Natalie Wilkinson
Bio
Writing. Woven and Printed Textile Design. Architectural Drafting. Learning Japanese. Gardening. Not necessarily in that order.
IG: @maisonette _textiles
Stories (85/0)
Seirei no Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit
Seirei no Moribito, an animated television series first aired in April of 2007, is at the top of my list of great anime features of all time. It is not only visually breathtaking. The original music score is superb, and the story has all the elements that combine to make it a fantastic fantasy fairytale quasi-historical drama.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Geeks
The Introduction
Ann I like Bosc pears and Red Anjou pears. Those are the only two kinds of pears I like. There. You know more about me than my ex-boyfriend did when he bought a Bartlett pear tree for my yard. And because life is stranger than fiction he and Dorothy Partridge were upstairs eating Bartlett pears in my bed when he became my ex.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Fiction
Bull Market
Bull Ryder was one of those people who grew into their names and used them. Trading with his name, he was down in the pit before computer screens turned living into a blur of lines, charging at the numbers and bellowing buys and sells with a single-minded determination that earned him the moniker “Bull of Wall Street”. He had started at the bottom as a clerk the day after finishing high school, no family money and no old seat on the exchange passed down to him, with a few thousand and a little bit of luck.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Fiction
Another New York Story
Nicole stood in one of the bag check lines at the British Museum. No, she couldn’t stop them, again. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she reached for a tissue balled up in her pocket while trying to choke back sobs and look normal. The line was moving so slowly it would take another ten minutes at least before she reached the front. She thought about coming back later, but no, the line might be just as long. London was on high alert after some acid throwing and crazy drivers smashing into pedestrians. She squared her shoulders.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Fiction
Losing Weight the Mindful Way
To start with, I’m going to give you all the disclaimers. This piece is a personal app review about my own experience with Noom. I have no affiliation with Noom other than the fact that I used the app for eight months. I am not a doctor, nutritionist, or health professional. I know nothing about your health situation; therefore, I am not qualified to give you advice. I am only here to write my unsolicited opinion on an application that I credit with helping me lose weight. I have never used any other weight loss plan or diet, so I have nothing with which to compare it. If reading about weight loss is a “trigger” for you, stop right here and find a different story to read.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Longevity
Any Way You Slice It
Halfway through a surprise party for her 25th birthday, Jessie McAfee looked at Todd Haney looking at Phoebe Taylor and realized she no longer wanted to marry him. She had a bite of chocolate cake on her fork, all ready to pop into her mouth. It was a cake Phoebe had made, and it was good. It was the piece with the “2” written on it in white icing. Todd had the “5” on his. Todd had his hand on her back, but he was looking at Phoebe. In fact, now that she thought about it, even though they were engaged: it was Phoebe who he held doors open for; helped into her coat, sweater, or whatever; threw snowballs at playfully, and for whom he put up kitchen shelves. Jessie struggled with all that on her own and, if she asked for help, was met with a surly response, long-winded complaints, and very little action. As far as snowballs went, she’d rather stay inside tucked up with hot chocolate and a good romance novel.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Fiction
The Riding Lesson
“I dare you.” Two girls stood, jostling each other, on the cracked ramp leading up to the old barn behind Grandma John's house. Weed trees, grass, and stubby poison ivy were growing up in the gaps between pieces of concrete. The massive barn door, its wheel still on the track, had faded red paint in places on the rotting wood. Nita put an eye up to one rough crack to get a glimpse into the interior. Nothing could be seen inside.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Fiction
Words are Spoken Leaves
A short preface: When I look at the Japanese kanji characters for ‘word’ as pictured in the cover image, I imagine a story as a tree. The spoken or written words of the story are the leaves on the tree and they determine the type of tree, its shape, and the season we see it in. Japanese has been characterized as a vague language but its flip side is poetic and subtle. Written Japanese is for communication but it is also a calligraphic art discipline called shodo-the way of writing. The written language is a mixture of phonetic sound symbols (Hiragana, Katakana) and pictorial symbols (Kanji) that appeal to me as a visual artist. Put the three together and what should result in chaos becomes an organized, logical system. Learning the language and its written form has become a daily part of my life.
By Natalie Wilkinson3 years ago in Education