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Currently I am reading on two tracks: the light/amusing and the more serious/informative:

• Light/amusing: various books from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series-really quite good writing full of sly (and not so sly) humor. May the Great Turtle A'Tuin continue sailing through the cosmos with his load of elephants!
  
• Serious/informative:
  
  • Tim ( Read more... )

Our collection of modern/contemporary Japanese art work is expanding with the addition of two new pieces. One is an etching by an artist about whom I can find virtually no information-but I do like his style. The other is by a well-known artist about whom information abounds.

The first piece is by Maikawa Shigeru:

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For those curious about the cat we have adopted-or did he adopt us?-he has his own site now: Būtsu-chan's Debut.

His name is Būtsu-chan ブーツ チャン or just Bū-chan for short-at least that's what I call him. My other half has at least a half-dozen names and comes up with more every day ( Read more... )

If you were wondering what to do to get into the right mood for Hogmanay (Scottish New Year's) then you MUST play this game. Then visit Wikipedia for some enlightening details.

Just finished making quince paste to serve with a cheese board for a Scottish New Year brunch--menu to include: haggis (home made) with neeps & tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes); poached salmon with cucumber/dill sauce; some cold roasted meat (as yet undetermined) with Cumberland sauce; wild mushroom and truffle tart with an onion marmelade; ( Read more... )

If you feel the need to examine some Scottish customs for Halloween then see
Burns poem on the subject. Good luck with the dialect!

Favorite ad seen on the side of a Budget rent-a-truck on my way to work:

Packing Tip: Do not pack dog and cat in the same box.

AS IF!!!

As I prepare for Vesak this Saturday (May 13, 2006), I wanted to write up my thoughts. Two items in particular inspired these musings--Arpana Caur's paintings (contemporary) and Dogen's essay, Mountains and Rivers Sutra (13th century Japan). Vesak Thoughts, 2006

It has taken me this long to complete a personal credo, a brief explanation of my interest in Buddhism. This started as an innocent query from a co-worker about why I found Buddhism so interesting, so refreshing--after all I am rather known as a cynical curmudgeon usually. My reasons have varied quite a bit over time, but this remains as a core. ( Read more... )