Shin no gyo daisu

I started Shin no Gyo Daisu with Nakatani-sensei. It is the furo season now, so we have started in furo style. It is still interesting and fun. Nakatani-sensei still forgets some things too, as she learned it quite a while ago from her teacher. Was it her mother? In any case, she has written notes about it and uses them during the session. I wish I could read Japanese...hopefully someday.
She said that it is thanks to me that she continues to teach and learn. I said that it was still a pleasure and I enjoyed learning too---I always look forward to okeiko day.
Afterwards, Mrs Umeda asked me to come over and she gave me an okiro, along with two furosaki byobu, an obi and a hanadai. I was very flattered and said that she would spoil me! She laughed, and I insisted that I pay her somehow, and she said "whatever you think is necessary". I'll have to ask Mrs Nakatani about it. I'm a little sad, though....she is trying to pass on her tea things. She has said that she has retired from tea...could she think that she is getting older, or preparing to move into a home...? It is difficult to think about. Many of my friends passed this winter, and I hope she can stay just a little longer.
She also gave me a small box of papers, one of which was a pamphlet for the 25th anniversary of the founding of the 'Sacramento Area' tea group. I still do not know how the two groups split up. I hope that even if we do not get back together that we can have a friendlier relationship in the future.

In my tearoom news, the hermitage is almost complete.  I have moved my kimono and tea things into the room, and with Mrs Umeda's tatami, it really does seem like a Japanese room. Mrs Shiota's dress form and her kotatsu are here too.  Sometimes it is difficult to think that she is not with us any more (is there a non-cliche way to talk about someone's death? Maybe not?), but I hope I can make her happy somehow by continuing, and expanding, my studies.
That sounds awfully noble to write about, but I certainly don't feel noble. I feel that I /have/ to, somehow, like I am driven towards some goal, but I do not know what that goal is.

I have had little pain in my hands lately, so starting this blog again seemed like a good thing to do. I re-published my past entries.  John does not take his lunch to work very often, and I have become bad at waking up early to make it, so it has not happened recently that he had a lunch to take to work.  We celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on the 14th. (Not the 11th, as I had thought earlier in the week). I made chocolates for him, from coconut oil and Xylitol. He seemed very happy with them, and I like the flavor that resulted. I am tempted to eat them myself.

I had a blog here, but it is too difficult to continue with the pain I'm having.

Gyo no gyo daisu

Today I began learning Gyo no gyo daisu with Nakatani-sensei.  As this way takes much longer, we practice once and finish okeiko for the day.  Usually, tea students practice this way just once a month, but Nakatani-sensei said that it was okay to continue coming to okeiko every week.  (Yes!!)
We looked at her instructor's notes together, as this form is passed down from teacher to student, after oiemoto has given permission for the teaching to take place.  The transmission of teachings is supposed to be unwritten, so I can't write too much about it here.  Only that everything I've learned up to this point comes into play, along with some new manners and ways of handling utensils.
I enjoy practicing tea very much, but when asked about it, I can't pinpoint just why. Maybe is it the simplicity of the surroundings, or the focus required.  If I think about something other than what I am doing, I quickly lose my place and make mistakes.  I think it helps me to concentrate and regard every day objects in a new fashion.  For instance, can you recall the shape of your favorite pen? The color of ink it uses?  How long is it?  How does it feel in your hand?  If you did not have the pen in your hand, could you remember these things?  If you use it every day, it should be easy...right? 'It's just a pen', you might say. 'Nothing out of the ordinary'.  But if you use it every day, it should have importance to you--as a tool or a treasured object.  So "knowing" that pen can help you respect it a little more.

Like Ichiro and his bats.

“In Japan we take care of our instruments, our bats and our gloves,” Suzuki says in his interview with NYT. “We take care of them well because these things are very important.”

Tuesday, February 17 2015

This 4-day weekend was a busy one.  With Valentine's Day, DH's birthday and President's Day, I had a mini vacation from preparing lunch.  i had a lot of pain in the last four days as well, perhaps from running out of naproxen.  In any case, I'm feeling better today.

Tuesday -
                 Salad          :   Sweet pea and dill salad
                 Main Dish :   Japanese-style ginger pork
                 2nd Dish    :   Indo-mie BBQ Chicken Noodle with cabbage
                 Snack:        :   Olives
                 Topper:      :   None

Thursday, February 12 2015

I feel  a little "off" today.
Doc's office called and asked to reschedule my appointment as they had heard I was approved for a nerve conduction test. Cool.
I'm not that hopeful since the insurance company hasn't called me about it.  But we'll see.

Thursday -
                 Soup           :  None
                 Main Dish :   Mizithra and browned butter
                 2nd Dish    : ?
                 Snack:        : Artichoke dip and crackers
                 Topper:      :  PB&J

Wednesday, February 11 2015

The weather has been rainy, which is nice for the dry spell we're going through, but it also leads to problems with the stove and oven.  Something about that circuit throws the breaker when it is wet.  So, I thought I might make DH a batch of chicken karaage, but I ended up just doing BBQ chicken.  Perhaps he'll like it.  The spam musubi was a hit yesterday, but unfortunately it gave him heartburn.
I'll tell you what.
My heart burns for spam musubi. :)


Wednesday -
                 Soup           :  Onion mushroom
                 Main Dish :   BBQ chicken
                 2nd Dish    :  Chicken shawarma over saffron rice (my leftover luch, haha)
                 Snack:        : Olives and hummus
                 Topper:      :  None

Daisu koicha temae

Today I began using the daisu.  Nakatani-sensei says that first we'll do furo temae since it's a little easier than ro. We started with kocha temae using the daisu, probably to familiarize me with the sheer size of the thing!  Next week we'll start on daisu wairgeiko.
Nakatani-sensei said that there is a new lady starting tea.  Her husband passed away six months ago and she is living with her daugher in law (to be). Since I'm still off of work, I'm going to the chashitsu tomorrow to meet her, and nab a refresher on how to teach nyuumon warigeiko.

  

This is a picture of Nakatani-sensei in the chashitsu.