#1 - Away We Go!
Visiting Japan for Lunch; Baby See, Baby Do; A Study in Pink
Hello, my friends!
Welcome to this portable house where we sit together fondling warm cups of tea while a sultry, forested landscape scrolls by. It’s chilly outside, but in here? I’m thinking there’s a fireplace with a humble, crackling fire. Why don’t you have a one of these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I baked them this morning.
Visiting Japan for Lunch
When work is stressful and I need something low-key and charming to distract me during my lunch break, I turn to the on-demand offerings of NHK World-Japan, the world-facing part of Japan’s national broadcaster, NHK. Lately, I watched an episode of one of my favorite shows, Document 72 Hours, in which the camera crew spent three days at Gotanjoji Temple, a Zen temple known for its abundance of cats! The cats were adorable (of course), but the people interviewed also pulled at my heartstrings. Several began visiting the temple regularly as relief from bullying bosses and other challenges at work — one man knew all the cat’s names and personalities because he has been stopping by to interact with them before and after work every day for years.
Other shows I dip into regularly are Japanology Plus (here’s an episode on moss!), Hometown Stories (“Fond Farewell for a Beloved Train”), and Through the Kitchen Window (YouTube link to an episode on two sister cooking Shojin Ryori, or the traditional cooking style of Buddhist monks).
Certainly, I watch these shows because I’m a Japanophile who enjoys learning new things, but what keeps me coming back to them is the contentment they inspire. I think they make my lunch taste better, too!
Baby See, Baby Do
You know how sometimes parents are like: Let me tell all of the things that my baby is up to even if the things are totally normal behaviors that babies do at that age? Well, I’m going to do that right now. Here are some things that 17-month old Sophie Joy does:
Clamber onto and sit on regular chairs.
Eat with a tiny spoon. Actually, any spoon.
Rub her little hands together as I rub my big and shampoo-ey hands together before washing her hair.
Exclaim “Uh oh” when she drops something, and at other random moments.
Puzzle over anything that snaps together
Close doors (but not open them because doorknobs are not made for little fingers)
Put her head gently on my shoulder when I pick her up
Press buttons on laptops
Throw herself to the ground in anguish when she doesn’t get what she wants
Pretend to swim in the bathtub
Hold my hand when we’re walking together. Well, just my finger
Play with Michael’s Legos
Do a little dance when Ashley comes home from work
Wear Michael’s old shirt that says “Here for the Hugs,” because she really, really is
A Study in Pink
I'm part of a Facebook group devoted to "Ivy Style," a way of dressing that held sway at certain eastern American universities between approximately 1940-1960. Think navy blazers, chinos, repp ties, and Oxford Cotton Button-Down shirts or OCBDs. The pink OCBD is a classic, particularly the one made by Brooks Brothers. Members of this forum fawn over the soft collar that creates a perfect "collar roll", the weight and texture of the fabric, the feel of the placket and cuffs, and more. It's all about details with this crowd.
A few days ago, a long-time member posted about three such OCBDs from Brooks, pointing out differences between shirts made in 2014 and 2023. What really tickled me, and what I want to share with you, was not the post itself but a comment thread it generated. Beneath the post, a few aficionados listed the makes of their favorite OCBDs with the single criteria being the greatest pink. A mild consensus was reached. Apparently, Mercer & Sons has the best shade of pink. Now, I ask you: In what world besides the best of all possible worlds would this be a topic of conversation?
As a tribute to this incident, I wore my own pink OCBD (made by Proper Cloth) on Wednesday. Its relatively thick fabric made it a good shirt to wear under a cardigan on a chilly day. The cardigan was a nice navy blue, in case you were interested. The pink shirt was pretty nice, too, though a little wrinkled.
This is delightful and I'm more than happy to join you in folding some cups of warm tea while musing on the Best Pink in the best of all possible worlds. <3