2017 It wasn't the year of the monkey, but one of us is one, so it's always monkey-time. Maki drew the card before she knew about the Japanese TV show called "Monkey Magic" — but that in turn is based on a Chinese Buddhist morality tale,and she knew about that. And she came up on the idea because of her hands: many of you know she suffered for years with carpal tunnel syndrome and it finally occurred to us that she should see a hand surgeon (thank you Craig and True Smith!), who assessed her as a severe case requiring surgery on both hands. (Yes, both ... done within a fortnight of each other. She wasn't faking it by switching casts and wrappings from hand to hand ;) ) So though it was a loss of a couple of months, we're glad to have done it and now it's all therapy and time. But that's why you don't get hand lettering on the cards this year ...! Not that the hands stopped us from eating too much and enjoying friends and travel! Brian convinced Maki to go to Japan in September for the first time in nearly a decade, where we stayed in the grandparents' farmhouse which has been slowly renovated to modern standards by Maki's mom. In addition, we saw friends living in western Japan, and visited Dad's and Mom's haunts in Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto. There is a cousin at the farmhouse who is training for a slot in the Tokyo Olympics on the Japanese crew team, and an aunt who sews magical outfits, and Bif's many projects around the farm: raised garden beds with netting to protect from monkey raids (they are vermin!), grill-outs, pergola, planning for more renovations ... We did cook a lot at the farm — storms blew down kabochas and chestnuts, and Maki made Italian pasta dishes and desserts; common to us, less so to the farm community. All were hits and added to her notoriety :) We also traveled this year to San Francisco and Norfolk — seeing old friends in the former case (our now regular annual blitz gathering) and new BFFs in the latter (including seeing an opera broadcast live in HD, because we couldn't get tickets to the sold-out performance in NYC ...). Others came to our city for events like the Big Apple BBQ, concerts, Thanksgiving, conferences, or simply just because. :) And there is the annual expedition to Boston in the cold weather, because it's totally worth experiencing, and we miss that sort of chill. Bif went to Florida to help a friend with furniture moving (more than once), as well as a separate trip to Japan to build the monkey-proof garden boxes. It took nearly the whole three weeks to construct six of the things cheaply and to deal with the infertile local soil. He also battle-boxed the local alpha male monkey, who is noisily irritated at not being able to break through the protective netting. (Serves the monkeys right for stealing my persimmons, which mom peels and ties on the roof eaves to dry for me — the key ingredient in my persimmon cakes.) By the time Maki had come to visit, many others in the village had taken inspiration to block the monkeys from doing what vermin do to crops. We hear Mom and aunt Keiko are producing plenty of sweet potatoes and other foodstuffs now without having to bend over too much to till, plant, and harvest! The second hand surgery (not second-hand!) was the eve before Thanksgiving, but thanks to Bif and Anita, we still managed to produce a full turducken dinner for friends who like that sort of thing. :) Both surgeries were done early in the mornings and she was able to go to work immediately afterward. Sure, some of the documentation she'd written on those days was incoherent when re-read, but she was told to use the hands as early and as often as possible. The therapy is more annoying than painful, so Maki does have to remind herself how bad the pain and muscle spasms were pre-surgery (because by her own confession, she can be forgetful and kind of a jerk). We bought our regular subscriptions to the opera and we attend approximately weekly; and we are still being delighted and perplexed by the new productions and stellar casts. We keep thinking we will see Broadway plays, but have a hard time justifying the costs — our tickets are $25 apiece in the nearly 4000 seat opera house where singers are un-mic'd and perform athletic feats of art! So we drag friends to come with us, and enjoy nice dinners before or after — our type of bargain :) We do get to see other shows economically, and feel lucky to be living in this city where entertainment tend to come to us! Especially when friends produce and author and act in shows, or win tickets in raffles and offer to share with us. Or tell us about stories they are dying to see, and we find dance companies we love or festival productions. We are happily past dreaming of participating in the arts directly, but we dearly love to support and experience the arts! Enjoy the slideshow of random photos from this past year — and come visit and see our lives for yourselves! If you are interested in seeing more, we post daily (mostly meals and operas and visits) on Facebook. Maki recently opened an Instagram account; it's in evolution — but so far, it features a few of her doodles and scribbles, and some of Bif's black and white photos. Follow us, if you dare :) Happy Holidays, and may the New Year be fun and adventurous, no matter what trials and tribulations come your way and ours.
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The fairy tale: An arrogant monkey felt he should be a god, and sitting in Buddha's hand he bragged of his myriad accomplishments and abilities. Buddha smirked, "You cannot even leave the palm of my hand." Angered, the monkey did somersaults off the deity's palm and summoned the clouds to transport him to the edge of the universe, where he encountered the mountains that hold up the heavens. He graffitied the tallest mountain and returned to Buddha, who showed him his desecrated middle finger. Jar Jar Binks style punishments ensued. :) More info? Look up "Monkey Magic" — a show that didn't get airtime in the US, but Bif knows about it since it was widely distributed in Oceania. First time he mentioned it to me was after I drew the card, and I did not believe him! ;)
