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.