１月２２日（日曜日）２０２３

    多賀町教育委員会主催の「公民館まつり」が１月２８日（土）と２９日（日）に行われます。過去２年間はコロナのため中止でしたが、今年は町民の日ごろの成果を披露するために久々に開催が決定しました。ステージ発表と文化展があります。私は朗読サークル「ひだまりの会」に所属し、２８日午前に小泉八雲の「耳なし芳一」を４人のメンバーで読みます。小学校や中学校の読み聞かせとは全く違うのが朗読の世界です。人それぞれ解釈も読み方も違うところに朗読の面白さがあります。興味のある方、是非聴きにいらしてください。もちろん入場無料です。

    "Public Hall Festival" sponsored by the board of education will be held on Jan.28th (Sat) and 29th (Sun). It was cancelled last two years because of Covid-19, but this year they decided to have the event to show people's daily achievements. I am a member of the recitation group, Hidamari-no- kai, and we will read "Miminashi Hoichi (Earless Hoichi) " by Lafcadio Hearn as one of four members. I will read the last part which is the most scary and climactic part in the story. Recitation is different from story-telling at the elementary school and Junior High School which I sometimes do for kids. I am very much excited about my reading. Hope you are interested.

１月１８日（水曜日）２０２３

    落語を子供たちにも親しんでもらおうと何人ものかたが絵本にしてくださっています。今朝の小３ろ組の読み聞かせはそんな中から
「初天神」をえらびました。小学校にも噺家の方が来られたことがあるそうで子供たちも落語は知っているようでした。

    天神様に初詣に連れて行ってもらった金坊は嫌がるお父さんを説き伏せて凧（たこ）を買ってもらいます。しかしお父さんが反対に凧揚げに夢中になってしまってちっとも金坊に糸を渡しません。「父ちゃんなんか連れてくるんじゃなかった」と金坊ががっかりするところでオチがつきます。

    静かながらも所々で「ふふ」「クスクス」と反応してくれているのが分かりほっとしました。もっとリラックスして、もっと大きく笑ってくれれば、もっといいのに....と思いましたが。

    お正月になってカフェで昼食を召し上がる方が増えた気がします。予約が要りますが、いつでも気軽にお電話ください。

    Some people made picture books from Rakugo (a traditional Japanese comic story) so that kids can become familiar with these stories. I chose one of them titled "Hatsu Tenjin" (first visit to Tenmangu Shrine). I wondered if kids knew about Rakugo, then the teacher of the class told me that the school invited a story-teller and let children listen to the old comic story.

    The outline of the story is as follows: A boy, named Kin-boh, begged for his dad to go to the shrine with him. But his dad didn't want to because Kin-boh always asks him to buy something. Dad agreed to take him promising not to ask dad to buy anything. However, on their way back from the shrine, he had to buy a big kite for a boy. Now, Kin-boh asked dad to fly the kite there. Since there was no way to convince, he agreed to do so. Then, this time dad was absorbed in flying the kite and never took turns with his son. His son, Kin-boh was very disappointed and said, "I shouldn't have taken my dad here." ( End of the story.)
Third grader kids listened to the story and I could hear them laughing here and there which made me relieved. I would be happier if they are more relaxed and laugh more loudly.

１月１６日（月曜日）２０２３　

    曇天の朝、顔を洗って化粧水をパッパッと顔に叩きつけてゴミ出しに出た後はかなり怠惰に過ごしました。ニットの帽子を深く被りコートにマフラーグルグル巻きなら誰かわかることもなくゆっくりと散歩ができます。昨年末から左股関節辺りの調子が悪く用心しながらの歩いての外出でしたが、特に問題なく春の兆しを見つけて帰ってきました。

　土曜日早朝に回収される段ボールの山をいくつかに分けて紐で縛り、前に大工さんからもらっていたヒノキの切れ端をお風呂用にナタで割り終えた後はコーヒを飲んで軽い朝食。怠惰と言えども結構仕事したかな。午後はいつもの買い出し。　

    股関節周りの筋肉をつけるようにと友達がピラティスボールを送ってくれたのでYoutubeを見ながらセンセーと同じように始めるも、途中で気持ち悪くなって最後まで終わりません。あ～あ、こんなの何でもなかったのにと体調が変化している自分にややがっかりしています。

    On a cloudy morning, after washing my face, putting on facial lotion, I brought my garbage bag to a collection area. Then I had a rather lazy time. Putting on my knit hat deeply, and wearing a winter scarf with coat, I went for a walk thinking nobody recognised who I am. Since last December, I have been having a little problem with an ache around the coxalgia area, so I was walking carefully but I could walk without any problem. I was happy to find many daffodil flowers and cute pink flowers on a plum tree on the way back home.

    At home I tied up carbon boxes which I flattened first, because this coming Saturday people will come to pick them up. After that, I cut cypress wood into small pieces which I received from a carpenter last year, so If you put a couple of pieces into a bathtub, you feel so good. I took a short break and had coffee and breakfast. Thinking about what I had done this morning, I might have not been lazy.

    One of my friends suggested that I put more muscle around coxalgia and sent a Pilates ball to me. I tried to follow the instructor on YouTube but in the middle I felt bad and had to stop the practice. I felt a little discouraged about this because I was not such a person to quit in the middle and the instructor movement was not difficult at all. I am really feeling my body is changing little by little.

１月１２日（木曜日）２０２３

    クラウン劇団オープンセサミのロネ＆ジージの公演は毎年１１月に多賀あさひやで皆さんにも観ていただいていますが、クラウンのロネとジージの他にもう一人マギーがいます。

    マギーはビッグイヤーズの最初に出てきてロネとジージの紹介や拍手のタイミングなどを教えてくれるので「ああ、あのクラウン」とおなじみの方もいらっしゃると思います。単独でも華やかで伸びやかなクラウンを演じるので私は大好きです。

    そのマギーがこのほど母校の慶應義塾大学同窓会のニュースレターに寄稿文 （西東京三田会 News Letter 27 pp.11）を寄せましたので、皆さまにもご紹介します。クラウンとは何か、クラウンを志す理由などが書かれています。

    今年もセサミのクラウンたちは１１月にまた多賀に来てくれます。今から楽しみです！

    Performances of Rone & Gigi in Clown company Open Sesame have been held every November at Taga Asahiya and many of you have already come and enjoyed their show. There is another clown other than Rone and Gigi, and that is Maggie.

    Maggie appears at the beginning of Big Ears Show to introduce Rone & Gigi and she also tells us the clapping timings, etc., so you must feel like " Oh, I know her". When Maggie does a solo performance, she plays a splendid and amazing clown which I like very much.

    Maggie has a Masters degree and graduated from Keio University which is the most prestigious university, and she wrote an article to the newsletter on the most recent graduate's association. I would like to share her article with you because it is wonderful. She wrote what a clown is and why she wants to be a clown, etc.

    We will be welcoming Rone, Gigi and Maggie in Sesame this November in Taga, too. I am so excited to have them then.

 

１月４日（水曜日）２０２３

    お正月三が日が瞬く間に過ぎてしまいました。絵馬通りは多賀大社への初詣の人で久々の賑わいを見せました。カフェにはお客様が次々お見えくださった日もあれば表通りの人の流れに反して意外に静かな日もあり、その理由は未だに分からず仕舞い。これまで私の他に２～３人のお手伝いの方に来ていただいたのですがコロナ禍ということもあって去年から二人体制で臨みました。自身の修士論文に専念するところを無理をお願いして助っ人役を引き受けてくれたM.Tさん。ともすれば、そそっかしく、てんやわんやになる私を彼女冷静沈着で確実な動きが全面的に支えてくれました 。元旦の混乱時には、多賀のお正月を経験したいと泊まり込みで遊びに来ていた友人のYちゃんにも助けてもらって乗り切ることができました。

    多賀大社恒例の干支の鈴は多賀大社に深いご縁をお持ちのNさんから、「多賀あさひや」の外観をお目出たい獅子舞とコラボさせて葉書に見事に描いてくださったのは彦根在住のスケッチ画家のMさん、年の初めに嬉しい贈り物をいただきました。

    New year's three days passed quickly. Ema-dohri (main street approaching Taga shrine) was crowded with people who visited the shrine after a long time. We also had many people in the cafe, but the second day was more quiet in the cafe despite the crowded street and we don't know what was the reason for that.
Before the spread of Covid-１９, I was asking two or three people to come to help at the cafe during the first three days of the year, but from last year I decided to run the cafe with two including me. I asked for help from M.T who is busy with her Master thesis, but she accepted my request and supported me very well, as I often make careless mistakes and get confused. When we were the busiest and hard to handle, my friend, Y who came to me and stayed from New Year's eve to celebrate the new year, kindly gave me a hand and it was very helpful. 

    Mr. N, who used to be a chief priest of Taga Taisha came to the cafe on the first day and gave a rabbit bell which is a symbol of this zodiac year. Sketch painter Mr. Matsui drew a picture of my cafe with two lions dancing and gave it to me. I am very lucky to receive these wonderful gifts at the very beginning of the year.

１月１日（日曜日）２０２３

    去年とはまったく違う暖かな元旦の一日でした。カフェも、帰省で揃ったご家族で多賀大社へ初詣の帰りに寄ってくださる方、休暇で友人同士集まる若者たち、または一人旅を楽しんでいらっしゃる方など、背景はまちまちですが、皆さん穏やかな表情で休憩してくださっていました。

    年越しを一緒にしようと遠くから友人が来てくれたので、おせち料理をちょっと頑張りました。ご近所の高齢の一人暮らしのおば様にもお裾分け。
楽しんでいただけたら嬉しいです。

    It was a warm, peaceful new year's day and completely different from the last one which was a heavy snow day. There were people whose family members got together to celebrate, old school friends also got together on the winter break, or people who seemed to be enjoying traveling alone. They all looked very relaxed and calm. 

    Since I had a friend who came to me from far away to celebrate new year's eve and new year day, I made special food to welcome the new year. I brought these to an old lady who is living alone. Hope she enjoyed them.