An Old Lady with Attitude

What is this? Surely it’s not a hat. I came across this while reorganizing our kitchen drawers. It’s a tea cozy, designed to keep a teapot warm. It was 1999. I was in Glasgow, Scotland, visiting my elderly aunt. Her elegantly dressed, equally ancient neighbor presented me with the tea cozy she had knitted. The… Continue reading An Old Lady with Attitude

Dreaming of Kyushu

This winter I’ll be back in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands. I will have visited Kyushu three years in a row: 2013, 2014, and 2015. I go back for the gentle subtropical climate while Minnesota’s long winter refuses to budge. Kyushu is a manageable size, about one-sixth the area of Minnesota or… Continue reading Dreaming of Kyushu

Travel Gear: Spectacle Case

You pay attention to every item that goes into your backpack if you’re going to carry it for 330 miles (about 530 kilometers). That was my state of mind when I planned a walk around the north of England with my partner. I scrutinized every item. Does it provide sufficient value? Can I find something… Continue reading Travel Gear: Spectacle Case