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Hi! If you're here for the public links and stories, happy browsing! I also added a music tag.
I love getting comments! Please no "shoulds" or "why don't you just".
Happy to give access to folks who can read and comment with kindness. Let me know if you're interested.
It's always access-change Amnesty Day around here. If you want to stop having access, I can take you back off, no questions asked. Likewise, I may change my reading/access list if I can't cope with something, with no implied judgments.
I wrote some books about healing from trauma!
Wellspring of Compassion: Self-Care for Sensitive People Healing from Trauma
Welcome to support and comfort whether you are new to healing or an old hand, whether the trauma is long past or ongoing.
Presence After Trauma: Reconcile with Your Self and the World
This book is a non-judgmental companion for your healing process after the initial crisis is over.
Embodying Hope: Living in Difficult Times with a Difficult Past
We embody hope when we keep moving forward, one stubborn step after another, and when we take shelter for protection and rest.
How to make a post sticky, for future reference, and anyone else who's wondering.
It's a helicon!
Sep. 29th, 2026 07:17 amRemember the mystery horn I glimpsed someone wearing and playing as they walked down the street? It's a helicon! The owl is wearing and playing one in this Balkan festival t-shirt design.
I was hanging out on the hall's front porch before class at the Balkanalia festival, like you do, and there was someone wearing a horn like the one I saw! He kindly assembled the mouthpiece and played it a bit to confirm it sounded similar to the one I heard. He told me it's a helicon, and he learned to play it because he wanted to be in a Balkan band and this is the right instrument for that.
Now I'm even more curious about my mysterious neighbor or visitor. I haven't heard it before or since, and it's quite a distinctive, attention-grabbing sound.
I was hanging out on the hall's front porch before class at the Balkanalia festival, like you do, and there was someone wearing a horn like the one I saw! He kindly assembled the mouthpiece and played it a bit to confirm it sounded similar to the one I heard. He told me it's a helicon, and he learned to play it because he wanted to be in a Balkan band and this is the right instrument for that.
Now I'm even more curious about my mysterious neighbor or visitor. I haven't heard it before or since, and it's quite a distinctive, attention-grabbing sound.
"The Wheel" by Wendell Berry
Sep. 27th, 2026 09:00 pmThe Wheel
At the first strokes of the fiddle bow
the dancers rise from their seats.
The dance begins to shape itself
in the crowd, as couples join,
and couples join couples, their movement
together lightening their feet.
They move in the ancient circle
of the dance. The dance and the song
call each other into being. Soon
they are one — rapt in a single
rapture, so that even the night
has its clarity, and time
is the wheel that brings it round.
In this rapture the dead return.
Sorrow is gone from them.
They are light. They step
into the steps of the living
and turn with them in the dance
in the sweet enclosure
of the song, and timeless
is the wheel that brings it round.
~ Wendell Berry, born 1934, American poet, writer, and farmer
Text found here
This poem was recited today to a hall full of dancers as part of the celebration of life for Joyce Clyde, a folk dancer, singer, musician, and friend beloved by all. I don't think it's going to have the same resonance here in pixels, but in the dance hall it resounded like a gong and moved me to tears.
I will miss singing in the dance line with Joyce, and chatting when we both decided to sit one out, and most of all I will miss the sense of warm welcome that she shared.
At the first strokes of the fiddle bow
the dancers rise from their seats.
The dance begins to shape itself
in the crowd, as couples join,
and couples join couples, their movement
together lightening their feet.
They move in the ancient circle
of the dance. The dance and the song
call each other into being. Soon
they are one — rapt in a single
rapture, so that even the night
has its clarity, and time
is the wheel that brings it round.
In this rapture the dead return.
Sorrow is gone from them.
They are light. They step
into the steps of the living
and turn with them in the dance
in the sweet enclosure
of the song, and timeless
is the wheel that brings it round.
~ Wendell Berry, born 1934, American poet, writer, and farmer
Text found here
This poem was recited today to a hall full of dancers as part of the celebration of life for Joyce Clyde, a folk dancer, singer, musician, and friend beloved by all. I don't think it's going to have the same resonance here in pixels, but in the dance hall it resounded like a gong and moved me to tears.
I will miss singing in the dance line with Joyce, and chatting when we both decided to sit one out, and most of all I will miss the sense of warm welcome that she shared.
Songs from Akhaltsikhe 2026
Sep. 20th, 2026 05:07 pmI went on Carl Linich's two week singing study tour to Georgia this summer. We went to Akhaltsikhe, a small city near the Turkish border about three hours drive south-west of the capital Tbilisi. It's in the Meskheti region, and we were there to study with Zaza Tamarashvili, the leader of the Meskheti Ensemble and a wonderful singer and teacher. Most of the songs in his section are linked to videos of the Meskheti Ensemble.
We also learned some songs from Carl, and from Nino Naneishvili, the leader of the Ialoni women's ensemble. It was amazing to learn from each one of them.
Here's a list of all 25 (!) songs, most of them with video links.
Avtandil Gadinadira - Meskheti Ensemble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgAC3eHt35E
( lots more songs and links )
We also learned some songs from Carl, and from Nino Naneishvili, the leader of the Ialoni women's ensemble. It was amazing to learn from each one of them.
Here's a list of all 25 (!) songs, most of them with video links.
Zaza Tamarashvili
Avtandil Gadinadira - Meskheti Ensemble
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgAC3eHt35E
( lots more songs and links )
Story! Whose Categories? Whose AI?
Sep. 3rd, 2026 08:22 amWhose Categories? Whose AI?
A delightful story about a community collectively asserting their power and getting technology that does what they need.
From the introduction:
A delightful story about a community collectively asserting their power and getting technology that does what they need.
From the introduction:
Through this blog series, we are exploring what the world can look like when technology is designed and deployed for the benefit of all. These broad, near-future speculative pieces are designed to de-center dominant narratives and challenge us all to realize that things can be different. These are not alternative realities. They are possible futures.
I am visiting Portland over Labor Day weekend, same AirBnb and connecting with the same friends I did a year ago, and then going to the same Balkan festival. (I’m in the header photo of that page, second from the left, from at least ten years ago.)
Last year I rented a bike and enjoyed riding all around on the bike routes I used to frequent. I decided not to do that this time, which is good because it’s cool and rainy rather than hot and sunny. I don’t mind biking in the rain, but it’s a lot more hassle and gear, especially with an unfamiliar bike that might not have fenders.
I can tell that my nervous system is a lot more settled this year. ( Calmer and slower )
It just all feels easier. I wonder if it’s a gift from the Georgia trip. Not just having successfully gotten through such a long international trip without too many physical difficulties, but being there, immersed in singing. Doing a thing I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
The great thing about visiting Georgia with people with good connections is that opportunities pop up, arranged at the last minute. ( Visiting Maro Babo )
This video shows Maro Jujunadze at her museum in Village Muskhi three years ago (only 90!) rocking a cradle (“es ak’vani”) as she sings the song, recorded by our other teacher Nino Naneishvili, who is an ethnographic researcher. We crowded into that same room and she sat on that same couch when she sang for us and with us.
Last year I rented a bike and enjoyed riding all around on the bike routes I used to frequent. I decided not to do that this time, which is good because it’s cool and rainy rather than hot and sunny. I don’t mind biking in the rain, but it’s a lot more hassle and gear, especially with an unfamiliar bike that might not have fenders.
I can tell that my nervous system is a lot more settled this year. ( Calmer and slower )
It just all feels easier. I wonder if it’s a gift from the Georgia trip. Not just having successfully gotten through such a long international trip without too many physical difficulties, but being there, immersed in singing. Doing a thing I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
The great thing about visiting Georgia with people with good connections is that opportunities pop up, arranged at the last minute. ( Visiting Maro Babo )
This video shows Maro Jujunadze at her museum in Village Muskhi three years ago (only 90!) rocking a cradle (“es ak’vani”) as she sings the song, recorded by our other teacher Nino Naneishvili, who is an ethnographic researcher. We crowded into that same room and she sat on that same couch when she sang for us and with us.
Two songs that make me cry
Aug. 31st, 2026 08:20 pmI heard this one at a friend's concert recently, and it grabbed me and made me cry, right there sitting next to strangers in the light of day. I can see how people could interpret it as religious, but what I respond to is the acknowledgement of sorrow and tears borne alone. By Way of Sorrow by Julie Miller.
I like the sound of Cry Cry Cry's version better, but they cut some of the lyrics.
( Full lyrics )
I saw this one online about a year ago and it immediately made me cry. I can watch it without crying now, but I still really like the message that we're all dealing with shame and how they put together the video with all the expressive people's faces. "It's Alright" by Mother Mother.
I like the sound of Cry Cry Cry's version better, but they cut some of the lyrics.
( Full lyrics )
I saw this one online about a year ago and it immediately made me cry. I can watch it without crying now, but I still really like the message that we're all dealing with shame and how they put together the video with all the expressive people's faces. "It's Alright" by Mother Mother.
Two sounds make a post
Aug. 29th, 2026 10:09 pmThe whooo whoooooo of an owl as I biked home through town just after sunset. It must be so lovely for the people who live there to hear an owl from the trees nearby.
Someone skillfully playing a low musical horn as I sat at home. I thought a new neighbor might be practicing tuba, but I saw someone walking by more or less wrapped in a horn and playing it. It didn't seem big enough to be a tuba, so I'm not sure what horn it was. Maybe they'll walk by making music again and I can get a better look at it.
ETA: Thanks to everyone for the horn suggestions! Having searched for images a little more, I don’t think it was a sousaphone. It had the complex tubing of a tuba (hah!) but I didn’t see a big horn. So maybe it was a euphonium like![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thistleingrey suggested.
Also check out these owl calls courtesy ofjesse_the_k! Those are for California but there are links for other states at the bottom. My owl friend was probably a Great Horned Owl.
ETAA: It's a helicon! The owl is wearing and playing one in this Balkan festival t-shirt design.
Someone skillfully playing a low musical horn as I sat at home. I thought a new neighbor might be practicing tuba, but I saw someone walking by more or less wrapped in a horn and playing it. It didn't seem big enough to be a tuba, so I'm not sure what horn it was. Maybe they'll walk by making music again and I can get a better look at it.
ETA: Thanks to everyone for the horn suggestions! Having searched for images a little more, I don’t think it was a sousaphone. It had the complex tubing of a tuba (hah!) but I didn’t see a big horn. So maybe it was a euphonium like
thistleingrey suggested.Also check out these owl calls courtesy of
jesse_the_k! Those are for California but there are links for other states at the bottom. My owl friend was probably a Great Horned Owl.ETAA: It's a helicon! The owl is wearing and playing one in this Balkan festival t-shirt design.
Question about housesitters
Aug. 15th, 2026 07:08 amLooking for advice about dealing with a housesitter.
I was nervous about turning my house over to a housesitter, but I didn't want Basil to be alone for 3 weeks while I was away in the Republic of Georgia. I cleaned everything and put away things that seemed vulnerable to harm, like my carbon steel knives that need to be immediately washed and dried after use.
One thing I was nervous about was the possibility of a stranger bleeding on my sheets. I was always careful and washed out blood before it could stain, but it's not a conversation one can really have. Sure enough, she said she washed the sheets before I got home, but I see stains on them. She probably washed them in warm and set them in. :-( I'll try to wash it out, but it grates that I have to.
Something I didn't anticipate, is that she broke the tub spout so that it doesn't fully shift the water to the shower anymore. I was really looking forward to a proper shower too, rather than rinse (sometimes with cold water), turn water off and soap up, then rinse again. I asked about it by message last night, and she said it was like that from the first time she tried to use it. Worked fine when I left. We're going to look at it together when she comes to return the key so I can see what she did. The toilet paper holder is also loose, so she seems to have a heavy hand.
The problem is, I already paid her and added a tip ($70) before I discovered these things, and she didn't disclose them herself. I felt pressured to pay quickly, and noticed I felt uncomfortable, but figured she needed the money or was worried about being paid.
I'm thinking of asking her to refund the tip, and I'm wondering whether I should ask her to foot some of the plumbing bill.
Have you had an issue with a housesitter before? How did you resolve it? Is this considered normal wear and tear for someone staying at the house?
I was nervous about turning my house over to a housesitter, but I didn't want Basil to be alone for 3 weeks while I was away in the Republic of Georgia. I cleaned everything and put away things that seemed vulnerable to harm, like my carbon steel knives that need to be immediately washed and dried after use.
One thing I was nervous about was the possibility of a stranger bleeding on my sheets. I was always careful and washed out blood before it could stain, but it's not a conversation one can really have. Sure enough, she said she washed the sheets before I got home, but I see stains on them. She probably washed them in warm and set them in. :-( I'll try to wash it out, but it grates that I have to.
Something I didn't anticipate, is that she broke the tub spout so that it doesn't fully shift the water to the shower anymore. I was really looking forward to a proper shower too, rather than rinse (sometimes with cold water), turn water off and soap up, then rinse again. I asked about it by message last night, and she said it was like that from the first time she tried to use it. Worked fine when I left. We're going to look at it together when she comes to return the key so I can see what she did. The toilet paper holder is also loose, so she seems to have a heavy hand.
The problem is, I already paid her and added a tip ($70) before I discovered these things, and she didn't disclose them herself. I felt pressured to pay quickly, and noticed I felt uncomfortable, but figured she needed the money or was worried about being paid.
I'm thinking of asking her to refund the tip, and I'm wondering whether I should ask her to foot some of the plumbing bill.
Have you had an issue with a housesitter before? How did you resolve it? Is this considered normal wear and tear for someone staying at the house?
Long journey home
Aug. 14th, 2026 12:50 pmYesterday morning we all got on a minibus in Ahaltsikhe for the 3 1/2 hour ride back to Tbilisi. (Pronounced Bilisi with the emphasis on the first syllable and a “t” sound in front. It means “warm place” for the sulfur hot springs there.) The first part of the drive snakes and switchbacks through mountains with views of green rugged valleys, and then it opens out to flatter terrain. Tbilisi itself is very hilly.
The day before we left, someone dumped five young puppies on the guest house property. Maybe 4 weeks old, friendly, hungry. No mother in sight. Mix of black, spotted, brindled. Two were smaller than the others, and the small black one moved awkwardly as if its hips weren’t formed right. I knew we couldn’t take responsibility for them, and I didn’t know if the guest house owner would be interested, but Mari, our singer who speaks Georgian requested some milk and bread and water for them. They ate eagerly.
I checked on them before we left, and the brown spotted one with one blue and one brown eye cried piercingly to me. Eager puppies crowded around my feet. Mari brought them more food, and one of the local adult strays came of to investigate both the puppies and the food. She (?) sniffed them, licked them, and played with them gently. Our Georgian-speaking tour assistant contacted some kind of animal shelter so hopefully they will be cared for. It was hard for us all to leave them behind.
We arrived at the Tbilisi guest house in mid-afternoon and stood around in the yard for a while waiting for rooms and beds to be assigned. I ended up in the same bed I slept in at the beginning of the trip, which is what I would have done in the first place, but now with a dozen irritated mosquito bites on my legs, which kept me from sleeping well.
I had asked Ray to go to the Open Air Ethnographic Museum with me, but he said he wanted to go the next day when there was more time, so I shrugged and went by myself. I stopped for snacks at Europroduct since we never had lunch, and called a Bolt car (like Lyft, but much cheaper) like a grownup experienced traveller. I did get a little scared when the driver stuck to twisty one-lane back streets, but we did come out at the museum at the top of the hill.
It’s a series of typical homes from different regions and periods in Georgia, with furnishings and a docent in each one. Some of the docents can even give their speech in English! The best part was chatting with George A (full name to be added later) who makes woodcuts of the cabins and places in Georgia. I bought a small mountain scene from near Akhaltsikhe.
Took a Bolt back, which came more quickly than I expected and he took main roads back. Gratefully accepted some dinner from our host Keti, and listened to her and her middle-aged daughter Nino and tour leader Carl chat in Georgian. Took a shower and then asked Nino if she wanted to go for a walk, and we walked to Vake Park which is almost back to the Ethnographic museum! It was a lovely walk and she practiced her extensive English.
Then I repacked and set my alarm for 3:30am for a 6:45 flight departure from Tbilisi airport. I really didn’t sleep much, partly from anxiety about taking Bolt to the airport, and finally got up at 3:15 and crept out. Bolt worked fine, although there was a minor misunderstanding about pickup location and he drove his Tesla very fast. Took the 2 1/2 hour flight to Istanbul, kicked around the huge airport with a 4 hour layover, and now we’re boarding soon.
They offered 600 Euros and a hotel stay to get bumped to the next flight, and I considered it, since I don’t know when I might be in Istanbul again. The night before was also a short night because out last day in Akhaltsikhe we sang during the day, then visited a nearby mountain monastery, then had a goodbye Supra (singing dinner party) until 1am, then packed up for the morning departure. I just want to go home.
Now we are boarded for the 13 1/2 hour flight home. After which, baggage, Customs, BART, walk, and home.
The day before we left, someone dumped five young puppies on the guest house property. Maybe 4 weeks old, friendly, hungry. No mother in sight. Mix of black, spotted, brindled. Two were smaller than the others, and the small black one moved awkwardly as if its hips weren’t formed right. I knew we couldn’t take responsibility for them, and I didn’t know if the guest house owner would be interested, but Mari, our singer who speaks Georgian requested some milk and bread and water for them. They ate eagerly.
I checked on them before we left, and the brown spotted one with one blue and one brown eye cried piercingly to me. Eager puppies crowded around my feet. Mari brought them more food, and one of the local adult strays came of to investigate both the puppies and the food. She (?) sniffed them, licked them, and played with them gently. Our Georgian-speaking tour assistant contacted some kind of animal shelter so hopefully they will be cared for. It was hard for us all to leave them behind.
We arrived at the Tbilisi guest house in mid-afternoon and stood around in the yard for a while waiting for rooms and beds to be assigned. I ended up in the same bed I slept in at the beginning of the trip, which is what I would have done in the first place, but now with a dozen irritated mosquito bites on my legs, which kept me from sleeping well.
I had asked Ray to go to the Open Air Ethnographic Museum with me, but he said he wanted to go the next day when there was more time, so I shrugged and went by myself. I stopped for snacks at Europroduct since we never had lunch, and called a Bolt car (like Lyft, but much cheaper) like a grownup experienced traveller. I did get a little scared when the driver stuck to twisty one-lane back streets, but we did come out at the museum at the top of the hill.
It’s a series of typical homes from different regions and periods in Georgia, with furnishings and a docent in each one. Some of the docents can even give their speech in English! The best part was chatting with George A (full name to be added later) who makes woodcuts of the cabins and places in Georgia. I bought a small mountain scene from near Akhaltsikhe.
Took a Bolt back, which came more quickly than I expected and he took main roads back. Gratefully accepted some dinner from our host Keti, and listened to her and her middle-aged daughter Nino and tour leader Carl chat in Georgian. Took a shower and then asked Nino if she wanted to go for a walk, and we walked to Vake Park which is almost back to the Ethnographic museum! It was a lovely walk and she practiced her extensive English.
Then I repacked and set my alarm for 3:30am for a 6:45 flight departure from Tbilisi airport. I really didn’t sleep much, partly from anxiety about taking Bolt to the airport, and finally got up at 3:15 and crept out. Bolt worked fine, although there was a minor misunderstanding about pickup location and he drove his Tesla very fast. Took the 2 1/2 hour flight to Istanbul, kicked around the huge airport with a 4 hour layover, and now we’re boarding soon.
They offered 600 Euros and a hotel stay to get bumped to the next flight, and I considered it, since I don’t know when I might be in Istanbul again. The night before was also a short night because out last day in Akhaltsikhe we sang during the day, then visited a nearby mountain monastery, then had a goodbye Supra (singing dinner party) until 1am, then packed up for the morning departure. I just want to go home.
Now we are boarded for the 13 1/2 hour flight home. After which, baggage, Customs, BART, walk, and home.
Songs from Meskheti
Aug. 11th, 2026 08:45 amIn the June session of the choir I sing with, we learned the Georgian song Mamli Mukhasa, using the following uncredited source video, although we didn’t include the second slow part at the end.
The small city of Akhaltsikhe is in the Meskheti region of Georgia, and we are here learning songs local to the region from songmaster Zaza Tamarashvili and his Meskheti Ensemble. A couple days after we arrived, we went to a harvest festival in a nearby village where the ensemble was performing. We joined in on the local version of Mravalzhamier that Zaza had just taught us. They also sang Ok’ro Mch’edelo and Mamli Mukhasa that I knew well enough to sing along without a word sheet.
The last song Zaza taught us is Mamli Mukhasa. Turns out it’s from Meskheti. As he taught us the slow part at the end, I put the video together with the person in front of me, and realized the video is of him and his ensemble! It was uploaded 12 years ago, so he’s a little grayer, but still singing the song the same way. He looks intimidating, but in addition to being a fantastic singer, he’s a kind, warm person and a great teacher. He taught us seven songs each with three parts in four days, including having to dictate the lyrics on the spot because he didn’t even have word sheets, much less sheet music.
He is dedicated to the history and folklore of his home region of Meskheti. The Mravalzhamier video is filmed at Rabati Castle (the “new castle” that Akhaltsikhe is named for) and he gave us a tour there today. He is also a physics professor - running and singing with a folk ensemble doesn’t pay the rent in Georgia any more than it does in the US.
The small city of Akhaltsikhe is in the Meskheti region of Georgia, and we are here learning songs local to the region from songmaster Zaza Tamarashvili and his Meskheti Ensemble. A couple days after we arrived, we went to a harvest festival in a nearby village where the ensemble was performing. We joined in on the local version of Mravalzhamier that Zaza had just taught us. They also sang Ok’ro Mch’edelo and Mamli Mukhasa that I knew well enough to sing along without a word sheet.
The last song Zaza taught us is Mamli Mukhasa. Turns out it’s from Meskheti. As he taught us the slow part at the end, I put the video together with the person in front of me, and realized the video is of him and his ensemble! It was uploaded 12 years ago, so he’s a little grayer, but still singing the song the same way. He looks intimidating, but in addition to being a fantastic singer, he’s a kind, warm person and a great teacher. He taught us seven songs each with three parts in four days, including having to dictate the lyrics on the spot because he didn’t even have word sheets, much less sheet music.
He is dedicated to the history and folklore of his home region of Meskheti. The Mravalzhamier video is filmed at Rabati Castle (the “new castle” that Akhaltsikhe is named for) and he gave us a tour there today. He is also a physics professor - running and singing with a folk ensemble doesn’t pay the rent in Georgia any more than it does in the US.
Story! Scarcely Gone
Aug. 11th, 2026 04:19 amScarcely Gone by Marissa Lingen, mrissa, a graceful inversion of a ghost story.
mrissa, a graceful inversion of a ghost story.Tbilisi shopping
Aug. 3rd, 2026 10:51 pmThere are tiny little shops everywhere in Tbilisi selling vegetables, and convenience-sized stores selling the usual convenience store items. Mostly useful for getting more bottled water while out walking. Larger grocery stores or supermarkets are harder to find.
We went to a “grocery store” near the guest house, and it turned out to have mostly fresh vegetables, some meat and dairy, and some packaged nuts and dried fruit. I bought some dried apples (that turn out to be sugared like mango slices) and some pistachios that fortunately turned out to be roasted and salted. There was a “Europroduct” store nearby that turned out to have more of the packaged foods I was looking for, including a gluten-free section. I bought some delicious gluten-free chocolate-covered butter cookies, rice cakes, and tahini (which turned out to leak slightly, not a good sign, so I turned it over to the kitchen here to use or dispose of). Fortunately I haven’t needed my supplies that much, but they’re good to have, especially with the late mealtimes. Breakfast at 9, lunch at 2, dinner at 8.
My friend had told me about a big supermarket with a gluten-free section at Liberty Square in Tbilisi, which was harder to get to without buses running on Rustaveli Ave. We did finally get there after a long day of walking, and by then I felt well enough supplied and didn’t buy anything. The store is called Goodwill.
I lost the plot while I was packing, and only brought one knee-length skirt and two pairs of black pants, along with several tops. It’s way too hot to wear black pants, so I was searching for another skirt to buy. We stopped in various boutiques and vintage stores, and I finally found a long-ish skirt of a light material (hopefully cotton?) in kind of a burnt orange color with a subtle swirl & flower pattern. Not my usual color, and longer than I like, but I did bring a white top that matches it, and I can wear it inside Georgian Orthodox churches where women are required to wear a skirt that covers the knees, a top that covers the shoulders, and a head scarf.
The skirt was 60 lari, about $25, not too bad. It was at a vintage store, but the salesperson said it was new, even though it didn’t have tags. Fortunately it smells neither chemical-y from dyes nor stinky from people’s perfumes or laundry detergent. I may have gotten overcharged if I should have bargained, but whatever.
We went to a huge flea market/farmers market/cluster of small shops because Molly wanted spices. She wended her way in by memory and found the exact spice seller she liked from three years before, and bought a substantial bag of spices for what she said came to $8. Maybe I should have bought some too, but that wasn’t one of my goals.
I had itchy swelling bites from the local mosquitoes, to the point where I started wondering about bedbugs or spiders, but I’m assured it’s the mosquitoes. I stopped in at a random tiny pharmacy, pointed at the most swollen bug bite, and asked for hydrocortisone. I got “green ointment” with herbs instead, which I shrugged and bought. I thought she said “60…70 lari” and I didn’t argue. It turned out to be “16…17 lari”, so $7 for the 20g tube. It eased the itching, and by the end of the day the swelling was much better, so that worked out well.
Later I stopped in a random electronics store to get a European USB charger, because the one I bought through Amazon was falling out of the outlet. I paid 60 lari for one that takes both USB A and USB C, which again, I needed it, so it’s fine. It was 35 for just USB C. I heard someone say they paid more like 45 for a single one, so I guess I did ok.
As we were walking around we came across the Otkhi Ceramics Factory (TripAdvisor link) and looked at their factory store. I bought a small mug, and the others bought something too. Otkhi means 4, and it was founded by 4 ceramic artists.
We went to a “grocery store” near the guest house, and it turned out to have mostly fresh vegetables, some meat and dairy, and some packaged nuts and dried fruit. I bought some dried apples (that turn out to be sugared like mango slices) and some pistachios that fortunately turned out to be roasted and salted. There was a “Europroduct” store nearby that turned out to have more of the packaged foods I was looking for, including a gluten-free section. I bought some delicious gluten-free chocolate-covered butter cookies, rice cakes, and tahini (which turned out to leak slightly, not a good sign, so I turned it over to the kitchen here to use or dispose of). Fortunately I haven’t needed my supplies that much, but they’re good to have, especially with the late mealtimes. Breakfast at 9, lunch at 2, dinner at 8.
My friend had told me about a big supermarket with a gluten-free section at Liberty Square in Tbilisi, which was harder to get to without buses running on Rustaveli Ave. We did finally get there after a long day of walking, and by then I felt well enough supplied and didn’t buy anything. The store is called Goodwill.
I lost the plot while I was packing, and only brought one knee-length skirt and two pairs of black pants, along with several tops. It’s way too hot to wear black pants, so I was searching for another skirt to buy. We stopped in various boutiques and vintage stores, and I finally found a long-ish skirt of a light material (hopefully cotton?) in kind of a burnt orange color with a subtle swirl & flower pattern. Not my usual color, and longer than I like, but I did bring a white top that matches it, and I can wear it inside Georgian Orthodox churches where women are required to wear a skirt that covers the knees, a top that covers the shoulders, and a head scarf.
The skirt was 60 lari, about $25, not too bad. It was at a vintage store, but the salesperson said it was new, even though it didn’t have tags. Fortunately it smells neither chemical-y from dyes nor stinky from people’s perfumes or laundry detergent. I may have gotten overcharged if I should have bargained, but whatever.
We went to a huge flea market/farmers market/cluster of small shops because Molly wanted spices. She wended her way in by memory and found the exact spice seller she liked from three years before, and bought a substantial bag of spices for what she said came to $8. Maybe I should have bought some too, but that wasn’t one of my goals.
I had itchy swelling bites from the local mosquitoes, to the point where I started wondering about bedbugs or spiders, but I’m assured it’s the mosquitoes. I stopped in at a random tiny pharmacy, pointed at the most swollen bug bite, and asked for hydrocortisone. I got “green ointment” with herbs instead, which I shrugged and bought. I thought she said “60…70 lari” and I didn’t argue. It turned out to be “16…17 lari”, so $7 for the 20g tube. It eased the itching, and by the end of the day the swelling was much better, so that worked out well.
Later I stopped in a random electronics store to get a European USB charger, because the one I bought through Amazon was falling out of the outlet. I paid 60 lari for one that takes both USB A and USB C, which again, I needed it, so it’s fine. It was 35 for just USB C. I heard someone say they paid more like 45 for a single one, so I guess I did ok.
As we were walking around we came across the Otkhi Ceramics Factory (TripAdvisor link) and looked at their factory store. I bought a small mug, and the others bought something too. Otkhi means 4, and it was founded by 4 ceramic artists.
Two days in Tbilisi
Aug. 2nd, 2026 08:32 amThe trip has been lovely so far. And tiring and stressful in some ways. But also so much exactly what I wanted that it moves me to tears when I think about it.
My fellow students have been very kind. Two others arrived early and stayed at the same guest house, and we all poked around Tbilisi together. They had been here before and are better at staying oriented and also more willing to use the Google Maps app (I decided I should install it but couldn’t bring myself to do it) so it was a huge relief to walk around with them rather than trying to get oriented on my own. Tbilisi is a hilly, old city with twisty narrow streets at all angles to each other.
The main through-street in town, Shota Rustaveli Ave, was abruptly shut down for road work a couple of days before we arrived. This is the wide, straight street all the bus lines run on, so traffic and buses were all snarled up. I did install Bolt, a ride app like Uber, and call a couple of taxis. It’s immensely cheaper than Uber in the Bay Area, only a few dollars to get across town, including sitting in the aforementioned traffic.
One cultural difference is that drivers (and motor-bike riders and pedestrians) don’t wait to be let in. They just go. All the drivers are very alert and attentive and ready to stop when someone cuts in. There are probably mutually understood rules about when to go.
The guest house serves breakfast, and while a lot of it is bread-based, they eat buckwheat made from whole grains, so they made some of that for me instead of my using the milled buckwheat cereal I brought with me. Georgian hospitality is legendary. It’s a good thing I was only at the guest house for 3 mornings because the portion Keti served me got larger each day.
We ate our other meals at restaurants, and I had the best dolmas I’ve ever had, but overall it was hard to find food that was both gluten- and nightshade-free. My system seems to be handling it okay, kind of achy but no full migraines (yet). I’ve been taking tylenol or advil when it starts tightening down.
The weather in Tbilisi was miraculously warm and slightly rainy rather than oppressively hot. Before the trip I kept reading that late July and August are anti-recommended times to visit there, and thinking welp, but we got lucky.
There are a lot of stone buildings, and brick, and some plaster. Balconies everywhere, and bars on windows, with ornate handmade metalwork, each a little different from the next, as my new friend the goldsmith pointed out.
Steps and gaps and broken stone on the sidewalks, not ADA-compliant as one person told me. We saw exactly two handicapped ramps, one of them with impassably rough broken pavement leading up to it. Very few traffic lights with pedestrian crossings. Looooong lights where they exist.
To be continued, since it’s getting late.
My fellow students have been very kind. Two others arrived early and stayed at the same guest house, and we all poked around Tbilisi together. They had been here before and are better at staying oriented and also more willing to use the Google Maps app (I decided I should install it but couldn’t bring myself to do it) so it was a huge relief to walk around with them rather than trying to get oriented on my own. Tbilisi is a hilly, old city with twisty narrow streets at all angles to each other.
The main through-street in town, Shota Rustaveli Ave, was abruptly shut down for road work a couple of days before we arrived. This is the wide, straight street all the bus lines run on, so traffic and buses were all snarled up. I did install Bolt, a ride app like Uber, and call a couple of taxis. It’s immensely cheaper than Uber in the Bay Area, only a few dollars to get across town, including sitting in the aforementioned traffic.
One cultural difference is that drivers (and motor-bike riders and pedestrians) don’t wait to be let in. They just go. All the drivers are very alert and attentive and ready to stop when someone cuts in. There are probably mutually understood rules about when to go.
The guest house serves breakfast, and while a lot of it is bread-based, they eat buckwheat made from whole grains, so they made some of that for me instead of my using the milled buckwheat cereal I brought with me. Georgian hospitality is legendary. It’s a good thing I was only at the guest house for 3 mornings because the portion Keti served me got larger each day.
We ate our other meals at restaurants, and I had the best dolmas I’ve ever had, but overall it was hard to find food that was both gluten- and nightshade-free. My system seems to be handling it okay, kind of achy but no full migraines (yet). I’ve been taking tylenol or advil when it starts tightening down.
The weather in Tbilisi was miraculously warm and slightly rainy rather than oppressively hot. Before the trip I kept reading that late July and August are anti-recommended times to visit there, and thinking welp, but we got lucky.
There are a lot of stone buildings, and brick, and some plaster. Balconies everywhere, and bars on windows, with ornate handmade metalwork, each a little different from the next, as my new friend the goldsmith pointed out.
Steps and gaps and broken stone on the sidewalks, not ADA-compliant as one person told me. We saw exactly two handicapped ramps, one of them with impassably rough broken pavement leading up to it. Very few traffic lights with pedestrian crossings. Looooong lights where they exist.
To be continued, since it’s getting late.
Travel preparations
Jul. 27th, 2026 07:17 amEven though my flight to Istanbul and then Tbilisi, Georgia isn't until 1pm, and I don't have to leave to catch the BART train until 8:30am to be at the airport 3 hours early, I got up at 5am to start making the adjustment to Georgia time. An 11 hour time difference is a lot, and I don't adjust well. I'm trying melatonin, too. So I have time to update here after all the packing and cleaning is done.
Having a house sitter feels very odd. I felt the need to put everything away and deep clean to make the house ready for a guest. I both want her to be comfortable, and want her not to touch or change certain things. Fortunately she's also fragrance-free, and she agreed not to bring gluten into the house.
She said she would be cooking in my kitchen, so I put out the nice stainless steel knives and put the carbon steel ones that have to be washed and dried after every use in the back of the drawer. I put out a cutting board that I don't mind her cutting onion and garlic on. I don't use alliums myself, and they linger on cutting boards.
She's available to stay here for 9 days, and then will be visiting Basil twice a day after that, which seems like a good compromise between cost and company for him. The trip is 19 days altogether.
Yesterday was the John St. Jumble, an annual yard sale on a nearby street. Almost 30 years ago, I was looking for a fondue pot and a set of dishes, and I found both. Another year I got a nice wood dining table set and a Japanese hanging. Yesterday I got a clear plastic travel pouch exactly like what I had been visualizing to put my pill bottles in (yes, I feel old), and a sun hat like the ones I've been admiring on other people's heads. And a skirt from a former swing dancer my size, but I hadn't specifically been looking for that.
The conversations are great, too. I bought a Tom Lehrer songbook from one man, and admired his speakers. He was sharing Beatles and Joni Mitchell with the neighborhood on a nice stereo. He said he needed to clean the contacts because the sound is fading in and out. "Oh, I should try that! Mine do that too." He recommended a person and shop to get speakers repaired. It's been better since I took them apart and put them back together again, but it still happens occasionally, and it would be great to have it fully fixed. I'll look into that when I get back.
Anyway, availability will be limited for the next 3 weeks. I have a huge backlog of links to post, but I'm not sure I want to visit some of them on a foreign network. Maybe that will be a jet lagged project for when I get back.
I get back on a Friday and have a couple of days before I have to go back to work. The good thing about leaving the country is that we are strictly forbidden from accessing work systems from outside the continental US, so I deleted all the work-related apps off my phone and they are on their own.
We were supposed to get a response from HR about the grievance about my low annual review (yes, that is still dragging on!), but they didn't say anything. There's also a pending formal complaint against my manager that they kept asking for, but then turned into a bias investigation. You can't detect bias by "interviewing witnesses," people! But anyway, I will find out about all that when I get back. I'm kind of resigned to putting up with their bullshit for a while longer, while still putting out feelers for a new job.
Basil is snuggled in my lap, making noises at the crows he can see on the telephone wires outside the window. My neighbor across the street puts seeds out for them on her balcony railing, so I think they're hanging out waiting for breakfast. I hate to leave him, but I'm sure he will be fine.
Having a house sitter feels very odd. I felt the need to put everything away and deep clean to make the house ready for a guest. I both want her to be comfortable, and want her not to touch or change certain things. Fortunately she's also fragrance-free, and she agreed not to bring gluten into the house.
She said she would be cooking in my kitchen, so I put out the nice stainless steel knives and put the carbon steel ones that have to be washed and dried after every use in the back of the drawer. I put out a cutting board that I don't mind her cutting onion and garlic on. I don't use alliums myself, and they linger on cutting boards.
She's available to stay here for 9 days, and then will be visiting Basil twice a day after that, which seems like a good compromise between cost and company for him. The trip is 19 days altogether.
Yesterday was the John St. Jumble, an annual yard sale on a nearby street. Almost 30 years ago, I was looking for a fondue pot and a set of dishes, and I found both. Another year I got a nice wood dining table set and a Japanese hanging. Yesterday I got a clear plastic travel pouch exactly like what I had been visualizing to put my pill bottles in (yes, I feel old), and a sun hat like the ones I've been admiring on other people's heads. And a skirt from a former swing dancer my size, but I hadn't specifically been looking for that.
The conversations are great, too. I bought a Tom Lehrer songbook from one man, and admired his speakers. He was sharing Beatles and Joni Mitchell with the neighborhood on a nice stereo. He said he needed to clean the contacts because the sound is fading in and out. "Oh, I should try that! Mine do that too." He recommended a person and shop to get speakers repaired. It's been better since I took them apart and put them back together again, but it still happens occasionally, and it would be great to have it fully fixed. I'll look into that when I get back.
Anyway, availability will be limited for the next 3 weeks. I have a huge backlog of links to post, but I'm not sure I want to visit some of them on a foreign network. Maybe that will be a jet lagged project for when I get back.
I get back on a Friday and have a couple of days before I have to go back to work. The good thing about leaving the country is that we are strictly forbidden from accessing work systems from outside the continental US, so I deleted all the work-related apps off my phone and they are on their own.
We were supposed to get a response from HR about the grievance about my low annual review (yes, that is still dragging on!), but they didn't say anything. There's also a pending formal complaint against my manager that they kept asking for, but then turned into a bias investigation. You can't detect bias by "interviewing witnesses," people! But anyway, I will find out about all that when I get back. I'm kind of resigned to putting up with their bullshit for a while longer, while still putting out feelers for a new job.
Basil is snuggled in my lap, making noises at the crows he can see on the telephone wires outside the window. My neighbor across the street puts seeds out for them on her balcony railing, so I think they're hanging out waiting for breakfast. I hate to leave him, but I'm sure he will be fine.
Stories! Unexpected directions
Jul. 26th, 2026 08:17 amThe Unreal and the Real: The Selected Short Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin
Chapter 11: 8. Gwilan’s Harp by Ursula K. Le Guin. I hadn't read this story of hers, about a life touched by magic and dedicated to music. It's lyrical and pragmatic and has Le Guin's trademark just-right writing.
I'm not sure what zoboko.com is or why it has links to free books, and I no longer remember where I got the link.
Wend-Way-Go by Tim Pratt. A quirky story that goes in unexpected directions. This one and the next one viamuninnhuginn.
Trauma Momma by Jack Powers. I don't think this story earns its title, but it's interesting nevertheless. Content note for surgery and male pregancy.
Chapter 11: 8. Gwilan’s Harp by Ursula K. Le Guin. I hadn't read this story of hers, about a life touched by magic and dedicated to music. It's lyrical and pragmatic and has Le Guin's trademark just-right writing.
I'm not sure what zoboko.com is or why it has links to free books, and I no longer remember where I got the link.
Wend-Way-Go by Tim Pratt. A quirky story that goes in unexpected directions. This one and the next one via
muninnhuginn.Trauma Momma by Jack Powers. I don't think this story earns its title, but it's interesting nevertheless. Content note for surgery and male pregancy.
Polyphonic source recording collectors
Jul. 26th, 2026 07:21 amBalkan Polyphony, a group of people from Kraków, Poland recording singers across the Balkans and making them freely available on youtube.
Here's a wonderful version of Oj Livado Rosna Travo from Lika, Croatia. A small group from my choir sang this for a group of folk dancers on Friday.
Which reminds me of a similar project from Ukraine, Polyphony Project.
Here's Rozkopayte, khloptsi, hreblyu sung by Domenika Chekun, two of her sisters, and a friend.
And an earlier impromptu version sung by Domeninka Chekun, Nadia Tarnawsky, and friends. Rozkopajte Chlopci Hrebliu. (There is no standard transliteration from Ukrainian, so spelling varies.)
And Ts'utisopeli from Georgia, collected by Aurelia Shrenker. Here's an introduction to the project.
Eleoni Ensemble sings Ia Patnepio.
Here's a wonderful version of Oj Livado Rosna Travo from Lika, Croatia. A small group from my choir sang this for a group of folk dancers on Friday.
Which reminds me of a similar project from Ukraine, Polyphony Project.
Here's Rozkopayte, khloptsi, hreblyu sung by Domenika Chekun, two of her sisters, and a friend.
And an earlier impromptu version sung by Domeninka Chekun, Nadia Tarnawsky, and friends. Rozkopajte Chlopci Hrebliu. (There is no standard transliteration from Ukrainian, so spelling varies.)
And Ts'utisopeli from Georgia, collected by Aurelia Shrenker. Here's an introduction to the project.
Eleoni Ensemble sings Ia Patnepio.
Links: Worse on Purpose
Jul. 25th, 2026 02:38 pmYour Appliances Got Worse On Purpose by Keyana Sapp.
The article has a list of brands that are more trustworthy. The Worse On Purpose website has a lot of articles like this. Another one I read with interest is
Your Pet Care Got Worse On Purpose by Keyana Sapp. Vet consolidation, how they get around rules against that in some states, and the consequences for pet owners, starting with higher costs and continuing to scammy "pet insurance" plans that continue charging after the pet's death.
Cheap parts and efficiency rules often take the blame, but consolidation is the real cause. The decline came on deliberately, built into the machines one brand at a time, as the companies that once competed on quality stopped having to.
A handful of holdouts still build appliances that last for decades, and that is telling. Durability is clearly still possible. Most of the industry just decided it was worth less than the next sale.
[...]
Older appliances were mostly steel and mechanical controls, while newer ones run on plastic and circuit boards and Wi-Fi, and every one of those additions is one more part that can fail. The connected ones fail the most of all.
The article has a list of brands that are more trustworthy. The Worse On Purpose website has a lot of articles like this. Another one I read with interest is
Your Pet Care Got Worse On Purpose by Keyana Sapp. Vet consolidation, how they get around rules against that in some states, and the consequences for pet owners, starting with higher costs and continuing to scammy "pet insurance" plans that continue charging after the pet's death.
Home maintenance
Jul. 24th, 2026 09:31 pmBack in 2019 in my old house, I did a tiny remodel by picking out one of those arched kitchen faucets with a built-in sprayer, and having it installed along with a built-in water filter. I posted about it back then, with pictures. I enjoyed the heck out of that faucet, especially when I spent so much time standing at it washing my hands when the pandemic started.
When I moved into my current place in 2022, I missed that faucet, but the one here was good enough. I kept kind of thinking about it, and mentioned it to a handyperson or two, but it was never clear that I wanted to move forward.
Then the bathroom faucet started spraying water in all directions instead of neatly out the spout. I had been concerned about it because the flow had been decreasing for a while. It turns out it was a cartridge faucet and the whole thing had to be replaced, so I talked to the plumber, picked out a new bathroom faucet, and picked out a kitchen one while I was at it.
I'm so pleased with it! It's easier to turn on and off, so I don't end up running it full force, and it's easier to get larger things under it to fill them. And it is also lovely to have a bathroom faucet that sends water only where it's supposed to.
It was a whole lot more expensive than in 2019, partly because I'm in California now, partly because this all happened right after the Strait of Hormuz closed and everything got more expensive, partly because time has passed. But it's good to have it done. Fixing up this place the way I want it, little by little.
When I moved into my current place in 2022, I missed that faucet, but the one here was good enough. I kept kind of thinking about it, and mentioned it to a handyperson or two, but it was never clear that I wanted to move forward.
Then the bathroom faucet started spraying water in all directions instead of neatly out the spout. I had been concerned about it because the flow had been decreasing for a while. It turns out it was a cartridge faucet and the whole thing had to be replaced, so I talked to the plumber, picked out a new bathroom faucet, and picked out a kitchen one while I was at it.
I'm so pleased with it! It's easier to turn on and off, so I don't end up running it full force, and it's easier to get larger things under it to fill them. And it is also lovely to have a bathroom faucet that sends water only where it's supposed to.
It was a whole lot more expensive than in 2019, partly because I'm in California now, partly because this all happened right after the Strait of Hormuz closed and everything got more expensive, partly because time has passed. But it's good to have it done. Fixing up this place the way I want it, little by little.
Link: Muni music
Jul. 23rd, 2026 09:10 pmMuni Music Turns Buses and Trains Into a Unique Musical Composition by Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman.
Muni is San Francisco's transit system.
The musical site itself: munimusic.com. It doesn't work in LibreWolf (a Firefox offshoot) but it does work in Safari. Very soothing to listen to for a while.
“It’s an homage. It’s kinda like, ‘Hey, thanks, Muni, thanks for being there, and here’s my little attempt at giving something back,’” Burns said.
There’s some utility to the website as well. Burns used it the other day to check when the next train was coming, and then he rode home with his own Muni soundtrack.
Muni is San Francisco's transit system.
The musical site itself: munimusic.com. It doesn't work in LibreWolf (a Firefox offshoot) but it does work in Safari. Very soothing to listen to for a while.
Links: Questioning assumptions
Jul. 4th, 2026 05:05 pmFrom the Plantation to the Thicket: Juneteenth, Black Freedom, and ‘Marronage’ in Texas by DaLyah Jones.
Problematic Authors: Can We Separate the Art from the Artist? by Naomi Jacobs. "In chronological order here is what we know about these problematic writers." Content note: Some of your favorite authors might show up on this list.
How playgrounds reinvented childhood by Frank Jacobs.
A solar farm was built to make energy, but the ground beneath the panels quietly began doing something no one planned for by Carlos Albero Rojas.
Language learning methods that actually work #1: The binge.
Kruunuvuorensilta, the new icon of Helsinki.
[P]rior to 1865, many Afro-Texans reclaimed their sovereignty and autonomy well before the federal government acknowledged their basic humanity, though there’s a dearth of centralized information about Black placemaking in Texas from this time. This reclamation was called “marronage”—a term borrowed from French for this act of antebellum self-emancipation.
Problematic Authors: Can We Separate the Art from the Artist? by Naomi Jacobs. "In chronological order here is what we know about these problematic writers." Content note: Some of your favorite authors might show up on this list.
How playgrounds reinvented childhood by Frank Jacobs.
Playgrounds helped transform childhood from participation in public life into preparation for adulthood. From now on, childhood would be supervised and sanitized, zoned into a designated area and limited to a sandbox. No more pirate play on the Mississippi — for better or worse.
A solar farm was built to make energy, but the ground beneath the panels quietly began doing something no one planned for by Carlos Albero Rojas.
These two sites were different by design. Instead of bare gravel or closely mown grass, the panels were raised higher off the ground, leaving room underneath for something to grow.
Then the builders did something unusual. They carefully chose native grasses and wildflowers and planted them right under and around the rows, hoping to rebuild the habitat that used to be there and to hold the soil and water in place.
Language learning methods that actually work #1: The binge.
Speaking as a linguist who has read the literature on second language acquisition and understands 4 languages, I’ve always maintained that Duolingo is a trap; it will keep you spinning on wheels and feeling as if you’re learning a language, but you can spend infinite hours on it and fully gold a tree and you’ll get nowhere. [...]
When in reality, what you should have been doing is to spend all day browsing memes on French Instagram, or playing Animal Crossing in French.
Kruunuvuorensilta, the new icon of Helsinki.
The new Kruunuvuorensilta bridge connecting Korkeasaari and Kruunuvuorenranta is the longest, tallest and longest-standing bridge in Finland – and it is also globally exceptional as bridges of this size have not been built for the sole use of public transport, pedestrian traffic and cycling. The bridge thus becomes an interesting attraction not only due to its size, but also due to the advanced traffic thinking behind its design.
