Leaf Silver 8/12/25 Leaf Silver 8/12/25

Staring into the void of my skin: eczema part 2

I’ve been drawing a connection between these eczema flare ups and emotional health as well. One of the common triggers for eczema is stress. There has been a lot of change, upheaval and transition in my life and the world recently, and this may be my body’s expression of trying to hold it all. In any case, grasping for meaning is part of the human condition that is sometimes futile. Life has meaning because people are storytellers, and having a story to hold on to feels better than the endless void of empty universe.

Leaf Silver 6/3/25 Leaf Silver 6/3/25

Herbal poultice protocol for extreme eczema

I have dealt with skin problems my whole life. When I was a baby I had rashes on my face and my mom took me to the Chinese herbal doctor. She gave me a cream which resolved the rash and she told my mom, this kind of skin problem means that they will “grow up to be really smart". I’m paraphrasing here because I was just a baby and don’t actually remember, but my mom manages to tell me the story most times my skin problems come up. It’s nice to think that there’s a benefit to being in such discomfort, that my knowledge-seeking brain makes up for the way my skin reacts and is sensitive to it’s surroundings.

Leaf Silver 2/20/25 Leaf Silver 2/20/25

Displaying artwork in downtown Brattleboro

It is a curious little shop that transports you to another time and place with sensory magic. The smell of incense and vintage jazz playing on a record player, racks of vintage clothes and kitchen wear, displays of brass, ceramic and wood curiosities. The shop is lit throughout by sculptural lamps of paper and linen. As we chatted, Sheri showed me around the back area of the store where she reupholsters furniture on a work bench makes jewelry out of metal, feathers and bones.

Leaf Silver 8/14/24 Leaf Silver 8/14/24

Tomato Carnage

Finally today was the day I set aside to process all the tomatoes. Waking up in the morning, I already knew that each task that day would feel like a struggle. A struggle to finish the chores and the tasks so that I could just lay down. Amidst the folding of laundry, washing of dishes, taking of shower—my usual day off tasks—I applied myself to the tomatoes.