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555: 10 things I would change
The number one most often asked question about the house so far has been “What would you change?” It’s a shitty question. Thanks for making me think about the negatives and things I probably can’t change. But since you asked, here are my answers. Each one is a cautionary tale for when you build your […]
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The 555 Underground
This house is new but the grounds have been inhabited for generations. And every time we dig, we reveal some new and confusing aspect of plumbing and drainage from the distant (or recent) past. This week, we’re putting in a French drain (ankyo in Japanese) on the east side of the house, and preparing to […]
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A Tribute to Contractors
555 is as perfect as a house can be. That is because of all contractors whose positive energy and skill permeated the house. I’ve mentioned them in posts through out the project, but I wanted to introduce them to you and thank them for their excellent work. SASAKI Yoshi Sasaki-san is the most incredible carpenter […]
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Fritter, the wanderer
Yesterday morning, Tod & I were sitting together in the living room having coffee. I told him I had accepted that Fritter wasn’t coming back and listed numerous possible endings of our furry friend, from a new household to being stolen by monkeys. Fritter ran off a few days after we moved in and he […]
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Organising the studio
I often wait to write here until I have an outcome, but I think this time the process is interesting enough to put down into words. And as always, writing helps me to clarify my thoughts. What I am thinking is… The new space upstairs is a terrible studio. My yoga area is pretty good. […]
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First Week at 555
I am enjoying living in the house that I’ve already spent so much time in as a construction site. There are memories of the process layered underneath every nook and cranny of the space. And now we are layering it with our history and our future. Friends have brought flowers to brighten the space, too. […]
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Hmm…
This bit of stained glass has a story and it was an important part of the design process at 555. When he retired, my creative father decided to try stained glass. He loved it and before long had his own studio in the basement, with tons of glass sheet in racks he built himself, design […]
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Typhoon Test
Typhoon #13 blew in and Kamogawa experienced record-breaking rainfall – 297 mm in 24 hours. Rivers flooded in town, the main coastal road is closed, power went out briefly in some places, and eight folks had to be rescued. Not quite the disaster level of Typhoon #19 four years ago, but still a big storm. […]
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Cat transitions
For the first 24 hours, the cats hunkered into corners of the 2nd floor or wandered around crying loudly and inconsolably. They sniffed their favorite bedding but disdained it and only settled when I went upstairs to sleep with them. It was a long night. I am happy to report that the guest space is […]
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We went-went-went (a day early)
We’ve been working all week towards a Thursday move. We made lists, checked off various tasks, started moving some of the things we packed over the weekend. Hung clothes in our closets, brought over the medicine box, packed up my art supplies. Steady on. All the while a typhoon has been blowing up towards Japan. […]
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