| Monday, 31st December - New Year's Eve |
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Emily and Sean stayed up to see in the New Year for the first time. Much more fun than just Kata and I at midnight.
Happy New Year everyone. We all hope that 2004 will be a very happy and peaceful year for everyone. (KT)
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| Sunday, 28th December - Christmas tea party |
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The two American English teachers from Iwate town and their visiting families, Dr & Mrs Sakai and their two grandchilren all came for a Christmas tea party. I always forget that other people bring stuff and had made cake and biscuits, bread (with the lovely cheese and ham Jill brought ), salads, etc.. Then everyone brought more gorgeous cakes, biscuits, chocolates, champagne and treats. I do not think any of us will be able to move for days.
Emily and Sean had a wonderful time sharing their Christmas toys with two new friends. (KT)
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| Saturday, 27th December |
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My sisters Mary and Liz's Christmas parcel arrived today and was a huge hit, particulary the "Bop It" game where you have to keep up with the music to twitch, twist, pull or spin the nobs. Emily has managed to beat Aunty Mary's recored of 98 with 198 - BEAT THAT MARY! - the Japan/Scotland international challenge is on!!
Beautiful paper angels made by my nephews, and teddy bears that giggle or say "I love you" with the voices of my nieces. A crystal and amathyst for Emily, toy binoculars for Sean, and music for us all.
Thank you guys, a lovely surprise package, and actually better late, giving us all a second Christmas. (KT)
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| Thursday, 25th December - Christmas Day |
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Sean was found before dawn sitting in his pyjamas staring at the pile under the tree, apparently he had been there since about 3:30 am (just after I got to bed). When Jill got up to go to the loo at 4am she was greeted with an excited "Good morning" to which she answered "Not yet darling" and crawled back upstairs. I vaguely remember Sean visiting me at half hour intervals to ask if it was morning yet, and naiively thought he had gone back to bed when I answered in the slurred negative. Before first light he could endure no more and persuaded Kata, Emily and I to join him. Stockings distracted Emily and Sean for long enough to allow Vic and Jill to join the orgy of paper wripping.
Thank you so much to all the family and friends in Scotland and Japan for making it a delightful day, especially for the children who are over the moon about the gorgeous presents they received. (KT)
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Vic and Jill brought most most of the ingredients for our Christmas dinner with them from Chiba and Australia. All I had to do was put out the smoked salmon sent from my famiy in Scotland, open a few more bottles, roast the lamb, prepare the vegetables and heat the pudding (which I "Kated" by forgetting to leave the lid on the bowl while steaming it! But it was so good that it survived this ordeal and was truly delicious ). Our New Zealand friend Sharon arrived with her family, Elivis, Zara and Rene, champagne, a wonderful baked salmon dish, salad, trifle and even more presents, and a feast was had. Too busy enjoying it all to get a photo of everyone together, or of all the lovely food, but you get the picture.
Still no snow - the first time we have not had a white Christmas since we moved here 12 years ago! (KT)
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| Wednesday, 24th December - Christmas Eve |
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| Tuesday, 23rd December |
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| Monday, 22nd December |
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The new bed for Emily's room arrived today. We thought it was time to replace the old one we bought second hand when we built the house, which is already falling apart and not stable anymore (the bed, not the house). Nice big one for guests. Emily is so pleased with it that she does not mind the idea of having to move out temporarily while we have guests staying. |
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| Sunday, 21st December - Christmas preparations |
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First sledge ride of this winter.(HK) |
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Kate and Emily working on modeling paper clay into the Christmas Nativity scene. |
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Also making Christmas biscuits. |
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| Tuesday, 18th December |
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Kate has finished her macquettes for the Hakodate sculpture competition just in time and Mori came from Morioka to take slides. (HK)
For which he refused to accept any payment until I win! So keep your fingers crossed for him as well as for me.(KT)
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| Tuesday, 16th December |
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This year we bought a live tree for Christmas for change. The idea is that we buy one tree every year for Christmas and plant them outside in the spring. We are going to make a Christmas tree forest in our garden.(HK)
Bobby did his best to join in as always. Persauding him that the pot full of lovely black earth from the garden is not a new litter tray is going to be even more of a challenge than dissauding him from pulling all the decorations off again. (KT)
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| Friday, 12th December |
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We bought 10 new bookshelves for the house. All installed by ourselves. Our house looks much tidier!(HK) |
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| Wednsday, 10th December |
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Open school today at Ukishima Primary School. Kate and I went to Sean's and Emily's classes.(HK) |
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| Tuesday, 9th December |
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A few inches of snow quietly fell last night. Bobby is nervously exploring this unknown stuff that suddenly appeared everywhere overnight.(HK) |
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| Monday, 8th December |
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Just a bit of a trim. (HK) |
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| Sunday, 7th December |
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Kate is sorting out all papers after months.(HK)
A lot of office and domestic chores to catch up with after working flat out only on sulpture for so long!. (KT)
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| Saturday, 6th December |
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Katagiri's gathering at my parents' house in Sendai tonight. First we went to Sushi restaurant and had a feast.(HK) |
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All the Katagiri extended family. New face, Mio, is the daughter of Yukiko, my sister.(HK) |
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All parents are relaxed deep in the sofa. Tomohiro, Masatoshi, Mio and Sean. |
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My sister, Miwa and her oldest son, kyoichi. (HK) |
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| Saturday, 6th December |
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We drove down to Sendai to see our friend, Naoko Koseki's exhibition at Sendai City Museum. (HK)
Emily took the photo so I am in it for a change, it's usually me who takes the photos (KT)
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| Friday, 5th December |
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Suddenly getting cold with snow stormy weather. Good we have finished all out door jobs before yesterday.(HK) |
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| Thursday, 4th December |
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Inspection of the Art Road sculptures by Iwate Town Office people.(HK) |
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| Wedensday, 3rd December |
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Benches painted, which was really the last job of Art Road project?! (HK)
See the October and November pages for more images of this mamoth project in progress (KT)
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| Tuesday, 2nd December |
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Visitors from Sendai. They are the Volunteer group people, who cleans all public sculptures in Sendai city! It was great fun to show them Art Road project pieces in Iwate, which they loved very much. They are simply interested and fascinated by the sculptures. appreciative audiences are the greatest vitamins for us, tired sculptors! (HK) |
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| Monday, 1st December |
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Sunset behind Mt.Iwate. (HK)
One of the best photos I have taken of our volcano (KT)
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Emily painting the figures for her Nativity Scene, and then managing not to be too nervous while Sean played with them.
