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25 words
This is the 25th year of 25 words. Reading back through them, they tell a tale. Here is this year’s 25 word summary: Stretched myself this year, though not with yoga. Hernia turned me toward playful joy with color and art events. Unexpected notoriety via the Ending Note. 2024: Living my best life teaching crafts
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Starting in December
I don’t know why, but I often get a head-start on “new year, new me” by starting things in December. Maybe it’s a result of summing up the year and seeing the gaps in accomplishments or dreams. Or perhaps the lull between Christmas and the new year presents extra time to fill. I’m not sure.
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Mountain to sea
The weather today was beautiful so Tod & I decided to go for a little hike. He always has his eye on local mountains to walk up and today it was Ondara-yama in Minamiboso. What an absolute delight. It’s a ten minute walk on a moderately steep, well maintained trail from the parking lot to
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2025 in Pictures
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, here’s my 2025 as a novel-length work. January February March April May June July August September October November December It was a big year. There were many unphotographed moments and events, perhaps enough for a second novel.
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Weaving in public
This year’s theme word was “weave” and I made good use of it. Metaphorically I wove myself more tightly into my community (unfortunately, I feel like a loose end much of the time). And though it took me most of the year to get around to actual weaving on a loom, I did it. When
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Present 2026
This coming year will be my kanreki, marking the full 60 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. It’s considered a point of rebirth and renewal as the cycle begins again, a second childhood. I want to weave this kanreki milestone into the rest of the magic in my life, including my annual theme word. Nothing
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Fourteen Yeses and a No
This is one of my favorite artworks from this year. In fact, I finished it today. It’s been sitting on my desk waiting for the moment when I felt brave enough to tackle the gold leaf. In the autumn, I audited an online class about divination, Prediction X: Omens, Oracles & Prophecies. It was fascinating
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Transformations in 2025
The Year of the Snake signifies shedding skins and transformations. I have done a lot of that this year, on purpose and unintentionally. Self-perceptions I AM AN ARTIST. This year I decided to lean into “being a Artist” and it worked. I created drawings, collages, paintings, and art materials from botanical sources – and sold
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My Will Be Done
This year I learned a lot about Japan’s death procedures when I wrote The International Resident’s Ending Note and its Family Guide. One thing that really stuck with me is that I am not aligned with the law when it comes to inheritance. Inheritance laws in Japan mandate the division of property: 50% to a
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Depicting Women’s Empowerment
I was deep in a design job over the weekend making an infographic for a corporate client. One section depicts corporate community activities. Along with nature preservation, youth programs, and disaster recovery, I needed to find an icon for “women’s empowerment.” It was more challenging than I expected. What kind of empowerment? Economic? Education? Work-life
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