I want to thank all my elementary school teachers who posted poems on the classroom walls. I fell in love with Robert Frost and e e cummings, and well poetry as an art form, by reading and rereading those lines. Here’s one of my Frost-y favourites. My friend David Tracey […] Read More
I had my meditation group over for a potluck this past Friday. I hauled out my stained and dog-eared copy of The Greens Cookbook by Deborah Madison and settled on the fabulous Black Bean Chili. I have a number of favourites in that cookbook including the very festive baked polenta […] Read More
This weekend I am giving myself a pre-Christmas treat. I’ve signed up for a “Do Less” workshop which is “3 hours of slow Yin and Restorative yoga, combined with Thai Head Massage, foot massages and Reiki.” Seriously. Oh and hot tea will be ready and waiting for us. As if […] Read More
I like art. All kinds of art. I am inspired by the range and variety of artistic expressions out there. For example, a friend of mine has a blog about Outsider Art in Canada. I’ve had some experience with making functional art through the Solar Bike Tree and other pieces […] Read More
I picked up some treasures from the forest trail and beach on Mayne Island when I was there. The shells and rocks bear the same reddish-brown hue as the Arbutus tree bark. My collection reminded me of Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s Gifts from the Sea. She spent some time writing at […] Read More
I was reading a little book by Ellen Petrick and Michael Day while I was on Mayne Island. It was about planning outdoor residential education programs; the authors describe a program in Yellowstone National Park. It made me want to go to Yellowstone. The motivation behind holding programs in wilderness […] Read More
While on Mayne, I went to see one of the famous cob houses on the island. My friend Caitlin’s mother owns this one, which is a hybrid of cob and cedar, with post and beam framing. They started building back in 2002, kicked off by a two week on-site workshop […] Read More
I spent a few days on Mayne Island this week. I stayed at the Mayne Island Resort, a lovely spot right on Bennett Bay. I passed my days walking on a nearby forest trail, beachcombing, soaking in the hot tub, exploring the waterfront neighbourhood, swimming in the indoor pool, and […] Read More
For those who think there isn’t a viable alternative to the present economic model, I would urge you to study Paul Hawken’s restorative plan that is laid out brilliantly in the Ecology of Commerce (Harper Business, Revised Edition, 2010). I know I keep harping on this book, but seriously, it’s […] Read More
No this is not about what you pay for a round of golf, this is about a sensible way to integrate external costs into the price of a product. Paul Hawken explains in the Ecology of Commerce (Harper Business, Revised Edition, 2010, p. 145). The main function of green taxes […] Read More