Cats and knitting

Christmas is getting closer. We are forgoing the Christmas tree this year because of the cats. They knocked down the tree within minutes last year so I'm not even trying this year.

Still knitting. I'm working on the armholes now. Some years Tetsu opens his present, tries it on and finds it too tight or short or flimsy and I spend all of New Years re-knitting the thing. You would think with all the years of making him vests and sweaters that I would be a better judge of how something is going to turn out.

And though you can't see the progress on the vest you can see how we all gather around the kerosene stove in the morning trying to keep warm. Of the cats, only Vel is missing from this picture.

And here's another one of a cat ball. Four cats in that ball. Chip can't find anyplace to squeeze in. This is a no-no of course because Mi is not supposed to be in there. I took her away after I snapped this shot. Mi so wants to be with the other kitties and she wants to cuddle. But she is not supposed to be licking the others nor vice versa so I have to disrupt this bundle of content and put her by herself. Well, she can't be in a completely perfect situation and I remind myself that she is loved and fed and warm...

And here is Mi on a favorite place, Tetsu's chest. She gets her cuddling from him when he is home.

"How much closer does she want to get? Her whiskers tickle!"

Earthquake again

We were awakened again this morning by an earthquake. And it was fairly large with the epicenter in our small prefecture. Since it was so close to getting up time anyway, Tetsu and I went downstairs wrapped in blankets and turned on the news. I guess there was an even larger earthquake in the central part of Japan too last night but no reported injuries etc. Maybe we are just jumpy.

I have felt two major earthquakes while I've lived in Japan. The first some 30 years ago when I was teaching in Northern Japan. A bunch of us were in the English office at the Christian Center where I worked when the earthquake hit and though the epicenter was in a far off city, our building really shook. As a Californian I had experienced a couple of earthquakes (nothing like the frequency in Japan!) so it was just hold onto the desk and wait. Some friends though from Michigan had never felt an earthquake and I remember the husband hanging onto the door frame with a terrified look on his face.

A few years later when I was living in a city on the Japan Sea side there was another large earthquake. In my house a birdcage sitting on a table came crashing down as well as a few dishes but no one considered it a terrible earthquake until a tidal wave hit the sea side a few minutes later. I think Japan (being an island country) fears tidal waves more than the earthquakes.

Well, Tetsu and I live in the center of Japan so no oceans around us. Of course a tree from the forest could come crashing down so we always hurry downstairs and away from the windows. Not a pleasant way to start the day but it did shock us awake very quickly!

A Christmas story

I'm supposed to say something at church on Christmas Eve. Forgive me Lord but I don't really want to do this. I mean I have enough trouble just speaking normal Japanese to my friends and family. Trying to get up in front of a bunch of people and say something meaningful is beyond me. So what am I going to do? Maybe relate a Christmas story about how one little boy almost ruined a Christmas pageant, or maybe made it especially meaningful.


Wally was a big boy and a little slow on the uptake. But he was kind and loving and looked out for the younger children when they joined in the games. When Christmas time came around and the teacher started talking about putting on a Christmas pageant, Wally had his heart set on playing the role of one of the angels. Ah, to wear a white robe and have a sparkling wire halo! To join with the other angels and sing,

"Hark the herald angels sing~~ Glory to the newborn King~~".

The teacher however had other plans. She thought Wally would make a great innkeeper. Since he was taller than the other children, he looked big and strong and despite his soft-hearted personality he would make a fine innkeeper.

"Wally, this year you are going to be our innkeeper. It is a very important part. The innkeeper stands alone by the inn and sends Joseph and Mary away. The innkeeper gets to have his own lines in the play. Yes, Wally. I think you will be great innkeeper. Just remember to look stern."

Wally was not so sure. He really liked the angels' halos... But as always, Wally worked hard at any job he was given so for the next couple weeks he diligently practiced his lines for the play.

"What do you want?" "Seek it elsewhere." "The inn is filled." "There is no room in this inn for you." "No! Begone."

Whew! A lot of lines to remember.

The night of the Christmas pageant everyone was excited. Wally stood in the wings saying his lines under his breath. But gradually as shepherds and angels and Mary and Joseph came on stage and said their lines, Wally became more and more entranced, his eyes shining with joy as the Christmas story unfolded before his eyes.

"Psst! Wally, it's your turn to go on!"

Joseph quietly led Mary to the inn and knocked on the door where Wally was waiting.

"What do you want?" Wally pushed open the door brusquely.

"We seek shelter."

"Seek it elsewhere. The inn is filled."

Joseph pointed to Mary. "We have looked everywhere and we are very tired."

"There is no room in this inn for you." Wally was properly stern.

"Please good innkeeper. My wife is going to have a baby. She needs a place to rest."

And instead of sending Joseph and Mary on their way, Wally's stern expression relaxed and he looked worriedly at Mary.

"Psst! 'No! Begone" said the prompter behind the curtains.

"No! Begone!" repeated Wally.

Joseph and Mary turned away and walked slowly and carefully across the stage. And the innkeeper, who was supposed to slam the door shut, stood there silently and sadly watching the two tired people go. And as he watched, Wally's eyes filled with tears.

And that was when Wally changed the Christmas pageant for all the people present.

"Wait! Don't go, Joseph! Bring Mary back!" And Wally smiled brightly through his tears. "You can have my room!"

Well, some people thought that Wally had really messed things up that night. But others said Wally's tender and loving heart made it the most wonderful Christmas pageant they had ever seen.

Chip's work

"Frustration is not being able to find the end of the toilet paper."

Nothing

30 years ago my mother would call me every week on Sunday nights and we would talk for an hour on the phone. America to Japan and that was quite an expense! But it was always hard to end those phone calls what with all the news of my new Japanese life and then marriage and then children. My mother kept me up on neighborhood news and her doings at school.

After awhile we decided that we were being too extravagant and cut our weekly phone calls down to twice a month and that is where it has stayed for nearly 20 years or more. And we could always talk an hour! In the past 10 years though, Mom retired from teaching and from volunteer work, my kids went off to America and when we call, there is less and less to talk about. I'd ring Mom and say

"Hi! What's new?"

"Hmm... Can't think of anything."

"How is the family? How are the neighbors?"

"Fine, fine. Nothing new."

I'd resort to asking her what book she was reading and that was about it. She'd ask me about cats. What do they do? Sleep. Conversations lasted 10 minutes! (Or longer because sometime we repeat the first 10 minutes of conversation.)

When I'd hang up I'd think,

"Mom sure is forgetful these days. She can never think of anything that has gone on for two whole weeks. Must be old age."

Yesterday I called my brother's house to ask what the kids wanted for Christmas. My nephew answered.

"Hi Colin! How are you? What's new?"

"Nothing."

Next my brother got on the phone.

"Hi Keion! Just calling about Christmas. What's new with you people?"

"Nothing."

And in the distance I hear Marcy's brother call out his hellos to me too.

"Oh, Mark's there too! What's new with Mark?"

My brother relayed my question to Mark and the answer was

"Nothing."

So the conversation ended in less than 10 minutes because Marcy wasn't at home. I called my mother instead.

"Hi! This is Tani. How are you? What's new?"

"Oh, fine, fine. Nothing new."

Another 10 minute conversation about books and cats.

Maybe I need to rephrase my question. I guess I've been questioning Mom's memory whereas in truth, there is NOTHING going on with my family!

I don't know why we are all so busy with NOTHING getting done.

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want. -- Calvin and Hobbes

Natural decorations

I thought it so funny this morning to read comments from yesterday's post and find someone anonymous had written.

"There is a spiderweb in the corner of your room?"

WHAT? Well actually, I thought that there was a good chance that there was one and when I went back to the picture and enlarged it, yep, that's what it looked like. And when I went to the entryway I couldn't really find it. But as the light changed this morning and when I went back out the front door, sure enough, there was the spiderweb! Someone sure has good eyes!

Well, yes, I get quite a few spiderwebs in my house. They are a little discouraging but not as frustrating as stinkbugs or even cats who urp up on my my floors! Usually I let the spider back outside and sweep away the web. I still remember Charlotte's Web and so don't really find spiders and their webs that offensive. I was actually pleased to get the comment because that meant I had a reason to show a picture I took at the kindergarten this week.

On Wednesday I went to the kindergarten and noticed that the teachers had put up a ladder near one of the doors so that the kids could climb up and look at the spiderwebs. Now that's what I call really appreciating nature! I had walked under this doorway numerous times in the past months and never realized that the kindergarten is "raising spiders". I don't think this is by choice. I think the kindergarten is just allowing the 8 legged weavers to take up residence and are using them as a chance to teach a little science. I'm not going to go so far in my appreciation of nature.

And so that you don't think that the kindergarten's decorations are just spiderwebs, here on the other side of the door was the kindergarten art project for this Christmas. Aren't these wonderful Christmas trees! I think these are made by having the kids loosely wrap colorful felt around a cone and then decorating with pine cones, berries, beads and dried flowers.

And notice those neat "stars" on the top? Those were made by one of the kindergarten mothers and she was selling them at the kindergarten bazaar. The principal was so enthralled by them that she bought the whole box of them and now they've been put to use as Christmas stars! These are made from some seed pod (but I don't know which one) and the mother wrapped tiny squares of fabric and glued them into the natural pod holes. Isn't that an amazing result?

I'll probably remove my spiderweb later on today. Or then again maybe leave it for my cats to enjoy though unlike some blog visitors, they haven't noticed it yet.

Getting ready for Christmas

Not too much going on this weekend. How about a cat picture.

I took this picture on Tuesday before my morning English class. Thankfully the four ladies who come are all cat lovers and whenever they come to English they reach into the shoe closet for the Tupperware full of cat treats. The cats know they are getting the treats and they seem to know when Tuesday morning rolls around. Patora, Cleo and Toi loiter in the entryway (Chip was down on the mat) for 10 minutes or so waiting for the ladies to arrive.

The cats have clairvoyance or maybe they just read the signs and sounds better than we think. The vacuum cleaner and the coffee maker being put to work must register in their minds "Tuesday English".

The Christmas decorations are slowly getting put out. I've taken down the quilt behind the cats in that picture and now have Santa Claus up there instead. Every year I look at Santa Claus and think I should make a red quilt of Mrs. Santa Claus (since there are Mr. and Mrs. Santa up there in crewel work) but of course I never get around to it before Christmas and get out of the mood after the holidays.

Hope you are all getting your Christmas errands done!