author...illustrator...guerilla artist
author...illustrator...guerilla artist
As you might imagine, having one’s office out on the curb makes for an interesting dialogue with many of the neighbors. Tonight a woman getting out of her car said, “I think that might be the perfect place to have an office.” I responded, “The great thing about it is I can’t be here for too long, my battery goes.” After she left I thought, I guess it is actually a wonderful thing, I admit to have many times of not liking it these last few weeks. Of wanting to be able to set up my studio, and put photos on the walls, and make things to hang, and arrange my books.
But maybe sitting here right now, breathing in fresh air, under this ancient maple tree, talking to the neighbors, maybe I could actually enjoy this too instead of focusing on what I’m missing. Ha.
I have been really into John Cage these last few weeks and this idea feeds into the readings. He speaks in part on the Buddhist concept of non-intention, as he puts it, “the affirmation of life as it is rather than the desire to improve upon it.”
“Each moment is absolute, alive and significant”.
I get excited reading his anecdotes about life, I wish there were hundreds more. Ironically one of the things I enjoy most about him was his passion for wild food, especially mushrooms. (I also have a thing for scrounging for ‘wild food’, though I have not been daring enough to do the mushroom thing without an ‘expert’.) In one story Cage relates how he made a mistake with something that looked like skunk cabbage but was instead a poisonous leafy imitation of skunk cabbage. Resulting in him having his stomach pumped and a brief stay in a nearby hospital. None of this deterred him.
Once I harvested and prepared the flower buds of milk weed. The process involves soaking it repeatedly in water to remove the bitterness and then boiling it as you would any vegetable. It tastes most like broccoli, but with it’s own stronger character. The bad part of the story is I ended up with incredibly strong intestinal pain for a couple of days. But I don’t regret it at all. I love finding food in the woods and I highly recommend it as a pastime. Other things I’ve found, watercress (only good if found in a stream with moving water), wild ginger, leeks, onions, mint, several varieties of berries, burdock root, wild grapes, dandelions, sumac (the blooms make a nice tea), chicory (the roots make an interesting coffee substitute), lambs quarters, among others. You must use your senses to find these things. Often the nose alerts you before the eyes.
In the city I forage for found objects and paper bits. In the country, I forage for food.
Both life sustaining but in different ways.
Posted by kerismith at September 08, 2006 11:07 AMNot long ago on a local show here in the Seattle area there was a segment on a man who takes people out and shows them all the wild things they can eat in nature where they live. The plants really are everywhere! The group collects a bunch of food and then take it back to his kitchen and prepare/eat it. I was amazed and want to take the guys course sometime. I've got to find out what his name is.
Oh -- and I really like your ad-free blog idea..we've each got to change the corporatocracy in any way we can. I heard something last night that gave me HOPE. I heard most higher-ups of big corporations are just waiting for consumers to complain so that they can meet their demands. The members of the board already want to change the way their companies do business -- they just want to keep stock holders happy and they don't want to speak up to their bosses for fear of being fired. So we shouldn't think we can't change things. :)
Posted by: Kirk on September 12, 2006 12:28 PMI continue to be moved by your journey Keri, and by your openness to simplicity and comfort and beauty. I loved your recent post on the landscape of comfort! I loved it as much as the one you had done before on what makes a home (http://www.kerismith.com/blog/archives/000210.html), which I shared on my own blog (hope thats ok) and likely will this one now too
I hope the new home is truly wonderful, made all the bettter by this journey up to it's gate--through the grassy "office" smelling the flowers along the way : )
Posted by: wendy on September 12, 2006 09:33 AMHow much it is good that you are there.
Your power to find the best in ever situation is fascinating!
it seems your work is becoming of a more spiritual nature. perhaps foraging and making still life of a few objects is pulling you more into your core? not that you don't seem to exist deeply otherwise. you are like h.d.t. in your own version of walden...
i love you...
p
Posted by: pixie on September 12, 2006 01:08 AMman, that made me laugh.
yes, lambs quarters are an edible wild green. they are really yummy in a salad.
k.
Please tell me lambs quarters are some sort of plant ....
Posted by: nadine on September 11, 2006 05:23 PMKeri..
You are such a sweet,dear soul..May all your foraging prove beneficial..Thank you for jolting my consciousness..
Old greyhair..Khani
I highly recommend Sue Bender's books,STRETCHING LESSONS AND EVERYDAY SACRED.
her musings are great food for the heart,mind and soul.
A wonderful book I am reading right now may be of interest to you.
Conscious Eating by Gabriel Cousins.
p.s. strong ginger tea is great for increasing digestive fire and i am sure would have relieved your intestinal pains. better luck next time.
Posted by: Randy on September 10, 2006 08:32 AMthere's no road to happiness. Happiness is the road.
That's my favourite Buddhist teaching.
Posted by: monica on September 10, 2006 06:32 AMIt's out there waiting for us to find it, whether it be food or found objects. I now think myself fortunate in that I can take the time to 'see'. Walking with my dog, shopping for groceries, sitting in the Doctor's surgery.....all opportunities.
Thankyou for writing so clearly and evocatively.
I agree. The best things in life are found on street corners, in dumpsters, r under bushes in the forest.
Thank you. You're posts bring back my peace of mind...
I cant believe you live in Troy now. Thats where I'm from. I'm astounded by this irony.
Posted by: julia on September 9, 2006 10:05 AMI've just begun wild food foragingthis year. Another thing you may find plentiful at this time of year are red clover buds.
I am looking forward, too, to chickweed.
Posted by: Celia on September 8, 2006 02:12 PMYour quotes from John Cage are eerily harmonious with my meditations from yesterday afternoon. Thank you.
Posted by: ethan on September 8, 2006 11:43 AM