Farm Anatomy

Grad school is tough. It's a life with lots of work and few pleasures. And despite loving what I do (and more importantly what I will do when I actually get a job), sometimes I like to just day dream about quitting life and moving to a farm where I can just grow vegetables, cut fresh flowers, and finally get a dog.

Julia Rothman's picture book Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life provides the perfect escape to country life without the complications of quitting my job or moving. Rothman beautifully illustrates everything from tomato varieties to the appropriate methods of stacking firewood.

I gobbled this book up as a source of entertainment and retreat from reality, but I know that I will keep it and refer back to it as a resource. The book offers a deceptively large amount of information among its fabulous illustrations, and would help any farmer-wannabe get started with planting a garden, canning foods, or identifying a piglet from a shoat (guess you'll just have to buy the book if you want to find that out!)

Okay, back to gazing at the pretty pictures. I can't say I plan on planting an orchard any time soon, but a girl can dream, can't she?