[L, diary, ephēmeris] 1) BLOG

"We cannot put off living until we are ready.

The most salient characteristic of life is its coerciveness:

it is always urgent, "here and now"

without any possible postponement.

Life is fired at us point-blank." 

-José Ortega y Gasset- 

Yes, indeed. 

This quote struck a strong note with me, particularly about setting up this website.  I did a fair amount of wailing in my last post about having too many projects, too little time; feeling swept away by a relentless current.  "...a current through an unfamiliar land," I thought, later...and could now add, "one with many tributaries!" as I try to decide which topic to start with, this morning.

So let me begin with the past, the too-long ago past of 2006 when the tribute to Sue James' talent for teaching valuable lessons about using natural materials instead of store-bought, was side-tracked in the urgent flood of a too-fulsome Life.

This is Sue:

(can't you just hear her say 'HI!'?)

Here students are beginning to make their brushes:

   

Sue is explaining to Ryan how to pound the fibers of his coconut frond stick

...using a stone to spread the fibers.

After gathering raw materials to make Egg Tempera paints, the students created personal Paint Charts:

 

& began painting...

 

Now for the really great part: 

This is Avelino:

  (...he is helping Roselyn with another project Sue had for us, making decorative cement tiles.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2006, Sue worked with Avelino to create paintings for the nursery rhyme she edited to suit our rural Filipino culture.  Here (finally!) are the front and back covers of the book that has been published: 

And I hope you enjoy it, too! 

Thank you, Sue, for far more than is expressed here...