Sometimes, three is not such a lucky number.

Thanksgiving day ... the sun had finally moved in to replace the rain, and Norie was on the way to help with dinner preparations.

I had found a can of pumpkin in my cupboard and there were two eggs left in my fridge. That would be enough to make an 8-inch pumpkin pie.

The crust was waiting in the pie pan when Norie arrived and joined me in the kitchen.

Now, in the "old" days, we had a nice can opener that you hooked in the top of the can, and using a pumping motion, moved around the edge, cutting tie lid as it went.

I think that was tossed out when my husband found one to buy with a right-handed turner. Well, I dug it out and clamped it on the top of the can and it went along for about an inch.

At that point, it would go no further.
Oh well, I had another one that might work. The second one had a red turner and came down from the top ... a little more both-handed ... but after cutting about an inch and a half, it quit too.

Hmm, well, when Marie had come for Paul's memorial service, she had bought me another can opener. A pretty green one that I had not been able to figure out how to use.
There is also a problem with the lids of cans changing in style over the years ... in fact, Norie had commented about the can of pumpkin not having a pull-tab lid. OK, now we are on opener three.

Oh my, this lid is a mess ... no way I can cut through that! Oh, for the good old days! I pulled out the bottle opened and pried the top off with the little triangular point. A bit hard to get the pumpkin out into the mixing bowl, however.
At last Norie was able to get the newest cutter to work and take off the bottom of the can... Well, she is right-handed so I guess she will have to come over next time I have a can to open.

It was not the only can either because there was cranberry sauce in the next can.

The rest of the meal went as planned.

Leia and Hiro carved up the mini-turkey ... chicken.

garnished with some new-to-me flowery broccoli - cauliflower.
And for dessert ....
Ta da!





The pumpkin pie.

"One, two, three, smile." says Leia, and pushes the button.


Now the pots and pans and the dishes are all washed and put away,
but there are fun memories of the day.
The can recycling is next Thursday.
I wonder what the neighbors will think if they see that mangled can in the recycling bin.

And now I am trying to embroider Wally's initials on the napkin. (trying not to make the back side too messy. There is something to say for those machines where you just type in what you want and push a button.
But then, I will have plenty of time to work on this, surrounded by left-overs. Yummmm!

THREE

Three seems to be an auspicious number in Japan.

The third of November, Is "Culture day". Children of three, five, and seven are dressed in fine Japanese clothing and taken to the shrine for a special blessing ... and usually a photograph of the occasion.

Shochikubal, The three plants, (Pine, Bamboo, and Plum) The first two stay green throughout the winter and plum is the first to flower in the late winter. They are often combined in flower arrangements and used in New Year's decorations, standing for hope and good fortune.

Then, there are those three monkeys ... see no evil. hear no evil. and speak no evil.

Well then, it took three weeks in three different locations to finally get my new senior driver's license.
Might I say, "The third time is a charm"?
Today, as I passed through the train station, the man at the ticket window wished me well. When I got off at the city hall in Shinjuku, I didn't know which building to head for so I asked a man that seemed to be looking for something too. He replied he was going to the same place so let's find it together.

The first building we entered was full pf police and people in fancy black suits. It looked like the way was blocked but my "guide" politely told the guards he was taking me to the driver's license place. The guard said, "follow me", so we set off through the building with other police saluting him as we went. At the top of an escalator, he sent us off, giving my guide directions as to the route to take.

We found the place and compared with three years ago it was working very efficiently. There were lots of people but I had very little waiting while moving from window to window to window. Heading to the last window, I met up with my "guide" who gave me a high five as I thanked him again.

The reverse route had to be changed as the first building was still not allowing entry. I wonder what was going on in that place. Still, I was able to locate the train station as it is much better marked on signs... and when I came out of the ticket gate at Toshimaen, the man in the window greeted me home with another high five.

So, that is one more thing off my list for the next three years.

The next thing off my list is the mug-rug for Wally.  DONE! When I skyped with my two daughters in Oregon, they suggested I make him a napkin and whittle him a napkin ring. Hmm... Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Friday is my quilt group.How much more time can I whack out of what's left of this week?

I will not need a turkey dinner or pumpkin pie to be grateful. Even in the most trying times, family and friends and even strangers have brought me love and comfort and aid. Blessings abound.

Friends in high places

Along with a box of munchable goodies and Christmas tree lights and carving wood that came flying in from Boston, was this night shirt that my son and DIL picked up at a birder's store on the cape.

I love these long nightshirts but I can only enjoy the design until the warm weather returns next summer.
I have added some feathers to my bedding and thinking that soon the sleeping bag will have to come out of hiding.

Meanwhile this shirt hangs to remind me of so many special friends ... and one for whom I am preparing a small mug-rug to celebrate his 90th birthday in another week.

Wally was one of my husband's best friends, and since he was getting on in years, he had put all his money and property into his wife's name so she would have little trouble should he pass away.

Sadly, she died first, and in Japan, all the property is then divided up by the relatives. To make matters worse, his wife's relatives were not on good terms and not even speaking to each other. Paul, to rescue his friend, stepped in and worked for a year or more, negotiating with the far-flung relatives so that Wally could keep some of his property. Can you imagine having to sell your house so the money can be divided up between relatives, leaving only a portion for one's self?

When Paul died, it was Wally who came to my rescue with money to live off of while the year passed trying to dis-inherit all the debts. His claim was that Paul had refused payment and it was what Wally owed him. Now the time Paul and he spent together over lunch after church or meetings has become my time to share with Wally. I have certainly learned why the two were such good friends.

Wally has worked through the years with JR (Japan Railways) and is a great historian of the evolution of trains in Japan.

He is also the historian of our church and working on the archives as we near 2020.

He has sold his house in Shizuoka ... where my daughter's family and I acquired many plants from his wife's lovely garden ... and is now living in a senior residence in Tokyo.

He moved the things he wished to keep and does not have large quarters.
I have begun now quilting a small mug-rug for his birthday and Norie is thinking of getting him a mug and matching dessert plate. The train fabric I have used for the backing.

Today I finished quilting the crane using white thread and now have begun the background in light turquoise. It was suggested I make a napkin to match and whittle him a napkin ring.  We shall see what kind of time I have left by a week from tomorrow when the celebration is planned.

"Choir Sunday" is nearing and we are working hard on Benjamin Britten, "A Ceremony of Carols", to be sung at both services in place of the sermon. Over many years I have sung this piece and the only thing I need the music for is to know the order of the pieces. We are also beginning to prepare for a Valentines choral event where I will be part of a barbershop quartet and another small group. I was handed the first piece, "Let there be Music! Let there be Love" about a month ago, and we have practiced together a few times. The result of these preparations is all that music running through my brain. Luckily I can quilt and hum and it takes my mind off the coming driving test too.

Great way to spend a cold rainy day!

Catching up

Sometimes it seems the faster I run, the behinder I get.

It seems every weekend I have to pick and choose my priorities and something is bound to get left in the dust. Today there is a boy scout Merit Badge day, and probably the first one in years I have missed. That is also doubled up with a outdoor leader training that I have also declined to help on.

I don't know who is going to do the nature section of that training but the materials I have assembled over nearly 40 years would not work at the chosen location. In addition, the training which is supposed to include an overnight has been shortened to part of one day. How can we teach scouts to go by the rules when leaders (and the executive in charge) are cutting corners? Yes, he gets more "trained leaders" to his credit but... which comes to merit badge requirements ... where a scout is expected to "tell" or "explain", the leader does the talking and signs the kid off.

Anyway, Sunday afternoon and evening I have a pinewood derby to manage ... with a new track and inexperienced leaders. I think for one weekend, that is enough. And ... next weekend is the district pinewood derby but since the "Gate List" is closed (as it is on a military facility) none of the civilian packs will be able to attend ... they need to know the names and details of attendees (winners) 60 days out... before we even run our own pack events.

So ... besides whittling my derby car, what have I been up to?

Blue and White

At the end of each teaching day, I walk downhill to the train station at 

"the Ju-ban"

That is, as in Azabu-juban.

Along the way I often have stopped at the shop. Blue and White, 

not so much as to shop but to have a bit of a visit and look around.

This little shop with it's charmingly decorated show window has been an icon in the area for many years.

Recently, the "Peacock" grocery store on the property was taken out of the building and new shops were put in.

Amy Kato, who owns the Blue and White was told ... after all these years ... that her shop does not meet building standards and was to be torn down so she had to move. 

As I have said, that shop is an icon of the area  ... so where was she to move too? Well, the shop closed and the building was torn down ... but a sign on the fence declares it will re-open in April on the second floor of the renovated building. I do not know all the details but I hope they will get a show window and be visible still to passers by.

I have known Amy since the early 70's as her husband and mine worked at the same company. I wish I could afford a big bouquet of flowers for the opening, but when life gives you scraps, you make quilts instead. 

Thus two mug rugs ... hoping they can use them for their tea or coffee or even a glass of celebratory wine. 

  

For Amy, a tai, or sea bream, regarded as a celebratory fish and is often served at ceremonious occasions. In the upper corner, a birds-in-the-air block representing the new location on the second floor, and in the lower corner below the waves are a daruma wishing good fortune ... always rising from a fall ... a good luck cat, (I think those are coins it is tossing), and a mallet of good fortune. Amy's shop is known to hold lessons in sashiko but since I have never taken any, ordinary quilting will have to do.

For her assistant, I can see her jumping up from her work ... done in bits and pieces ... while greeting friends (often with a hug in my case). Over the years bits and pieces of yukata fabric from the shop have gone into ASIJ quilts and also my stash, so her little mat will get a selection. 

For some reason I had trouble making the binding behave but at least I had enough to bind two 8x11 inch mats. 

As for mola, it is now creeping along at a turtle's pace. Under the green is a lighter green ... kind of reverse of the regular molas that usually put the lighter colors on top.

I'm not at all certain where I am going with this and maybe that is why it is moving so slowly.

My original drawing crawled off to some unknown place.

In most cases when this happens, the minute I go to the trouble of doing a task over, the original reappears. BUT, this time it seems to be gone for good ... along with the color plan. This is definitely not what I had in mind at the beginning, but now I hate to start over once more.  I guess if this is a learning experience, I should be happy ... that is ...  if I really have learned how NOT to make mistakes.

Playing with scraps

I am a scrap-a-holic.

I come from the generation when you never threw anything out if it could be re-used.

The first quilts I made were using scraps from my old clothing that had been taken apart to use for making clothing for my little daughters.

It included scraps from a quilt my great grandmother had made. When my son made holes in elbows or knees of clothing, I shortened the item and used the cut-offs in quilts.

Even when I could afford to buy new fabric, the scraps got saved. When daughter got a new dress, so did her doll get a matching one, and yet some of that fabric still remains.

Well, I do throw things out, that is, anything smaller than an inch square plus enough for a seam.
The plastic box on the right contains lots of one-inch squares ... divided into baggies by color.

I have a tin of two-inch squares, three-inch squares, 4-inch squares, and a baggie full of squares to be measured, marked, and cut before going into the proper tin.

The shoe box contains baggies of 1x2, 1x3, 1x4, and 1x5inch strips. And the tin to the bottom left contains 2x2 and a half, 2x3, 2x3 and a half, and 2x3 inch strips.

The runner currently on my table is made by assembling blue strips and squares into five-inch blocks.

All these tins and boxes live under that coffee table and are just waiting for me to come up with a plan that will use them. I have made a log cabin quilt long ago as one of my first projects to consume scraps.
A rainbow quilt for my grandson's big-boy use used a lot more ... as did the one I made before for his older brother using green and blue scraps.

Sitting beside me on the sofa is another tin, piled with squares made over the weekend. My brain is spinning trying to come up with a creative way to use these scraps.

Meanwhile, I took some of those two-inch scraps and tossed them together into a little mat for my trash bin top.

When we lived in the former house, I kept two plastic bins under my sink ... a red one for burnable items, and a blue one for un-burnable trash.

When we moved back to the rabbit hutch, there was no room under the sink or in any part of the kitchen. An open trash can was also an invitation to Nikko for a trash-fling-party. (even a small wastebasket by the sofa is an attraction should I leave it unattended for a minute or two just to answer the door-bell. ) So ... I was very lucky to find a double bin.

It sits right at the entrance to the kitchen. Burnables in the top bin and un-burnables in the bottom. Nikko is unable to open the bins that tip open at an angle and it is very handy for a chain-drinker of coffee ... fill the cup part way, set it on the bin, reach to the side with right arm and open the fridge, take out the milk container from inside the door, fill the cup to the top and return the container, pushing the door shut.

At the bottom of the bins is a small drawer that contains plastic bags to line the bins. Trash is collected in bags set out on different days depending on the collection days for that type of trash.

To the side of the bin is a little box decorated by my first daughter when still small, which is used to gather glass bottled and tin cans for recycling. A bag holds pet-bottles and back by the window is another bag that collects other plastics.

In the corner of the diningroom hall there is a recycle container for newspapers (that can be traded in once a month for rolls of toilet paper, and a bag-lined box for other recycle paper ... mostly advertising flyers that gather regularly in my post box. See..... I do throw things out from time to time!

I often wonder how people living in small two-room apartments as in our early years, are able to manage all the sorting and storing of trash. Back in those days, we didn't have so much as we shopped carrying a basket and items were wrapped in newspaper and placed in the basket. No plastics, no styrofoam trays, no saran-wrap, no plastic bags ...

Well, a small mat on the top of the trash bin is not going to use up many scraps. Even the pile of three-inch blocks has hardly made a dent in that stash.

I am wondering if I can sell my daughter on something very scrappy for her poncho.

Norie and Leia are coming for an over-night stay so maybe there is a chance for a scrappy appeal.

Meanwhile, the cookie factory will get in gear for fall and Halloween cookies.

I hung out the ghost and before it had been out five minutes, the doorbell rang with a question from a neighbour wondering what was up.
Shops have been full of Halloween decorations for well over a month but ghosts are not as accepted in Japan. I remember my neighbour, in the old days,  cutting all the branches on another neighbour's weeping-willow, just at the time they were looking most graceful and lovely. When I asked her why, she said they looked like ghosts. Well, it is only a few more days and I will put my decorations away.  Meanwhile, I shall celebrate a scrappy holiday. Hope you have one too!

Japanese mug rug

OK! Here is my answer to Laura Lochore's challenge, a mug rug from Japan.

The background fabric is actually written in Japanese. Auspicious greetings and phrases are scattered around in gold print. The origami crane is firstly a symbol of longevity but also well known as in a thousand paper cranes made to grant a wish. (I thought one would be enough.)

The background quilting is interlocking circles. It represents my quilting friends, each tied to another through patterns and thread, fabric of our lives, and even blogging.

It is most common in Japan to use trays for serving. This "rug" might be a bit larger than average but it fits nicely on my best wooden tray. Though the serving is of green tea and sembei,(rice crackers) I think a bit later in the day it would be well suited to a cup of coffee and a piece of pie.

Japan's postal service being excellent, the runner arrived the very next day from the afternoon I mailed it. I had a lovely phone call from my Daughter's mother-in-law to tell me it was just right and completely to her taste. I have not mentioned this before, but she is a true wizard with a sewing machine. She is always whipping out darling little outfits for our granddaughter and can just look at something and come up with a pattern.

We are now awaiting a large typhoon and many activities have been cancelled. (Including my quilt group meeting) The TV showed several places getting heavy rain ahead of the storm. During the early summer rainy season, each rain brings hotter weather. Now with the typhoon season, each rain should bring cooler temperatures. Often, the day following a typhoon is cool and dry with beautiful clear skies. I shall be waiting.