Walking home from school as a little girl in Nelson, I would stop at the library, or the little shop that sold magazines, toys, cards, and things. There were other bookshops, but too far out of the way to get home somewhat on time. I looked up the Nelson library, but things have changed and…
Category: blogging101
Falling in love with Chicago
From the minute we stepped outside O’hare airport into the cold, grey, damp, exhaust fume-ridden city of Chicago, I cried for beautiful clean New Zealand. I couldn’t breathe the air. I couldn’t stand the cold. I hated the ugliness of postage stamp lawns. I was a thoroughly miserable kid and teenager. To calm myself to…
Then sings my soul….
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to TheeHow great Thou art, how great Thou art “The next two nights were in Chicago and these are regarded as highlight shows of the year, with Elvis sounding very happy to be on stage and singing songs such as Fairytale, And I Love You So, Little Sister…
Fine Arts Building Courtyard
Airflow was managed by large windows in the facade, and others opening into an inner courtyard. Our classes were adjoined to both. During the winter, they were closed, but when spring came, they opened and the airflow was beautiful. The flow was infused with the smells of paint, thinner and linseed oil, mixed with the…
Fine Arts Manual Elevator
You could take the stairs, but carrying a heavy portfolio, I always opted for the elevator. You just waited until it came to you. No buttons to push. If the inner doors were open you could watch the cab through the metal caging as it went by. The best thing was, if you were running…
Little Andie. Konini street. Dinnerware Obsession
I suffer from this curious malady. It’s an obsession of sorts. I love dishes, plates, table settings, basically anything made to serve food and beverages, or that which goes onto a table to make it beautiful. I don’t know why this is. All I know is that when I got engaged, the chore of choosing…
Mahogany. The Rhode Island Red
She’s a quiet one and a joy to have around, always running to see what I bring to the flock. Her voice is lighter and sweeter as she sings her laying song which consists of a few sweet choruses before she settles down to her nest in the corner.
The Right Chicken Soup
Naively, I believed the chicken soup my mother made was the best in the world, and to me it was. It a was perfect balance of chicken, vegetables, and noodles. It was not a regular occurrence either. Whole fresh chickens were very rare and costly at the time. Usually, we had to butcher our own…
Little Andie. Konini street. Old Ollie
Old Ollie would wander around town, but she always seemed to be going somewhere. She wore a long skirt and a heavy cardigan, always colors of the ground, varied but earthy all the same. She wore a little hat. Not a fancy one or even recognizable as a style, more like a few flattened pancakes…
My Vision for Education
It does not need to be in a classroom:
Independent study can be solitary, but other subjects that need feedback from peers should be in a fluid warm environment, with not too many participants, so all can have their voice.
Apprenticeship will be highly valued, the teacher earning the utmost respect for teaching and guiding those under their care.
“Milkshake” the chicken
Sometimes we rode out on my tricycle, she didn’t mind it. She was getting used to me and would come running to me as soon as she saw me walking towards the coops.
Wheat, poppies, body, and soul.
I am slowing down so I can appreciate the food before me. The food that grows for me outside, and the food brought to me by the labors of many other souls. To feel the enormity of what actually is behind every ingredient I’m working with. The salt flats, the transport, the farmer and fisherman. The people in the factories. The support network for those people. All the centuries of people who learned and taught how to use herbs and spices.
Chicks & Jam 