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Category Archives: This & That
Painting 101: 5 Things to Consider
Over the past 10 days I made use of the self-isolation period to get rid of the murky gray/brown paint on my kitchen walls and trim. I would have preferred to change the countertop for something less ho-hum and not … Continue reading
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Musings on Mother’s Day
Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face. ~ George Elliot
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Happy 2020 Birthday to Me!
I decided to make it a great one and go all out for my birthday this year. Why not? Most happiness is created–whatever else may be going on. It doesn’t often land on you unexpectedly (though it’s more than wonderful … Continue reading
5.3 Arrangements on a Table
The object of this lesson is to create arrangements suitable for those occasions when people gather around a table, often a dinner table but not always. Normally the arrangement is placed in the center and should suit the size of … Continue reading
Loss & Change
Part way through my quarantine my friend A and I chat via Skype. I tell her I know that returning a month ahead of schedule without achieving any of the goals I’d set for my Tokyo sojourn was necessary and … Continue reading
Federal Quarantine Order: Week Two
This afternoon, about an hour after I finished the old-fashioned, Mennonite-style spring cleaning I gave my home during week two of my quarantine period; I received an email from the Government of Canada informing me that it was over. As … Continue reading
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Federal Quarantine Order: Week One
A week ago I arrived at my “place of quarantine” in the early evening (about the same time I left Tokyo on the same day). Immediately I place my luggage on the enclosed balcony outside my condominium. There the bags … Continue reading
A Small Test of the Buddha Mind
Nothing, absolutely nothing went as meticulously planned. Almost every aspect of my Tokyo experience was a disappointment or challenge of an order that tested every ounce of grace I could muster while trying to maintain a Buddha mind. Even so … Continue reading
Departure Bound
After their brief moment of glory, once the leaves burst green among the pale sakura blossoms, the combined colours often appear dusty and unremarkable against late winter’s brown hillsides. The magical phenomenon so long awaited is all but past. The … Continue reading
Happiness and a Sign
Some years ago I worked through the “Proust Questionnaire.” I keep the questionnaire on my desktop and revisit it sometimes to see what might have changed. I did so tonight because the computer threw the draft of this post on … Continue reading
Posted in Japan, Travel & Culture, This & That
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