A good friend

I'm sleepy today. My friend, Chiyo-san, arrived in our town a little after 8:00 a.m. yesterday morning and the two of us talked and talked and talked for the next 17 hours straight with little space for anyone else to get in a word otherwise. Talk over coffee, over lunch, during shopping, over snacks, while swimming and while taking a bath. Tetsu joined us over dinner but fell asleep on the floor while Chiyo-san and I talked on into the morning.

At 6:00 this morning we talked as we walked the dog and on and on it went until we met up with Chiyo-san's husband (coming from somewhere) and the four of us chatted again over coffee. What a lot of subjects we discussed. Solving the world's problems, confirming parent-child relationships, comparing teaching techniques, addressing middle age grievances, reminiscing about 30 years history. Right now my head is full but my eyes are closing!

Chiyo-san used to make an appearance at our house once a year on her way from America to her home town in Japan (she lived 14 years in California). Now that she's back living in Japan I don't see so much of her as the last time she came was two years ago. A very good friend and every time Chiyo-san comes I learn a lot about life, about her outlook on things and about myself. She needs to come more often so that we don't try to jam all our ideas into one trip...

*****

1991 and we got to a different park. Shoko (the dog, remember) looks like she's part of the family doesn't she? I think I was playing around with fabric by this time and had made friends with Mrs. Furui but still didn't consider myself a quilter... Still mainly a knitter by the looks of the sweaters Tetsu and I are wearing.