Arctic Andalusia

Despite a snow and ice storm that paralyzed much of the South early in the week, our intrepid director, Craig, braved the elements on Monday and opened the farm. With the exception of a lone pickup truck that drove through the property and left without stopping, we had no visitors on that day. I was not able to get to Milledgeville on Monday due to ice covering every paved surface between here and my home in Macon. On the heels of this storm we are now being blasted by unusually frigid temperatures. Yesterday morning it was as cold in middle Georgia as it was in Cincinnati. The peacocks seem to be more sluggish than usual as it seems to me they are trying to conserve as much body heat as possible. I'm doing the same and, for the second time this winter, am wearing long johns to work. The propane heaters in the house are running on high and are just barely able to keep up. If it gets as cold as it's supposed to tonight, I wouldn't be surprised to see a layer of ice covering the pond when I get here tomorrow morning.
- Mark

Collegiate Cartoons

To begin the new year have we got a real treat for you! Just two days ago, Georgia College released a book of cartoons by Flannery O'Connor when she was a student at the school in the 1940s. The aptly titled paperback, The Cartoons of Flannery O'Connor at Georgia College, is available in our gift shop for $16.99. Beginning in high school when she created a number of linoleum-cut prints for The Peabody Palladium, O'Connor was recognized as a talented cartoonist long before she was known as a writer. She went on from there to Georgia State College for Women where she provided illustrations for all the school's student publications - The Corinthian, The Spectrum, and The Collonade. Her highly original and humorous cartoons suggest that if O'Connor had decided to pursue a career as a cartoonist she might have become as famous as Hank Ketchum or Charles Schulz. Indeed, I believe that when she enrolled in the graduate school of journalism at the University of Iowa, she was hoping to one day draw a comic strip for a newspaper or magazine. American literature is certainly richer for her not taking this path, but one wonders what might have happened had she focused on developing her talent as a visual artist. In any case, we can be grateful to Georgia College for publishing this important volume.

- Mark

Shades of Andalusia

With so much new merchandise arriving in our gift shop the last few weeks, I forgot to mention one new item for our younger visitors. Shades of Andalusia is a coloring and activity book for children that was designed by students in the early childhood education program at Georgia College. It is full of puzzles, games, and pictures to draw and makes an ideal souvenir for children visiting the farm. Speaking of visiting the farm, we have been pleasantly surprised by the number of folks who have been out here in this week between Christmas and New Year's. No sooner had I opened up the house this morning then visitors started arriving. Perhaps it's because the weather has warmed up a bit. Today we're supposed to hit 70! Whatever the reason, we are grateful to all of you who have visited the farm in 2010. This past year we had more visitors than in any year since Andalusia has been open to the public. We especially thank our Friends, those of you who have made financial contributions in the last year to support the work of the Foundation. Your generosity makes everything we do possible. As we ring in 2011 tonight, may you all have a safe and happy new year.
- Mark

Flannery's Favorite for Christmas

Readers of Flannery O'Connor's biography know that the writer often took her main meal of the day at the Sanford House restaurant in downtown Milledgeville. Her favorite dinner was their fried shrimp with peppermint chiffon pie for dessert. As our Christmas gift to you, the loyal readers of this blog, here is the recipe for the Sanford House's famous pie:

PEPPERMINT CHIFFON PIE

3/4 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup water

3 eggs, separated

1/8 teaspoon salt

whipped cream

6 "Starlight Kisses" (peppermint candies made by Southern Home (or 1 oz. of any peppermint candies with corn syrup, sugar, and natural oil of peppermint)

1 tablespoon plain gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

Keebler's Chocolate Ready Crust

chocolate syrup

Soak gelatin in cold water. Combine milk and water and scald in double boiler. Dissolve candy in warm, diluted milk. Beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and add to scalded milk. Cook until mixture starts to coat spoon. Remove from heat and add gelatin. Set aside to cool. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry while slowly adding 1/2 cup sugar. Carefully incorporate egg whites into the custard. Pour into chocolate shell and refrigerate. Spread whipped cream over top just before serving and dribble chocolate syrup over the cream.

The editor of the Sanford House Cookbook, Mary Jo Thompson, adds that "this is a most unusual dessert. Very light and a flavor you won't forget." Unforgettable. Just like the author who enjoyed this dessert so much.

From all of us here at Andalusia....have a very merry Christmas.

- Mark

Recorded Books are Here!

For the first time ever we are pleased to offer for sale in our gift shop both of Flannery O'Connor's collections of short stories and both of her novels on CD. These recently released recordings from Blackstone Audio are superb. I just finished listening to The Violent Bear it Away and thought the reader did an outstanding job. If you are still looking for a present to give that O'Connor fan on your gift list, may I suggest one of these fabulous audio books.
- Mark

Warming up for Christmas

What a difference 48 hours makes! On Tuesday I nearly froze to death out here. We had all the heat registers running on high and I was wearing long johns - tops and bottoms - underneath several layers of clothing. In spite of the frigid temperatures, a half dozen intrepid souls visited us on what turned out to be the coldest day on record for December 14th in middle Georgia. Today temperatures have climbed into a more normal range for this time of year. It's hard to believe Christmas is just nine days away. If you're venturing out to this neck of the woods, please remember that Andalusia will be closed on December 25 and will re-open on Monday, December 27th. We will also be closed New Year's Day.

It should come as no surprise that a large number of our visitors are Roman Catholic. With that in mind, we decided to order some rosaries for the gift shop. These attractive, wooden prayer beads arrived on Tuesday and are now available for purchase at just $4.95. What better memento could there be of a visit to the home of a writer who herself used this form of prayer?
- Mark

"Like Patrons at a Diner"

This morning when I went out to feed the peafowl I saw that their water container was frozen over. Not too surprising given the fact that last night temperatures dipped into the mid-twenties. I filled another container and, after a while, noticed that the birds were lined up at it waiting to get a drink. Their behavior made me recall a funny story from one of O'Connor's letters where she describes what happened when her mother bought a creeper-feeder for the calves. Apparently, the calves wouldn't have anything to do with it. Not so the peachickens. One day when Regina O'Connor went out to look at the feeder she saw Flannery's birds "lined up at it like patrons at a diner." (The Habit of Being p. 528) Understandably, Mrs. O'Connor was irritated when she discovered that the peafowl consumed $17.50 worth of calf feed. When it was furthermore observed that Flannery's geese had "been at it too," the author was obliged to reimburse her mother for the loss. Our peafowl have been eating heartily, too. It seems the colder it gets the more they fortify themselves with the special game bird mix they are fed daily. Their plumage is also getting thicker to protect them from this unseasonable arctic blast we're having. As I write, however, the birds are indolently soaking up the afternoon sun atop their perches getting ready for another cold one tonight.
- Mark

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Ah...the sights and sounds and smells of the holiday season. There's a nip in the air this morning, but the sun is shining brightly as we ready ourselves for Christmas. We have it on good authority that the O'Connors took a minimalistic approach to decorating their home for the holidays. Therefore, out of respect for the family, we do not usually put up a Christmas tree, hang lights on the house, or put inflatable snowmen in the front yard. Nevertheless, we do like to get into the yuletide spirit, and so we have put a wreath on the front door and have a crock pot of mulled cider brewing in the kitchen so that when visitors come in the front door they are greeted with the intoxicating aroma of apples and cinnamon. We have also re-stocked the gift shop with some of our most popular titles for your holiday shopping. One of these books, Writers of the American South: Their Literary Landscapes, will be awarded to the winner of our O'Connor trivia contest to be announced in January.

- Mark

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

In Celebration of Genius

Just arrived in our gift shop...Flannery O'Connor: In Celebration of Genius. Published in 2000, this aptly titled work edited by Sarah Gordon contains commemorative essays, fiction, and poetry by some of today's most important writers paying tribute to the genius of Flannery O'Connor. There are contributions from those who counted her as a friend (e.g. Miller Williams and Robert Coles) and others who never met her but were inspired by the timelessness of her fiction. This hard-to-find volume sells for $21.95. Supplies are limited. If you can't come out to Andalusia, you can use your credit card (478-454-4029) and we will happily mail you a copy.

- Mark

Deep Roots

Tomorrow Milledgeville hosts the seventh annual Deep Roots Festival. This popular street fair celebrates the heritage of middle Georgia with down-home music, barbecue, and arts and crafts. If you're planning on coming - and I would heartily encourage you to do so as the weather is going to be absolutely gorgeous - why not make a day of it and visit Andalusia, too. There are very few places in town with roots that go as deep as the O'Connor's family farm. Prior to the Civil War -long before the O'Connors acquired it - Andalusia was a 1,700 acre plantation, one of the largest in Baldwin County. Moreover, there are very few families in Milledgeville whose roots go as deep as the O'Connors. Flannery's great grandfather, Hugh Donnelly Treanor, emigrated from Ireland in 1824 and went into business as a grist mill operator. He is credited with being one of the founding members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and the first mass ever celebrated in Milledgeville occurred in his hotel room (see Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor by Brad Gooch - p. 21). Milledgeville can be rightly proud of its heritage, one that was in no small measure enriched by the contributions of the O'Connor family, especially a certain author who went on to become one of the greatest short story writers this country has ever produced.
- Mark

Andalusia Unchained

Things have been hopping here at Andalusia this past week. With visits from college groups, church groups, foreign tourists, and, today, a group of 150 first-graders, we've been kept pretty busy. The weather couldn't be nicer as the days have been bright, clear, and pleasantly warm. It appears we have finally turned the corner from summer to fall. The leaves are changing and I'm seeing more deer and wild turkeys on the property, especially when I drive in first thing in the morning. This afternoon we are expecting a visit from Francis Allen, executive director and president of The Unchained Tour, to discuss the possibilities of doing some filming at Andalusia to promote his group. What is The Unchained Tour? It is an organization that travels by bus around the state of Georgia with performing artists and storytellers to support local, independent bookstores. For more information, visit their website at http://www.theunchainedtour.org/ Finally, don't forget that critically-acclaimed author Mary Helen Stefaniak will be at Andalusia on Monday evening to read from her new book, The Cailiffs of Baghdad, Georgia. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase in our gift shop.
- Mark

"The Original Tin Ear"

One of the rare privileges for me working at Andalusia is meeting some of the people who knew Flannery O'Connor personally. These occasions are as infrequent as they are memorable. Such a meeting occurred this past Monday when one of Flannery's former piano teachers visited the farm. This enthusiastic nun was such a delight. She shared many interesting stories and anecdotes about her famed pupil who went on to achieve much greater success on typewriter keys than piano keys. Flannery, who once referred to herself as "the original tin ear," took music lessons at the parochial school of Sacred Heart Catholic Church (operated briefly by the Sisters of St. Joseph in the early 1950s). According to the good sister, Flannery was a diligent student who practiced hard to get all the notes right, though this sometimes resulted in wooden, mechanical playing. While Flannery may not have been the most proficient pianist going down the street (she once quipped, "St. Cecilia wouldn't know what to do with me."), the fond memories her former teacher has of Flannery are indelibly etched on her mind. By the way, if you are interested in seeing the piano that Flannery practiced on, come out to Andalusia and see it on display in our gift shop.
- Mark
P.S. All quotes are taken from A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia - p. 52

Big Doings in October

As preparations are well underway at the farm for our bluegrass concert tomorrow night, we are enjoying a bright, beautiful fall morning. Tomorrow promises more of the same so we hope all of you will think about coming out to Andalusia for a night of music, food, and fun. October is a big month here, what with the bluegrass concert tomorrow, Mary Helen Sefaniak's reading and book signing on Oct. 18th, and several school and college groups scheduled to visit in the next few weeks. But this is also a significant month at Flannery O'Connor's Childhood Home in Savannah. On Oct. 13th, the twenty finalists for the 2010 National Book Award in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and young people's literature will be announced there by noted author Pat Conroy. The O'Connor home was selected from more than 75 possible venues for this event. Given the fact that Flannery won the National Book Award (posthumously) for fiction in 1972 for her Complete Stories and that last fall the same book was voted the Best of the National Book Awards recipients for fiction of the past sixty years, we believe she is worthy of this additional honor.
- Mark

Bluegrass on the Way!

It's hard to believe that our annual bluegrass concert is coming up in eight short days. This year, the music will be provided by Heart Pine (gotta love that name for a combo from middle Georgia). This fundraiser, which has been held at Andalusia every year since 2004, draws a pretty big audience. Nevertheless, one has to wonder if Flannery O'Connor would have endorsed such an event going on right outside her front door. While the music being performed may not have been exactly to her taste (O'Connor preferred Scarlatti, Haydn, Chopin et. al.), I think it would have delighted her since bluegrass springs from the same soil as so many of the characters in her novels and stories. It is as real, raw, and gritty as a Hazel Motes sermon. And who knows...maybe Flannery might have even pulled up a lawn chair and started tapping her toes to the catchy rhythms of the double bass. The concert runs from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 2nd. Please check out our website for more details.
- Mark

While I was away...

The days continue to be dusty and dry here at Andalusia. Though temperatures remain high for this time of year, the lower humidity makes it considerably more comfortable. Officially, summer lasts a few more days. However, fall is most definitely on the way. A sure sign of this is the number of pecans that have fallen in the backyard. Another sign of fall is the plans that are underway for our Bluegrass concert coming up October 2. While I was away on a short staycation this week, a permanent light standard was erected behind the nail house to illuminate our parking area for this concert and any other nighttime events we might host in the future. During my absence a class of Georgia College students was out at the farm almost every day filming a documentary about Flannery O'Connor and Andalusia. Also, a group of biology students from the college continues to study the pond and its ecosystem. Don't be surprised if you visit us and happen to see students wading in the water taking samples and recording their observations. With an above-average daily attendance of over 30 visitors, I think you can see that it's been pretty busy out here at the O'Connor farm this week. We're never too busy, though, to welcome new friends. If you've never been to Andalusia, we invite you to come and visit us during these balmy days of early fall.
- Mark

Peacock Plaque

At the Decatur Book Festival last weekend, Cindy Horton, Curator of History and Education at Stone Mountain Park, gave Craig a very interesting artifact. Some of you may know that after Flannery O'Connor died her mother gave away a good number of her peacocks to various institutions such as Our Lady of Perpetual Help Free Cancer Home in Atlanta and the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers (Georgia). Some of the birds in O'Connor's flock were also donated to Stone Mountain Park. To commemorate Regina O'Connor's generous donation, the park had a plaque made that reads:

Flannery O'Connor's Peacocks
These peacocks, from the flock of the late distinguished Georgia writer, were presented to Stone Mountain Park by her mother, Mrs. Edward F. O'Connor, January 8, 1972

It is this very plaque that Ms. Horton gave Craig and which we are pleased to add to the collection at Andalusia. Thank you, Cindy, and thank you Stone Mountain Park for this unique gift!
- Mark