
When I returned from my time at home for Thanksgiving, there was a package waiting … a package with a GNEW GNOME! Laura from Stillwater sent this little guy to live with me with my other gnome friends. This friendly gnome also came with a book – The Garden Gnome Book: An Illustrated History – which told me I should give him a good German or Scandinavian name. I will call him Borg.

The really cool thing about Borg is that he likes to travel. He came with his own patch of grass and interchangeable backgrounds for his adventures far and wide. Borg enjoys time in France, as well as the country cottage outside of the city.
From the book, an introduction to gnomes: “In European folklore, gnomes are believed to be household guardians or home spirits for both good and ill. They are friendly toward humans but also possess a sly charm and whimsy and are fond of practical jokes. Tradition holds that gnomes protect our precious belongings but are also notorious pranksters. If mistreated, they are reputed to torment humans with minor, but irritating, mischief like their distant cousins, the gremlins.”
So far, Borg has caused no mischief but I also treat him well, changing his background and arranging the flowers on his grass in different arrangements. I hope he remains docile and a good companion. Hopefully he doesn’t invade my dresser drawers and invite chaos into the black and navy pairs of socks.
One of the best things about Borg – he’s purse size. I expect we will have many adventures together, beginning with a trip to the Cities next weekend, where we will wine and dine at The Happy Gnome, a fancy-smansy restaurant only my friend James would find. I think Borg will like it there. He might have a beer.
i would have went w/ sven