-
A Social Weirdo
The other day, I was talking to Tod about how seeing people’s summer festival photos on Facebook makes me sad. There are a lot of interesting little festivals in Japan – creative events combining music, camping, and flow arts. I rarely go to them, even though they seem interesting and many people I know go.…
-
Gyoza Variations
I don’t know why this didn’t occur to us sooner, but gyoza wrappers work well with non-traditional fillings. We’ve been experimenting and two of our favorites are spinach and feta (gyozakopita), and potato with sauerkraut (pieroza). You can use your favorite spanikopita or pierogie recipe, or try ours. Gyozakopita Filling 1 onion 1 clove garlic…
-
Women’s Genesis Art Retreat in Gifu
The Genesis Women’s Art Retreat participants, aged 13 – 80, with art gifts. I spent a pleasant week at a farmhouse in the Japan Alps with Liane Wakabayashi and a group of artistic women that spanned three generations. We gathered to create intuitive art using Liane’s own Genesis cards. One question with three answers: If…
-
Memories of Dad at Anam Cara
This is Dad’s window at Anam Cara, a writer’s retreat in West Cork, Ireland. I waited until our last day there to go into the room to look at it. It casts a beautiful rainbow on the bathroom wall. The design of palm trees and pampas grass echoes the plantings in the front of the…
-
Revisiting Anam Cara
Twelve years ago, Tod & I visited Anam Cara for a poetry workshop given by my sister, Jenny Hill, and Jack McGuigan. (My main memory of that trip is memorialised in this poem.) When I realised that we’d be in the area this year for the European Juggling Convention in Millstreet, of course we had…
-
Building a Geiger Counter
Meet bGeigie #2209. We built her yesterday. Tod soldered 179 points. I did the non-soldering bits. The build took us most of the day, but it wasn’t too hard. I think some of the time was taken up awe, making comments like “Wow, we’re adding the smallest disk drive ever” and “This tiny thing is a…
-
Filming “Stars” on Niijima
Here is the latest video with the Frolicaholics. We filmed it on Niijima during Guru-Guru Camp and it was such fun that I want to share the behind the scenes bits. The Recording We sat in our campsite early in morning – there were no other campers in residence yet – and tried perhaps ten…
-
Me, the Sea, and the Sunrise
One of the quiet delights of camping on Niijima is a morning walk to the beach. This year, I saw several sunrises emerging blood red from the ocean. For some of them I was busy hooping while Rob filmed me for our video project. Sunrise. I am sitting atop a 4 meter high koga stone…
-
Niijima before camp
You know I love Niijima, don’t you? We have been there so many times to enjoy living a slow life in nature. I’ve lost count. 10? 12? There is something magical about the island that brings us back again and again. Guru-guru Camp, our annual 2 week camping/hooping trip, is coming up again during Golden Week…
-
Spring Sketching
I took my watercolors to the park today and although the output isn’t anything special, it was glorious to be out in the fresh air focussing my attention on the environment for a few minutes. I am reminded how much I enjoy this form of meditation. More drawing…
Archives