I became the person I’ve become in great part from the time I lived in Japan and the influences of my ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) teacher, Nakajo-sensei. She was the oldest of nine children in mountainous Nagano prefecture during World War II. Although her family grew food during the warm months and was better off […]
Category Archives: Love
February
15
The Long Friendship
posted by Weeks
I have mixed feelings about friendship. Sometimes it seems as though they are intended for a season — the friendship that arises from having kids in the same school or living in the same neighborhood but then dies when that situation changes. But then there are those friendships that endure decades and overcome distance and […]
February
14
Dying for a Date?
posted by Weeks
For this Valentine’s Day I thought I’d share what I assert is the story of the worst blind date in the history of dating. I’m sharing this because I remember being a single 20 or 30-something and having Valentine’s Day sting. A lot. Seriously, couldn’t wait for the day to end. So for all of […]
February
05
Thank You for the Allée!
posted by Weeks
I took a one hour break from writing aboard the houseboat to go for a walk along the river. About a mile down the river I saw an allée! An allée, from the French word for alley, is the proper term for two parallel rows of trees planted usually across a drive or walkway. This […]
February
03
I love you Bill Cunningham!
posted by Weeks
My fashion hero is an 85 year old man who wears the blue utility jackets favored by French street cleaners. He is Bill Cunningham of the New York Times. It’s not just Bill Cunningham’s wonderful photos of stylish New Yorkers taken from biking around Manhattan that captivates me. It’s his perfection. I’ve learned so much […]
January
04
10 Truths Learned from 19 Foster Animals in 6 Months
posted by Weeks
We take back sweet little Bonema the Chihuahua today. She came to us a scared, emaciated two-year-old a week ago. She was our last foster animal of 2014. We began fostering in June 2014 shortly after saying goodbye to our 17-year-old cat Mies, whom we found with his siblings in a community garden. The kittens […]
January
03
My Wish for You for 2015
posted by Weeks
At present our family consists of 4 people: my husband Bill, our 13-year-old daughter Sophie and a 16-year-old foreign exchange student from Indonesia named Naya. When I woke up on New Year’s Day it occurred to me that sometimes it’s easier to write sentiments than it is to say them. In addition, it is always […]
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