１２月３０日（土曜日）２０１７


今朝は町内の皆さんが出て、恒例の表通りのしめ縄飾りをしました。通りの両側に縄が張られ、そこに御幣（ごへい）と呼ばれる神事の白い紙と藁（わら）を等間隔に交互に挟んでいきます。家の両側には葉のついた青竹も立てられました。門前町の商店街が用意した「笑門 戌」と書かれた絵馬も玄関上に飾りました。それから今日、名古屋からお見えになった二度目のお客様に可愛い干支の置物もいただいたのでカウンターに飾りました。一気にお正月が近づいた感じです。It is an annual social custom day to put a sacred Shinto rope along the front street for the new year by all the neighbouring people. When I was out in the street this morning, there was already a rope of straw along the street and five sheets of white paper distributed called Gohei which is used in Shinto ceremony. I pushed and inserted the Gohei and straw alternately in equal distances. We set up a fresh bamboo tree at the side of each house. I also put a small wooden plaque on the upper part of the entrance on which Kanji character, Shoomon (lit. good fortune and happiness will come) and next zodiac, dog were written. A little cute dog ornament was placed on the counter inside my cafe which a customer from Nagoya gave to me today. From those decorations,I feel that the new year is almost here.

１２月２８日（木曜日）２０１７


なかなかブログが書けませんでした。少し遅い報告ですが、日曜朝から二泊三日で東京へ行ってきました。帰りの新幹線は早朝にも関わらず自由席は満席状態。仕事の方が殆どでした。関東は上天気。新幹線の中から美しい富士山が見えました。昔、アメリカ暮らしの長い日本人の年配の方が、一時帰国して新幹線から富士山を見ると思わず手を合せたくなるとおっしゃっていたのを思い出しました。同感です。本当に富士山は日本の心。その優しく透き通った富士の姿に惹かれながら　私は自分自身を生かし続けてくれる全てのものに感謝しました。I had been feeling bad about not having time to write my blog. It is a bit of a late report but I went to Tokyo over the Christmas weekend. On the way back home, it was almost full of passengers in the Shinkansen (Bullet train) even though it was early morning.The weather was perfect in Kanto area. I could see the beautiful Mt. Fuji from the window of the Shinkansen. I recall a lady who had been living in the US for several decades saying that she wanted to put her hands together to pray when she saw Mt.Fuji from the Shinkansen. I agree with her. Mt. Fuji symbolizes the sprit of the Japanese people. Being enchanted by the Mt. Fuji which was so gentle and clear, I thanked everything which makes me alive.

１２月１８日（月曜日）２０１７


寒い朝でした。神社は寒さよけなのか御簾が下りていましたが、これぐらいでは吹きさらしの拝殿は防寒にはならないだろうと思い、平安時代の貴族の暮しに思いを馳せました。森を抜けての山々の景色は素晴らしいものでした。遠く霊山（りょうぜん）は真っ白に輝き、近くの杉坂山、桃原（もばら）あたりも薄ら雪化粧でした。山があまりに美しいので、今日はいつもとは違う方向に歩いて写真を何枚も撮りました。It was a chilly morning. Probably to protect against the cold, the bamboo blind was down at the area of worship and the cloister. However, the area is too open to protect from the cold. I sympathized with the people who lived in the Heian period in such severe conditions. Passing through the wood of shrine, I was amazed by the mountain scenery. Ryoozen mountain which I could see in the distance was shining white. Sugisaka and Mobara area were also thinly covered with snow. Since those mountains were so beautiful, today I walked a different way than usual and took many photos of those mountains.

１２月１７日（日曜日）２０１７

手術後すっかりお見かけしなくなったので体調が悪いのではと心配していたT.Kさんがしばらくぶりにカフェにお出でになり、ほっとしました。その手には切り花が見えました。ガザニアというそうで、テーブルの上の花瓶用、残りは土に差しておくと根が生えて繁殖する強い花だと教えてくださいました。調べるとガザニアは和名が勲章菊（クンショウギク）。その花が勲章のように鮮やかだからだそうです。それから、観音竹（カンノンチク）とアネモネの鉢植えも一緒に持ってきて下さいました。観音竹というので竹科の植物かと思って調べたらヤシ科でした。沖縄の観音山という寺院に生えていたことからその名前がついたとか。アネモネは花を咲かせるのは来年の春ですが、今の時期、外に出しておく緑があったほうがいいだろうとのお心遣い。ありがたい限りです。Mr. T.K came to my cafe today. Since It had been a while after his operation in hospital, I had been worried about his health condition. I was relieved by his appearance. He brought a bunch of cut flowers of gazania. He said some of them were decoration for small tables and the rest of the gazania should be planted in the soil. The Japanese name of gazania is Kunshoo-giku (decoration-mum) because the flower is just like a bright decoration. Mr.T.K also brought pots of Kan-non chiku (Rhapis excelsa) and anemone. Since Kan-non chiku has the Kanji character of "竹（bamboo)" in its name, I thought it is a family of bamboo, but according to online information it is a palm family of plants. It was found in the area of the temple named Kan-non yama (The goddess of Mercy mountain) in Okinawa, so people named it " Kan-non chiku". Anemone will bloom in the spring but Mr. T.K brought this because a green color is needed for the outside of the entrance of the cafe. I appreciate his thoughtfulness.

１２月１４日（木曜日）２０１７


昨日、ちらちらと舞っているものを見ましたが、夜になって外を見たら薄ら白くなっていました。初雪です。今朝明るくなるのを待ってこの冬初めての雪景色を眺めました。モノトーンの世界。裏山が美しかったです。Yesterday, I saw snowflakes were falling and when I looked outside at night, trees were covered with a thin layer of snow. It was the first snow of this winter. After waiting for the daybreak this morning, I looked over at the snowscape from the window upstairs. It was monotone beautiful world.

１２月１２日（火曜日）２０１７


冷え込みが一段と低い一日の始まりで、日中も風の冷たさがカフェの中からも分かるほどでした。S.Kさんからいただいた時はつぼみだった侘助（わびすけ）が花を咲かせました。侘助とは椿の名前で茶人笠原侘助が好んだからそのように言うそうです。深い緑の葉を背景に咲いた一重の白い椿の花は凛とした美しさを放っています。The day started with very chilly temperature and in the daytime even from inside the house I could easily guess how cold the wind was. A camellia from Ms. S.K has opened which was just a bud when it first came. The camellia is called "Wabisuke". It is the name of a master of tea ceremony, Wabisuke Kasahara, and he loved to put it in a pot when he did the tea ceremony. The single-petaled white flower against the green camellia leaves is blooming gracefully.

１２月９日（土曜日）２０１７


北風の舞う冷え込みの厳しい毎日です。お客様がカフェにいらして最初のおもてなしはほっとできる温かさでしょう。でもエアコンを３台つけても温度は今イチ上がらず。この冬は石油ストーブも仲間入りです。「カイヅカイブキ」の枝をいただいたので、ずいぶん前にSKさんに床の間に生けていただき、いらなくなった枝がもったいないので庭の南天と合わせてクリスマス飾りを作ってみました。日本も西洋も緑の葉と赤い実の組み合わせは神聖で祝福の象徴ですね。These days have been cold with a chilly north wind. It must be a welcoming service on such a cold day to provide comfortable warmth in the cafe. Even upon turning on three heaters, the room temperature did not rise much, so I bought an oil heater this winter. Since a customer gave me three branches of Juniperus chinensis "Kaizuka", I asked Ms. S.K to arrange them at the alcove. Using some unnecessary branches I made two Christmas ornaments with some Nandina domestica. The combination of green leaves and red fruit is a symbol of holiness and blessing in both Japan and western countries.

１２月４日（月曜日）２０１７


師走に突入して早４日目。日の出時刻が彦根で６時４８分で日の入りは１６時４３分。朝の散歩も７時をかなり過ぎていました。上天気ですが冷え込んでいたので、マフラー、帽子、手袋、それにサングラス。神社へのお参りにはお賽銭とハンカチが必要。そしてカメラをポケットに。多賀大社の屋根には霜が降りていました。一昨日は遠くの霊山のてっぺんが白く、手前の山々の紅葉と併せてそれはきれいでしたが、今朝はもう雪は見られませんでした。それでも静かな朝の山々は美しかったです。うちの近くまで戻ってくると朝日を受けて見事な赤い葉っぱが太田川の上で光っていました。多賀大社では殆ど散っていたのに日向神社に入ると大きな紅葉の木が何ともやさしく枝を広げていました。秋がまだそこに残っていました。It is already the fourth day in December. Today's sunrise time in Hikone was 6:48 and sunset time was 16:43. I went for a morning walk around 7:30. It was a clear but cold morning, so I needed scarf, knitted hat, gloves and sunglasses. I also brought an offering of money for Taga-taisha, handkerchief and camera in the pocket. There was frost on the roof of the shrine. The day before yesterday, I saw the snow on the top of Ryoozen mountain. Although the snow disappeared today, the mountains were quiet and beautiful this morning, too. I was amazed by the tree beside the small river near my house. It was a completely deep orange color and shining by the sun. In the small shrine named Hyuuga-jinjya, I saw a big Japanese maple tree with leaves which were elegantly colored. I found the remaining signs of fall there.