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New Zenrinkan Blog!

Come check out the Zenrinkan Current Events blog, it's finally up and running!  We have lots of interesting things to look at and discuss!  This Thursday, the topic is "Bias in the Media".  Come join us!

~Alicia

June Corn Dolly

This month the corn dolly class tried their hand at hanging baskets. It is a difficult technique as the shape must gradually get wider and wider from a point to make a cone and keeping the sides an equal length is very tricky.  There were a lot of false starts, but eventually everyone got it!

May Cooking

Today in cooking we made a Scottish sweet called macaroons.  Maybe many of you know the French macaroon made from meringue, but these are a pastry made with almond powder.  Inside there is a spongy almond center with jam inside.  We made two types, one with a pastry lid and the other with a cherry on top.

Nuno Zori

Today with the sign language circle we made some Japanese cloth slippers.  They were so fun to make and even though it took a lot of concentration, it was certainly worth it.  I have been wearing them around the house and they are so comfortable.

I made a website about how to make them, so if you haven't tried before, give it a go!

Day Trip

All the staff from Zenrinkan had our annual day trip today.  We all met at Hachimangu shrine and were lead around a selection of local temples and places of interest by Ms Murai.   We learnt many interesting facts and saw some little hidden away places, before filling up our water bottles at a local spring.  

After eating lunch at Stella Monte, we took a tour of the local sake factory and learnt about how they hand make some of Iwate's famous alcohol.  Sadly the factory is only in business over the winter months, but still the smell of fermenting rice and the sight of the huge tanks and bottling machines was a wonderful experience.

May Corn Dolly

Over two sessions, the corn dolly class members completed their most difficult project so far.  They made praying angels.  The dress is a very difficult technique, but all the students managed it without too many problems.

In the first two hour session, they made the wings, arms and head.  Then they spent the second two hours making the dress.