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Japan Cottage Musings

Nostalgia for a Present Tense – Japan Cottage Musings

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Nostalgia for a Present Tense – Japan Cottage Musings

Amidst construction on Tsuchida Cottage, Dave runs-down recent events, both contemporary (seitai treatment, café poetry, CBD shop, family life) and coincidentally historic (regarding, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Kerouac, Edward Abbey, Neal Cassady, SxSW, Beez, Cmdr Bob) with usual digressions about postcards, pacifism, creations, inspiration, book collecting, San Francisco, and removing the meta rather than enshrining dinosaurs – also namechecks for Joe Strummer, plus riffs about meditation class, Japanese houselife, wonderful in-laws, adorable wife and baby and current catching-up (trying anyhow) on correspondence, with special regards and affection for pals who are in transition and friends who are flying high.

Fondly, dvo

daveostory – Nostalgia for a Present Tense

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Japan Cottage Musings

Kura Cultural Curation – Japan Cottage Musings

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Kura Cultural Curation – Japan Cottage Musings

Riffs about home reform with new rooms, woodstove and tea ceremony area (thoughts of Ichiro and pals coming home from school) heat pump for humidity control for responsibly curating and collecting books for a legacy library.

And a rundown of recent new/used records including acknowledgement of Shred Kelly, Nice Horse, and (Buffalo Tom’s) Bill Janovitiz’s community building in times of tumult + musical memories in tangible form with David Bowie Let’s Dance picture disc, Hüsker Dü covers, Dead Kennedys, Sonic Youth’s Dirty (Europe 92), War on Drugs (comfort foods), literary keeners The  Weakerthans from Winnipeg, and importantly pal Pat WOOD on Awesome Death’s “To Be Determined.”

Thanks to postcard club participants and folks mailing stuff my way and Casa Rosa for safe haven for library staging.

Fondly, dvo at Giggling Piglet Atelier and Consulate

PS Investigate Forthwith:

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Japan Cottage Musings

Time Travelers in a New Year ~ Japan Cottage Musings

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Quickly before running a bath, Dave – regaining equilibrium – discusses creation of a slightly-delayed but very-pleasurable project, ergo: “Time Travelers“ handmade cards including outfits, printing techniques and paper choices, fire hazards, inky & postal stamps, and fingerprints.

Plus riffs about carrying on in strange times, wonderful events, fountain pens and puppets. And expressing gratitude to friends who sent cards and letters, often reciprocated by Hokusai woodblock prints and/or “cheap and cheerful” time traveler cards.

++

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Japan Cottage Musings

Cards and Scrapbooks – Japan Cottage Musings

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Drinking a Turmeric / Reishi mushroom concoction in a stolen mug with a velour tracksuit, Dave rambles about  misplaced “tribute to Mom” memorandum log and love of receiving cards and letters which are stashed lovingly in handmade scrapbooks and shared with family.

Plus quick hits about festive cards (and evidential delays), poems, time traveller photos, letterhead, stationery and Ryoko’s Kinome office.

+ Name checks for new Papas, Steve Rapport (Mostly Rock n Roll), David Bowie 83, and Hotel Monterey and lost/odd Christmases + brother Anders.

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Japan Cottage Musings

Tsuchida Yard and Garden – Japan Cottage Musings

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With Ichiro strapped on whilst outdoors, Dave and some dodgy camera work walk around the yard and gardens of our home in Okayama, Japan. Stops include: picnic area(s), Ryoko’s tool shed, location of upcoming house addition, various wood piles, bamboo grove, Mother’s vegetable garden, the kura grain barn turned art studio and (of course) a persimmon tree.

Appearances by father Takeshi, Ryoko of course, and the neighbour lady stops by to see the cutest baby.

Tsuchida Yard and Garden: Kei-truck with shelf project

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Japan Cottage Musings

Postbox Haiku and Paintings – Japan Cottage Musings

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Rocking a plaid track suit, Dave catches up about an exhibit of postbox haiku and paintings at pal Mac Kobayashi’s goat farm and in Shibuya by dDesign and shares the story of the post box haiku and painting plus details of: Kathmandu, Nepal; Muscat Oman; The Vatican, and Olympia, Greece (including accompanying postcards of course) and riffs about importance of personal archeology and making things for future generations while drinking including coffee and jamu and digression about persimmon chutney.

Special ahoys to Gary, Beth, Arild, Jared, Erin, Sandra, Lance and especially you.

Postbox haiku exhibit corner at Rural Caprine Farm (more to come)

Bonus:

dDesign Okayama exhibit blurb

More about Painting / Haiku ~ exhibit intro and round-up (preview)

+ new postbox Haiku in *unconfidential* kokoro postcard (variations)

 

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Japan Cottage Musings

Moving Rocks at Tsuchida Cottage (time lapse)

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Just moving some rocks around the yard at Tsuchida, Okayama, Japan with a tripod and chain winch and wagon thingy. April 2020, if ya care.

Oh yeah, added music by fIREHOSE, live 1991-03-12.

That’s all. Just moving rocks. Carry on.  

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Japan Cottage Musings

Fixing Doors at Tsuchida Cottage (time lapse)

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Yup, that’s it, just a fun time lapse of re-papering some doors on a table using an iron, cutter knife and tape at Tsuchida Cottage, Okayama, Japan.

Added “Margaret Yang’s theme” music by Mark Mothersbaugh from Rushmore just for a little something. No instructions or usefulness, just fixing some doors. Carry on.

Spring 2020 for the record.

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Introducing Baby Ichiro’s Name: Japan Cottage Musings

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A riff about (son born June 23rd 2020) Ichiro Stanley Thorvald Olson’s name including the kanji meaning and katakana writing plus inspirations behind each of the monikers and anecdotes about grandparents, teachers, parks, brothers and ice hockey by proud parents Dave and Ryoko in front of the family altar in Tsuchida, Okayama, Japan, August 2020 (Reiwa 2).

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Ryoko Sewing Diapers for baby Ichiro (time lapse)

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It’s so cute! Ryoko cutting cloth, threading needles, and sewing diapers for baby Ichiro (in belly at the time), upstairs at Tsuchida Cottage here in Okayama, Japan.

Added “Girl” music by (appropriately) Belly from their wonderful Dove album. Just for a little something something – no narration, instructions just rocking the sewing machine and adding love for his ‘lil bum and whatnot.

Update: I told/asked Tanya Donelly of Belly (+ Throwing Muses, solo, Breeders etc etc) about using the song and she replied enthusiastically and kindly (note: her other job is a post-partum doula)

Spring 2020 if you are curious.

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Japan Cottage Musings

Dave + Ryoko Anniversary Tea Time Variety Show (almost live)

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Join us for tea at Tsuchida Cottage, Okayama for our 1st wedding anniversary. We’ll play some songs, catch you up on projects, share some scrapbooks and stories, plus update about baby including gender if curious. Was a live stream… not its not :)

Originally live-streamed via Facebook on April 21, 2020 / check out original post for allll the comments and more fun etc.

Miss 604’s capture of the live stream from Tsuchida Cottage, Okayama to West End, Vancouver

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Japan Cottage Musings

Scrapbooks for all Reasons / Japan Cottage Musings

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With a coffee and pyjamas, Dave riffs about types of scrapbooks, ways to make from scratch, reasons for making (memory and flow), a bit about creative process and keeping organized, handy tools and supplies, and other ways to fancy up your books with inky stamps, postage stamps, stickers and up-cycled meta scraps. Plus hey, fun for the family, liberate the items from shoeboxes, put on an album or two and go with the flow.

fondly, dave 

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