4 Things Trappist Monks know about Safe Spaces for Creativity
Abbey Mariawald, the only existing Trappist monastery in Germany. Founded 1470 A.D. Heimbach, Germany. ©Laurel Decher, 2017. Safe spaces to create art Lately, I’ve been thinking about safe spaces to create art. On the weekend, we visited Abbey Mariawald, famous for its split-pea soup. Judging from the number of motorcyclists, families, and hikers, they’ve hit […]
Life’s soundtrack should be big: Rossini Opera Festival makes a splash
The Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy was over the top! I love watching live orchestras and this one had 5 string basses. 🙂 And the audience was as fun to watch as the opera! I didn’t expect a fashion event. Of course people are well dressed at a fancy cultural event, but there was so […]
Basic Garden Vocabulary in German and a side-trip to Mexican Oregano
Vegetable garden overtaken by poppies, nasturitiums, cosmos and zucchini plants Clearly this garden needs tools and more plants. 🙂 I’ve never grown vegetables in Germany–until this year. That means I need lots of new words! If you’re considering gardening in Germany, maybe this list will help you out. Or provide you with a little entertainment. […]
Forgiving yourself for what you did “on purpose”
Whack! The little girl smacked her tiny rainbow umbrella down on the restaurant’s marble table with an unexpectedly loud crack. No one was hurt; nothing was damaged–or even knocked over–but her eyes widened in horror. “But I did it on purpose!” A storm of tears followed and she hid her face against her mother. I […]
The Good Earth: International Gardens
In 2017, I participated in the local community garden for the first time. A new growing season is always a hopeful time for me. No weeds. The dream of the perfect garden unmarred. Since then, the garden has thrived. The Good Earth: International Gardens. Paydirt. The classic rich soil of the Rhineland. © Laurel Decher, […]
Contrast with Apple Blossoms, Bach, and Story
These blossoms and buds look like visual staccato and legato notes. Short, sharp. Open, sweet. Sometimes learning something that you had given up on changes your whole view of the world. James Rhodes’ How to Play Piano teaches rank beginners how to play J.S. Bach’s Prelude in C Major. I never learned to read the […]
Hero at the Bus Stop
This year, my husband gave me a Page-a-Day calendar to learn Italian. Today’s page was a dialogue between two men at a bus stop, getting ready to go to work. One said his boss was nicer than his colleagues. The other said his colleagues were nicer than his boss. [*cough* We’re learning vocabulary here. Cut […]
Thrive during NaNoWriMo. Step 4: Story Soup
You can turn your story soup into comfort food. © Laurel Decher, 2016 This is the fourth post in a short series on preparing for (and thriving during) National Novel Writing Month. The NaNoWriMo site no longer exists, but you can sign up for Novel November. Or build your own challenge with some writer friends. […]
Writing Gratitude Countdown (2) The Gift of Permission
This is the second post in my Writing Gratitude Countdown. It’s my way of re-discovering the richness of the creative life. (Find all the posts: 1. The Gift of Attention , 2. The Gift of Permission, and 3. The Gift of Hospitality, and 4. The Gift of Feedback, 5. The Gift of a Deadline.) 2. […]
6 ways rhythm helps us feel at home in a new world
New neighbor changes the rhythm of our walks. ©Laurel Decher, 2016. (1) Every culture has its own heartbeat. On the weekend, I practiced a new skill and had a sudden aha! moment about learning to adapt to a new culture by finding the beat. When I lived in West Africa for a year, the people […]
Create something new: Lessons from a re-cycled Convent, a Peacock with a Looking Glass, and a Cow with a Drinking Problem
Roman pipeline to convent to farm. Gut Schillingskapellen, Dünstekoven. © Laurel Decher, 2016. In the small village of Swisstal-Dünstekoven, a one-time convent was built solely with materials scavenged from the Roman water line. Now it’s a farm with Scottish Highland cows and reflective peacocks. Lesson #1: Try a bit of creative re-cycling. If Roman ruins are […]
Create something new: What would you do with 500 olive trees?
500 olive trees. Sciacca, Sicily. © Laurel Decher, 2016. I recently came across another inspiring example of using your inheritance to create something new. Alessandro inherited 500 olive trees with his grandfather’s Sicilian property. Most people look at 500 olive trees and think olive oil, but Alessandro had a different idea: soap. His engineering Ph.D. […]