One of the nicest things about our stay near Kyoto, Japan were our AirBnB hosts, who lived in a separate living space within the same house as us. They frequently sent over food, toys, books, and offers of rides, and chatting with them in the garden while Theo played was lovely and informative. In several ways, they acted as month-long grandparents to Theo, from taking him on walks to gathering scrap lumber and tools to feed his creation impulses.
Last Saturday, they drove Theo and me through the countryside to a nearby town known for its pottery, where Theo and I made our own bowls. I think the bowls are unlikely to become masterpieces, and declined Tsutomu’s kind offer to mail them to us in Ohio once they are fired and glazed, especially since they seem unlikely to survive the journey. However, when I suggested that perhaps the bowls didn’t need to be fired at all, Tsutomu asked if he might pick up and keep the bowls himself. So, while we might have moved on from Tsutomu and Momoko’s lovely home, it seems our bowls will have a place there.
