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Accountability April Ends
It was a mixed bag this month, with some goals me, others ignored and some good observations. I was aware of them and that was good. Here are my charts, which I posted on the fridge, filled in daily and backfilled after I returned from my travels in the US: I’m thinking about my goals…
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One Day, Two Renovations
The kitchen floor: after, in progress, and before Sometimes it pays to pay for help. I had my friend, Masa, come over in his role as handyman to help me out with fixing the kitchen floor today. We did the work in record time and I feel good for ticking this off my list of…
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Practice makes perfect, if you do it…
Today, thanks to a friend’s share on Facebook, I read a great article on practice and how simply practicing isn’t enough to achieve mastery. I recommend that you read it here: Not All Practice Makes Perfect by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool. I found the article to be simultaneously encouraging and discouraging. Their main take…
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Cat from nowhere
A few weeks ago, we were hearing a mouse or rat up in the rafters, scurrying and clambering around with great verve around sunset and at dawn. It ate the tops off come cookies I’d baked and left on the counter. Friends suggested that a cat would keep away the rodents. But we’re not ready…
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Accountability April
Tod left for adventures in India yesterday. He will return in June. After I returned from farewelling him towards the airport, I cried hot tears of abandonment and self-pity then fell into a funk. It would be so easy to stay there, depressed and lonely, bingeing on social media and movies, and eating nothing but…
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A new age demographic
I feel I ought to have something impressive or profound to say about becoming 50. However, no wisdom has settled down like a crown upon my head. I have not grown eyes at the back of my head or turned into Janus overnight. I like fifty so far. It’s a half century! I’ve looked forward to…
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Equinox Creativity
Our annual Spring Equinox barbecue was a great success among new neighbors and old friends. We were fifteen people with food for 30. There was an abundance of cheese from around the world, plenty of bread including some delicious loaves locally baked, mushrooms (we ordered 2 kg online!), herbed mayonnaise, dips, vegetable sticks, and lots…
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Drawing Meditations
A few months back, Tracey and I teamed up to make a new creative project. We launched something I think is unique to the world – or at least very uncommon so far – coloring pages with guided audio meditations. We call them Drawing Meditations. The idea takes two forms of meditative relaxation and combines…
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Busy in the Countryside
When we moved from Tokyo to rural Chiba, I had no idea that I’d be so busy all the time. Isn’t country life a laid-back relax-a-thon? Not at all. First of all, Nature calls. She changes the weather and I adjust various household items – turning off water on sub-freezing nights, opening windows to release…
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16 reasons it is good to be home
Enjoying meals lovingly prepared by dear friends Realising it was 7 conveyances to get home (taxi-plane-bus-taxi-train-bus-car) Feeling happy that our friends are so kind and helpful Relishing the Oyama hillscapes Doing laundry on my own schedule Being surprised by the 5 o’clock bells Nomming anago sushi bento for lunch Sunning the futon on a beautiful…
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