Wonderful Words and Photos on Wednesday

Of all the gifts that #1 received this Christmas, her absolute favourite is a little book that was sent to her from Tokyo by Ms. D, an Australian friend who has lived in Japan for many years. The book is called "Misao to Fukumaru" (Misao and Fukumaru). It is the story of the writer's grandmother, Misao, and the white cat with one yellow and one blue eye who appeared on her doorstep as a tiny kitten eight years ago. She named him "Fukumaru" (the circle of good fortune). The cat is hard of hearing, as is often the case with cats with different coloured eyes, as is also Misao. Here is the cover of the book:

The photos are absolutely beautiful, showing the love and caring between the two. Fukumaru helps Misao who is still an active market gardener:

He also helps with important tasks such as drying persimmons:

He relaxes with her when she has a well-deserved cup of green tea:

Celebrates important events, such as her 86th birthday, with her:

And is always there to make every day a happy day for both of them...

An utterly beautiful book. The author (and photographer) is Miyoko Ihara and the book was published in October 2011 by Little More. It is also available through amazon in Japan here.