{New Year Greetz, 2021 / Reiwa 3}「迎春」令和3年
Steady On
Time Travel(l)ers!
We’ll see you when the future’s past
(in the meanwhile) breathe backwards
So the world doesn’t spin so fast.
落ち着いて！
時空旅行者達。
未来が過去になる時会いましょう。
その間、呼吸を整えて…
そうすれば、世界は軽やかにまわりだす。
Fondly from Ryoko, Ichiro & Dave
[date and location undetermined]
Intentions (some, not all) and Annotations (various)
for 2021 / Reiwa 3
Did a little live streamed hang out while banging out some big picture themes and a bunch of practical to-do tasks {as well as a note to self}.
Fiddled with Lettera 34 typewriter to get it operational and then talked my way through various big thoughts and practical plans for the year ahead including a “note to self“ that I won’t get all these things done but I’ve *come so far so fast – so, so “steady on davey, steady on.
Anyway, lovingly – if not perfectly – typed on hemp paper on my erstwhile custom letterhead / and now up on the altar for the kami to help.
Video: Come spin through the video spiel if you have a notion. {It’s over on the face space to see how I got to this point}. Let’s try (gets rolling at :20 min after i silicon up the machine)
{embed not possible due to background music it seems / incidental fair use?}
Summary: Evolutions, not Resolutions, slowly slowly > Your creativity is not going away anywhere, you have decades ahead, first build a foundation & then castle that’s above
The Results ^ note: please lend me a hand – whether it be practical or encouragement – I am wide open to advice and good vibes, truly.
We won’t quite make it till midnight so… as we cuddle in at Tsuchida Cottage (in always sunny Okayama, Japan), Ryoko, Ichiro & me wish you The Best Year Ever in 2021 / Reiwa 3.
fondly xo etc
Happy Merry
Any Festive
Every Joyful
All of the Moments
Peace – Health – Happy
to all of us, all of you
Fondly from Dave, Ryoko & Ichiro Stanley Thorvald of Tsuchida Cottage, Okayama, Japan on a usual Friday, Dec. 25, Reiwa 2 / 2020
Tradition is what you are doing in the present tense. Every moment a spectacular event. You are a miracle, truly, enjoy. (& If you ever forget, we’re here to remind you.)
Me and the new intern are progressing well. Six months tomorrow. Best best best
He’s got a tooth and a bank account, and overalls… What else does he need? Running shoes or ice skates next?
He’s a super adaptable little guy and we take really long baths together
Really amazing – each day more handsome! and now suddenly crawling around. the way he raises his eyebrows at me slays though
PS Oh you can see scrapbooks and other interestingness on my bookshelf including new calendar of sento (public baths) and Douglas Coupland, Generation X (guidebook for “quarantine” life)
Also the chair was free and the desk 2nd hand, also couch, blanket gift from Kemp &’say hello to Richard Brautigan.
Our two desks seem to be cozying up splendidly {so cute together! almost watching wood grain}
We just picked up Ryoko’s roll top writing bureau from the secondhand store and brought it home in the kei-truck. Unloaded through the patio door, plastic wrap off and within 10 minutes it was ready for action. Added her own power strip too.
In fact we did our first project with side-by-side desks today making a YouTube channel for Ryoko Olson’s band the Mae Maes.
Tip: you can be among the first subscribers and see their special version of silent night.
Today: putting sauerkraut in jars, making chutney from persimmons, washing up dishes, drinking another coffee, making barley tea, there is a rabbit, also turmeric
Note: the rabbit (named Maru) is our guardian angel.
Just pulled some massive ginger from garden and some turmeric too / wiped me out so taking a bit of a break before prepping these Kaki / also scored some red (albeit mild) peppers and a mikan orange from tree
Re, harvesting: I just stuck a spade in the ground, pulled it out the whole plant, dropped a chunk back in the hole, shook off the dirt, cut off the stems and rinsed. Ditto with turmeric.
My wife and mother-in-law are great gardeners but I really don’t know what I’m doing, I just dig holes and make pickles with the results
Onwards! Choppa choppa, making sorta persimmon chutney, everything shown from garden
While in the kitchen, stashed some sauerkraut from the crock where it was weighed down by rocks for a week-ish into some jars… Over-salted it a little bit but well, I’m still a rookie we’ll see how it goes… [update: it’s alright]
Just closing the loop on the persimmon chutney project ~ four jars: one for fridge, one for parents, two for freezer
2 heads are…
(Note: tracksuit, pappa’s uniform)
photo by mamma Ryoko Olson at Tsuchida Cottage
Dave and Ichiro at Tsuchida Cottage kitchenEven more more cute! Amazing Ichiro Stanley with mamma Ryoko Olson / clean-up Saturday funtimes at Tsuchida Cottage
Ichiro and Ryoko at Tsuchida Cottage ofuro (bath)
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
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.
Bonus:
More about Painting / Haiku ~ exhibit intro and round-up (preview)
+ new postbox Haiku in *unconfidential* kokoro postcard (variations)
+ Books by Post / Japan Cottage Musings catch-up riff +
Wearing stolen hotel pyjamas, Dave riffs about: Larry Harper’s “70” variety collection, various Richard Brautigan items (Rick Lupert’s Van Nuys Tokyo Express, William Hjortsberg’s Jubilee Hitchhiker, and “the world’s mightiest hat” gift from Marty and Willis), then onwards to the legendary Joan Anderson letter from Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac, and Jack Micheline’s poems and ephemera… also riffs about analog and digital creative symbiosis and and namechecks Douglas Coupland and others… plus importantly, Ichiro bathtime, Ryoko’s chainsaws, and the usual postcards. Yowza.
Fondly from Tsuchida Cottage, Okayama, Japan.
This chair helps strengthen up his back for sitting up and such fun!
