I've often heard the term "granola" used to describe certain women. I once asked what was meant by it and was told "oh, you know she wears long skirts with leggins underneath" A guy I worked with described his wife as a "granola".

I've been reading all the posts about long skirts and wonder if you would all describe yourselves as "granolas" or is there more to it than that?

Pauline

-- Pauline NC (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), November 05, 2000

Answers

actually "earth muffin" is the preferred term. All this talk about food is makin' me hungry!!!!

-- Beth Weber (talmidim88@hotmail.com), November 05, 2000.

As a bit of one myself, I feel qualified to answer "What is a granola?" Any person who clings to '60s style, philosophy, eating habits, music to a degree is a granola. I still bake bread, sprout seeds, make my own yogurt, listen to John Denver, etc. Had to give up the long hair, and I vote Republican, but we all capitulate somewhere. Being a granola is more of a state of mind than anything tangible, I believe. And men can be granolas, too.

-- melina b. (goatgalmjb1@hotmail.com), November 05, 2000.

I wear long skirts butI never heard that.I guess I've been in the woods to long.Husband said I won't die,I'll just turn into mother earth and go to that big greenhouse in the sky(I'm a gardening nut!).I like his version better.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), November 05, 2000.

I recently heard "granola" used to describe environmentalists trying to take away peoples land rights to protect a snail or something. The descriptive was used as "those granola munching, hiking boots wearing.....". You get the picture, the landowner beig interviewed was not real happy.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 05, 2000.

Pauline, around here I've never heard the term used to describe a person in the first person singular, just as a descriptive noun. Annie in SE OH.

-- Annie Miller (annie@1st.net), November 06, 2000.

Here in CO, we frequently refer to those in Boulder as "granolas". I have never really thought of wearing long skirts as a specific requirement - though I suppose some granola types do wear long skirts. Frankly though, on one occasion in Boulder, many granolas were wearing nothing AT ALL and were playing in the rain - or were they bathing???

Andrea :)

-- Andrea Smith (a-smith@mindspring.com), November 06, 2000.

Where I come from (UP of Mich), they refer to people like us as the "crunchy granola" people. The name comes from the fact that we'd rather eat our own homemade "crunchy granola" cereal than the boxed, store-bought, sugar filled variety. But, it also designates us as people who've kind of dropped out of society's mainstream and are living self sufficient lifestyles.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), November 06, 2000.

In Western Montana you hear the term "granola eater" quite often. It is used to describe a person from California.

-- JLS (stalkingbull007@AOL.com), November 06, 2000.

Granola=Tree Hugger. Slightly perjorative to slightly fond concept, unless you are anti-environment, in which case is is said with great contempt. It is then said with the same sort of feeling as "liberal" by conservatives.

Also anyone who lives in Eugene, Oregon. ;)

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), November 06, 2000.

Around here granola is used more to describe a group of people rather than just an individual. It means that the members of the group are a bunch of fruits, nuts, and flakes.

-- Sherri C (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), November 06, 2000.

I wear long skirts for modesty and winter warmth, not because I am an old, leftover hippie -- or one of the newer New Age types that seem to be included in that name! I never heard that term used to describe people before, though! I never heard earth muffin before, either! Guess I lead a sheltered life!! And since I actually wear jeans most of the time, with t-shirts or a sweater, what does that make me?!?

Sheepish, you commented that people who use the term "tree-hugger" with contempt for the extreme environmentalists are anit- environment. I disagree with that. Very few people are anti- environment, after all we all have to live here, and we all need clean air and water, and most people have at least some concern for the beauty of their surroundings. However, the people termed "tree- huggers" have much more concern for the environment (or at least, they say they do) than for private property rights or their fellow man. I think it is natural that the people who live in an area resent outsiders (usually city people who know nothing) coming in and telling them how they can -- or can't -- use their own land. Stopping practices that pollute the neighbors or others downstream is one thing, but they are trying to control everything, frequently using some pretty trivial pretexts. Moderation in all things is a good watchword here, too!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 06, 2000.

I've heard the term "earth muffin," (and had myself called one), but not "granola", as applied to people! Huh, I guess I learn sumpthin' new every day. But I LOVE my skirts and leggings. And I'd bake more bread, if I didn't have to work.....

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), November 06, 2000.

I've never heard either granola or earth muffin until now. Been on the homestead too long I guess! I wear them long for modesty and warmth in the winter as Kathleen does. Wait til I tell dh about this, he'll get a good laugh as I did.

-- Phyllis (almostafarm@yahoo.com), November 06, 2000.

Kathleen, you make a very sensible point. THanks for bringing it up! Of course we are all pro-clean air, etc.

I have been doing a lot of tongue-in-cheek commentary lately and I need keep an "I" on it!

-- sheepish (rborgo@gte.net), November 06, 2000.

I thought You would all come down on me with "What! you don't know what a granola is)???!!

It obviously has many different meanings depending on where you live. Now I don't feel so dumb after all!

Wish I could wear skirts and still feel casual. As long as I'm in my jeans and barn boots I feel like I can do anything. Put a skirt on and my mind goes blank! I'm rendered incompetent and completely incapable of accomplishing anything of any significance!

I need to know that at any moment, should the need arise, I could scale a fence or run for my life with my 5 y/o tucked under my arm. Even when we go to church my jeans are on the back seat "just in case". Hubby just rolls his eyes.

Thanks everyone!

Pauline

-- Pauline (tworoosters_farm@altavista.com), November 06, 2000.

Hi Pauline-- Well, I am from California orginally and I would be considered a "granola cruncher". Environmentalist, and back to the earth type. (Mabye could even consider some homesteaders granola crunchers.)

-- Carleen (netorcs@mo-net.com), November 06, 2000.

sheepish you hit it on the head about Eugene OR! time stopped here long about 1968 or so.....i am 50 miles west of Eugene it's the closest "city" (actually about 10 very divergent small towns all stuck together fighting about everything) and most of the granola girls wear layers of skirts, leggins, flannels, and big funky boots (yes, mee too!) and i can run like a cat afire with kids tucked under th arms in such attire. i don't find jeans comfortable at all i'm fat and squishy and they're not!

-- juno redleaf (gofish@presys.com), November 07, 2000.

Man, I LOVE my big funky hiking boots, but I don't have the nerve to wear them unless it is snowing or something. One of my daughters got embarrased at 'em and bought me a genteel pair, that look like a short, victorian lady's shoe. But NO lug sole! If I have the lug sole, I feel ready for anything. And I can get around pretty fast on the playground with my sneakers, chasing kids or soccer balls! But kids at school think I am weird if I wear the hiking boots. SIGH.....

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), November 07, 2000.

HA! I thought I was the last female on the planet to wear leggins and skirts!!!IT aint a california thing, I'm from canada!!!Yes ,there's nothing like it .I have an instant blanket for a sleepin baby,I can clear out a newborn lambs mouth,and when I come across the field with my skirt swishin real fast like ,my kids know I mean business.!!And down here we call people like me hicks,and we call environmentalists GREENIES.Granolas would be for the yuppy-types who pay 4.50 alb. for some rolled oats mixed with p-nut butter and honey!lovyall!!!

-- teri murphy (mrs_smurf2000@yahoo.ca), November 10, 2000.

Several of us have mentioned that we wear our long skirts and leggings for warmth in the winter, and that reminded me of what my middle daughter used to wear when we were living in Alaska. In the day, she would put on up to five flannel and wool skirts, with long underwear underneath. At night she wore all her nighties. She has always been very sensitive to temperature extremes -- and it was not uncommon for the edge of her blankets to be frozen to the wall -- not too surprising that she bundled up like that. (The cabin was warm, heated with a barrel stove, but the cold would come through the wall and latch onto anything that didn't have air circulating around it.)

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), November 11, 2000.