for i have promises to keep and miles to go before i sleep

as we were finishing chores last night, a young woman calling herself "peace" stopped by to see what the farm was all about. turns out, she had quite a story herself (you can read about it on her shirt in the pictures below, or you can check out her blog). i asked where she was staying, and she said she fasts until someone offers her food and sleeps outside until someone offers her shelter. and as the offers of both food and shelter were flowing out of my mouth, i hearkened back to something the omnipotent julie edwards once told me. she said, "sarah, how can you tell if a hippie has been staying at your house?" and i said, "i don't know. how, julie?" and she said, "they're still there." i thought of the potentially delicious stuffed shells i was planning to make and the brand new futon mattress and wondered if we were getting a roommate for life. but peace had an important and long journey ahead of her, and while she gratefully accepted an evening's room and board (i was told the stuffed shells were reasonably tasty, but my second seriously stuffed nose of the year prevented me from judging them myself), she struck out again early this morning. i hope she has a good safe walk.