31st.Dec. New Year`s Eve

Sir Sean battles the evil Lord Giri to win the right for the fair Emily to play instead of doing her holiday homework. (We are reading our way through the Chronicles of Narnia at bedtime these days - Sean rather fancies himself as Prince Caspian) Kata`s cardboard and aluminium foil sword and shield were soon defeated. (KT) The sledging style is getting more daring (- Elvis`s brother had introduced the idea of using the sledges as snow boards on Christmas Day.) A short rest in the snow. The boxes from Christmas toys have been almost as successful as their contents. (KT)

27th.Dec. Kodomo kai - Uksihima Primary School Winter Holiday Club 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

I (perhaps foolishly) suggested our place rather than the freezing community hall where there is nowhere to play outside.

The planned study period was ofcourse abandoned, and all the children set off for the slopes. We then came back inside to make lunch of Nori maki (rolls of seaweed paper filled with rice, fish and vegetables) and Miso soup. Then back outside for more sledging, snowball fights, and building snowmen. The other mother who is supposed to help this year did her usual disappearing act, and after a really fun packed day I felt surprisingly exhausted! (KT)

25th.Dec. Christmas Day

After years of refusing to have an toy weapons in the house we decided to let Sean have a plastic shield, helmet and sword on condition that he learns and abides by the rules of chivalry, Emily set to writing a list of the rules! Another favourite toy was the Action man from Ann chan, who had searched Edinburgh to find one without any guns - have you ever noticed how the toy manufacturers ignore peace and goodwill even at Christmas time? (Action man is now the coolest dude in the Barbie set and I had to promise to help Sean make some more clothes for him as well as Emily`s sewing sessions for Barbie) Emily taking a short break from ripping open Christmas presents to speak to Ann chan and Grandpa on the telephone. An amazing stash of lego, books, dolls, a small wooden xylophone, clothes, a watch, etc. etc. Thank you very much to all our friends and family. Zara, Rene, Sharon, Elvis and his brother arrived in the early afternoon, and exactly on cue it started to snow. By the time we had put the Christmas dinner in the oven there was enough snow to go sledging again. Then back inside to play with the new toys and the numerous games Sharon had brought for the day. (Zara is the sneekiest Cluedo player I have ever come across.) Our planned late lunch became an evening meal by which time none of the photos were in focus any more, so no evidence of the feast, or any recognisable photos of our wonderful party with the Ahdar family. But we will all still remember a great day. (KT)

24th.Dec. Christmas Eve

Lighting the Christmas candles and putting out the milk and biscuits for Santa. I fancy the lights outside look like the wings of the Dove of Peace, but Emily insits that they are rabbit ears just like the rabbit in the moon (Japanese friends find it very strange that I grew up with stories of a man in the moon not a rabbit!). Sean thinks all the lights are great as Santa will be sure to find our house now. (KT) Kata risking life and limb in gale force winds to put up the Christmas lights in front of the house. (note all the snow has disappeared just in time for Christmas!) (KT) After I was sure the children were finally asleep, Mrs Santa set out all the Christmas booty. (KT)

23rd.Dec.

Left: Elton Sean Right: More Christmas baking.

20th.Dec.

Kata and I went to see Mori san`s exhibition of photographs at La Vie Gallery in Morioka. Wonderful shots of a travelling theatre company performing in a tent over the last couple of decades. Kazue and Kato met us there to go for lunch. (Kazue, Mori and I were all recipients of the Best Artist of the Year prize for our exhibitions last year). (KT)

17th December - Cool Running

Nursery slope Intermediate course. Short break for a picnic of juice and crisps. Sean is an expert at the 'flying start' when everyone is least expecting it. Walking up to Okurisen (Mount Iwate in the distance, and the ridge 'brake' to our left)

After a lazy breakfast while the children watched Sunday morning cartoons we all went out sledging. We started on the nursery slope next to the house, before moving on to the intermediate course next to Hatekeyama`s house, and then the big girls decided we should try the Olympic run at the foot of Okurisen mountain. The final course did not get photographed as we were too busy rescuing Sean after he did a classic cartoon tree stunt - we had intended Emily and Sean only to go down this steep slope with a grown up to add weight and slow the sledge down, but Sean managed to sneek a solo flying start and disappeared in a flash, then we spotted little legs and arms splayed either side of a tree on the crest of the ridge at the bottom of the slope (we had thought this was high enough at over one and a half meters to act as an emergency brake). Thankfully he was fine, and was actually lucky to hit the tree rather than flying straight over the ridge and jumping 3 meters down! I think we will have to keep them off that slope til they are heavy enough not to go over the speed limit. Eventually we all sledged back to the house for hot chocolate and the planned baking session for Christmas goodies. (KT)

16th December - Christmas warm up

Sharon and her daughters Zara (12) and Rene (10) (New Zealand friends who live in Morioka) came to stay for the weekend to make various christmas treats as an excuse to create some of the Christmas atmosphere for us all. Emily adored having two big girls to play with, and Zara helped to make sure Sean was not excluded from the group of girls. They were all so busy playing that we did not get very far with Christmas preparations, but had a lovely time which was the main objective. (KT)

15th December - Final Sculpture Setting in Hirosaki

Kata went up to Hirosaki to help set Prof. Tsuchiya`s sculpture (left), the last of the pieces in the city centre re-development project. Kata`s piece was set 2 years ago, and we both helped make several of the landscape features last year. Right: The two men responsible for driving Kata to sculpture, his old teachers Yokosawa and Tsuchiya. (KT)

14th December - Sean`s Kindergarten Hapyokai

Sean blowing his trumpet (centre back).

Sean`s kindergarten put on a show for the parents. Music, taiko drumming, short plays, and introducing themselves in English. When Sean did his bit there was a spontaneous round of applause - apparently because his pronounciation was so good, Sean looked rather surprised, but being the performer he is lapped it up. (KT)

13th December - Christmas biscuits

Yesterday the girls took all the biscuits which were not scoffed on the spot home to their families. So Emily and Sean decided to make more. This time we decorated them all with the cool icing pens Ann chan has sent us from Scotland. (KT)

12th December - Sean teaching the girls to cook

Emily`s friends Chinatsu chan and Ikue chan came to play after school, and particularly requested to make biscuits. Emily was more interested in drawing, so Sean leapt into the breach to help me teach them how to do it. Ended up being quite a successful English lesson - they were so busy concentrating on the baking they did not notice that I was telling them what to do in simple English (when they forget that they do not speak English, or if I start in Japanese and slowly switch to English most of Emily`s friends understand far more than they expect). (KT)

11th December

Sean is being a very good boy these days, even volunteering to do the washing up every day; he also keeps singing the song "You`d better watch out...Santa Clause is coming to town." - could there possibly be a connection?! (KT)

11th December - decorating the tree

Emily and Sean putting the finishing touches on the tree.

11th December

Kata was shocked to find Uksihima looking like this when he got back from the warmth of Taiwan.

9th December - "Home Sweet Home" film showing in Iwate-cho

While Kata was away in Taiwan the film "Home Sweet Home" shot on location at our house and studio in Ukishima was shown in the local Town Office. I took Emily and Sean to see it and we only just managed to get seats at the back of the packed hall. Emily was very disappointed that the inside of the house was not really our house and was quickly bored, but when I suggested leaving to Sean he refused point blank and sat transfixed til the end while I tried to silently amuse Emily to keep her quiet. As soon as we got home the Town Office phoned to ask if the Director, Kuriyama san could come to visit. Several tactless comments by the 2 accompanying bods from the Town Office about how wonderful the set for inside our house looked compared with the reality were countered by Kuriyama san enthusing about the superior elegance and style of the true Ukishima! Despite the said bods` frequent attempts to encourage him to leave, and Emily and Sean climbing all over him, stealing his hat, etc. Kuriyama san sat his ground and did a very good job of chatting me up - methinks he may suspect that I had not been entirely enchanted by having our home, studio and lives taken over for several weeks in the spring! Actually the film is rather good, a serious discussion of the very real problem of an aging population in Japan handled with a good sense of humour. (KT)

7th - 10th December - Taiwan trip

Wakamatsu and his friend Breakfast Chu-fun Tea house. Chikako on left Lunch! A wedding party in a restaurant.

Momose in front of the Palace Museum Cris, friend of Taiko Momose and Taiko Shan Kai Sheck Memorial Park Wakamatsu, Momose, Ineko and Kukita

7th December - Kata sets off for Taiwan.

When Kata set off at 6:30 am we had to kick the front door open as it was frozen to its jam, so I could have an interesting 4 days dealing with the snow & ice on my own. But instead of feeling miserable about not being able to afford to go with them, and being stuck at home wondering what a group of married men and unmarried ladies (artist, architect and town planner friends) might get up to - I have organised a Ladies` party here tomorrow - so the men can all worry about what we are laughing about while they are away!! (KT)

5th December - Invasion of the Snowmen, and Christmas decorations

Enough snow for Kata and Sean to produce 5 giant snowmen in the last hour of daylight after school while I was still chained to the computer keyboard acting as Kata`s agent for his various exhibitions next year. We then swapped and I got to play with the children making paper chains for Christmas while Kata slaved over our accounts at his computer. (KT)

2nd/3rd December - family weekend out

Saturday night we dropped the children off at Momose`s house to stay with Ui and Momoko while Momose, Kata and I went on the opening of the "Gold and Silver small works" group show at Crystal Gallery and then on to a cheep & cheerful pub with several friends. After a lazy breaksfast with the Momoses on Sunday we drove to Towa town to see the exhibition at Yorozu Museum, then had coffee with the curators Hirasawa san and Katsura san while Emily and Sean 'entertained' the rest of the staff, and then on to an onsen (hot spring bath) and supper. A lovely relaxed weekend. (KT)