
Three views of mailing a letter (one for business, one for pleasure) and the broken vending machine on the walk to the box.


Three views of mailing a letter (one for business, one for pleasure) and the broken vending machine on the walk to the box.
A conversation about DIY constructing scrapjournals with board game backs, calendar paper fronts, mixed blocks inside, with a side sewing technique. Including: what materials to gather and adding a few treats to start so you “don’t get precious”.
Plus using a Tin Tin calendar as a substrate for a travel scrapbook with a ephemera (coaster, tickets stubs, boarding passes, maps, etc) from Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Greece, Rome , Istanbul (with space for Suez).
Plus a few comments about the Vatican’s reconciliation *campaign* with Indigenous people of current-day Canada. Lighting incense and sage in hopes of sincerity and action.
All from the “Giggling Piglet studio” in a historic storehouse barn in provincial Japan with *Special hellos* to Kim in Austin, Jason in Gifu, Dan in Mass, Vincent in Victoria, Aki in the islands, the students of a school near Yokota, and others along the way.
More Importantcy:
* Indian Residential School Survivor’s Society (donate)
* DownieWenjack foundation (donate)
* First Nations reconciliation & shame of residential school (poem)
Just adding beat related ephemera to binders, poems to scrapbooks, cards and letters too, sometimes to one scrapbook, sometimes to another, depending on the form and function, music plays in the background – a compilation for Jack Kerouac – all in a historic kura storehouse barn in provincial Japan.
No commentary, no chit chat, just ya know,… hanging out playing with scissors, glue, tape and whatnot.
Thanks Matt T. and Dan B.
Mailed aerogrammes (& postcards with payphones & postboxes) / nothing surprising.
Also a few envelopes with various cards and treats for a postcard exhibitors in NC, a Brautigan postcard artist in AZ, a young generational poet in UT, a renegade pal in ATX, and a quality slinger in KY… also Gifu and OR.
Typed em up on Olivetti Lettera 34 (Japan specific model with ¥ key) between my dodgy technique and a bit of a hiccup in the typer, come out a bit rough but few funner activities than rocking the keys while rocking records and knowing in a few days/weeks/months, will arrive into someones’ door.
Amongst a few quirks / things I can’t quite figure out are: I run through a whole ribbon going down one page and have to re-spin the spool. Must be something I’m missing to “slow that down”. (You’ll notice the inky fingerprints on the case from doing this over and over again)
Previously: Scored a 10 pack of Japanese aerogrammes / The post office was quite surprised at my request, took some digging around, they opened up the packet of 10 and counted out to me, just to prove were really 10 inside. Felt almost clandestine.
PS Japanese is: 航空書簡 Kōkūshokan evoke a nostalgic feeling as these aerogrammes were my “go-to” communique for years, the design hasn’t changed in 20+ years! Unsurprisingly i suppose, i have a collection of aerogrammes from various countries i often remix into poetic substrates (see “Items: Forgotten” series).
Ambient hang out and putting artifacts and items from the Kerouac “On the Road” exhibit in 2021 at Kobe, Japan – along with a dossier of items from Lowell, Massachusetts – into a plain white binder with sheet covers, while listening to a collection of hep songs assembled for Jack Kerouac’s hundredth birthday by Bear Family records while in “Giggling Piglet Studios” in a historic kura storehouse barn in provincial Japan. No commentary, chitchat – just hanging out.
Thanks Matt T and Dan B.
{As I’ve mentioned} always so grateful for analog correspondence as it really sparks happiness in my little universe.
With this in mind, here are 2 items from women effectuating critical positive change in different parts of the world.
Pardon the brevity but want to make sure to send out into the world to keep the good vibes and dancing down the street going.
Three items arrived by post:
a card and dossier of treats from a rambler in Salish Sea (w/ lovely inky pen writing; Richard Brautigan collage poem from a mysterious source as a tribute for the poets birthday; &, Jack Kerouac 100th birthday tribute double CD from Bear Family Records in Germany.
Feb 10 Great magazine arrived, National Geographic, June 1984 with cover story about trains in India + history of Japan with special map insert >> looking forward to digging in / thanks @hokkaidomarkett (and wonderfully packaged as well).
Also arrived is a lovely postcard from a kindly correspondent showing my old work/hang neighbourhood of Gastown, Vancouver – including the “Hotel Europe” building which i could look into the apartments from my office at Rain City Studios at 1 Alexander and Nelson the Seagull coffee shop (which featured in a Hoot video) – bit of nostalgia from a place i don’t feel much nostalgia about.
Feb 9 I’ve got a (foreign dude) guest coming over, second time in 2 1/2 years… Really he’s coming to borrow some of wife’s tree cutting equipment but I’m going to ask/make him sit down and have a coffee and a conversation. Yes, this means I’ve changed out of pajamas.
Feb 8 Scribbled a freeverse poem for a friend experiencing sad loss in my little bedside notebook “Longer Than we Think“. Here’s the notebook (not the poem)
Feb 7 Took down festive cards from string of honour yesterday and started putting affectionately in an accordion scrapbook.
The arrival of a bushel of new “not particularly festive“ correspondence prompted the freshening up including: a wedding announcement from Idaho: hummingbirds from Vancouver: ephemera from California: gracious wisdom from Austin: and a new friend from Kolkata.
Still having a hard time rallying up to do anything, yesterday putzed around outside a little bit to spark some energy but wiped me out.
So many tasks on my list, some of them quite pleasant and can be done indoors however in bedlock brainfog crash mode #mecfs
(oh here’s + yesterday lunch)
Feb 6 (Still) making a sign post for the yard here at “Tsuchida Station” in Okayama / Sparks memories for me plus will be fun geography lesson for the local kids maybe. Added some clear coat (with bits of paper and cardboard stuck to it). Of course each sign location has a whole story behind it (and distance is to a very specific point).
While the sign post isn’t finished yet but starting part two for signs to: Moab in memory of a great land surveyor: Dubai to honour of special child/parents; & to Providence for memory of an icy and arty winter.
Plus a bit more soy paraffin on my fire starters… This time with dryer lint mixed with the sawdust/wood chips. Do not confuse paraffin with espresso.
K bye, All for now, so much to do (i also worked on Ichiro’s scrapbooks) and usual dishes and laundry. Just trying to “get out of the shed”.
Sharp peekers maybe caught the preview in “Post’d: New Years “nengajyo” in process” and now fresh from various post office trips with stamping goodtimes comes our best wishes to you for a pleasing 2022 in the form of a card from Tsuchida Cottage featuring us in ‘The Linda Lindas” shirts and swag. Note the details.
130 out to foreign address and around the same in process to domestic Japan (with different back and includes Japan Post special “raffle” cards) as of this writing Dec. 27 (hurry hurry printers!)
I hope one of them is for you. I’m doing my best.
Fondly from Dave, Ryoko and Ichiro
PS On the back is a poem by me (naturally) with a few sentiments about adapting to situations and using the unexpected to reinvent as well as expressing empathy.
All the Time Reinvent Re-create Replenish, even Rejuvenate or Rejoice Adapters plant seeds and watch the trees tell time, over decades There’s no hurry We’re here forever Go slow We’ve got all the time for you Records, flowers and paints Fresh coffee with a view If you’ve had a hard year We’re here with our ears Pack your steamer trunk and be ready for queen tides, we’ll spark the woodstove Ramble forth, possibly fret, maybe cry but know – even without *believing* – light is here as needed Always fondly. By Dave Olson, Tsuchida, Okayama