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Ramie Red
This week has been a unexpected color adventure from one weedy plant – ramie. Ramie is a fiber plant called karamushi in Japanese and also called “false nettle” in English. (It’s in a completely different botanical family than the stinging nettles that produce linen.) Ramie’s been grown for 6000 years in Asia. It makes smooth…
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Camera Roll
Summer has flown by in a haze of herniated disc pain and heat exhaustion, both of which are finally subsiding. Despite being housebound for most of two months, I captured some of the beauty in my world. Let me share it with you via all the Instagram Stories I’ve posted.
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Two new books
I have a thorough introductory post over on the Ending Note website, and I also wanted to note today’s triumph here, too. Last December I wrote about “ending notes” – how I wanted to completed one but the Japanese versions weren’t adequate. Then I spent 9 months (on and off) creating one that is adequate:…
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Charcoal for Art
Some years ago, I learned how to make charcoal for biochar by building up a fire, then adding bamboo and covering it to expose the bamboo to heat without giving it air. In an hour there was charcoal. Looking for ways to share botanical resources as art supplies, I decided to try charcoal-making at home.…
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“Have a Good Rest of Your Day”
This phrase has been niggling at me a little. Why not use the old standby of “Have a good day! 😀”? Trite and polite. What’s up with “rest of your”? Why? This seems tortuous. Over-thought. There is nothing wrong with the simpler version. (Allow me to rattle my cane as I say that.) But maybe…
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About the barn
While we were building the house, we’d set aside extra materials, our purchasing mistakes, and crazy ideas “for the barn.” It became a running joke. For example, the bathroom window I ordered that was too small? No problem, we’ll use it in the barn. A light fixture that didn’t suit the kitchen – save it…
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Surprises in the Overgrowth
This Mountain Day morning, I decided to take my coffee outside and walk around 555. We’ve had a couple days of windy rain and I wanted to pick up any fallen branches in the driveway. A small daily joy is to wander around in my nightgown and garden boots. I am definitely a member of…
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Kozuka Art Festival 2025
I feared my offering would be a failure. I had concerns about getting to the venue safely. I was worried that my poor Japanese would be a burden for everyone. I was intimidated by comparing myself to the other artists. I was sure that I’d be a punk misfit in a mix of hippies. Only…
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Summer Attractions
Summer in Japan is full of festivals and events. I feel like a sweaty social butterfly. Kamogawa Citizen’s Fireworks Although we’ve lived in Kamogawa for a decade, this is the first time we’ve taken in the beach fireworks. They were quite spectacular – lots of multicolored rainbow explosions reflecting on the water and waves. We…
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Cat Report
One of the hallmarks of my morning yoga class was the “cat report.” It started as a way for me to keep everyone distracted during a particular movement, and became a regular thing. I miss giving a cat report and yesterday’s activities merit some reporting. So here we are a cat report for you. Beryl…
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