Today I have taken joy in solitude, in knitting, in peaceful color.
Today is a good day.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
On Craft.
I prefer the word craft to skill. Skill implies a degree of sameness to what you do. Craft implies a depth of knowledge.
Skill is knowing the proper grammar - craft is knowing when not to use the proper grammar.
Skill is knowing how to make a knit stitch - craft is knowing when to use a knit stitch.
Skill is knowing how to boil an egg - craft is knowing how to season a boiled egg.
Talent lies somewhere beyond skill and craft -- to be talented is to have an intuitive grasp of the principles of a skill and it's craft. Talent can, on occasion, cover for a lack of skill and craft - excellent skill and craft can, on occasion, cover for a lack of talent.
If skill is lamp, and craft our technique in lighting it, it is our talent that decrees how brightly it burns.
Skill is knowing the proper grammar - craft is knowing when not to use the proper grammar.
Skill is knowing how to make a knit stitch - craft is knowing when to use a knit stitch.
Skill is knowing how to boil an egg - craft is knowing how to season a boiled egg.
Talent lies somewhere beyond skill and craft -- to be talented is to have an intuitive grasp of the principles of a skill and it's craft. Talent can, on occasion, cover for a lack of skill and craft - excellent skill and craft can, on occasion, cover for a lack of talent.
If skill is lamp, and craft our technique in lighting it, it is our talent that decrees how brightly it burns.
Pleasure
Warmth when you are chilly.
A cool breeze on a hot day.
The taste of lemon.
The scent of garlic.
The feel of a silk skirt.
The hand of a soft wool.
Walking in the scent of roses on a hot day in early June.
Lovers hands braiding my hair.
A cool breeze on a hot day.
The taste of lemon.
The scent of garlic.
The feel of a silk skirt.
The hand of a soft wool.
Walking in the scent of roses on a hot day in early June.
Lovers hands braiding my hair.
Friday, July 07, 2006
On Today
Creation. Play. Work. Restful sitting. Playground rescuing. Experimentation. Cooking. Tea.
Today is a good day.
Today is a good day.
Five things.
Tea, traditional. The gentle ritual of choosing and blending the leaves, warming the pot, boiling the kettle, steeping.
Tea, chanoyu. The deeply peaceful action of measuring the tea, boiling the water, whisking the tea, sipping the deep emerald brew.
Writing with a fountain pen. The smooth almost silky flow of ink, the way the writing just floats off the nib onto the paper. The fiddly care of soaking and wiping nibs, refilling and replacing cartridges.
Knitting with wool. The scent of lanolin and the soft fluffy feel of the yarn moving through my fingers, around the smooth bamboo needles.
Cooking. The alchemy of fire and time tranforming the raw to cooked, the sharp to mellow deliciousness.
Tea, chanoyu. The deeply peaceful action of measuring the tea, boiling the water, whisking the tea, sipping the deep emerald brew.
Writing with a fountain pen. The smooth almost silky flow of ink, the way the writing just floats off the nib onto the paper. The fiddly care of soaking and wiping nibs, refilling and replacing cartridges.
Knitting with wool. The scent of lanolin and the soft fluffy feel of the yarn moving through my fingers, around the smooth bamboo needles.
Cooking. The alchemy of fire and time tranforming the raw to cooked, the sharp to mellow deliciousness.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
On Today
Today I have taken joy in the feeling of soft wool yarn. Today I have had joy in silence, and in listening to my daughter singing. Today I have taken joy in popcorn.
Today I have worked, and played, and created. Today I have loved, and been loved.
Today has been a good day.
Today I have worked, and played, and created. Today I have loved, and been loved.
Today has been a good day.
Silence
Silence is
the calm quiet of the early morning
the choice to turn off noisy electronics
listening instead of talking
remembering to say nothing when you can't say something nice
a warm scented bath lit only by a candle in the next room
Silence is soothing.
the calm quiet of the early morning
the choice to turn off noisy electronics
listening instead of talking
remembering to say nothing when you can't say something nice
a warm scented bath lit only by a candle in the next room
Silence is soothing.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
On Today
Today I have taken joy in experimentation, in smoked meats, in the cokong of rice. Today I have taken joy in creation, and in exploration. I have read, worked, played, loved, taught, learned.
Today I have knit in the sunshine with the wind on my shoulders under a blue sky while my daughter played laughing on the grass. Today I have seen the baby tomatoes and smelt tomato plant smell on my hands.
Today has been a good day.
Today I have knit in the sunshine with the wind on my shoulders under a blue sky while my daughter played laughing on the grass. Today I have seen the baby tomatoes and smelt tomato plant smell on my hands.
Today has been a good day.
Miscellany
sun on tomatoes
length on a scarf, knitting growing daily
tea - always tea
conversation with a like mind
chilled white wine on the 4th of July
fireworks
length on a scarf, knitting growing daily
tea - always tea
conversation with a like mind
chilled white wine on the 4th of July
fireworks
Monday, July 03, 2006
Rhythm
I want in life
the insistent rhythm of Frost's
Snowy Evening
Each day a sweep
of easy wind and downy flake
like poetry
fit to my life
and my life fit to it in patterns lovely
and dark and deep
- not habit, nor routine, nor schedule
Rhythm
the insistent rhythm of Frost's
Snowy Evening
Each day a sweep
of easy wind and downy flake
like poetry
fit to my life
and my life fit to it in patterns lovely
and dark and deep
- not habit, nor routine, nor schedule
Rhythm
Sunday, July 02, 2006
On Today
Today I have taken joy in rice, and in the fresh scent of newly dried clothes, and in knitting. Today I have taught, and learned, worked and played.
Today I have loved, and been loved, and known peace.
Today is a good day.
Today I have loved, and been loved, and known peace.
Today is a good day.
On Work.
Work pleases. To create something is deeply soothing and satisfying at the same time, when work is undertaken for it's own sake.
Work need not oppress, depress or repress the worker. It can be a avenue of spiritual growth and solace, an expression of creativity and passion, and the home of joy.
Work is a good thing. I do not know why our culture has forgotten this.
Work need not oppress, depress or repress the worker. It can be a avenue of spiritual growth and solace, an expression of creativity and passion, and the home of joy.
Work is a good thing. I do not know why our culture has forgotten this.
Mise En Place
First you review your recipe - do I have everything I need in sufficient quantity? Do I have the proper tools ready and at hand?
Then one gathers. The sieve is in the dishwasher - get it out. The bowl is in the cupboard. The pot is dirty - wash it. I will need six spoons, but have only two - have the basin filled with soapy hot water for washing them.
Then measuring, and preparing - two cups of chopped potatoes, one stalk of celery, chopped. A tablespoon of salt. Each thing called for made ready and set out.
Then I am ready. Then, can I cook.
Mise en place of the mind is more difficult. How does one know what the recipe is? What the ingredients? What preparations are required for a day? For a lifetime?
Then one gathers. The sieve is in the dishwasher - get it out. The bowl is in the cupboard. The pot is dirty - wash it. I will need six spoons, but have only two - have the basin filled with soapy hot water for washing them.
Then measuring, and preparing - two cups of chopped potatoes, one stalk of celery, chopped. A tablespoon of salt. Each thing called for made ready and set out.
Then I am ready. Then, can I cook.
Mise en place of the mind is more difficult. How does one know what the recipe is? What the ingredients? What preparations are required for a day? For a lifetime?
What I Like
I like
early mornings
hot tea
green scents
music
fountain pens
knitting
embroidery
writing
reading
the color blue
handkerchiefs worn in the hair
flowers on the table
placemats
tomatoes
early mornings
hot tea
green scents
music
fountain pens
knitting
embroidery
writing
reading
the color blue
handkerchiefs worn in the hair
flowers on the table
placemats
tomatoes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)