Bamboo Sketches
by Charity Lee Jennings
One Thanksgiving, Then Another
"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." Sarah Ban Breathnach Fall means one Thanksgiving, then another. That’s how I...
Dad Might Come!
I confess, I’ve been nervous about sharing this post. So nervous it took me months to finish. I fear disappointing people and didn’t know if Brian’s dad would be comfortable with me sharing my own disappointment. Thanks Dad J for sitting with me, answering my...
From the Studio – Running Water
Click "read more" to see the drawing, and read about the inspiration for this work at Water's Out.
Water’s Out
How many days can I go without a shower? I ask myself this as I fill pots with water, and arrange them on the counter, creating a strange sort of art. I have twenty more minutes. When Brian got the message last night, we got the boys filling buckets then I took...
Post 101
I can be pretty hard on myself, set the bar so high that even when I do something well I reason it away, saying it’s not good enough. But ya know, I’ve made some good friends over past years, and not one of them treats me this way. Would I want a friend...
Culture Snapshot – Random Hair
Sorry, nothing in me wants to get a new “do” at Random Hair. I imagine a guy with a huge pair of scissors thinking, “I’ll cut a chunk here, sure - how about another chunk there? Yeah, why not. I’ve never tried anything quite like this before.” As I walk by, I...
Mandarin Minute #3 – Part 2
Last week, on Mandarin Minute #3, Jia Jia taught us to count from six to ten. This is part two and jumps right into it with a chant from one to ten. Ready? Here we go!
Mandarin Minute #3 – Numbers 6-10
Did you count from one to five, with Jia Jia and me, in Mandarin? Now you can learn to count to ten. Thanks for joining us for this Mandarin Minute!
Ancient Place
I sat outside this historic home, the scurry of the city surrounding me, and sketched. The door opened and a young man approached. “Do you live here?” I said. “I take care of the place – it’s over a century old.” He watched me for a while then returned to the door....
Family Fear Factor
A Younger, Braver Me, At The Wet-Market “I’ve got one,” Brian said, as he pulled a deep-fried worm from the gooey rice and let it dangle over his open mouth. It was our Family Fear Factor, during my parents’ and siblings’ first visit to China. “Do it!”...
Ghost Festival
Walking by the canal, a fire catches my eye. At first sight one might think the sweet-looking elderly couple is enjoying a bonfire. But as my walk down the canal leads me closer, I know they are worshipping their ancestors. The seventh month of the lunar...