Jo’s Blog

Visiting Shaila in Bangalore was, as my father would put it: “Basic and fundamental and a little bit of heaven.” This is the view from her verandah where I sat one morning all by myself, working on the talk I was giving later that [...]

I feel so lucky every time I walk into our garden. It is nothing compared to the gardens of many of my more talented friends, but it is ours and every single flower, every tiny blossom is a joy and a reminder of the beauty of the earth and the [...]

This one is for Natasha, who sent me such a lovely film clip this morning and who makes me smile at least three times every day, even though we have never met. Thanks, Natasha! Indians don’t generally drive and drink coffee at the same [...]

Some experiences are so powerful you have to let them settle a while before you can say anything coherent. And even then, words are inadequate. The Camphill Community in Bangalore is a residential home for adults with mental handicaps. [...]

This is how we make our bed. The other day, a guest asked me why we kept the cushions off-center. We’ve been doing it so long I had forgotten it might look odd or a-symmetrical. But the reason is simple: The right side of the bed is Moy [...]

I used to think of design as being about frills: the fun, the beautiful, the quirky little extras you only have time for when the basics have been covered. But working with people with disability has made me realize that design is so much more [...]

Yesterday morning I woke up with a sharp little pain in my right thumb. I couldn’t figure out what was causing it and it wasn’t bad enough to make me want to do anything about it, so I just ignored it, hoping it would go away. This [...]