Star light, star bright
The weekly Looby-list of good things: including astrotourism, pottery, miniature houses, the Ghibli museum and park, and a really awesome recipe for cauliflower salad.
Happy Sunday, dear readers,
This week in my Wednesday newsletter, I wrote about the chaotic development of the plot of my graphic novel (est. release date 2028, or thereabouts, maybe). Having spent some time brainstorming over the last couple of weeks, I have discovered with delight that I am writing, in part, about Halley’s Comet, a comet which I was lucky enough to see when I was 14 years old. In 1986, my parents drove us out to some remote, very dark place in the Australian bush to have the best possible view. They have this whole story about my brother and me spending the entire time fighting over a packet of Jaffa Cakes in the back of our Mazda 323. Jaffa Cakes were perhaps the only thing rarer than a comet in our house. Despite the Jaffa Cake Showdown, I do remember seeing that mysterious little cosmic smudge through my dad’s binoculars and that it felt, even in my not-quite-developed 14-year-old brain, significant. Perhaps some of us will see it twice in our lifetime when it returns in 2061. In my story, Halley’s Comet flies across the background of multiple plots, in multiple time-frames, and has a very innocent face, kind of like this:
Lately, as we look to the night skies and wonder at billionaires’ satellites, UFOs, and spy balloons, we might also notice a star or two if we’re lucky. But city lights drown out all but a few of the brightest for many. In his article In Search of Clear, Night Skies: On Preserving Earth’s Darkest Places, Johan Eklöf writes about the rise of Astrotourism, stargazing in amazing locations.
“One such example is the Kachi Lodge, in Bolivia. At an altitude of twelve thousand feet, an hour’s flight from the city of La Paz, tourists are offered ancient celestial spectacles. Cottages shaped like futuristic globes, the way you might imagine a settlement on Mars, are located in the middle of Uyuni, the world’s largest salt desert.”
Not only can you experience the stars as close as possible from Planet Earth, but there’s also a Michelin Guide-worthy restaurant up there. Stars-luxe.
Every year there is a growing number of registered Dark Sky Communities, cities and towns certified as having spectacular night skies while also being accessible to visitors. Eklöf, who specialises in microbat vision and light pollution, has a book out called The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms That Sustain Life.
I will stop taking the little stars in our island sky for granted. I will remember to step outside and look up in between episodes of Succession. Perhaps I could open an astro-tourist destination. You can camp in my backyard (I can’t promise the ground is particularly flat on our hilltop, but that’s just part of the experience), listen to the owls and frogs sing their nighttime songs, eat a bowl of the house special, which will inevitably involve squash and chickpeas (batch cooking is all the rage around here), all while observing raccoons and the odd rat frolicking in our compost bin under the sparkling Milky Way. Breathe in, breathe out. This is where it’s at.
Cooking
Thank you for telling me what you were cooking last week. I am feeling particularly envious about the birthday gelato served up in the Southern Hemisphere. But I can report that I made Smitten Kitchen’s Cauliflower salad with dates and pistachios, as suggested by Whitney B. It was easy and, omg, super tasty. I also made the White Bean, Rice and Dill Soup from the NYT (thanks, Rebecca!), which was perfect on a chilly Wednesday evening. I’m craving this chicken curry.
Tiny things
Best in Miniature Season 2 starts tonight on CBC Gem. Even though I am not currently hyper-fixated on miniatures and the restoration of my dollhouse, this show is a must-watch. Trust me. If you like delightful weirdos, crafts, competitions, and tiny things, you’ll love it.
Loud Quitting
Lisa Condon declares, ”I’ve been thinking a lot lately about quitting. And I’ve been on a systematic mission to examine and quit everything in my life/work that feels finished or draining or one-sided or obligatory or without purpose or joy…” This is her deliberate action of "loud quitting", and I'm here for it.
Films To Be Buried With
With the internet buzzing about the new season of Ted Lasso coming out on March 15th, I thought it would be a good time to post about one of my favourite podcasts, Films to Be Buried With, with Brett Goldstein (a.k.a. Roy Kent). Definitely a good one to dip into. Which film would you be buried with to take to the great beyond? I’m going with Harold and Maude.
Ghibli Park, Miyazaki’s theme park in Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
In 2018 we went on a trip to Tokyo and lingered outside the gates of the Ghibli Museum, hoping to catch a glimpse of, well, I don’t know what. Something magical, I suppose. But the kids were both smitten with Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro at the time, so proximity to the magic was better than nothing. We didn’t have tickets to get in, as that required booking months and months ahead. Sadly they were all sold out by the time we decided to go to Japan, so loitering was as good as it got. We stood staring up at the bits of wrought iron and greenery that peeked over the wall, imagining how cool it must be inside. We lingered until it started to make the park attendees at the gate nervous. Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli have now opened the first stage of the much anticipated Ghibli Park, which will eventually cover 18 acres of park and woodland in Aichi Prefecture. Sam Anderson for The New York Times recently explored the grounds* and chatted with various Ghibli creators to get a sense of the park’s history and vision. It might require a return trip to Japan.
* Gift Article from the NYT for you, if you are blocked by the paywall.
Just on the topic of the NYT…
…I want to point you in the direction of this letter from over a thousand New York Times contributors outlining their growing concerns over the tone and editorial bias regarding transgender, non-binary and gender-nonconforming people. As the parent of a non-binary kid (and just being a human in general), this has piqued my interest and concern. I am tired, sad, and scared about the overwhelmingly anti-trans journalism and rhetoric coming out of the states and bleeding through our media. I am always hopeful for a more understanding, open-minded and compassionate future.
Regenerating Creative Passion
As February drags on, you may feel a little flat and uninspired. Creative Boom shared a bunch of tips from experts this week on how to spark that creative flare. For example: "I disconnected myself physically by moving abroad for three months" sounds fun. "The further you can get from your comfort zone, the better. Artist? Try knitting. Writer? Try pottery. You get the idea." sounds more realistic. Speaking of which…
Throwing
…I am taking a class with Julie MacKinnon this weekend. It’s a throwing workshop because it’s the thing that scares me the most (I mean, it scares me the most of all the clay things. Sharks scare me most of all the things). If you are local to Salt Spring Island or keen to make a weekend trip of it, I highly recommend any of her classes in her brand new fantastic studio.
Three favourite ceramicists (part 1)
I have so many favourite ceramicists; each suit a different mood, but here are three that I keep coming back to:
Who am I kidding? I can’t limit this to three. Part two will be coming soon.
That’s it for today! See you next week - or upgrade, and I’ll see you Wednesday. You’ll get to see some of my pottery.
xo,
Claire
What’s coming up on Loobylu (aka The Subscriber Pitch):
The next paid-subscriber-only edition will look at some ceramics shenanigans.
What came before:
In a recent paid-subscriber-only issue, I wrote about mind mapping for plots, including a sneak peek at the complicated sci-fi fantasy, high-stake thriller, urban romance that is my developing graphic novel. I also wrote about a medieval trip to an art supply store and making homemade books.
Loobylu is a reader-supported publication free of affiliates, partners and sponsors. For access to past and future subscriber-only posts, support Loobylu with a paid subscription.
ah reminds me of the old days and how we shared our creative lives on our blogs! I want to find that kind of community again! loving it and the things you share! Just when I need to be inspired again! Thanks for being you!