On the Burial of His Brother

By ways remote and distant waters sped,

Brother, to thy sad grave-side am I come,

That I may give the last gifts to the dead,

And vainly parley with thine ashes dumb;

Since she who now bestows and now denies

Hath taken thee, hapless brother, from mine eyes.

But lo! these gifts, the heirlooms of past years,

Are made sad things to grace thy coffin shell,

Take them, all drenched with a brother's tears,

And, brother, for all time, hail and farewell!

— Gaius Valerius Catullus (ca 84–ca 54 BC)

Translated by Aubrey Beardsley (1872–1898)

Photo: Terry L Anderson

Local Music

Contemporary jazz guitarist B.D. Lenz and his band will be performing at Salt Creek Grille in Princeton Forrestal Village on Friday, March 25, from 7 pm to 11 pm.

Welcome Spring

Thank you to Randy Setlock and Sandy Schmidt for the first touches of spring in Princeton Landing!

Tonight's Super Full Moon

Tonight's super full Moon over the Princeton Forrestal Campus—trust us, it was bigger and brighter than usual!

St. Joseph's Seminary — 2:47 pm

Super Full Moon Tonight

Tonight we will be able to see a rare and beautiful sight in the sky. The full Moon, which rises in the east at sunset, will appear to be 14% larger and perhaps 30% brighter than usual. This is because the Moon’s orbit around the earth is not perfectly round. Sometimes it is closer, and sometimes it is farther away. The orbit’s closest approach to earth is known as its perigee. When this close approach coincides with a full Moon, it is called a “perigee Moon.” Tonight the Moon will orbit closer to the earth than it has in 18 years, which naturally will make it look larger.

The best time to look is when the Moon is near the horizon. For reasons not fully understood by astronomers or psychologists, the low-hanging Moon looks unnaturally large when seen near trees, buildings or other objects in the foreground. The combination of this “Moon illusion” and the “perigee Moon” should produce a truly stunning view.

For Japan

The suffering of the Japanese people is in our thoughts.

— Princeton Landing News

Saint Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Memorial Church, called Saul Church, in County Down, Northern Ireland

Photos: Ardfern

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

by William Butler Yeats

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,

And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping
    slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket
    sings;

There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,

And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,

I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Photograph of Lough Gill by Paul McIlroy

Bill Cunningham New York

I've lived in Princeton Landing long enough to remember when—in the pre-online era—nearly all the driveways were graced each morning with a blue plastic New York Times bag. So, many of you may be familiar with the work of Bill Cunningham, the photojournalist whose "On the Street" fashion column has run for decades in The Times. For those of you who aren't, there is a maah-vah-lous piece about Mr. Cunningham in The New Yorker. Today the documentary Bill Cunningham New York, a film by Richard Press, opened at Film Forum in Manhattan.

Followers of street-style photography may now think of Scott Schuman or Garance Doré, but 82-year-old Bill Cunningham is the pioneer of this domain. He is also one of New York's great characters. The filmmakers set out to capture Bill's quirky urban story in their documentary. Mark Holcomb for The Village Voice says, "No passion for fashion is required to enjoy this absorbing portrait . . . a near Buddhist reflection on what it takes to fully engage Gotham, as well as an astute snapshot of its evermore avaricious soul."

Bill Cunningham New York is at Film Forum in New York City through March 29. On April 1 it will play at Landmark's Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia. The film's website offers more information.

Happy Birthday, Professor Einstein

Albert Einstein continues to inspire young scientists, including my godson Tom who is pictured here in front of Einstein's Princeton home at 112 Mercer Street in 2003.

Einstein Photo: The Einstein Museum in the Historisches Museum Bern

Spring Ahead

Remember to move your clocks ahead one hour tonight or tomorrow morning. Daylight saving time begins at 2:00 am on Sunday, March 13.

Attention Parents: Event at Terhune Orchards

On Tuesday, March 15, Terhune Orchards will host another session of their Read & Explore Program at the farm. The topic of the session is Waking Up From Winter. A selection from the book Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel will be read, and each child will get their garden started early by planting seeds to take home.

Read & Explore is Terhune Orchard's winter education series. The program combines reading stories and doing related craft activities. Parents/guardians and young children (ages preschool to 8 years) are welcome. The sessions begin at 10:00 am and last about one hour. Each session costs $5.00 per participating child, which includes the materials for the activity. Parents should call ahead to register. The number is 609-924-2310. Check-in is at the farm store. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Terhune Orchards is located at 330 Cold Soil Road in Princeton.

End of Carnival

Ash Wednesday

Carl Spitzweg

2011 International Women's Day

March 8, 2011, is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Events are taking place all over the world to honor and celebrate the achievements of women and remind everyone of inequities that still exist. As I post this piece, hackers have already attacked the global International Women's Day website in an attempt to prevent activity.

Women's groups, schools, governments, charities, corporations, universities, the media and women everywhere have geared up for the biggest International Women's Day ever. Almost 2,000 events are occurring around the world with many more events happening online. In China, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine and other countries, today is a national holiday.

Check out this video from the UK's Guardian narrated by Judy Dench and featuring James Bond star Daniel Craig. It's thought-provoking not only for the UK but for the US as well.

It's a girl!

Congratulations to our dear friends in Switzerland

Emil and Monica

on the birth of their granddaughter

Sophia