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Doma floor
Sooner than I thought, we’ll see a big change in the doma. Later this week, the finishing concrete will go in to cover the rough edges of raw concrete from the foundation. On top of that, I will do the tiling. In past conversations, I was told that the floor would be a bit higher…
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Yogic art and movement
Every morning as part of the Satoyama Yoga warm-up sequence, we twist our spine in a movement I call Washing Machine. It’s a direct descendent of a Kundalini kriya. Last weekend, we practiced art meditation and I unexpectedly drew the pose and I like it. I thought I’d share Washing Machine and also how to…
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Ricotta cheesecake cupcakes
I love cheesecake but a whole cheesecake at home for two people is daunting. Smaller servings are easier to share, so cupcake tins are the way to go. This recipe makes 12 single-serving baked cheesecakes that are creamy and delicious with a generous crust. I adapted this recipe to work with the ingredients I had…
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Staircase
Sixteen months ago, I agonised over stairs. I once had a painful tumble down a steep Japanese staircase and I didn’t want that type of traditional stairs in my house. So I learned learned all about rise and run. Did the math. Built models in cardboard. Figured out how staircases fit into the volume of…
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Busy Friday at 555
Two carpenters, two electricians and I spent a productive day on site yesterday. Mr. Sasaki framed out walls and ceilings and hung plasterboard in the hall. Team Araoka pulled the 200 V cables; set the wiring for the vanity lamps, and worked on the track rails. Sasaki-san hand carved channels for the stairs. I mostly…
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Q is for…
Q has long been my favorite letter. When I was learning to write, I loved Q for its circle and line and how you could dress it up by making the line wavy. The cursive uppercase Q with its double looped numeric shape was fun to write, even though it made no sense and seemed…
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OMG, not enough tiles
Today I was feeling healthy, strong, and motivated enough to sort the tile mines so I can start working on a tile pattern for the doma. I found all the tiles that are 13mm thick, moved them into fresh piles, and counted them. Here’s my inventory: This should cover somewhere between 9.8 and 12.8 square…
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Wallpaper & materials
In Japan, paper is the wall covering of choice. Paint is less common because painted walls show minor earthquake damage more easily than wallpaper. Also, because paint is done less frequently, the tape and putty used on drywall isn’t as fine or tapered as it is in the US, for example. So wallpaper is the…
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How to Drive in Inaka
Living in the countryside of Japan, I have re-learned how to drive. Now I can avoid tanuki and tractors and stay out of ditches most of the time, but I can’t drive in the city, where the hazards come one after another and are usually human. Two completely different driving environments! It makes me cranky…
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Wired-in lights
I have been through numerous paper and digital catalogs and this morning I had about a hundred open browser tabs of lighting companies in Japan. It’s been months of comparison and research. I have finally figured out most of the lighting fixtures that I need to purchase for the electrician to install. I want Tod’s…
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