2023-05-14 Tankokai Activities Update

Introduction

To whom it may concern,

After a deeply snowy winter, spring weather is finally rolling through Colorado. Blossoms are beginning to unfurl from their winter dormancy, and trees are starting to awaken with resplendent green. This change has also been evident inside the tea room in the return of the furo.

We have been making steady progress here in Colorado. Okeiko has been ongoing, and members are beginning to seek out opportunities for Tea outreach in the community. As always, we would love to share some of this progress with you.

Wishing everybody health and happiness,
Urasenke members in Colorado

Hatsudate

Saturday, January 28, 2023

On January 28, 2023, members gathered for a celebration of the New Year with our first Hatsudate since COVID began. We shared a tenshin meal together at the table, followed by koicha and usucha in the chashitsu.

Sweets Workshop

Saturday, March 4, 2023

On March 4, 2023, members Dario and Kristina Aranguiz held a sweets workshop to show seasonal sweets that could be made with easily-accessible ingredients. Students made two variations on Ume — chakin-shibori and mochi — to learn how the same seasonal theme can be expressed in different ways. Each student made six sweets of each variation to take home.

Ikebana Demonstration

April 14, 2023

On April 14, 2023, Kristina Aranguiz held a tea demonstration for the local Ikenobo Ikebana chapter in Denver, where she also studies Ikebana. Participants were able to see how the traditional Japanese aesthetics they cultivate in their study of Ikebana present themselves in Chanoyu through Kristina’s ryakubon demonstration.

Keikoba update (kinin + sweets)

It is important to us to be able to share tea with all those possessing a willing heart, even if they have difficulties sitting seiza. Zabosai Oiemoto’s message of adapting tea to our personal needs has inspired us, and we have done our best to create a “tenchaban-like” space for students who are unable to sit on the floor.

Luckily for us, IKEA has a table which is within one centimeter of the dimensions for a proper tenchaban. We raised this table using “furniture risers” to be the proper height, then assembled other IKEA furniture to use as stools and tables. In the photo attached, student Martha Rome is practicing Kinindate Usucha.

Having wagashi is an important part of okeiko, so we have done our best to learn some traditional recipes to share with the students. Attached are photos of some of our recent okeiko wagashi.