Black Friday

Want to avoid a scene like the one you see on the right? Instead of fighting the crowds and traffic on this the busiest shopping day of the year, why not come out to Andalusia and experience the tranquility of the O'Connor family farm. What a welcome contrast to the crowded parking lot at the Milledgeville Mall and the line of cars waiting to get into Wally World this place provides. If you're in the area and wish to escape all that noise and hubbub I invite you to visit us. While we cannot offer the same door busting sales as our neighbors to the south, we do have something you can't find there - salve for the spirit and refreshment for the soul. If you are of a mind to do some Christmas shopping our gift shop carries many unique items that are sure to be a hit for the Flannery O'Connor devotee on your gift list.

- Mark

FAQs

Have you ever wondered what animal is carved on the sideboard in the O'Connor's dining room? Do you ever keep yourself up at night pondering whose portrait is hanging in Flannery's bedroom? If so, I invite you to submit any questions you might have about Andalusia to mark@andaluisafarm.org We are compiling a list of the questions our visitors ask most frequently about the farm. This list and the answers to your questions will be posted on our website in the near future. We need your help in order to make this a valuable resource for anyone who might be interested in learning more about Flannery and her life at Andalusia.

Next Thursday, Nov. 25th, Andalusia will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. We will re-open on Friday, but you might want to come out now as it's another gorgeous autumn day here on the farm and the week-end promises more of the same. If we don't see you before then, Craig and I wish you and those you love a happy Thanksgiving.

- Mark

A Nice November

It's a common misconception that October is the peak month for fall color. While that may be true up north, down here in middle Georgia November is our month of burnished beauty. And no place is lovelier in autumn than Andalusia farm. This week has been absolutely gorgeous. While we've had to contend with a small army of ladybugs on the front porch - not unusual for this time of year - our visitors have enjoyed some of the nicest days of the fall so far. Monday afternoon was so fine that I decided to go outside to replenish the gift shop's inventory of pond water and red clay. Yes, these may be some of the quirkier items we sell, but there are many die-hard O'Connor fans out there who want to take a little bit of Andalusia home with them and gladly pay $2.00 for this unique keepsake. Speaking of one-of-a-kind items in our gift shop...this week we received a fresh supply of our most popular postcards. They are, of course, the darling portrait of Flannery when she was two years old, concentrating on the picture book in her lap. These adorable postcards are a bargain at $1.00 ea., but the supply is limited.
- Mark

Trivia Contest

You are invited to test your knowledge of Flannery O'Connor and Andalusia by entering a trivia contest we are having. You could win a copy of Hugh Howard's attractive book, Writers of the American South. This lavishly illustrated, hardcover book features the homes of many writers from our region. To enter the contest, correctly answer the five questions below and send your answers to us no later than Dec. 1, 2010 to either of the following addresses:
wiseblood@andalusiafarm.org
P.O. Box 947 Milledgeville, GA 31059

We will have a drawing in December to select from the participants who answered all five questions correctly and will announce the winner of the prize shortly thereafter. Good luck!

1. Flannery O'Connor gave her mother a burro for Mother's Day one year. What were the names of the three burros that lived at Andalusia during Flannery O'Connor's time here?

2. Who was the twentieth-century sports legend that Flannery O'Connor admired so much?

3. What did Flannery O'Connor mix with her coffee?

4. What year did Flannery O'Connor acquire her first peafowl?

5. Before retiring every night, Flannery O'Connor read excerpts from what famous theological treatise?
- Mark