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Margaret Bloom's avatar

I loved your Seeking Wonder series -- this new(ish) substack series feels like expansion of it. And thank you for the Proust quote and your exploration along the vein of Proust's words.

Also, something about your photos of blossoms in the rain reminded me of Japan. Maybe it's the fact that it rains so often in Japan that flowers are nearly always sparkling with raindrops, or maybe it's that your images of flowers remind me of the very particular Japanese style of seasonal obsession. I love how, in each season, there are festivals specifically related to the flowers which are blooming (or leaves which are changing color). I adored the artwork on posters in the railway stations alerting passersby to the Iris Festival occurring in this particular town, or the Celebration of Hydrangeas in that particular town... not to mention the spring cherry blossom and autumn maple leaf celebrations held by nearly every town (plus the specific foods and picnics which inevitably accompany these regional festivals).

Thank you, as always, for this wonderfulness.

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Tara Austen Weaver's avatar

Yes! The flowers in Japan--and the rainy season and all those hydrangeas with water drops on then ❤️ Such an enduring memory.

The Japanese are so good at celebrating seasonality—from the foliage to the festivals to the food. Thank you so much for bringing back those memories for me!

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Celeste Lipp's avatar

I love this so much, and that’s beautiful about the name change.

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Tara Austen Weaver's avatar

Ahh, thank you! And yes, it was good to be educated to greater awareness about how to make everyone feel safe and comfortable. ❤️

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Alison's avatar

Your words, experiences and awareness resonate deeply and mirror/ed my own as I navigated this past year. Armed with greater understanding, a few more tools and a couple more friends in this newish place the colors of fall and winter posit new creative challenges. I can't tell you how reassuring it was to read what I lived through someone else's words.

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Tara Austen Weaver's avatar

Oh, I love this! Isn't that a good feeling of knowing you're not the only one? I hope the seasons to come provide you with greater ease and enjoyment. But yes, having some tools and some friends make it all better. Thanks so much for sharing! That makes me happy ❤️

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