９月２５日（水曜日）２０２４
　湖南にお住まいのO様から新米と老舗のお醤油、それに素敵な御香を頂きました。O様は兄上のK様と一緒にカフェを営業してまもなくから現在まで色々な面で応援をしてくださっています。お兄様が今年お亡くなりになり何とも寂しく無念な気持ちでおりましたが、この度は思いがけず重いお米と数々の贈り物をお持ちくださり驚きました。

　新米はアグリ甲賀のもので地域の耕作放棄地を覚悟を決めた若者が引き受けて今では美味しいと評判の「きぬむすめ」を出荷するに至っていると説明書に書いてありました。O様の温かな支援の手がここでも伺われます。箱を開けたら５kg入りの新米用のきれいな袋が２つも入っていました。御歳８０歳を過ぎて車で来てくださったのも恐縮ですが、女性には重すぎる箱を抱えてカフェに入ってきてくださったのには本当に驚きました。

一緒にいただいた丸中醤油。名前は聞いていましたが、愛荘町にある２００年続く老舗です。時間をかけて低温でゆっくり熟成させて良い香りを出すと評判の貴重なお醤油です。それから、以前も頂いた京都の松栄堂の御香。芳輪堀川の香りは大好きですが高価で私にはなかなか手が出せません。贅沢な香りを楽しませていただきます。

O様や亡きK様の温かな支援に今更ながら感謝でいっぱいです。O様にはK様の分もこれからもお元気で過ごしていただきたいと心から願っています。

I received gifts of new harvest rice of the year, soy sauce of the long-established store and my favorite incense from Mrs. O who was from Konan city. Mrs. O is a person who has been supporting me with her elder brother since just after I opened my cafe. Unfortunately her brother, Mr. K passed away early this year and I am so sorry for him. Nevertheless she has been continuing to cheer me up.

This time, she brought two very heavy 5kg rice bags, and others. I was very surprised when I saw her holding a heavy rice box into my cafe.

In the note the new harvest rice was from Aguri Farm, whose owner first grew rice in an abandoned cultivated land and kept growing rice up until now. It has a high reputation among people. I guess this farm also gets Mrs.O's warm support.

I also received soy sauce which was aged for a long time with low temperature to a nice taste. The last gift from Mrs. O 's was my favorite incense from Shoeido in Kyoto. I will enjoy these nice gifts.

I really appreciated both Mrs.O and Mr.K's warm support for me. Although I am not able to see Mr. K any more, I hope Mrs.O will take care of herself and live a long and healthy life for him.

９月２１日（土曜日）２０２４
　幼馴染４人で信州の昼神温泉と赤沢森林鉄道のバスツアーに参加しました。
心配したお天気も取り越し苦労に終わり、日本一星空が美しい所として知られる阿智村の星座観測ツアーでは首が痛くなるほど頭上を見上げて解説付きで星空を眺め、トロトロ感の昼神温泉は美肌効果を期待しながら夜と朝、ゆっくり露天風呂を楽しみました。また対向車が来ないよう祈りながら、細い道をバスで木曽上松に向かい、渓流に沿っての赤沢森林鉄道で神秘的な森の空気を深く吸って心と身体の元気を取り戻しました。
近年、山の木を切り倒しての大規模な太陽光発電には不快感極まりないのですが、今回は信州の山の懐に飛び込み温泉に浸かり星空を眺め、まさに日本の宝を肌で感じました。日頃の生活環境が違う幼友達とのおしゃべりもまた貴重で愉快なものでした。

I joined a bus tour which went to Hirugami Hot Spring and got on Akazawa forest railway in Nagano with my childhood friends. In spite of our anxiety that it would rain during the tour according to the weather information, it didn't go that way and we could watch the starry sky with an explanation by the guide in the Night Tour. We also enjoyed the open-air bath at the Japanese style hotel. The next day, we went to Kiso Uematsu, which was more mountainous, going through a very narrow road by bus. There was a mountain railway for the tourists. Taking in the fresh forest air, I felt so good mentally and physically.

These years we see in many places mega solar panels being installed after cutting down mountain trees which I hate very much, but this time we got into the mountain side in Nagano and enjoyed the hot spring as well as the beautiful starry sky. I was so happy to be able to touch Japanese treasures. Traveling with my old friends whose living environment is very different now was also very precious and fun.

９月１７日（水曜日）２０２４
　今年も１１月に多賀あさひやにてロネとジージによるクラウンライブと講座をいたします❗

昨年、海外でステージからの落下事故でロネは瀕死の重傷、その後ジージも骨折。この思いもよらぬ事態から完全復帰した二人のコメディライブと大好評のクラウンのお話タイム。お待ちかねの方も多いとおもいます。プロのクラウンの二人が絶妙な笑いと技で私たちを楽しませてくれます。

チケットは電話（多賀あさひや 0749-48-0186)　またはemail でお早めにお申し込みください。
もちろん、カフェ「多賀あさひや」でもお買い求めいただけます。
皆さまのご参加をお待ちしております❗❗


RONE & Gigi 's Clown live performance and clown talk will be held in November at Taga Asahiya this year, too.

Last year, RONE fell from the stage resulting in a traumatic injury at a performance overseas, after which Gigi suffered a right leg fracture. They recovered completely from these serious accidents. They will give their comedy live performance as well as talks which were a great success last year. Many people must be looking forward to watching them. They will entertain us with their skillful techniques and funny movements.

Please reserve your ticket early by phone (0749-48-0186) or email. Of course you can get it at the cafe as well.

We hope you will enjoy their clown show and talk!!

９月１４日（土曜日）２０２４
　ロネとジージのコメディMusicライブを観てきました。
連休の始まりとあって新幹線も品川駅も人、人、人。あまりの多さに圧倒されながら青山の会場へ。

    今日の「仮面舞踏会」、クラウンの動きや中国ゴマ、マジックなど初めて見る技が次々展開され、ロネジジの芸の幅広さには驚嘆します。二人の息の合ったクラウニングは何気なさそうに見えますが、難しい技であることは私にも分かります。また個々の得意技も印象に残ります。沢山ありますが例をあげるならロネのクリスタルボールを両手で滑らせるように操るのは美しくうっとりするし、ジージの観客を巻き込んで笑わせるあの間と言葉の可笑しさは何なんでしょう。誰にも真似できません。

    音楽もまた印象的でした。同行した友人が終演後ピアノのAYAJIさんにしゃぼん玉の歌が讃美歌に似ていると話していました。後でパンフレットを見たら、日本に輸入された最古の讃美歌の改変であると記してあり、敬虔なクリスチャンの友人ならではの気付きだと思いました。

    終わって、表参道で開催中の三重の伝統工芸「伊勢型紙」の彫刻師、内田勲氏の展示会を友人の案内で見に行きました。初めて知った日本の素晴らしい工芸技術です。友人のお嬢さんが米国の大学でデザインを勉強した後、内田氏から技術を習得し、現在は独自の世界観で美術品を制作し注目されていると知ったことも嬉しい限りです。


I went to the live performance of RONE & Gigi at Aoyama in Tokyo. Since it was the beginning of three consecutive holidays, both Shinkansen (bullet train) and Shinagawa Station were full of people.

The title of the show was "Masquerade ball". I was amazed by their range of skills such as clown movements, Diabolo, and others which I experienced for the first time. Their clownings with two clowns look easy but require difficult techniques. The individual special skills are also impressive. For example, the way the crystal ball slid between RONE's hands was so smooth and beautiful. Also, the Gig's timing and words, and her ability to get the audience involved and make them laugh, are all very professional and nobody else can do it.

The music in the show was also impressive. My friend who watched with me talked to the pianist after the show about one of the songs which had a similar melody to a hymn. It was true. They sang a familiar Japanese children's song in the show but there was an explanation about the song in the program of the show that it was modified from a hymn when it came from Western society in the Meiji period (1868-1912). She noticed it because she is a Christian.

After the show, we went to an exhibition of Japanese traditional crafts by Isao Uchida who is an engraver of Ise pattern paper and holder of Important Intangible Cultural Property. I saw his works which were so beautiful. My friend's daughter, Risa Kojyo, is an artist who learned the technique from Mr. Uchida, and she is creating her own crafts for Kimonos which have attracted attention from many people. I heard about it from my friend and it made me very happy.

９月７日（土曜日）２０２４
この夏１ヶ月も家を空けて帰ってきたら庭が雑草でジャングルになっていました。
背の高さほどに伸びた草、地べたを這うように横に張り出してきている植物、よその茎や枝やフェンス、だれかれ構わずまとわりネジリ上げ伸び放題のツル性の植物。

雑草は嫌われても強く逞しく生きる例えでしばしば登場しますが、このツル性の植物だけはあまりに図々しいので正直忌々しいです。軒を貸して母屋を乗っ取られようにまとわりつかれた側はやがて生気を失い枯れていく運命にあります。よく似た雑草（black swallow-wort) がボストンの家の生垣にもあり、こちらはもっとやっかいで小さな青いサヤがついていて中のタネが溢れるとさらに繁殖するという恐ろしいツル性植物。新聞にもこの植物だけは黒いビニール袋に入れて廃棄するように指示がありました。前は見なかったのにと思いながら、夫の取り残したあとを生垣の棘に触れないよう注意深く根気よく取りました。

裏庭に話を戻すと、どこに本来の植物があるのか分からないほど酷い状態にただただ呆然。ジャングルに踏み込む勇気がなかなか出ませんでしたが、そうも言ってはいられないと、完全防備で挑み始めて数日。ジャングルはまだあちこちにありますが、雑草を取り除くと土が見えて庭にお礼を言われているようで、こちらも気分が良くなります。

I went to Boston for about a month and came back home. Then my back yard turned awful like a jungle. Weeds grew high, and some weeds ran through the ground. Climbing plants wrapped around other plants and net fences.

People sometimes praise weeds, comparing them to a person who lives strongly even if he/she is stepped on, but I don't like these climbing plants because they are so impudent. There is a saying, "to lend out the eaves but have one's whole house taken", and these plants are just like that. The original plants will dry out eventually. I found the same kind of plant in Boston this summer named black swallow-wort. This one was much worse because it has little pods and when they pop and drop the seeds on the ground, they grow and multiply. It is a really terrible climbing plant. I tried to take them away after my husband removed them.

Getting back to my backyard, I was stunned when I saw my neglected yard which no longer had any original plants. I hesitated to go in and remove the weeds but decided to start to do it little by little.

There are still untouched places, but I can see the soil at the places I removed weeds. I feel as if my yard is happy and saying thanks to me, and then I feel so good.

９月４日（水曜日）２０２４
　久々に小学校の読み聞かせ。今日は宝組でした。一人一人にちょっと支援をする小さいクラスです。子どもたちが喜ぶのは何かなぁと考えて、今日は冨山房の「しゃべる詩、あそぶ詩、きこえる詩」を選んでみました。ことばのパフォーマー、故はせみつこさんが選んだ楽しい詩集です。

何編か読んだ中で一番受けたのは谷川俊太郎作「かっぱ」。短いですがすべての言葉に「っ」が入ってリズムのある詩です。聞いてるだけではつまらないので、子供達にも参加してもらうことに。また、まとまって読むのはちょっと大変そうだったので、「かっぱ」「らっぱ」「かっぱらった」「とってちってた」と更に短く切って私の後に繰り返してもらいました。最初は笑ってばかりや、恥ずかしそうにしていた子供が、だんだん慣れて繰り返してくれるようになり私としては嬉しいかぎり。次の詩に移ってもまだ「かっぱ」と言っているので、最後にまた戻って、かっぱ遊びをしました。

この詩は私が日本語を教えていた時にも促音の練習によく教材として使っていました。学年が高くなると一人ずつ速く正確に言えるかどうか競争もでき、リズムがあるので誰でも楽しめ教室が盛り上がります。

後で先生が「絵本じゃなくて表情や声だけもいいですねえ」と言ってくださいました。「あれっ、表情ってどんな顔してたのかなぁ.....」と思い返しています。


After a long time, I went to the local elementary school to give storytelling. It was a special support class and the size was small. I chose a short poem book selected by Mitsuko Hase (1931-2012 who was a Japanese language performing artist.

Out of several poems which I read in the class, the kids were most interested in the poem Kappa (river imp). It is a very short poem which has double consonants in every word. I thought only listening to the poem must be boring to the kids, so I let the kids repeat after me. Kappa, Lappa, Kappalatta, Totte-chitte-taa, all these sound very funny and interesting. At first, some of them were just laughing, or being shy, but later on they participated in this word play and I was very happy about it. When I read the next poem, one of the boys was still saying "Kappa", so in the end, I got back to the previous poem and did the Kappa word play again.

When I was teaching Japanese at a college in the US, I used this poem for my students to practice Japanese double consonants. It applies to all language levels by changing the method and students enjoyed it very much.

After my reading was over, the class teacher said to me "I realized that it does not have to be a picture book and only reading by varying the voice tones and facial expressions attract children!" . I am wondering what kind of facial expressions I showed to the kids?

９月１日（日曜日）２０２４
　心配した台風も当地はそれほどの風雨もなく、９月のお朔日（ついたち）を迎えました。雨戸を開けて、強風を心配して室内に入れた玄関先の鉢植えを外に出して、いつもより早めにカフェを開けました。多賀大社へお参りの方、１１月の彦根マラソンの練習とかで多賀にやってきた若者たちが暑さが少し落ち着いた９月初めの休日をゆっくり過ごして行かれました。
　床の間を秋らしい設えにしてみました。

We were concerned about the big typhoon which was approaching Japan, but it actually didn't hit our area so much and we entered into the new month. Opening storm-shutters, transferring all the plant-pots which were inside temporarily for the storm back outside of the entrance, I opened my cafe earlier than usual. I had customers who came to visit Taga Taisha for the first day of the month, and young people who were expecting to run at the Hikone Marathon in November. They seemed very relaxed on the holiday in September.

I changed the decoration of the guest room alcove to a more autumn-like one.