Sansai. n. ‘mountain vegetables’ from Japanese. Sansai grow wild in marshlands, and grasslands, or in the forest. Japanese people have been gathering wild food to cook with since ancient times. In fact, wild plants or Sansai have helped Japanese when food has been scarce because of drought or some other natural disaster. When food wasContinue reading “Ancient Word of the Day: Sansai”
Tag Archives: plant
Ancient word of the day: vernation
Today’s ancient word of the day is vernation. This is the genesis of new leaves sprouting during springtime. This is the arrangement of the buds as they erupt forth into the world.
10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #39
Yo-Ho-Ho and a bottle of atomic juice, welcome to another weird and wobbly edition of 10 Interesting Things, where anything can happen and anyone extinct or extant can be reanimated on the full moon and then thrust into the limelight for a microsecond. Little timber kids are frozen in time Via Twitter A Newfoundland namedContinue reading “10 Interesting Things I Found on the Internet #39”
No news of the affairs of men
In the age of omnipresent news and digital devices dominating our every waking moment, this poem by 18th century Japanese hermit poet Ryokan seems very relevant. No news of the affairs of men. How lovely to be without the news of the world. Whatever the news of the day, Ryokan sure as hell didn’t giveContinue reading “No news of the affairs of men”
A flower
A flower’s fragrance declares to all the world that it is fertile, available, and desirable, its sex organs oozing with nectar. Its smell reminds us in vestigial ways of fertility, vigor, life-force, all the optimism, expectancy, and passionate bloom of youth. We inhale its ardent aroma and, no matter what our ages, we feel youngContinue reading “A flower”
Ancient word of the day: Dægeseage
The ancient word of the day is Dægeseage. This is an old English word for daisy. The origin of Dægeseage is literally daisy or day’s eye. Which makes sense when you think about the quaint little flower and its tendency to follow the arc of the sun through the sky from dawn to dusk, soaking in as much light and goodness as possible.