Moss Garden
Saihōji Temple
You need to sign up ahead of time at the monastery to reserve a place as they want to make sure the place is not too crowded. You also need to spend the first half hour or so copying sutras*(I didn’t even know the meaning of that word before). It puts you in the right headspace to relax and clear your mind of clutter.
Then you begin to weave your way through the most magical of gardens. Covered in a carpet of green, luscious moss and gorgeous trees,you quietly move through winding paths. The experience is sublime!
I don’t think I can capture the feeling in photos but I will try and share a few shots anyway and also a brief video that might come a bit closer to capturing the mood…
*Sutras (known as suttas in Pali) are canonical discourses attributed to the historical Buddha (Gautama Buddha) or his close disciples. Rather than being short aphorisms, they are detailed sermons, dialogues, and narratives that were passed down orally before being written down.
Shibori Textiles
The best way to describe shibori is tie dye on steroids...Here is a short video explaining the intricacies of these textiles.
According to the family that runs the museum, there are only three people left that are creating kimonos in Kyoto using one of the most elaborate of these shibori techniques: a grandmother, a mother and a daughter of the same family. To complete one kimono this way could take months, if not up to a year and a half.
Shibori kimono, Japan, hand spun cotton , 19th century (c) Karun Thakar Collection .
We used the most basic techniques of shibori to create these cotton scarves.
We Won! Let's Go!
Dear Democrats,
The first thing that we need you to do this morning, and I mean the very first thing, is to hire Senator-Elect Abdul El-Sayed’s Comms team. Then call Mayor Mamdani. Ask him to consult. On everything.
Next, thank Chuck Schumer and Hakim Jefferies for their service and tell them that they are done in leadership. Recognize that we did this largely despite the Establishment Dems, not because of them. Look to Raskin, Lieu, AOC, Pressley, Warren, Murphy. Consult with Bernie. He knows what to do.
Take the words “compromise” and “working with our friends across the aisle” out of your vocabulary. If the last ten years have taught us anything, it’s that we have no friends across the aisle.
This is what an actual referendum looks like. Use it. Don’t just glue what they broke back together. Re-envision it. Re-engineer it. Don’t try to take us back to where we were; take us where we always promised we could be.
Codify all of it. Act like you’re headed into your second marriage after a messy divorce and you’re writing a pre-nup. Make it iron-clad. Irrefutable. Include every last detail down to who gets the coffee filters. I mean ALL of it.
Release the Epstein Files. If you or your friends or colleagues or benefactors are in them, too bad. You abuse children, you’re done. That’s how this works now.
Prove that ‘no’ means ‘no’ again. That includes the ‘no’ in the sentence “No one is above the law.” Reveal it all. Impeach them. Prosecute them. Convict them. And make sure this never, ever happens again.
Remember that DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and then DEI the crap out of the Capitol. No apologies, no excuses. The people leading this country should look like the country they serve, not the billionaires who own them.
Trust that they will continue to play dirty. That when, come January, the repercussions of their so-called “big beautiful bill” begin to rain down on the folks who were bamboozled into thinking that it would somehow make their lives better, they will blame you. Without logic, without rhyme nor reason, they will say it’s your fault that their bill is hurting people. They will lie. Because that is what they do.
Get ahead of it. Be proactive. Educate. Call out the lies. Bring receipts. Take questions, hold press conferences and town halls, and go back to the very first thing I said: Hire Senator-Elect El-Sayed’s Comms team. Yours sucks.
And then get to work. Do EVERYTHING that we sent you there to do. All of it. Pick up a copy of Project 2025 and fix it all, line by line. Shy away from nothing. Blinders on, elbows out, unshakable principles leading the way.
Oh and please, for the love of all things Abdul, take that grifter’s name off of EVERYTHING.
Respectfully,
Jess
Quote of the Week
Painting of the Week
Private Collection New Harbor, Maine, Blue Moons, mixed media on canvas, 50” x 80”
Charity of the Week:
Please donate—we are going to need them!
About The Author
New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.