Category: art

Traveling with Robert

There's always something wonderful waiting at the end of the drive when you're lucky enough to join Robert Yellin on a visit to a few potters. I met Robert many years ago when he helped to guide tour groups to ceramic areas. We've remained friends, and each time we visit Kyoto,I look forward to meeting … Continue reading Traveling with Robert →

rain dance

Before I moved to CA where the sun shines most of the time (Neil Diamond circa 1971) and the ground is green for a brief few months a year, I generally thought of rain as a spoiler.  I grew up with the children's refrain "rain rain go away," and never found a lot to appreciate … Continue reading rain dance →

What’s so “Funny?”

As far as I can tell, Japanese possess a keen sense of humor. It's even evident in  the anthropomorphic paintings by master artists on paneled screens painted hundreds of years ago.  A dragon who's lost his spark or maybe his viagra?  A tiger looking sheepish. An ancient scroll reveals frogs and rabbits frolicking, for what … Continue reading What’s so “Funny?” →

A Blissful Visit with a Good Friend

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ~Albert Schweitzer There are so many kinds of friends we make in a lifetime. Many come and go … Continue reading A Blissful Visit with a Good Friend →

A Half Day in the Life (cont’d)

If you ever need an excuse for overindulgence, just bring along some children for whom the word excess holds no meaning. So, the day began yesterday with our family gathering for breakfast at a small restaurant we'd discovered a few years ago.  It's an Hawaiian import, specializing in taking a humble pancake and pushing it … Continue reading A Half Day in the Life (cont’d) →