Week 54 - February 11-17, 2014

When I was a student at Ricks College, in one of my classes we learned about tatting and that it was becoming a lost art.  I was very excited to share this information with my mother.  To my surprise she pulled out of her cedar chest a few tatting books and lace she had made, she than preceded to show me large doilies that had been on our family piano and her sewing machine as long as I can remember.  Her sister Lydia had made these beautiful pieces of lace.  I was quite amazed at the knowledge my mother had.  She showed me her bone tatting shuttle from her childhood.  I was very interested in learning to tat, so we bought some thread and a red plastic tatting shuttle.  She taught me a simple lace pattern.  My life got busy.  I married and had children.  Many years later I looked at the shuttle and lace I had made and could not remember how to do it again. 

What is tatting?  I have learned here in Japan that tatting has a 2000 year history.  The knots it uses were first used by fisherman to make fishing nets.  This knowledge was handed down to weavers who used a finer thread and smaller shuttle to make lace.  The lace was sewn into satin and velvet for royalty to wear.  Children and handmaidens were taught to tat edgings that were quickly bought up by the weavers who would add the tatting edgings to their garments and charge large sums of money for them.

Here in Japan I met a wonderful lady who gave me a tatted bookmark.  I asked her who made it. She was amazed I knew tatting when I saw it.  At that time a year ago I did not have time to have her show me how to tat.  We were only in Fukuoka for a night before heading to Kumamoto.  

We have spent the last three months working at the mission office in Fukuoka.  She has been so kind to me and showed me again how to tat.  Here are two laces I have made.  It is amazing that I came half way around the world and have the opportunity to learn again this art of lace making. 

Missionaries are moving again. Look at the bikes parked at honbu.  Many of them are waiting to be shipping to different parts of the mission.

We have been given the opportunity to work in the temple this next year two Saturdays a month.  We are excited to have this opportunity.  We had previously worked in Oakland temple.

This is the Oakland temple with the Christmas lights.

Elder Koberstein and I have enjoyed biking from our apartment to the mission office (honbu).  This is the road in front of the temple that we bike on.  I love it because it has very little traffic.

Elder Koberstein is ready to ride to our apartment.  It is a 15 minute bike ride, through city traffic.  We have enjoyed our bikes so much here in Japan.  They are easy to park and travel nicely on very small roads, passing other vehicles or pedestrians are not a problem and they can park safely almost any where.  On small roads cars cannot pass.  One car has to pull off and let the other car pass before proceeding down the road.  It is an amazing process to drive on the narrow roads in a car in Japan but drivers here work together to make travel work.  It amazes me to watch the process.

On the way to honbu Monday morning Elder Koberstein and I stopped by the dry cleaner and dropped off one of his suits.  You can see his bike parked outside and him standing inside.

We rode though this little park after leaving the cleaners on the way to honbu.

The trees think spring is here.  They are starting to blossom. 

After finishing at honbu we went with the new office couple to Shabo Shabo for dinner.  It is a cook your own dinner type restaurant.  We had chicken, vegetables and fruit for dessert.  A wonderful way to finish a very busy day of training.

Scripture of the Week

Ether 12:12

For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; therefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.