Lifebeats

Coffee, tea, green tea. (Or, as the Japanese say, coffee, red tea, tea.) Cakes by a real patisserie (or, as bumpkins like me say, by a baker guy), homemade cookies, rice crackers, sweet rice, and a hearty vegetable soup with dumplings (known in some parts as pinch-and-throw). Distribution of veggies, Christmas treelets, winter clothes, and what was left of the soup and dumplings. 

Singing a moldie oldie Japanese country song. Getting everyone to sing Angels We Have Heard On High and Silent Night. Distributing yarn, and finding out I need to bring more crochet needles next time along with some knitting and crochet patterns. 

All that makes a good day. 

But seeing one lady's sad look turn a bit bemused when I gave her a jigsaw puzzle, then start to soften while we talked about music, and turn into a smile while playing Chinese Checkers? Seeing how carefully one little girl chose some cute hair ties? Entertaining two babies with the Mr. Ticklebug puppet? Watching similar things happening all over the room? Seeing the baker guy standing in the kitchen doorway watching all of this and smiling before ducking back in to slice another cake? Hearing the little girl say "Mommy, let's go to the City Christmas on the 22nd"? Seeing grandmas get all excited about plans to make them some fresh mochi (pounded sticky rice) just before New Years?

That's the kind of stuff that makes a great day.

Sure, the grandmas say they'll use part of it for New Year's decorations, but come on. Betcha the decorations will be pretty small. Fresh warm mochi is just too yummy. 

Yesterday afternoon I saw the downtown clock, stopped forever at tsunami time. 

Here's to marking time and celebrating anyway.