At the Haymarket Cafe in Northampton

Well, this weekend Auntie, Jan & I are in the Pioneer Valley, while a colleague takes the pulpit at home.

We’re staying in an ultra budget motel so there is no web access. But, after a hard morning of haunting Halfmoon Books (a small but very well stocked used shop, my favorite in Northampton) and Raven Used Books (even smaller, but no slouch, either, particularly as they seem to have access to Buddhist subject remainders), auntie & I have settled into the Haymarket Cafe, she to sip a hot chocolate and me a latte, to enjoy the youth crowd passing by and for me to quickly check in on emails, etc., while Jan makes a side trip to Web’s (better known as America’s yarn store).

Jan and I have long since felt the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley and particularly Northampton all taken together is about the most delightful small town/rural area accessible from Boston. We know most natives think this is a description of the Cape. And, don’t get me wrong, we really like the Cape. Others seem to think this is a description of Southern Maine, and don’t get me wrong I really like southern Maine.

But sitting here in the shadow of Smith and those other delightful snobbish little schools in the area (and one big one, of course), the place has natural beauty, funkiness and all that is good (and I’m sure ill) of areas where the dominant economy is the Academy; and it is a joy to be here. This comes close to being paradise, at least my idea of paradise

Nearly everyone has a book or two or ten – and only a passing number appear to be text books. Clothing is eclectic (and of course all young people are by definition beautiful). And even we oldsters look pretty cool. (This is because I’m not looking in a mirror. As most friends are all too willing to offer, I’ve never been cool….)

Some jazz is playing above the din, auntie is gloating over her two new Horatio Alger acquistions. (I’ve always enjoyed if not understood that she accumulates and actually reads the novels of this one time Unitarian minister of shady repute – who specialized in novels about, ahem, young men helped on their way by older gentlemen…)

And this tiny town has two or three Zen centers, as many as one can find in Boston itself!

Ah, Jan has returned!

Now for a leisurely stroll down Main street…