Conversations, Book Club, Nature Writing Course, Embracing Vulnerability and Connection. New podcast released every Tuesday.
One of the essays centres on a conversation between Janice Stein and Jane Jacobs at the ‘Grazing in the Commons’ conference in Toronto, November 15,2001. It is titled ‘Efficiency and the Commons’. In particular, I appreciated the following exchange.
Finally, at the end of the week, Charlie Hunter forwarded a photograph of our St. Patrick’s Day meeting, with the caption ‘You and I received more compliments on our social distancing than on our good looks !’
After lunch, as I was preparing for another burning, a white car stopped at our driveway. Charlie Hunter stepped out and explained that he, and his family, were taking a ‘trip down memory lane’. We discussed 
This gives us the opportunity to address soil building on our property.
Edward and Anne both have a passion for Plein Air Art. This takes place in Nova Scotia from Spring to Fall and Florida in the Winter.
He uses Google products as these are more readily accessible to him and to the art community. The map currently has 5,000+ map views. Google also has loose connections between its many Google Drive products (eg Sheets, Forms, Calendars, Maps) that lend themselves to exciting R&D opportunities for an Innovation Hub. He feels that, with greater community college collaboration, students would gain by technical exposure to and training with Google Maps and related tools. The community would gain through local, shared incubator-projects in an Innovation Hub. The Hub would gain by scaling locally-developed solutions and building intellectual property.
Mapping Art can also be seen as the Art of Cartography. There is an excellent local example in the Valley. 
“The writers from whom Dark Mountain has taken inspiration are grounded in a sense of place and time. In the deep time of geology and myth, in the rooted relations to the place of a tree or the navigational feel for place of a migrant bird.”
Sandra Barry forwarded to me an event notice, featuring Rita Wilson and Emma FitzGerald ‘
I had the opportunity to attend the Geoff Butler celebration at the Kings Theatre. It was a full house. The first half included a short film by Tim Wilson ‘
The book includes forty-six lullabies, from ‘At the Tiller’ to Wherever the wind blows’. Each lullaby has a painting and a musical score.
Afterwards, there was an interview with a psychiatrist about narcissistic behaviour fostered by Facebook and other social media tools.
From England, an old school friend, excellent cricketer and sitar player, Viram Jasani, mentioned that he is writing an autobiographical novel. This week, I finished reading Jane Smiley’s 
In response to my 
This weekend, we stopped in Truro on our way to New Glasgow. At the 
