Mitsukoshi Quilt Exhibition 2010

My quilting teacher was asked to make a quilt for the Mitsukoshi Department Store Exhibition this year. Today, she and her husband and another visiting American friend and I will go to see the exhibition. She will also be doing some kind of presentation there and wants to introduce Mary Ann (the other American) who is a doll maker to everyone there.

I just got a phone call from Sensei saying she wants to take my wall hanging and introduce me as well. She sees me and it as some type of International cooperation which she would like to promote.

A Dutiful Daughter

I am a believer in consulting your elders when making large decisions in life.  I tried to remember to run things by my father when he was still living, and was sometimes surprised by his responses. Most often though I was struck by the fact that he had some respect for the person I was becoming.

I have a sweet young Japanese friend who recently shared with me that she was starting a relationship with a young man she worked with this summer.  In Japan it is pretty traditional to inform your parents of your plans when it involves something important.  Her father's response to the young man was "Unacceptable!" I was a little surprised at my friends reaction to her father.  She said, "He makes me laugh!"

This young couple has put their future in the hands of God. So even though it was proper to tell her father, I think she looks to a higher authority.

Volunteering - A sure way to get into trouble.

Now that I think about it, volunteering is how I got to Japan in the first place, but that's a whole other story.

A year ago April I answered a call from the OMF Headquarters office in Singapore asking for people who would be willing to work on a sewing project for the remodeled office.  By the time everyone got their ideas together a year had gone by and there were two of us signed on for the sewing job.  The finished product is to be 5 banners - each 210cm long and 60cm wide. The graphics for each banner were done in Thailand and then the pieces were sent to me to put together and machine quilt and finish. There have been little aggravating problems all along the way - not enough letters cut out, the batik pieces being a bit different in size to one another, pieces sewn together crookedly. On top of all that, I have difficulty finding blocks of time to work on the project, and I really wasn't pleased with the color of fabric chosen for the backs of the banners.

All that said, the work is getting done. Maybe not as fast as originally anticipated, but step by step, I might make it.

You Must Be Very Strong!

This was the comment of a Japanese friend when she saw me in a short sleeved shirt on a mid-October morning several years ago. The first of October is the day everyone thinks about switching to long sleeves here in Tokyo. The school kids wearing uniforms change over on this day. I had an American friend who worked a while for IBM in Tokyo who was adamant that long sleeves were required as of October first when working there.

Of course, I didn't grow up in Japan, but in America, where everyone is supposed to read the weather forcast or stick their head outside before dressing for the day. Establishing a day to change over goes against the grain of our independent spirit.

My friend's comment really stopped me for a minute, trying to equate strength and short sleeves. I guess it still does.

Quick Change

On Tuesday this week I suffered, along with all the other folks in this part of Japan, through the lingering summer heat and humidity. I think I heard the temperature was 33 degrees Celsius. In any case, too hot for the second half of September. Yesterday, compliments of a passing typhoon, the temperature dropped under ominous skies to a low last night of 13! I almost had to get another blanket out. It rained again, cats and dogs, as I taught my quilt classmates. This afternoon the sun broke through and my guess is that if I went up on the roof of the building or down to the levee by the river, I'd be able to see Mt. Fuji, like last year when I took the picture I use as my Facebook profile. I expect that the weather will get warm again before we have real autumn, but it is nice now for a day or two after the scorchers earlier in the week.

2010 Summer Holiday

No, it's not Christmas in August, or an early Labor Day. The British Language influence on my daily life continues unabated!

Today, I leave for my summer vacation. As I did last year, I am headed for the cool mountains West of Tokyo to stay in the town of Karuizawa.

Life slows down here a wee bit in August. In Ichikawa it's been almost too hot to move in any case. No, it's not hotter than Florida, but instead of getting in my car just outside my house and driving in air conditioned comfort to the air conditioned mall, I get on the very warm seat of my bicycle and propel myself up the street to the small shops, many of which are open to the outside air. Or to church which in our case is air conditioned, but when you've cycled there you sweat a while even in the A/C.

In a couple of hours I'm due to board the Shinkansen at Tokyo station and travel about an hour and 15 minutes to beautiful Karuizawa.

I hope to have some times of total seclusion to refresh my mind, body and spirit. However, when you are a Christian in a non-Christian country (world?) you can't take a break from the duties of being salt and light.

Quilt Exhibit

The day has finally come! We have arranged and hung our work, waiting for tomorrow's opening of our quilt exhibit. An editor from Quilt Tsushin Magazine is supposed to come. I have to give a talk on Sunday afternoon. I'm so tired from all the activity of the past few weeks. It's been fun but I'll be happy when the merry-go-round grinds to a halt