Today was a mochi pounding event at the preschool… I did not take snapshots as a move of discretion for the kids
I also did not pound mochi although many of the dads were extremely enthusiastic about this, instead, I “create my role” by bringing a camp chair, a low table, a jumbo thermos of fresh French press coffee, a small jar of homemade soy milk, another Large mighty flask of barley and a variety of cups. On the low table, I cover with a cute can tea towel and set up “uncle Dave’s 1 ¥ coffee shop”
All the moms are so cool in their (and still thank me for doing Santa Claus but I tell them “shhhh it’s a secret after all”)
The leaders, the kids, the parents… Everyone is so bright and happy and enthusiastic and decked out somehow delightfully unpretentiously in Patagonia, Montbell, north face gear which actually gets used and muddy
I had fun time talking to a rock ‘n’ roll sunglass long haired dad… Got to name drop concerts and invite over to the barn to hang out
There’s a lot of swirling around and everything runs on a schedule that I don’t quite comprehend, everyone knows when to go inside, went to sing the songs, went to say goodbye, went to fold up the tarps and I just medicate and do my best to limit impact on my body and delicate brain
It’s important to “show up” and having my little coffee gives me my contribution and several of the parents are so very excited
Another couple parents have a great meet on a stick where it’s all smoky restaurant which hopefully we can bring guests to, they also came to help out on the earth wall project so we’re eager to see the updates
Afterwards, we went to our favorite no longer secret Ramen place, had a lovely long conversation with the boss, took the usual photos which inspired me to makeone of these YouTube “shorts” which frankly I don’t do very well but still, I’m clearing off the phone and have untold dozens of photos of Ramen, postboxes, payphones, flower arrangements, trains and trams and so on
Did I mention that walking back to the car, we passed the tram depot and I saw my favorite black tram?
We then went to seitai (I had treatment three days ago so today was R’s so I played building spaceships and other vehicles with Lego blocks which I then displays on the shelf… This kind doctors office is kind of our family cultural museum with various postcards, paintings and even a jar of umeboshi dated June 15, 2020, a few days before lil Stanley was born – we were fiddling in the front room making the salted pickled plums waiting for the magic to happen
Oh right, the baseball player Ichiro was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame, like no doubt he would be on first ballot but somehow was not unanimous, one curmudgeonly jerk include on his ballot, unbelievable
I have a photo from the Vancouver newspaper and the Okayama newspaper as commemorative bits
Windows shade/blind getting installed on Saturday, dentist tomorrow, starting to get stuff together for the medical hot spring trip
Oh, and when we came home, put away the grocery delivery, got the dishwasher going, fired up the woodstove and simmered the Yuzu fruit prepared previously with cane sugar and boiled jars for canning marmalade
The only photos which exist of any of this are mostly Ramen and maybe me being a cheese ball by the woodstove to send to my brother to show I’m wearing a wool T-shirt he sent me
So we go on
