My interest in gourds began when I was introduced to the axatse, a rhythm instrument used in West African drumming ensembles. The axatse is a dried gourd that has been emptied of its seeds and covered in netting with small shells attached. When the gourd is shaken, the shells rattle and make a loud percussive sound, contributing to the varied intonations provided by the other instruments in the musical group, such as djembes, dundun drums, and the gankoqui bell. I discovered that there are many ways to play the axatse to create interesting and varied textures of sound. Once I saw one, I had to play it. A door was opened into the world of gourds! Gourds belong to the plant genus Cucurbita, which also includes squashes, pumpkins, and zucchinis, all familiar in my life. I had seen gourd birdhouses and decorative gourds. Discovering gourds as musical instruments delighted me. One evening at the Trane, a musical nightspot in Toronto, my friend Waleed …READ MORE >
spring garden walk
June. Rain. And all our young plants are in the ground, soaking up the water, waiting for the sun. Behind the fence that defines our protected zone, the garden is starting to look organized, beans and potatoes are up, and there have been greens for weeks. Still negotiating with…READ MORE >
Point of View
This young painting, showing the interaction of the colors brown and blue on a white ground, looks like this viewed vertically, with the brown on the left. Rotate the painting 90 degrees; images seen in the painting change. Rotate another 90 degrees. New images appear, old ones disappear. One more turn…READ MORE >
Wednesday, a New Painting Takes Wings
I worked for many years in Waldorf schools, where observations Rudolf Steiner made in the early twentieth century continue to inspire and challenge school communities. Not only the teachers but also the staff, organizational board, parents, students and visitors who come to a Waldorf school quickly feel that something different, and powerful, is happening…READ MORE >
The Hens
Looking back, I see that not all the data was fully in when Michael and I decided to move to Virginia. We had factored in a lot of things as we considered the move, with water and garden spot two important considerations. People, of course. What we hadn’t anticipated was the ticks, the wood ticks…READ MORE >
