Memories of my grandmother おばあちゃんの思い出

Today is the first anniversary of my grandmother's passing. 


I have so many memories of her. She was a very resourceful woman. She was very good at sewing, beading, knitting, cooking and so many other things. 
I remember her always doing something. 


今日、１０月３１日は大好きだったおばあちゃんの命日。彼女は一年前に亡くなった。



おばあちゃんといえば、和裁、ビーズや編み物、料理などをいとも簡単にやってのける本当に手の器用な人で、いつも何か作っていた事を覚えている。


Later in her life she made Japanese paper dolls. She knew how to make kimonos; that's why the dolls came out so beautiful, I thought. 












晩年になってから、おばあちゃんは和紙を使った日本人形を作るようになった。着物を縫えるからうまいのだろう、と単純に考えていた私だが、いざ作ってみると、それだけではない、根気のいる本当に難しいことだということがわかった。







When I was about ten years old, my cousin and I tried to make one doll each as a special project during our summer break. I remember us struggling to make one doll.


Today, I visited the house where she had lived and took photographs of the dolls. My grandmother made hundreds of them. Each had a different expression.
It made me very happy to spend a day honoring what she had done.  I'll love you forever, dear grandma!
今日、私はおばあちゃんが作った何百体もの人形のうちのいくつかの写真を撮ることができた。こうやって命日を過ごせた事をとても有り難く思います。

Tower of the Sun

In the Expo Memorial Park in Suita, Osaka you can see "Tower of the Sun" by Taro Okamoto.
The sculpture was created for the Expo ( World Fair ) in 1970. It represents the past, present and future of the human face, they say. 


For a long time it stood inside a metal structure and was hard to view completely. Now it stands exposed and can be viewed easily. It faces the main gate and welcomes the visitors. It is indeed impressive.



















A friend of mine and I were talking about the Expo recently. 
The design of the pavilions looks so futuristic and refined. It is very 70s, but at the same time full of timeless imagination.


There is also a nice Japanese garden in the park. 
It features a sizable pond with koi ( carp ) and a bamboo forest. 

We enjoyed looking at the birds and first sign of autumn foliage.

Bukkokuji Temple

This temple has a special place in my heart.

Shunko-san, a monk whom I met in Kochi, spoke highly of Harada Tangen Roshi and the quality of the Zen practice at the temple, so I went along with him. I stayed there a few days before and one day during Sesshin.

 If only I were focused enough to participate in all 7 days of Sesshin! Still, I remember the sweetness of the silence and the monks who dedicate their lives to practice.

Tangen Roshi was luminescent. He said that it is important for each one of us to know who we really are. He said this with such a smile, it made me cry.

What I saw while I was at Bukkokuji showed me what it is to be a monk. It still inspires me today.

Please see my webalbum for more photos