tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81726329573181338962024-03-13T15:42:36.675-07:00TaniwaTanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.comBlogger1144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-1170219793361306432013-06-23T16:18:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.349-07:00E-mail typoSomeone let me know that my e-mail address was wrong on the last post I wrote a couple of weeks ago. So sorry about that. I have corrected the address on the last post and here it is again if you are still interested in contacting me...<br /><br />taniwa07@gmail.com <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-19750613470451804312013-06-03T17:25:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.354-07:00Replying to comments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujvdp5n9LCCgEeovyOtHnY44yzXXQqsDKON5sKYCADvcoqgQtm_EdpOQ9a4o2P0Puq8Zvc2r8KbUn8_YRLzvjrb2xQeiMWYAQctiJK3Q7puNXgQJFm_JOqKR6FSDIWQr5WtTlgoly38CT/s1600/P6036978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujvdp5n9LCCgEeovyOtHnY44yzXXQqsDKON5sKYCADvcoqgQtm_EdpOQ9a4o2P0Puq8Zvc2r8KbUn8_YRLzvjrb2xQeiMWYAQctiJK3Q7puNXgQJFm_JOqKR6FSDIWQr5WtTlgoly38CT/s200/P6036978.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I am slowly fading away here...<br /><br />I'm sorry but you are really going to have to send me an e-mail. So far that has been the easiest way to reconnect with me. With only your name I really can't get in touch with you and give you details... (Lois Jean, B. in the US, Susan, Ida, Marquetta, Sharon, Diah, Martine, Diana, Jo, Jewel, Pat, Quit for fun, Golden isis, Shirley E.)<br /><br />My gmail address is taniwa07@gmail.com <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-83224306620191331472013-06-02T17:58:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.358-07:00ChangesSorry about the mix-up yesterday... I'm making some changes in my life!<br /><br />I have decided to start over in blogging. I have been having a problem with readers who feel they need to tell me how to write my blog. They don't like my pictures or they don't like my topics. I'm sorry, but it is my blog and I do not want to be hindered by who thinks what about whatever. I'm also getting a lot of spam that is very annoying.<br /><br />I suppose I could just click on the "only these readers" button. But that would make me and my blog disappear completely for my anonymous readers... I don't think that is fair to the faithful readers who have stopped in for so many months or years. Making a whole new private blog is a bit frightening, but it means I can control things a bit more.<br /><br />I have been playing around on the new blog site (and that's why invitations went out to some people and not to others) and have been having a lot of fun! Hey! I didn't know I could adjust my blog widths if I use another template! I didn't know I could post larger pictures! Oh! So many things to explore!<br /><br />So... It seems that I can just click on a g-mail contact button and everyone will get an invitation to this new blog... But some people (yoo-hoo Leiya, you are one of those people!) have three or four e-mail addresses and I have no idea which one you normally use.<br /><br />What I can do is send out an invitation to people I recognize from their g-mail addresses that I have. I guess if anyone else wants an invite, then you'll have to contact me in this post's comment section or by the e-mail address in my blog profile. This may mean that some people will have to make a g-mail account (which is free) and I apologize if it is an inconvenience or if you feel that I've jilted you.<br /><br />This is the explanation I get on Blogger.<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Only these readers </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> </span> <br /><div class="GIL3GQOBFH"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> You can restrict your blog to only readers you choose. However, these readers will need to log in before reading your blog, adding an extra step. </span></div><div class="GIL3GQOBFH"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /> We'll save your readers list for you, so you can switch back at any time. </span></div><div class="GIL3GQOBFH"><br /></div><div class="GIL3GQOBFH"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So though I'll be somewhere else and I'll be using a new layout... The new blog is really just a continuation of this one. Same old topics, same animals, same sewing going on.</span></div><div class="GIL3GQOBFH"><br /></div><div class="GIL3GQOBFH"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAtjFc0KuFb-Wqaavdu-FnDeB0L99QWASEZ8lpWUpGO8uuCaFUsMP1a8YvRHvm81H9TLlab9VOmAwrLKfSTfE-m0KMFLz-NpnSHBaprDXstNybMAVLTcKSM2kRk8Qcve7sQCn1FypCnr9/s1600/P6036987-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAtjFc0KuFb-Wqaavdu-FnDeB0L99QWASEZ8lpWUpGO8uuCaFUsMP1a8YvRHvm81H9TLlab9VOmAwrLKfSTfE-m0KMFLz-NpnSHBaprDXstNybMAVLTcKSM2kRk8Qcve7sQCn1FypCnr9/s400/P6036987-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Thank you for being so friendly and faithful, for commenting and encouraging. I hope I see you again. I'll be trying to send out those invitations again today... wish me luck...<br /><br /><b><span style="color: red;">Update. Okay... So far this isn't working. I guess you are going to have to send me an e-mail... I can't register anybody from the comment box. </span></b><br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-11974494600109661072013-06-01T16:27:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.362-07:00Progress reportHere it is June. Might as well give a progress report on my patchwork activity at home.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBwXJXZnAp-BNTXmkkTY0vm38rb9IwCSnw-mlplQERs73tpvobgSNfcSVZYqvP3OYmvT4DQYIiPGApxppYJ-uvAY5qW8_PFgWayi9b6iWV4qzr4ZAK78TVCj37EIxEpMmRK53nKalctyd/s1600/P5316949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBwXJXZnAp-BNTXmkkTY0vm38rb9IwCSnw-mlplQERs73tpvobgSNfcSVZYqvP3OYmvT4DQYIiPGApxppYJ-uvAY5qW8_PFgWayi9b6iWV4qzr4ZAK78TVCj37EIxEpMmRK53nKalctyd/s400/P5316949.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Ta-da! 20 Pine Burr Blocks! I am finished with those!!! Whew! I think I was getting sloppy at the end because the last one turned out like a tent and I had to redo it... I don't think you can guess now which one is the sloppy one and I'm not telling! That was A LOT of hand sewing!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwohGWq1C-fMkFG6ZNy5COp-KWioZbhx5HS7rD9FBw4zpGVXVEQwU-LahVwkY-4SZ4r1-u3_04-Q3Saj-_Opy_RILB_nu1Xrxb-VB_j4trHmMtFsnJJ6OsyU2Y_5etDgY-ie5k8ZoVZnvp/s1600/P6026951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwohGWq1C-fMkFG6ZNy5COp-KWioZbhx5HS7rD9FBw4zpGVXVEQwU-LahVwkY-4SZ4r1-u3_04-Q3Saj-_Opy_RILB_nu1Xrxb-VB_j4trHmMtFsnJJ6OsyU2Y_5etDgY-ie5k8ZoVZnvp/s400/P6026951.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />And of course I've been plugging away on the lattice strips. I'm still making triangle strips but to alleviate some of the boredom, eh-hem, concentrated routine work, I've been putting the strips together into lattice pieces. At date I have 20 lattice pieces and I think I need 49 (or maybe it is 48... every time I count I come up with a different number.) And I still have about 20 triangle strips (two strips per piece) by my sewing machine so I may have passed my middle mark! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12x5o14fQ6CWz0Ni1cDmiGIvz9LOJ4VM-229kJ2IEhjgNsRi8cVX2L_0hsIUHBXaor8aajOit1Eu-Jx4tZgPzuZ6Qndwv_MelF5_7p6B0q-kSsIQ1fWjurHppWyWo6d1EOCJxkMaMxplS/s1600/P6026952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi12x5o14fQ6CWz0Ni1cDmiGIvz9LOJ4VM-229kJ2IEhjgNsRi8cVX2L_0hsIUHBXaor8aajOit1Eu-Jx4tZgPzuZ6Qndwv_MelF5_7p6B0q-kSsIQ1fWjurHppWyWo6d1EOCJxkMaMxplS/s400/P6026952.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Now that my hand sewing is finished on the Pine Burr blocks I will move on to hand piecing the lattice corners. Two done... By my calculations I need 30. Sigh.<br /><br />There are still a lot of sewing days ahead of me but I'm making progress!<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-15306588654345051812013-05-30T16:40:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.366-07:00A finished quilt and progress...We had a fun and profitable Thursday Patchwork Day yesterday. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgwg8KA440VwEK7Cpc8-ResOVsvfHvd3XbKtXFn-p8Qt67MdCChfO3pbxFn3oo5b9KV83K33t5UQAAKjn_LSjTCTpmIUAFbc34OBDd2_jN8HaOFRiWQjNFi_BvY4cX6vUgBrUJ0e64dqZ/s1600/___.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgwg8KA440VwEK7Cpc8-ResOVsvfHvd3XbKtXFn-p8Qt67MdCChfO3pbxFn3oo5b9KV83K33t5UQAAKjn_LSjTCTpmIUAFbc34OBDd2_jN8HaOFRiWQjNFi_BvY4cX6vUgBrUJ0e64dqZ/s320/___.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br />Mrs. Furui finished up her Summer quilt for the hospital! I spent the morning sewing down the binding.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfugNS5Vz0vFVS9C9gLi9ZqQsgGHLytcR4Iiv1RHoOWA3psP6ZwYBzjbsEpyqXeZa4nzSW4SyaxXAgtLdZS8pnmChgmXeSUvUrz4odcTJ6K1jaji9f6NTgVc2bCZtYJTM_U3m1sF3O7PoT/s1600/IMG_6120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfugNS5Vz0vFVS9C9gLi9ZqQsgGHLytcR4Iiv1RHoOWA3psP6ZwYBzjbsEpyqXeZa4nzSW4SyaxXAgtLdZS8pnmChgmXeSUvUrz4odcTJ6K1jaji9f6NTgVc2bCZtYJTM_U3m1sF3O7PoT/s400/IMG_6120.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />This turned out to be a collaborative project. Mrs. Furui did the planning and applique (all those freehand stripes and circles!) and I did most of the quilting. I hand-quilted to my heart's content and probably added a lot more swirls and curves than Mrs. Furui expected. But, it is done!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bXU-qB9SzAIBZD4GZahAlJZOFYdaXRo_xF9fCbi7tSlx1Za35BVimYuncpfDaONIzjxr4N46BRwhzC76A6QD1mZDZmWb4VOLE-IwxAna8a9ws2Y9OIFCRON2gncxL0AqqiVG4txM_ojR/s1600/P5306945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7bXU-qB9SzAIBZD4GZahAlJZOFYdaXRo_xF9fCbi7tSlx1Za35BVimYuncpfDaONIzjxr4N46BRwhzC76A6QD1mZDZmWb4VOLE-IwxAna8a9ws2Y9OIFCRON2gncxL0AqqiVG4txM_ojR/s400/P5306945.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The cute little elves (that we don't want you to miss) are a take off from the hospital wall paper in the children's ward. We couldn't think of a good name for this quilt... "Summer Elves"... "Water Play"...? Mrs. Furui will get this up on the hospital wall sometime next week name or no name.<br /><br />Oh dear... We all forgot to take pictures of the bazaar quilt that we basted. I guess everyone was too busy crawling around on the floor with needle and thread. That quilt is officially out of our hands and will go to a friend who will machine quilt it for us. The bazaar isn't until November... We are way ahead of ourselves!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeY6wONcfCmAI3mJNUSDfYK_aPLn9ZKAQY_MNF8WwQ0OK5hLMI43W3s_XIjbr0LU8D0rNdabfpysUYbSekxiB2UT_M9wGYlr7-AEAgk0LxgMWL7xGYuiDa6hph1hODCNwFAGvVdVJjKt8/s1600/P5226870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxeY6wONcfCmAI3mJNUSDfYK_aPLn9ZKAQY_MNF8WwQ0OK5hLMI43W3s_XIjbr0LU8D0rNdabfpysUYbSekxiB2UT_M9wGYlr7-AEAgk0LxgMWL7xGYuiDa6hph1hODCNwFAGvVdVJjKt8/s400/P5226870.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Mrs. Yamaguchi spent the day getting her quilt blocks all together into one piece. (Still in the layout stage here but she did sew it all together yesterday). She will add white borders and then trace a quilting pattern on it. Maybe feathers? <br /><br />There were another couple of projects that have made progress... but more about that tomorrow.<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-31937206631676408812013-05-29T16:29:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.370-07:00Sleeping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A typical evening in front of the TV.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWE22_B_QGhvrBeh4t51Ffe_xxMHEosY8gPi14x7VB8WFRqxz_farNnXIX8_Zfi1JtYWtMc2XTdGRaA9yThrQcoo23vlbtwpQphEFROccrRWExqfcUHUI7SaYl3vvcKiD9YPYftfJAR8y/s1600/P5296942-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWE22_B_QGhvrBeh4t51Ffe_xxMHEosY8gPi14x7VB8WFRqxz_farNnXIX8_Zfi1JtYWtMc2XTdGRaA9yThrQcoo23vlbtwpQphEFROccrRWExqfcUHUI7SaYl3vvcKiD9YPYftfJAR8y/s400/P5296942-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />My sleeping beauties... Neither of them ever have any idea of what we've been watching.<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-88803967910570927422013-05-28T16:33:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.374-07:00From the misc. photo fileLet's see... what do I have in my miscellaneous photo file...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintOG6JGbMkD0PO5wZVZoSCymBpNstCcZBKxG53E7yOWEC83mJOXtB2yuMSURScEtVfG8gSYgqoFonGtTJFoYeC0ZkRV4YQaudoIEHdmow2CadVpsr78hRpmGlkvz33G_zQ0eTGrJUcU5B/s1600/P4276392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintOG6JGbMkD0PO5wZVZoSCymBpNstCcZBKxG53E7yOWEC83mJOXtB2yuMSURScEtVfG8gSYgqoFonGtTJFoYeC0ZkRV4YQaudoIEHdmow2CadVpsr78hRpmGlkvz33G_zQ0eTGrJUcU5B/s400/P4276392.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />A typical shot of Tetsu and Choco in the early morning.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr1wS4OJ6n6IXirb-82pJncGw6F-ampVGfEbWhKTpQL9FX3hMVtU-nR76a9armpQYs-L6lnw1qfVEZJwu3_LX5ndIU_Fei5vPtIQWJwNV_5KgorrSEAp1GnZWHM-qLCdc8U9GiHDunDzc/s1600/P5056626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXr1wS4OJ6n6IXirb-82pJncGw6F-ampVGfEbWhKTpQL9FX3hMVtU-nR76a9armpQYs-L6lnw1qfVEZJwu3_LX5ndIU_Fei5vPtIQWJwNV_5KgorrSEAp1GnZWHM-qLCdc8U9GiHDunDzc/s400/P5056626.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We see a lot of herons' eggs around on the forest floor. Pretty blue things. I have a suspicion that the crows steal the eggs and then drop them and crack them open. I feel sorry for the herons but we do have an overcrowding of the heron population right now...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXyUDMkGKhfi-6ulASYvbMQbxVYKa80C2rPmOVe8i1A-k3o3Az-bfZbx9b-DRjpJ-456iLYexXEaFrk7nYLeEItAg2v7yG1AvtF8nHk849JLAJiBi8TkzhJjaDOjCBg-nAwZlw7GXuJxr/s1600/P5266910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXyUDMkGKhfi-6ulASYvbMQbxVYKa80C2rPmOVe8i1A-k3o3Az-bfZbx9b-DRjpJ-456iLYexXEaFrk7nYLeEItAg2v7yG1AvtF8nHk849JLAJiBi8TkzhJjaDOjCBg-nAwZlw7GXuJxr/s400/P5266910.JPG" width="346" /></a></div><br />Here is Mi inspecting my malfunctioning camera lens (I used the other lens to take the picture.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzlumjI8QNhV4jChpT7_7tL-mKAlTAAJ4tZo8QchyZmYbfuBb8vFE2v-MNZAhss-vFhxd9wBLJHUYI_SLihSYoSTv9hvZ7geUR5-VeHMIBDMwz0_uThfOc-JG4h1oDl164-urIANK_eal/s1600/P5216788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzlumjI8QNhV4jChpT7_7tL-mKAlTAAJ4tZo8QchyZmYbfuBb8vFE2v-MNZAhss-vFhxd9wBLJHUYI_SLihSYoSTv9hvZ7geUR5-VeHMIBDMwz0_uThfOc-JG4h1oDl164-urIANK_eal/s400/P5216788.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Another early morning view of the countryside.<br /><br />Okay... I've got to go. Time to close down my computer and take it to the kindergarten! <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-87408982243617512912013-05-27T16:49:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.377-07:00AzaleasToday's post is outside my normal range of interests but I wandered through an azalea exhibition yesterday on my way out of the pool facilities. My area of Japan is having all sorts of azalea festivals this week.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWthQdM0RDrpbJcR9LaOzGLkTUTTywkZP_khycgVnqtQevrDCdQ8-cUlAPnNHkLKB8x6QRuxEq7GEpG2TBXF7q1bEp5uF_c_5_W0RU8Yy7FzZAI8SPJx-veKRqFoYekB3oEiUsY1oZMji/s1600/P5276914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWthQdM0RDrpbJcR9LaOzGLkTUTTywkZP_khycgVnqtQevrDCdQ8-cUlAPnNHkLKB8x6QRuxEq7GEpG2TBXF7q1bEp5uF_c_5_W0RU8Yy7FzZAI8SPJx-veKRqFoYekB3oEiUsY1oZMji/s320/P5276914.JPG" width="290" /></a></div><br />There is a whole art involved with raising azaleas. Since the bush in my yard blooms haphazardly and doesn't look particularly beautiful, I don't have a lot of respect for azaleas but obviously I've been missing the flora world of possibilities...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaDVJooHPmkBCoDBYbo8mzS2zDklFVF9XOOIJdN2Lw50Er82DCRHYJ5zVMz6jr9bKlbo-SS30LJHFy8IjxLdUmurFzzsCm44liaCfO0Y58t4djK1shSTMz3qBx1RTrpy_NCemT0GQ0CKK/s1600/P5276915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaDVJooHPmkBCoDBYbo8mzS2zDklFVF9XOOIJdN2Lw50Er82DCRHYJ5zVMz6jr9bKlbo-SS30LJHFy8IjxLdUmurFzzsCm44liaCfO0Y58t4djK1shSTMz3qBx1RTrpy_NCemT0GQ0CKK/s320/P5276915.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br />There were hundreds of azalea "trees" at this exhibition, all pruned and encouraged to grow in many different containers and directions. I suppose this is considered a type of bonsai... miniature tree manipulation. Such a burst of color! And all the potted azaleas looked regal in their honored places positioned on polished wooden diases.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVRbYcHS-uNYC4nJ8GCoC3K2xdO67osyeNMlX7Qnz1mujNbWjQONnI2MpCHL9EmtpV4JbVaDZPlMlnQQzcpcblhIdYBUmB1ssgsQmmnhtuWaLSdKHL4uLm7ZLeDpM6Xe9m9HrL1YY6O08/s1600/P5276928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVRbYcHS-uNYC4nJ8GCoC3K2xdO67osyeNMlX7Qnz1mujNbWjQONnI2MpCHL9EmtpV4JbVaDZPlMlnQQzcpcblhIdYBUmB1ssgsQmmnhtuWaLSdKHL4uLm7ZLeDpM6Xe9m9HrL1YY6O08/s320/P5276928.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><br />Look at the roots on that one! How did someone get that thing to grow?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBR1s1ytuw4O6vtAURqv0byV03goHc1ayp2QDOWcAp7A5kwzNsURoLJhdYhVnvrYS06BRqpr3Tz8MfBnBmzS1VTX8StfaU49cBtBf0ge0YMMfGgf2_WG4PguNp5Vwisf6ngruvHLhtTXG/s1600/P5276921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBR1s1ytuw4O6vtAURqv0byV03goHc1ayp2QDOWcAp7A5kwzNsURoLJhdYhVnvrYS06BRqpr3Tz8MfBnBmzS1VTX8StfaU49cBtBf0ge0YMMfGgf2_WG4PguNp5Vwisf6ngruvHLhtTXG/s320/P5276921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />This was my favorite. I was drawn to the asymmetry and balance. <br /><br />Was I inspired to go out and prune my azalea bushes? Nah... I'm not much of a gardener. I'm going back to my sewing.<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-80917186562142796222013-05-26T16:52:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.382-07:00Punk clerkHeadaches, headaches.<br /><br />Would you believe it? My camera stopped working yesterday!!! With blood pounding in my head I got out the box that it had been shipped in and checked the warranty.<br /><br />Expired April 2. GRRRRRRR!!<br /><br />I grabbed box and camera and went to my local camera shop with all sorts of scenerios in my head.<br /><br />In a slightly deranged state I was ready to accost the store manager when a young female clerk got to me first.<br /><br />"May I help you?"<br /><br />"Yes. I want to speak with someone who KNOWS cameras." I looked meaningfully towards the store manager.<br /><br />"Yes... Well, I can help you."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg3xI0eN9kg3HTVyuYw0gF9S4glAWWyMsn-LLHuXJx5UmxOZ5ArF5cnN2sU6WZz0TtXM3e9yCzn0XNQwzhISAdWdyIH1tB0xdR87fLAo8B2yH6-ndQDD7Owt7hQRZDE6l2cVu6Km7Cuuv/s1600/punkGirl.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg3xI0eN9kg3HTVyuYw0gF9S4glAWWyMsn-LLHuXJx5UmxOZ5ArF5cnN2sU6WZz0TtXM3e9yCzn0XNQwzhISAdWdyIH1tB0xdR87fLAo8B2yH6-ndQDD7Owt7hQRZDE6l2cVu6Km7Cuuv/s320/punkGirl.png" width="96" /></a>Hah! This GIRL had white and purple punk hair. She was wearing vibrant green color contact lenses. She had huge Hello Kitty glasses on with no lenses. Her fingernails were an inch long and sparkly black. This punk clerk knows cameras?<br /><br />I explained my camera issue and the girl very deftly manipulated the camera and considered what the problem might be. She jiggled and cleaned and blew at different parts of my camera and finally determined that the lens was malfunctioning... Maybe (oh, I hope!) not the camera. She gave me information on getting an estimate for repairs, or buying a new lens, or replacing the whole kit and kaboodle (NO!!!) The punk clerk was polite and knowledgeable and very helpful. <br /><br />I'm not pleased that I've had to send off my camera lens for an estimate nor that it costs to have it estimated nor that the repair fee will run half the price of the whole camera outfit. But what else can I do?<br /><br />"When you send that lens to the Olympus company make sure they know that the customer (ME!) is extremely dissatisfied with a lens that only lasted a year plus... I am NOT happy!"<br /><br />But I was a little embarrassed at my previous assumption that this punk girl might not know her cameras. <br /><br />"A apologize for my earlier attitude and assuming that you might not know about cameras."<br /><br />"Oh... well... though my appearance may be outlandish I happen to be the assistant manager of the store."<br /> <br />A lesson on not making snap judgements for me...<br /><br />And now I am without my main camera lens for a few weeks. Hopefully I can still photo with the telescopic lens and a close-up lens that I have...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eI3rdRPF94GZ6w2ZSRoew7lGrllKI4BNTtWKp3vNPdQKM-jTmklcBflF8Mc42E0iRhoeT8vXeYDU4EwqURjqznOsQLaSlZBi0KyUtS0CuehzH_dofvox7wgkQPEAuIc7V3KijeCmDdGJ/s1600/HI3H0130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eI3rdRPF94GZ6w2ZSRoew7lGrllKI4BNTtWKp3vNPdQKM-jTmklcBflF8Mc42E0iRhoeT8vXeYDU4EwqURjqznOsQLaSlZBi0KyUtS0CuehzH_dofvox7wgkQPEAuIc7V3KijeCmDdGJ/s200/HI3H0130.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />Obviously my cell phone camera is not up to my Olympus standards...<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-59495259736046930252013-05-25T15:03:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.386-07:00Computer wondersYesterday Tetsu and I attended Takumi's graduation.<br /><br />"What? I'm getting confused. I thought he graduated in February... I thought he lived in California and Tanya lived in Japan."<br /><br />Correct on both points. Takumi received his diploma (smiling picture of him <a href="http://tttl1998.blogspot.jp/2013/02/takumi.html">here</a>) in February. He has since found a job and is working in California. But his graduation ceremony was held yesterday in Long Beach. And Tetsu and I attended via the Internet!!!! Such a computer wonder world we live in!<br /><br />Takumi had sent me a link earlier this week saying he hoped we could find him on the big day. Yesterday morning (our time 9:00 Saturday morning, Takumi's time 5:00 Friday afternoon) Tetsu and I settled down in front of my computer and tuned in to Cal State Long Beach University's commencement ceremonies.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKXUmvf7GBZyESvzTi4I_IgYQzaBf8kOHzAluvBTuukkvezw0tsPeVR1I1seaq0awIa9CbDU2xL79SeP-_13F3zrOzJ2GakMUYHmSWjfOVpN8AQdRNNXst7nQ3WkS0WQJKHd5mmI3jJUq/s1600/P5256875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKXUmvf7GBZyESvzTi4I_IgYQzaBf8kOHzAluvBTuukkvezw0tsPeVR1I1seaq0awIa9CbDU2xL79SeP-_13F3zrOzJ2GakMUYHmSWjfOVpN8AQdRNNXst7nQ3WkS0WQJKHd5mmI3jJUq/s400/P5256875.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />"I see him! I see Takumi!"<br /><br />In the hundreds of kids graduating, on my somewhat blurry computer screen, I spotted my son.<br /><br />Tetsu and I perched on the edge of the sofa for the next hour listening to speeches (me translating for Tetsu) and then finally watching as the graduate students filed across the ceremony stage when their names were called.<br /><br />"Is that him back there?"<br /><br />"No... Maybe that boy?"<br /><br />But when Takumi got close to the stage Tetsu and I both pointed at the computer screen.<br /><br />"TAKUMI!"<br /><br />From across over 5000 miles of ocean Tetsu and I watched a smiling Takumi cross the university stage, receive his diploma case (he'd received his diploma before) and shake the college president's hand.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FFSXiXKbXGWvZd31u_g6Lb89bAtg4hBb7oc5lPGKyWbPpczYIudxQlub-1kuGcEb_9V4dTwmc6T7k1Ugl9xz_FQl5TGOOp0B0T4e_VCgEXR-MMcSBrhVFjOvfz5vgxfA2wLz53OuttB9/s1600/P5256882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FFSXiXKbXGWvZd31u_g6Lb89bAtg4hBb7oc5lPGKyWbPpczYIudxQlub-1kuGcEb_9V4dTwmc6T7k1Ugl9xz_FQl5TGOOp0B0T4e_VCgEXR-MMcSBrhVFjOvfz5vgxfA2wLz53OuttB9/s400/P5256882.JPG" width="310" /></a></div><br />Tetsu TRIED to take a picture of Takumi on the computer... Not very successful I'm afraid. Consider it pop-art? It is our proof that both Tetsu and I attended Takumi's graduation ceremony. <br /><br />What a wonderful world!<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-12247533221580053352013-05-24T16:18:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.390-07:00The neighborhood bread shopThere is a bread shop that I pass on my way to town. I go often enough that everyone knows me and I will buy bread and eat it at the picnic bench outside their shop. <br /> <br />For a little bakery there are certainly a lot of different kinds of bread. There are lunch breads with cheese or vegetables or curry and of course sandwiches... How about a fried noodle sandwich? (Hmm. Not my choice either.) There are dessert breads such as custard cream bread, chocolate cream bread and sweet bean paste bread. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ebPkUdFp0seyVB6dxvk7RXE9eWz1Vt0Zqc-p5rx-5r3JJFBAEl-4Fdl_pl_K9hPlCMBL46jM6o21jngguNmPxVtgLHYrasiJqj1QRbpdq9a2zJG6GiR1qzygXKMIQZ2uidy1e9z7SzA-/s1600/P5106690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ebPkUdFp0seyVB6dxvk7RXE9eWz1Vt0Zqc-p5rx-5r3JJFBAEl-4Fdl_pl_K9hPlCMBL46jM6o21jngguNmPxVtgLHYrasiJqj1QRbpdq9a2zJG6GiR1qzygXKMIQZ2uidy1e9z7SzA-/s400/P5106690.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />There are all sorts of cute beads too... Little bears, bunnies, Totoro (a Japanese character) and superheroes. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCxxjcxKgN4ghW8TbBVOdVuMr2Gj9a34atiRUeFC8kJvjLvxQGMyqCU8HaCIDS0HWuoEIdwPoHkqDKna5tCkx0eVDtxjZYDgE_7uFcTC-p-wud7M-gh1Og1PyQJ92wYb1Csis38y8oTRU/s1600/P5106689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCxxjcxKgN4ghW8TbBVOdVuMr2Gj9a34atiRUeFC8kJvjLvxQGMyqCU8HaCIDS0HWuoEIdwPoHkqDKna5tCkx0eVDtxjZYDgE_7uFcTC-p-wud7M-gh1Og1PyQJ92wYb1Csis38y8oTRU/s400/P5106689.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />How about some paw print bread? When I visit the bread shop I always get the impression that the baker has a lot of fun thinking up new types of bread.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcR1vNzlt4gTt5I5dQfTIvizSGUqj7Ft3lY7TQdOfz7fAmp-xwWeyFe3kuoahig0M9cNZZWGzLMedPQfYR4FCkJVW1G_ni6wznSS74vfC8SXa7TcgTQdNYr6b9IsMqovXhzZEFliS4UBX/s1600/P5106687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcR1vNzlt4gTt5I5dQfTIvizSGUqj7Ft3lY7TQdOfz7fAmp-xwWeyFe3kuoahig0M9cNZZWGzLMedPQfYR4FCkJVW1G_ni6wznSS74vfC8SXa7TcgTQdNYr6b9IsMqovXhzZEFliS4UBX/s400/P5106687.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />These were new... fish bread.... There seem to be fish sticks inside...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZfSWyNtJv6kCk3EqNXrAQIFLw1-REFf9KosVh2XwHj1G4WLoauDNinBNyeiFr9FfI5ZJCRtc-L0MNZHESoy75lpMNYHFfgY9ii0zAhonafTeU4jvB53jKMsMvsSPyRvQz4JtlTpudQJr/s1600/P5106688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ZfSWyNtJv6kCk3EqNXrAQIFLw1-REFf9KosVh2XwHj1G4WLoauDNinBNyeiFr9FfI5ZJCRtc-L0MNZHESoy75lpMNYHFfgY9ii0zAhonafTeU4jvB53jKMsMvsSPyRvQz4JtlTpudQJr/s400/P5106688.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />W~o~w! Yes, that is what you think it is... It is named "<i>oppai</i> bread" so now you know the Japanese word for br--sts. It is filled with milk cream. I don't think the owner was being ribald... <i>Oppai</i> bread seems to be a popular bread with the neighborhood children.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CrFZWkuJOQv8zCzIv_0dSYvHSwkJgvIbv5s9W3-9z2goHavJXy8tpRDL_nTgdSpSolO5vYtMtfuJ1qAl9KdiomkhEQIzve8l7tdiqftyxzbYkov2HqXaLKi5uHMRghy6Aa3jhq6-DrOz/s1600/P5106691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CrFZWkuJOQv8zCzIv_0dSYvHSwkJgvIbv5s9W3-9z2goHavJXy8tpRDL_nTgdSpSolO5vYtMtfuJ1qAl9KdiomkhEQIzve8l7tdiqftyxzbYkov2HqXaLKi5uHMRghy6Aa3jhq6-DrOz/s400/P5106691.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I love walking into the bread shop! Such an aroma! What shall I have for today's lunch?<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-72468520895184759492013-05-23T18:07:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.459-07:00PrayerHave you noticed that I haven't been making very many prayer quilts lately? I have. There are two reasons. One is, thankfully I haven't had many people who "needed" a prayer quilt. The other reason is that I've been having second thoughts about making prayer quilts.<br /><br />Over the past 5 or 6 years I have made many prayer quilts. I even joined the Prayer and Square organization and followed their rules about asking a person if they would appreciate a quilt that has been prayed over. (No prayer quilt surprises!) Some recipients have been church members. Some have been friends. One man was someone I knew in the neighborhood who wasn't Christian and didn't have much hope for his future. Most of the recipients have been returned to health but a few have not.<br /><br />There have been many situations though resulting from the prayer quilts and not all have been good. MOST people when asked if they would like a prayer quilt have received the offer gratefully. But some haven't. One man became upset because he took the offer to mean that people were giving up on him. He left the church angry. My sister-in-law's quilt for her mother got LOST in the prayer chain and that definitely put a strain on Marcy's heart and she has had to pull up an extra supply of forgiveness. <br /><br />And my friend who recently has been in the hospital declined the offer of a prayer quilt saying she would rather not have people focus on HER health but on their own. Ah~~ if this dear friend of mine feels that way... then maybe I have been stepping on people's toes. What it boils down to is that the person in need of prayer (and we all are in need of prayer!) has the correct answer and not I. Tetsu suggested that in some cases my timing might be better... but each person accepts their illness in their own way and in their own time.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO7oSvOk1QMPbwmTQH2TBN_oyJ9hyphenhyphenzAsg8qlFYZcbYTykC5xU3I2VPSSDXpBMocZlolbYFHMHzlly0hZVq7SHFNbp9S0SBHTlIyTEThq0MC95ejdBj50cOssjHnRxUHIRRK5QN8EOKsPA/s1600/P5216802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO7oSvOk1QMPbwmTQH2TBN_oyJ9hyphenhyphenzAsg8qlFYZcbYTykC5xU3I2VPSSDXpBMocZlolbYFHMHzlly0hZVq7SHFNbp9S0SBHTlIyTEThq0MC95ejdBj50cOssjHnRxUHIRRK5QN8EOKsPA/s400/P5216802.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Tetsu asked me if I were in the same situation would I want a prayer quilt... and I think the answer is yes for me. It is a cheery reminder of people's love. It is a symbol of God's lessons in my life. But not everyone thinks the same way... <br /><br />Which makes me think that I should not be so actively involved in making prayer quilts... this activity which was so close to my heart.<br /><br /><br />I am still going to pray.<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: medium none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-83984677682964247012013-05-22T16:53:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.530-07:00Rice planting class!The elementary school 5th graders had a "Rice Planting Class" this week. Each year the 5th grade class learns how to plant rice and then come autumn they will experience cutting the rice. Finally their harvested rice will be served at a school lunch.<br /><br />Rice planting this year happened on a morning when I was around and I hurried over at the appointed time. The rice field is a narrow one near the road and every year the farmer who owns it prepares it for planting with his tractor, floods it for the children and then conducts a rice planting class. <br /> <br />As I learned yesterday (I listened in to the class) there are 88 steps to produce a harvest of rice... The children did only one of those steps yesterday. (And for my Japanese readers, did you know that the Chinese character for RICE is made up of the strokes for 88? <b>米</b>. 八on top, 十 in the middle, and 八 again on the bottom.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdO85NCXHTZnT-Oe_XqYM8b7c5daeF0Mv1Ln-A4PfcwrRAxHg2EeAcw_F1hB2LlYB-iXp9c_R6ZOrdAWImOdGKo48JfH8juemU-X6RLW9SS3wxC4xU4GqDD_PtlMP4W2XMqPFQs6FBno-/s1600/P5216817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdO85NCXHTZnT-Oe_XqYM8b7c5daeF0Mv1Ln-A4PfcwrRAxHg2EeAcw_F1hB2LlYB-iXp9c_R6ZOrdAWImOdGKo48JfH8juemU-X6RLW9SS3wxC4xU4GqDD_PtlMP4W2XMqPFQs6FBno-/s400/P5216817.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Anyway... the children walked over to the rice field and shed their shoes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5SppB4nODgRrgLY4zUO6Z0mlHigMttlk6hIWPVg1Fwf6LcdcjY2LdSqYQW8CE6cIBaxargkjFgVONyK85YRYWJohJZoHUQfGBeeaYfCqVSQBFySwT54-0dihEkPQVY0qEKg_Hvl24A6Y/s1600/P5216818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5SppB4nODgRrgLY4zUO6Z0mlHigMttlk6hIWPVg1Fwf6LcdcjY2LdSqYQW8CE6cIBaxargkjFgVONyK85YRYWJohJZoHUQfGBeeaYfCqVSQBFySwT54-0dihEkPQVY0qEKg_Hvl24A6Y/s400/P5216818.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The parents who were there to help divided the slats of rice into manageable portions for the children to hold.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswQR30IdpVcX7rjpQZ5PoWlPu_OSjU6gS5BQjD_53HcsfRhdC0nERFaMDLXqiKD5vx5ZAmoNzWYT-Wlt_eYhDLeysgvPUB8xtWY4rk6hHfRloIC5c9r1NSC3KTJ96E0UeokTACG5jnF8N/s1600/P5216820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjswQR30IdpVcX7rjpQZ5PoWlPu_OSjU6gS5BQjD_53HcsfRhdC0nERFaMDLXqiKD5vx5ZAmoNzWYT-Wlt_eYhDLeysgvPUB8xtWY4rk6hHfRloIC5c9r1NSC3KTJ96E0UeokTACG5jnF8N/s400/P5216820.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />A string with markers attached had been stretched across the flooded field and the children were lined up along the bank and told to step down into the mud.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2y7XfRce_V4aTr2TQ2p4Mw0rdHA1fKfwOKgRHndIAxIjHm-hWB7vY1iAaCRQpc2QwVq-Q-ozo5Cl9WxQyC0yZ0hURcOSXZsqLTPNihzBycgk0egNBqpwtsMr47t5MH_DkPniuqynzmi4/s1600/P5216824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU2y7XfRce_V4aTr2TQ2p4Mw0rdHA1fKfwOKgRHndIAxIjHm-hWB7vY1iAaCRQpc2QwVq-Q-ozo5Cl9WxQyC0yZ0hURcOSXZsqLTPNihzBycgk0egNBqpwtsMr47t5MH_DkPniuqynzmi4/s400/P5216824.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />You should have heard the screams from the girls! It seems that rice field mud is warm and oozy and grabs hold of toes and ankles. Some of the children started floundering amidst a lot of laughter and squelching around.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fFDJOEz2-twJmKQdI80hdQpcp2L4zoP5GkH8WDXojD0qkv8eg5dFLTk26ql_HwCPnM_YxXq0i3BmOpkDRyUmz6f0DarQXZfl00T0_bwngEMgWvVDuBoe4GeeZ-Hmykw8SAthw7fN3_I5/s1600/P5216827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fFDJOEz2-twJmKQdI80hdQpcp2L4zoP5GkH8WDXojD0qkv8eg5dFLTk26ql_HwCPnM_YxXq0i3BmOpkDRyUmz6f0DarQXZfl00T0_bwngEMgWvVDuBoe4GeeZ-Hmykw8SAthw7fN3_I5/s400/P5216827.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />"Help! This feels so weird!"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKpGIxwsfeentZKK_Ty_aIF3RgrXOoXUHlBdajCHdU9nRCJPLZb5Etuz-8mlJ1ptPqVY4ysYL34-Ho89vPajCLXDa4tWonjHnqL-BTG7rinsO-8Ts8glZ-qAWFzV8YycNo7D_sbzZMOEq/s1600/P5216828-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKpGIxwsfeentZKK_Ty_aIF3RgrXOoXUHlBdajCHdU9nRCJPLZb5Etuz-8mlJ1ptPqVY4ysYL34-Ho89vPajCLXDa4tWonjHnqL-BTG7rinsO-8Ts8glZ-qAWFzV8YycNo7D_sbzZMOEq/s400/P5216828-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />"I'm going to fall over!"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUX9-A2jte3tqpYLtKrXQNEmG6jidT9uJaXqrAgEa2FgL5PYVViVRUxBYtLmOWyh14kWQ9E1c_aXciURBXsRKCDfULXK1-lT-XhsPMuV-gKaOpHP_pwwOXFdWxJJK_pmZlgLxAHXaMe2Y_/s1600/P5216853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUX9-A2jte3tqpYLtKrXQNEmG6jidT9uJaXqrAgEa2FgL5PYVViVRUxBYtLmOWyh14kWQ9E1c_aXciURBXsRKCDfULXK1-lT-XhsPMuV-gKaOpHP_pwwOXFdWxJJK_pmZlgLxAHXaMe2Y_/s400/P5216853.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />"Teacher, the mud is splashing up on my legs!"<br /><br />To which the teacher replied "Then stand still!"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8IHGUqefDqIcZh6Z_v6_OqTZGvxNSka5Waz0kYZvXS0ikwzCwdTDUt2XUJ2ibPkob616jOuoypUU4NygmlrIDNgHKI8RkYTIschWjGaJ4LXRG6e-WUvPEw3K5bEZ9J8kKY22-Blm0Xvc/s1600/P5216834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8IHGUqefDqIcZh6Z_v6_OqTZGvxNSka5Waz0kYZvXS0ikwzCwdTDUt2XUJ2ibPkob616jOuoypUU4NygmlrIDNgHKI8RkYTIschWjGaJ4LXRG6e-WUvPEw3K5bEZ9J8kKY22-Blm0Xvc/s400/P5216834.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Finally the planting began. The farmer instructed the children to pull off two or three stems of rice from the portion they had been given and then the rice was to be pressed down into the mud under the string marker.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Lkhbo0YWvjWymGn2oi3TsaeeiJS3JfBK7zdzeKmlaKLSRLy75i4loMmo5BofsyDj4CWTqu_fm84gjmCGrd4wR1YO6lU6xYO7IjgzAyBPze0jYOdeBtFsDE_7DcX8S2pAL7dJ7JQoKntb/s1600/P5216845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Lkhbo0YWvjWymGn2oi3TsaeeiJS3JfBK7zdzeKmlaKLSRLy75i4loMmo5BofsyDj4CWTqu_fm84gjmCGrd4wR1YO6lU6xYO7IjgzAyBPze0jYOdeBtFsDE_7DcX8S2pAL7dJ7JQoKntb/s400/P5216845.JPG" width="388" /></a></div><br />One girl made the observation, "Why does my nose have to start itching NOW!?"<br /><br />And of course I just laughed along with everybody and aimed my camera.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3BaGxYngv9606r3NHcp7sBSny3kQa61mzxOYje565OS6k-aNo4rTJseWG1usQy4hMYC2Y18YL_rCFxij2Q5yS-UNxgea5xeGykoBZ3ihH92nVkVPdJXAVOCnc8mJO0SpNOn4jK2l8dZK/s1600/P5216835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3BaGxYngv9606r3NHcp7sBSny3kQa61mzxOYje565OS6k-aNo4rTJseWG1usQy4hMYC2Y18YL_rCFxij2Q5yS-UNxgea5xeGykoBZ3ihH92nVkVPdJXAVOCnc8mJO0SpNOn4jK2l8dZK/s320/P5216835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Gradually the hilarity died down and the planting got underway.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs71ZmlXB8EOevj_7tufbA82mYs2m76DcVJah57yyjqrM8sFDkFkgPd3491TMInLU8eqeNzgKeEQZbJw1znkqmedZJvJRWZUhTcANLHg5lqRi0eUxdIUoEVxvOvjkua90STBbdcxH4l7ht/s1600/P5216844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs71ZmlXB8EOevj_7tufbA82mYs2m76DcVJah57yyjqrM8sFDkFkgPd3491TMInLU8eqeNzgKeEQZbJw1znkqmedZJvJRWZUhTcANLHg5lqRi0eUxdIUoEVxvOvjkua90STBbdcxH4l7ht/s400/P5216844.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />In a short time the class of 30 some children had a row of rice planted and they were instructed to take a step back and the string marker was moved back a few inches. Then the next row could be planted the same was as the first.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIefKhbGKQBmAvdXrsWaYuWlkAvmued_rmfsNDQilZfNjJZgIdhGpQqHeZeUmnl3sroc3lA9He1ZzVqiAnrJASz9i4Esww1EPYSTwU9QoMrQZ5FUfjRtre1oWjuzGJiwjnr2VkETdgJ75L/s1600/P5216846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIefKhbGKQBmAvdXrsWaYuWlkAvmued_rmfsNDQilZfNjJZgIdhGpQqHeZeUmnl3sroc3lA9He1ZzVqiAnrJASz9i4Esww1EPYSTwU9QoMrQZ5FUfjRtre1oWjuzGJiwjnr2VkETdgJ75L/s320/P5216846.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />A few minutes after the rice planting started, the 1st grade class walked over from the school to watch the fun.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZD51D1-mLfWJs1tw-y4aFjWaDTleXMqXohlqjJhcvw1F701G0ooUENj-Vaytf_I7ObBnX6KhvlHsK8SWlDiOOEBd_roTX39S24657ft8zwe-ceNewrtR8pVDDe5qwnSVNGwqVZ2_4bxdX/s1600/P5216857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZD51D1-mLfWJs1tw-y4aFjWaDTleXMqXohlqjJhcvw1F701G0ooUENj-Vaytf_I7ObBnX6KhvlHsK8SWlDiOOEBd_roTX39S24657ft8zwe-ceNewrtR8pVDDe5qwnSVNGwqVZ2_4bxdX/s400/P5216857.JPG" width="316" /></a></div><br />I'm afraid I had to leave about then so I only got to see the first two rows planted. <br /><br />As I got back in my car I heard some screams and laughter and caught a glimpse of a teacher pulling one child up from his SITTING position in the mud. Missed that photo chance... Falling into the mud is probably a norm in this class...<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" /></a>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-65079272837562440172013-05-20T16:41:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.601-07:00Tiny sewing againWhat are these?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6EEiq-RawvqqftmBl8wNg6kfVkrFVDx88R-A6Jxw75dFP3e6caJE66hF1xvj9p1TnFU6b8rQOxblVc_OFqTcl1KrwZ-3K7ML5Pl303hzcZJIqdTBvN4-RDx_4pO6PWxpJsCesBuOPD9X/s1600/P5206783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6EEiq-RawvqqftmBl8wNg6kfVkrFVDx88R-A6Jxw75dFP3e6caJE66hF1xvj9p1TnFU6b8rQOxblVc_OFqTcl1KrwZ-3K7ML5Pl303hzcZJIqdTBvN4-RDx_4pO6PWxpJsCesBuOPD9X/s400/P5206783.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />My watch band broke a couple of weeks ago and I've been meaning to go buy a new one. Boring black or brown.<br /><br />I remembered coming across an article in a June, 2004 Fons and Porter magazine about making a watch band. Is that really possible?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGkiCzqt-ihNn8I7nLygcC4Sbm31ORZz7ldFdRQcWyhMiCFhb5fXMNrriU7wK75TXFdAW0fC1MDq7pLZ1vleKZZ6j74uE60tV9-kCThn8lxPMG5NyHrVyoSVEukG00SxmwlCFsqjbjqD0/s1600/P5216811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGkiCzqt-ihNn8I7nLygcC4Sbm31ORZz7ldFdRQcWyhMiCFhb5fXMNrriU7wK75TXFdAW0fC1MDq7pLZ1vleKZZ6j74uE60tV9-kCThn8lxPMG5NyHrVyoSVEukG00SxmwlCFsqjbjqD0/s400/P5216811.JPG" width="288" /></a></div><br />Well, it is possible but it is a lot of work too! So tiny! The magazine article gave instructions for a crazy quilt type of watch band. I wanted triangles.. And after sewing, turning these little things right side out was a real bear!!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJB2ECv2rtUH4FSlu42LWy5C_yWhzXqTA-ZJmhewMgeqUM-heXMpv10cyrtbq0Uz5Wyx8wLHLg68uktTpot7LZsG-ayJc7fM8tBZdh8xUDpW-_Oxm3MAQNzG8ulD10HwLcGUX-qcxNZbDr/s1600/P5206785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJB2ECv2rtUH4FSlu42LWy5C_yWhzXqTA-ZJmhewMgeqUM-heXMpv10cyrtbq0Uz5Wyx8wLHLg68uktTpot7LZsG-ayJc7fM8tBZdh8xUDpW-_Oxm3MAQNzG8ulD10HwLcGUX-qcxNZbDr/s400/P5206785.JPG" width="290" /></a></div><br />The watch spring bars go through loops of grosgrain ribbon... And let me tell you, that ribbon frays pretty easily. I had to make three tries. And it pulls there too so I reinforced my top-stitch quite heavily... Not the neatest job.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkRngkH2YY6vjMrIF_NEMIZmgRyKdHhF-ZN1o7qHOUpbMfz11rRpdF2kp0e5_M34PF328vWDlaE45eNIXIpL0RqsUxgwLOxuG-YJygxxw-F0FHKhtcFVTdGFYz8xz53AHfp0g4F81IG3L/s1600/P5206786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQkRngkH2YY6vjMrIF_NEMIZmgRyKdHhF-ZN1o7qHOUpbMfz11rRpdF2kp0e5_M34PF328vWDlaE45eNIXIpL0RqsUxgwLOxuG-YJygxxw-F0FHKhtcFVTdGFYz8xz53AHfp0g4F81IG3L/s400/P5206786.JPG" width="145" /></a></div><br />The magazine suggested using Velcro. I looked at my old broken watch band lying beside the sewing machine and wondered if I could reuse the gold clasp instead... It would mean punching a hole or two in the band... It would mean adding a flap loop...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTuemOYAuYiZKST0tja1oUi-8fFj9OVeCybC_c_f5rbB4hAluEjtsCWzO4MKi5oiZYj9LEyrUOghAoPQ_diiwXPdzb_8ro2Yo15Qw9kexSmhhLpou3LIswbBBept1XmOVdQOLFZQseMeY/s1600/P5206787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTuemOYAuYiZKST0tja1oUi-8fFj9OVeCybC_c_f5rbB4hAluEjtsCWzO4MKi5oiZYj9LEyrUOghAoPQ_diiwXPdzb_8ro2Yo15Qw9kexSmhhLpou3LIswbBBept1XmOVdQOLFZQseMeY/s400/P5206787.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />I did it! My watch now has a new watchband. I don't know how sturdy this is going to be... Maybe I can learn from experience and the next one I make will go smoother.<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-60360380533047872142013-05-19T16:55:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.671-07:00Just a little thingThe other day I sent some packages off at the post office. The post office girls know me as I go in quite a lot to send letters or packages and do my banking (yes! banking at the post office!) A couple of years ago they got to know me VERY well when I got involved with sending off used <i>obis</i> to people all over the world who contributed to the Japanese Red Cross. Every couple of days I'd go in with a new wrapped up <i>obi</i> and the girls would weigh the package and I would pay the postage.<br /><br />"Could you please put stamps on that for me? I'd rather have stamps than the little label thingy."<br /><br />Stamps (I suppose in any country) are so beautiful and interesting. Sometimes Japanese stamps sheets will have illustrations extending off the individual stamps and onto the sheet and it seems a shame to remove only the stamps. Often my packages would have the whole sheet on the back of my package just so the pretty effect wasn't lost. The girls got very good at putting as many different stamps on my packages as possible!<br /><br />Anyway... last week I sent off some packages and asked for stamps as usual. And I did my banking at the next window and forgot something so I had to make a trip home. I came back an hour later and as I passed the post office window I recalled that I hadn't put my return address on one of the packages. <br /><br />"Is that package I mailed still here? I think it doesn't have a return address."<br /><br />The package was in the back room and the girl brought it out for me.<br /><br />"I know you like the pretty stamps and sheets so I decorated your package. I hope that was alright."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYdBosFLrO1eTUrh1aBIOa8amjEmP0P21F8Mgky4DVdVD-xo9CkAW2uZak5wAfiaLnbJyGKYo2dpfhXWSSuQ8YN04lNGCldeMqxhExJk8WgXNByNljGncmh_sViMlLjjsczVSrQ-Rb-cT/s1600/P5206781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitYdBosFLrO1eTUrh1aBIOa8amjEmP0P21F8Mgky4DVdVD-xo9CkAW2uZak5wAfiaLnbJyGKYo2dpfhXWSSuQ8YN04lNGCldeMqxhExJk8WgXNByNljGncmh_sViMlLjjsczVSrQ-Rb-cT/s400/P5206781.JPG" width="178" /></a>The post office girl had taken the time to cut out a kimono figure from the disposable part of another stamp sheet and had arranged it artistically on the front of the package. I wish I'd thought to take a picture but I was busy assuring the girl that I just LOVED the little touch she had added. The girl was so happy that she cut out another kimono figure for me to use another time.<br /><br />The post office girl didn't have to add that extra touch and it was just by chance that I asked to have my package back to add the return address. Though she didn't expect me to ever know that she'd done an extra service, she took the time to make my package recipient happy. <br /><br />Just a little thing...<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" /></a>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-49599362887569930002013-05-18T17:06:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.741-07:00A day in TokyoYesterday Tetsu and I did a "first" and went to Tokyo on a VIP outing!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGFm03JtNkZ1XZe7YkqD3cNYPhg_NvPxghnvqR1OfZFluzyUk3FIdXa2pc9JKhKpOYGhncaZ1nAnSvvZIMmBYXm6nTQbj8P5dg-mmAFpeKA0xwg-BCo6CFuiy2KuwWH7qSIkhpLVBcSz7/s1600/P5186766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGFm03JtNkZ1XZe7YkqD3cNYPhg_NvPxghnvqR1OfZFluzyUk3FIdXa2pc9JKhKpOYGhncaZ1nAnSvvZIMmBYXm6nTQbj8P5dg-mmAFpeKA0xwg-BCo6CFuiy2KuwWH7qSIkhpLVBcSz7/s400/P5186766.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Uh-hum. Not that we are VIP... but Tetsu's boss had VIP tickets to the musical, Les Miserables, and he wasn't going to be able to use them so he passed them along to Tetsu and said,<br /><br />"Take your wife!"<br /><br />We've been looking forward to this for months. (I've been looking forward to it... Tetsu thinks it a lot of rig-a-ma-role.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswlMX2obNL9nwYZs-rBpuS2GGDowbHNztLlcDf8vk3lix0yjCU6a2DnaQPtNC7mP5Fam7dmY6kd1VSyJ0mXjiQj3gp_6_xGBeJZbPfAxvTnwYbl7MojqTitMv4t-sT9Frw_oqFw0MCA4y/s1600/P5186758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswlMX2obNL9nwYZs-rBpuS2GGDowbHNztLlcDf8vk3lix0yjCU6a2DnaQPtNC7mP5Fam7dmY6kd1VSyJ0mXjiQj3gp_6_xGBeJZbPfAxvTnwYbl7MojqTitMv4t-sT9Frw_oqFw0MCA4y/s400/P5186758.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Musical tickets included Bullet Train tickets to Tokyo so off we went early in the morning, parked our car at the station and rode the Bullet Train into the metropolitan. A pretty full train so we didn't sit together...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYOAzj3QAy7ee93QwhBOh3dq4n69zw_MzZxrn0aIi0ArWvD4iRVbZWo3oFxO7oXv3vmQJPAKxp2V3vSvD8adnbNqnCJ4klsMjhs1QA7nM2k0YCa-DrM6r141UiGdWrL8XnUZyPb5bZS3b/s1600/P5186762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYOAzj3QAy7ee93QwhBOh3dq4n69zw_MzZxrn0aIi0ArWvD4iRVbZWo3oFxO7oXv3vmQJPAKxp2V3vSvD8adnbNqnCJ4klsMjhs1QA7nM2k0YCa-DrM6r141UiGdWrL8XnUZyPb5bZS3b/s400/P5186762.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We arrived at the renovated Tokyo Station and walked to the Imperial Theater.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvH1hBHXq8eRyLcxKD3rnJyRCBr6OhYjrmw8Hzyy_weWwzDoyVBU737oVjAqjMePPQTb-4apMT84lRzm_xxAx4RDJcD_CR9gNGeFJf-lShmuNO33bEJlRGZ-80fKnPb73Vd1b5NZIf9-n/s1600/P5186763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnvH1hBHXq8eRyLcxKD3rnJyRCBr6OhYjrmw8Hzyy_weWwzDoyVBU737oVjAqjMePPQTb-4apMT84lRzm_xxAx4RDJcD_CR9gNGeFJf-lShmuNO33bEJlRGZ-80fKnPb73Vd1b5NZIf9-n/s400/P5186763.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We were then escorted (along with a couple hundred other "VIP") to a very fancy Japanese style restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful boxed lunch. Take a look at that... Let's see... center back was grilled fish, chicken, pickled squid, a shellfish in shell and a pretty carved lotus root. To the right of that were some simmered vegetables... how do you like that carved pumpkin morsel there. Coming front right were raw fish and pickles. Left front was potato salad, a grilled scallop, simmered konyaku potato and a few pieces of tempura. And left back was fruit and a slice of cheesecake. Of course rice and miso soup were also served. The other interesting thing about this lunch box was that all the containers there are plastic. They look like Japanese pottery pieces of different sizes and they have painted decorations on them but they are all disposable. <br /><br />The musical was wonderful but of course no photos allowed. It was the first time for Tetsu and me to see a musical! All in Japanese but absolutely wonderful. I should have read Victor Hugo's book first though... I didn't really know the story. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAm5J2eLOMH-04fHkPBhOPrr_5MXfh4vJqlJUppdQDX32nrN5MQBvmNhPC8wEUVR8IpcsNHmd_DY0qD7kn4rUtWHLtXLvVpWb3UDDgJv3Pk6-D5_eBfaMoXEmhJZV4YJD5ImtZqdWQM7M/s1600/P5196779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVAm5J2eLOMH-04fHkPBhOPrr_5MXfh4vJqlJUppdQDX32nrN5MQBvmNhPC8wEUVR8IpcsNHmd_DY0qD7kn4rUtWHLtXLvVpWb3UDDgJv3Pk6-D5_eBfaMoXEmhJZV4YJD5ImtZqdWQM7M/s400/P5196779.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />As a parting gift, we each received a wooden box of cookies with an enclosed letter about how extremely embarrassed the travel company was at their poor efforts of being hospitable. Hah! I have never been so royally treated!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwkEbrPjyIWrs3GgdWxk7wmo7obh3v1H0U-ZrHm-P_epwA9CQmdPQmKND1q4T1VupORzRj_SkBzFuPnsTc19wpGykm4gedYr9D9EDSgGd8AQMBHGNO_omUNsTeya594hFliyUZdaNORcu/s1600/P5186770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGwkEbrPjyIWrs3GgdWxk7wmo7obh3v1H0U-ZrHm-P_epwA9CQmdPQmKND1q4T1VupORzRj_SkBzFuPnsTc19wpGykm4gedYr9D9EDSgGd8AQMBHGNO_omUNsTeya594hFliyUZdaNORcu/s400/P5186770.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tetsu and I had a bit of time before we headed back home so we checked out the buildings near the Tokyo Station.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLH5cl79Tjsnpd2TdaDlvyeumnFKr8E-QrMtmfFIMwURn__TNRAQlK6tO0tNrz7CSDZggMCHuhFIf2Vg79eRtyRjGhFEn_2N8xETMo4ruAsaVI8aMXL0lU4LNKFreroYTTPSUStq2XQdiQ/s1600/P5186773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLH5cl79Tjsnpd2TdaDlvyeumnFKr8E-QrMtmfFIMwURn__TNRAQlK6tO0tNrz7CSDZggMCHuhFIf2Vg79eRtyRjGhFEn_2N8xETMo4ruAsaVI8aMXL0lU4LNKFreroYTTPSUStq2XQdiQ/s400/P5186773.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />We stopped in at a new shopping site that was interesting though absolutely everything is so extremely costly. Not my type of shopping at all.<br /><br />"How can people in Tokyo afford to buy anything? Just pretty trinkets at an exorbitant price!"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuqHS4AN_6l1UYAYeax9joUTskDAgSJnXUkqmzgC9EzfNtsw5ycwxaO7MJfSMo1AQ3tnbepmYybh5dBkyjEOFtDE22yYm0AbjQg57KK3aUSsRCC3t5dS9Qqxs0zTgWlVCkhUz_9ykEjli/s1600/P5186774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuqHS4AN_6l1UYAYeax9joUTskDAgSJnXUkqmzgC9EzfNtsw5ycwxaO7MJfSMo1AQ3tnbepmYybh5dBkyjEOFtDE22yYm0AbjQg57KK3aUSsRCC3t5dS9Qqxs0zTgWlVCkhUz_9ykEjli/s400/P5186774.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Tetsu pointed out that probably most of the people at the shopping site were tourists like us come too oogle and not Tokyo residents at all. It was fun to browse though.<br /><br />We arrived home in the evening to enjoy our cookies. I think I'll use one of the boxes as a new sewing box. <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-13134779631829123082013-05-16T17:31:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.811-07:00Nature classes with Y-kunSo what's going on recently...<br /><br />Y-kun? Y-kun is insulted that I blur out the pictures of him on my blog... So yesterday I asked his grandmother if I could post his pictures here and she happily told me to go ahead.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1TckVQ_yX3-eNVUCAusogF6FsDTpvyaRzjNlNN7urG_xRRJeDZeSoY-56k6h2ZfdolJcZxE9rymlLBNYbIg7-g69VD9gduspVmHsWxErwUYXXslWKt4uD0_l9n95aCk509vcKJP3sPEP/s1600/P5096675-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1TckVQ_yX3-eNVUCAusogF6FsDTpvyaRzjNlNN7urG_xRRJeDZeSoY-56k6h2ZfdolJcZxE9rymlLBNYbIg7-g69VD9gduspVmHsWxErwUYXXslWKt4uD0_l9n95aCk509vcKJP3sPEP/s400/P5096675-001.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Last week Y-kun arrived with this "object". He made it himself out of a section of bamboo he found on the ground and two sprouts of a maple tree, also found somewhere in the forest. And he topped it off with moss from the forest too. Now I think that is very innovative! A work of art right there! (Unfortunately the "object" did not survive the week as my cats ate the maple tree sprouts.)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6-eiTmhqmzC3sQgn8oWr4kAVpp6a1aucGZt99MPhkr7TczmrSvP_qKSyO-5jTSfjdJ3dNsviFniABgNzxRKo3PIT64IGgu6loZynsNQN8zcwsU19AURIbJO8zNNYJ1jW_9bWJjQglizp/s1600/P5096677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6-eiTmhqmzC3sQgn8oWr4kAVpp6a1aucGZt99MPhkr7TczmrSvP_qKSyO-5jTSfjdJ3dNsviFniABgNzxRKo3PIT64IGgu6loZynsNQN8zcwsU19AURIbJO8zNNYJ1jW_9bWJjQglizp/s400/P5096677.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />When I praised Y-kun, he made a bee-line for the door and wanted to go gathering MORE sprouts to plant in my garden. As he had come an hour early for English we headed out to the fields.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs26pYNrrkBQgP5jVs6Yqa5B-y6WV7u1CcHw8m0_HPUkR4ZRup2nP9oGGOa6tDAEUDN3giP-isr8-N3U5tmWxUn8_iGNexWRe-Ww_lG3lYwye3ClJugFQvF9UcSZ1KgfLi-1TqkmVyvyhk/s1600/P5096678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs26pYNrrkBQgP5jVs6Yqa5B-y6WV7u1CcHw8m0_HPUkR4ZRup2nP9oGGOa6tDAEUDN3giP-isr8-N3U5tmWxUn8_iGNexWRe-Ww_lG3lYwye3ClJugFQvF9UcSZ1KgfLi-1TqkmVyvyhk/s400/P5096678.JPG" width="361" /></a></div><br />So here is an un-blurred picture of Y-kun. We played around with my camera and took pictures of each other.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoi3480T9s6eBviPwcV6gs9Chd7t0I7mLzEgpph9YRGA_YkVW50bPWfSU_QCDLThj1M1P4dreeKjaiPHGTirHg5ZrGfE-dTaSPj3iQI5PoTj-00bHK57Gj1LeFRqgVNV_DV3MGBSCN57g/s1600/P5096680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBoi3480T9s6eBviPwcV6gs9Chd7t0I7mLzEgpph9YRGA_YkVW50bPWfSU_QCDLThj1M1P4dreeKjaiPHGTirHg5ZrGfE-dTaSPj3iQI5PoTj-00bHK57Gj1LeFRqgVNV_DV3MGBSCN57g/s400/P5096680.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Me being photographed by Y-kun. It was getting pretty dark by this time and he didn't seem interested in my instructions to NOT shoot against the light.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1KK1yUL1xWKgk1_IyOKYpJIo-AjX9iyYkzaBLUiZ0Cd_A0VQ3ZKVZeOq4yIFwehoLGvssFCiPYQOWUYswkdDtvRsAxSu-P-I_Yf3E5ePGM8OweZ2BC9PPuP5wb-a7jtCWxOGZjHSPxIS/s1600/P5096681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1KK1yUL1xWKgk1_IyOKYpJIo-AjX9iyYkzaBLUiZ0Cd_A0VQ3ZKVZeOq4yIFwehoLGvssFCiPYQOWUYswkdDtvRsAxSu-P-I_Yf3E5ePGM8OweZ2BC9PPuP5wb-a7jtCWxOGZjHSPxIS/s400/P5096681.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Let's see. Y-kun showed me buckwheat sprouts and pointed out edible leaves. Along the roadside Y-kun pulled wild onions for Tetsu to have with that night's dinner (Hmmm. The onions are growing about where Choco pees every morning.) And he also dug up an acorn sprout from the forest. We carried it home in the shovel and Y-kun planted it in my yard.<br /><br />Yesterday Y-kun arrived with vegetables and...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBKvsoe1D_uVIPuJJKGAAbI-xcsSxRTq2PsCMbK7727TDlEqQCrYK4DFKMgZjlPPxTY_47TwmfUxxf-O5Xo1W88XHqDCEN3cgDzi_xiObdoCejpuMRRNkB2OwfqhU6DuIKa5UKdwx1Zrj/s1600/P5176757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBKvsoe1D_uVIPuJJKGAAbI-xcsSxRTq2PsCMbK7727TDlEqQCrYK4DFKMgZjlPPxTY_47TwmfUxxf-O5Xo1W88XHqDCEN3cgDzi_xiObdoCejpuMRRNkB2OwfqhU6DuIKa5UKdwx1Zrj/s400/P5176757.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />"What is this?"<br /><br />"It's a rice plant! You can grow rice in your house!"<br /><br />He has got a flooded rice field right there in the plastic bottle.<br /><br />"Y-kun... the cats will just eat it." (or knock it over... I imagined all that mud on my table and floor.)<br /><br />"Let's put it in the bathroom. The cats can't knock it over if the door is closed."<br /><br />So now I'm growing a stalk of rice in my bathroom... <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-47152348711591001862013-05-15T17:48:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.882-07:00LEIYA!!!A big milestone has been reached! Leiya has graduated from college!!!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBrDCMdoBsMYAbq8kwKp-meiFOyjNoB0AVDZo4xsUCclaPICl0OuTshFSmU3bl4JpEkabNtBEYL-X1jnnpUlctoMdZCcCCVooTt1IclaTNj15CjRedfkFTgmIMsgBppHWtjci-NtWZ9bw/s471/216339_10101205009603100_1354001161_n-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBrDCMdoBsMYAbq8kwKp-meiFOyjNoB0AVDZo4xsUCclaPICl0OuTshFSmU3bl4JpEkabNtBEYL-X1jnnpUlctoMdZCcCCVooTt1IclaTNj15CjRedfkFTgmIMsgBppHWtjci-NtWZ9bw/s320/216339_10101205009603100_1354001161_n-002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />You've all read the posts I've written before about how Leiya went to the States at 15, how she lived with a host family, how she struggled through American high school, how she gathered scholarships to attend an American college... and now after 5 years SHE HAS GRADUATED!!!!<br /><br />I wonder if she knows how proud we are of her. Tetsu and I are not great at expressing our gaiety and pride. A simple..."That's great. Good job!" but we are happy and relieved and proud as all get out. Just thinking about Leiya makes us smile.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HLZLZtZbmME_nLcNh1jf9NLExcPg-QIv5bEVAMDLN6A51_v9lgDs6KGvbk0Z_akUnIhIzuBWk6zQEseXpROPUwr2cWG_C3GHa1kD0LeGAlvQ2PmKaupdHFfFQ999HLbgAef3NBeWnD4/s1600/182797_10201138952417322_1709219747_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HLZLZtZbmME_nLcNh1jf9NLExcPg-QIv5bEVAMDLN6A51_v9lgDs6KGvbk0Z_akUnIhIzuBWk6zQEseXpROPUwr2cWG_C3GHa1kD0LeGAlvQ2PmKaupdHFfFQ999HLbgAef3NBeWnD4/s400/182797_10201138952417322_1709219747_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />For Mother's Day Leiya sent me a picture from one of our old albums.<br /><br />"I'm all grown up now!"<br /><br />She must have been about two when I took the picture and all dressed up in an old skirt and scarf of mine. Quite a little dumpling at that age!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhoONQZvpwxNkVKCIS3S6R3omwq-NNI3X4C5JW7ubZr8blGaTsUs4l7mK_4n9w6BG0RU3tA5Q9azlx_0atfhYZ6C40AAon_5TwugkdQDFl9OJQmKRjPL1CuFdQU888MmDhpCGd89hXdU/s1600/DSC_0982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhoONQZvpwxNkVKCIS3S6R3omwq-NNI3X4C5JW7ubZr8blGaTsUs4l7mK_4n9w6BG0RU3tA5Q9azlx_0atfhYZ6C40AAon_5TwugkdQDFl9OJQmKRjPL1CuFdQU888MmDhpCGd89hXdU/s400/DSC_0982.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><br />And now look at her! That's quite a young lady there!<br /><br />Well, Leiya's family didn't get to her graduation but her friends attended and they have been sending me pictures and the graduation program (Thank you Julie!) and Leiya has forwarded me Facebook pictures.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcngWzSxpxfl1Du13XkktRyMZiFMSJXJOC_mW-MkZ_qQqmgz4I4MYE-mEK75DGiU3vJF7XIeeVk8dSF0X_0iSSmC5AY_Sf51k6G9QcNSSmPkWuN95kcW1F6PAj20icOLzfKPhQF_TdYA/s1600/DSC_1014.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcngWzSxpxfl1Du13XkktRyMZiFMSJXJOC_mW-MkZ_qQqmgz4I4MYE-mEK75DGiU3vJF7XIeeVk8dSF0X_0iSSmC5AY_Sf51k6G9QcNSSmPkWuN95kcW1F6PAj20icOLzfKPhQF_TdYA/s400/DSC_1014.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Excuse me if I boast. My beautiful daughter with the sparkling smile.<br /><br />Go out into the world and change it for the better Leiya!!<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-58854745287453799532013-05-14T16:39:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:44.953-07:00Neighborhood wisteriaTetsu and I get out early on weekends and walk Choco a bit farther than usual. Wherever we go Tetsu asks me<br /><br />"Aren't you going to take a picture of this?"<br /><br />which results in an awful lot of pictures. He needs to get his own camera!<br /><br />So these are some pictures of what we've seen lately... <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57j6RuVG-rQ-us_KjUISJi4T9VsqI9L8p08oGvPRnkBb-T_pmoChYRyMZik3ijfbKgcTOR8IS0q0ghu90a3zNYAbWS1eswuoUPmd0_sHZjF98l183yOiVx_kB5kprELBMayRqeHpA6tw/s1600/P5126737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57j6RuVG-rQ-us_KjUISJi4T9VsqI9L8p08oGvPRnkBb-T_pmoChYRyMZik3ijfbKgcTOR8IS0q0ghu90a3zNYAbWS1eswuoUPmd0_sHZjF98l183yOiVx_kB5kprELBMayRqeHpA6tw/s400/P5126737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />There is a temple within walking distance which is hardly visited by anyone EXCEPT for one week in May when the wisteria blooms. It seems to have a very old wisteria vine that stretches over a good part of the temple grounds. Tetsu and I (and Choco) walked over before the rest of the world was awake and tried to capture the delicate blossoms digitally. We couldn't capture the wisteria fragrance! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT1vcTT9etOssETtPFTJ56tIAWByNkuRPV0SMZPpY-6v0J5PwHyJtC8mQWaPsFj8IVnqbNOsCNeBaIdOngURwm9hUH5oOGBRHU3h8FXFISwaxJLxgy8CNAiH2ylchFvA5PKZpH4wY-8A/s1600/P5126715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT1vcTT9etOssETtPFTJ56tIAWByNkuRPV0SMZPpY-6v0J5PwHyJtC8mQWaPsFj8IVnqbNOsCNeBaIdOngURwm9hUH5oOGBRHU3h8FXFISwaxJLxgy8CNAiH2ylchFvA5PKZpH4wY-8A/s400/P5126715.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Bees were buzzing around the blossoms.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygAoi6xIxlN-4WDaIIInN5RqX5BRLEvmdALyOS9IjUmxgLtqz6vWpJ7UX2OrEx2jQpUnVXq0cdTFyEHc3LdiEySzWaCvvqlPjpuIubQ6Pz4Pp4Q0bsNEPx9UIYAqP1oj15t8xyYSlGF0/s1600/P5126726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygAoi6xIxlN-4WDaIIInN5RqX5BRLEvmdALyOS9IjUmxgLtqz6vWpJ7UX2OrEx2jQpUnVXq0cdTFyEHc3LdiEySzWaCvvqlPjpuIubQ6Pz4Pp4Q0bsNEPx9UIYAqP1oj15t8xyYSlGF0/s400/P5126726.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The trunk of the vine is huge and there is an elaborate support system for the elderly branches.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJbVFA1n_GvWykLk6vpKMh8zGix2NWga_Q43d73TaoHyDoxuLnQwpbLETMV5n4FCEAEb82v1iXpKR4GRmpKgup5HBwBqDdbb2O_7fo4NgIlKbTqD7i7BH-cGt3RPXCBKICOTEc3i7pXI/s1600/P5126729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJbVFA1n_GvWykLk6vpKMh8zGix2NWga_Q43d73TaoHyDoxuLnQwpbLETMV5n4FCEAEb82v1iXpKR4GRmpKgup5HBwBqDdbb2O_7fo4NgIlKbTqD7i7BH-cGt3RPXCBKICOTEc3i7pXI/s400/P5126729.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /> From the temple porch.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlRgA1HNNxOj9Yu1T6u4Z9kM4bZgtRDt3fbctUc7chiuyhJ-1dlhJOBspmD7gNEndqTlvUKPfuzsWwBcpjyvnhmPgZLxwDPHRIqw2ia52B3jwk-QffsYKuWn-tIvUNVhiwOqRi0uC9YQ/s1600/P5126713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqlRgA1HNNxOj9Yu1T6u4Z9kM4bZgtRDt3fbctUc7chiuyhJ-1dlhJOBspmD7gNEndqTlvUKPfuzsWwBcpjyvnhmPgZLxwDPHRIqw2ia52B3jwk-QffsYKuWn-tIvUNVhiwOqRi0uC9YQ/s400/P5126713.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Actually there are wild wisteria all around us which are just as beautiful but a little higher up in the trees and hard to photo. Such a lovely time of year!<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: medium none;" /></a>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-32804753006046524852013-05-13T16:45:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:45.023-07:00...recovery...I have a friend who is going into the hospital today. She may or may not have surgery. She may be in there awhile or she may come home in a few days. Whichever way, a jolt has been given to her daily life.<br /><br />So... as my friend gets ready to go to the hospital I send her e-mails, and help her make lists of things she might need, and pray for her and with her.<br /><br />My friend knows the Bible but thinking that she might not be able to pull up a comforting Bible verse in the jumble of thoughts and concerns she has right now I sent one to her in an e-mail. I'm not sure <i>I</i> can pull up a comforting Bible verse on the run either but this is the verse I have in my schedule book this week. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Then your light will break out like the dawn,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And your recovery will speedily spring forth;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And your righteousness will go before you;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Isaiah 58:8 </i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfxM7wGBcUzpNMjBv0ve6dCOTiBrfi028y9CPtxVMxmDQZ1j-nG2WVCnGXFcYxJn4IBHmxgdAJDNnzEEVtWMN2ekbUCqkKj0nx0fFgobydCikq0Wg4futgGqT_rTDR7iTSI-h-fEbMg/s1600/P5126747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmfxM7wGBcUzpNMjBv0ve6dCOTiBrfi028y9CPtxVMxmDQZ1j-nG2WVCnGXFcYxJn4IBHmxgdAJDNnzEEVtWMN2ekbUCqkKj0nx0fFgobydCikq0Wg4futgGqT_rTDR7iTSI-h-fEbMg/s400/P5126747.JPG" width="400" /></a></div> <img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: medium none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-47078119898754368992013-05-12T17:02:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:45.093-07:00No~raA couple of weeks ago Tetsu and I were driving down a road when I spotted an older man pulling a luggage caddy. As we passed him I noticed that he wasn't carrying luggage... he was carrying...<br /><br />"Was that a cat?"<br /><br />"What?"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_rDkHQpH0hU9iMjesMp0WRyZNS0Wg0_DyZlgvPPT-Z55tBSD7EmVML0HW-uqaOan-mVV1wVd3tnje55V4T6FHY8Oajve895cmJ7SawC7xt50dTYPMLDr-zaO-y2BsGdeFQhZclx1B34/s1600/P5106686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_rDkHQpH0hU9iMjesMp0WRyZNS0Wg0_DyZlgvPPT-Z55tBSD7EmVML0HW-uqaOan-mVV1wVd3tnje55V4T6FHY8Oajve895cmJ7SawC7xt50dTYPMLDr-zaO-y2BsGdeFQhZclx1B34/s400/P5106686.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />"Did you see that? There was a man pulling a cat around on his luggage caddy."<br /><br />"Naw... I didn't notice anything. You must be mistaken. You only see things like that on TV."<br /><br />This weekend I was driving down the same road and just as I pulled into a bakery to buy some bread I noticed the man and his luggage caddy again. I screeched to a halt, grabbed my camera and accosted the poor man by the edge of the road. I have to admit he did seem a bit alarmed when I came barreling at him throwing out questions about his cat.<br /><br />"You have a cat there! On your luggage caddy! Is it an old cat? A sick cat? Do you often take your cat for a walk this way?"<br /><br />When the man realized I wasn't about to bowl him nor his cat over he explained a little about his cat.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8g4k4vZZpxfz5DJCEiBQdRs_6Hj03ghykmEQrSE9S2kKNKiIi-ccrMD6ftX9Q6ICjXqWwVX0G2oKxfiN3nL-gfn1WDfcrKLLJO91QZ3qAePYndWUy6E83Nt9mRUkSHVP4dnk_YgRh9U/s1600/P5106684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8g4k4vZZpxfz5DJCEiBQdRs_6Hj03ghykmEQrSE9S2kKNKiIi-ccrMD6ftX9Q6ICjXqWwVX0G2oKxfiN3nL-gfn1WDfcrKLLJO91QZ3qAePYndWUy6E83Nt9mRUkSHVP4dnk_YgRh9U/s400/P5106684.JPG" width="388" /></a></div><br />This is No~ra-chan. (<i>Nora</i> means a stray). She (he) is a fairly youngish cat. She is not lame nor ill. The cat just likes going for a ride on the caddy. The man said that if he took No~ra from the caddy she would be off like lightning but as long as she is sitting on the caddy she is frozen like a statue. She doesn't need to be and isn't tied to the caddy (though she has a leash on that just rests there). That alarmed me a bit. I might have scared the poor cat and it could have taken off across the road... I'll have to remember to be more temperate when I approach cats being pulled on luggage caddies. <br /><br />No~ra and her owner allowed me to take pictures. And afterwards I waved good-bye and went in to buy my bread.<br /><br />"Did you see that cat out there on the luggage caddy?"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH6DVuiKHwoHZmWo7fBb7b0bF8ULDXQR7x-DTKJL4pvmpyVfdo_WbUr_2a6pGMHlMG3h5b10dzLuTwnpOUTeflm-bt6Ui9pzP5WPCIdDYm6qjhNBZLaoFng5km9zgpjSYx5lYIkzLDgo/s1600/P5106685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWH6DVuiKHwoHZmWo7fBb7b0bF8ULDXQR7x-DTKJL4pvmpyVfdo_WbUr_2a6pGMHlMG3h5b10dzLuTwnpOUTeflm-bt6Ui9pzP5WPCIdDYm6qjhNBZLaoFng5km9zgpjSYx5lYIkzLDgo/s400/P5106685.JPG" width="258" /></a></div><br />"Oh yes, that man pulls his cat along every day. I've always been curious but never been brave enough to ask him about it."<br /><br />Now see there! You have to be brave and find out about things! I was very pleased to be able to show Tetsu my pictures of No~ra and assure him that I wasn't imagining things. <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-78626313723379388092013-05-11T17:32:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:45.164-07:00Tetsu's motherToday is already Mother's Day in Japan so I thought I'd tell you a bit about Tetsu's mother.<br /><i><br /></i><i>Obaachan</i> (Grandma) will be 89 this year. She lives alone in a small two room apartment subsidized by the government. She has helpers come in a couple of times a week to shop or clean and she has <i>obento</i>, a sort of meals-on-wheels, brought to her daily. <br /><br />Tetsu has an older brother and an older sister. The older brother lives in another part of Japan. Tetsu's older sister lives not far from his mother. The three children take care of <i>Obaachan</i> in different ways. Tetsu's brother sends money occasionally, Tetsu's sister brings groceries occasionally, Tetsu and I sit and chat occasionally. I think <i>Obaachan</i> appreciates the sitting and chatting the most. <br /><br />One year I made it a point to take <i>Obaachan</i> out and ask her questions about her life... things that Tetsu didn't seem to know about and wasn't interested enough to ask. I was afraid that her stories would pass away with her some day and she thought it very funny that I would be interested in her younger days. To most things, she said she didn't remember, but I got a few morsels out of her... For some reason, though I passed on my "interviews" to Leiya on my old computer, they are in an e-mail form that I can't see on this computer... I'll have to straighten that out one of these days.<br /><i><br /></i><i>Obaachan</i> was the eldest of 4 daughters of a fairly wealthy family in a southern prefecture. But she was a rambunctious young lady and was considered unruly by her father. She laughingly told me that she once permed her hair and when her father saw her he cut it all off so that she couldn't leave the house for months. Of the 4 daughters, <i>Obaachan</i> gave her father the most headaches... so much that when he secretly arranged a marriage for her to some older man she'd never met, she left town that night and escaped to Tokyo and then to China where an aunt took her in.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lbIB_g_j0Is6CINfjMKGAiy8yJNEKEUcTUZ_KbMhlpTxl_p1wqlqjNw_RTGKZCFWenLV739car9FF5m30mXLlhDSfX3p6pkXp9I_BuJDH7Y5qQPUa1M9Onw66yL5FWcxVSKsYQtzE0U/s1600/IMG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lbIB_g_j0Is6CINfjMKGAiy8yJNEKEUcTUZ_KbMhlpTxl_p1wqlqjNw_RTGKZCFWenLV739car9FF5m30mXLlhDSfX3p6pkXp9I_BuJDH7Y5qQPUa1M9Onw66yL5FWcxVSKsYQtzE0U/s400/IMG.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />In China she worked as a part time nurse and at some point met Tetsu's father who was in the Japanese military. But <i>Obaachan</i> was seriously injured during one of the bombings and spent nearly a year in a body cast which has resulted in her being disfigured and disabled. Since then she has always walked with a pronounced limp and is very embarrassed to be seen in public. Though she married and had three children, Tetsu says she would never attend public events such as PTA meetings or school gatherings. She preferred to leave all social engagements to Tetsu's father.<br /><br />I came into <i>Obaachan's</i> life just after Tetsu's father's company went bankrupt and a month or too after he passed away. Tetsu's childhood had been somewhat affluent but suddenly <i>Obaachan</i> was left with debts and subsidized living. Tetsu eldest brother had worked with his father so when the company went under, he left the area to begin a new life in another prefecture... And being the oldest son, <i>Obaachan</i> considered herself abandoned. Tetsu came home to live with his mother and find a job in the town; I turned up in the same town and met Tetsu and after a couple of years we decided to get married. <br /><br />According to Tetsu, he and his mother had resigned themselves to his never getting married. No inheritance and debts to boot. Although Tetsu's mother has never said so outright, everyone was relieved that Tetsu had found himself a bride despite the fact that she was a foreigner. But I have heard Tetsu and <i>Obaachan</i> saying that Tetsu's father would have LOVED me and been so happy to have me as a daughter-in-law. Maybe a round about way of Tetsu's mother saying that she approves of me as a daughter-in-law too.<br /><br />Going from affluent to subsidized housing has been a blow to <i>Obaachan</i> and along with being disabled she has turned very bitter and angry at most people. She has completely cut herself from her sisters not even knowing if they are still alive or not. She refuses to go out. She spews anger at the people trying to help her. She enjoys hearing about Takumi and Leiya but she has few good words for some of her other grandchildren. She can hardly walk, she can hardly see and she is lonely. But she is very quick of mind.<br /><br />Tetsu claims that <i>Obaachan</i> is more cheerful (well, not as glum) when I go with him to visit, but I am sorry to say that even my level of cheerfulness takes a beating after a visit. So Tetsu and I go to <i>Obaachan's</i> apartment weekly bringing her sweets or market vegetables. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZzhMYAwcmXzG0g5_0XxDmThOjljDSo5520auQLBXp7zlrQBkzr0us3sEkQgyt4-QB6EphaAA7AZwjopAJlA3qCuHQp5b01fqyPbFhNWOr0EQc1YQggQ0oSwIQFswWBGeTS6nHVw3Tnk/s1600/P5056616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZzhMYAwcmXzG0g5_0XxDmThOjljDSo5520auQLBXp7zlrQBkzr0us3sEkQgyt4-QB6EphaAA7AZwjopAJlA3qCuHQp5b01fqyPbFhNWOr0EQc1YQggQ0oSwIQFswWBGeTS6nHVw3Tnk/s400/P5056616.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Most days <i>Obaachan</i> listens to the TV and spends her time organizing her medications. She is unhappy, or maybe happy, about taking 11 types of medication.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KZJYiplylvNnhjC1d6blOSyUe9_8SHFqkYWVoaowP6_DaHQFRklC5m3YU9XtlUo1tT3ANNxr04lzJRcruzZHHLfoTsXg8myfXc0F9bcZZnpNVKHKZ8zKb0SVDHJF3MQMzorNyCno1xo/s1600/P5056619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1KZJYiplylvNnhjC1d6blOSyUe9_8SHFqkYWVoaowP6_DaHQFRklC5m3YU9XtlUo1tT3ANNxr04lzJRcruzZHHLfoTsXg8myfXc0F9bcZZnpNVKHKZ8zKb0SVDHJF3MQMzorNyCno1xo/s400/P5056619.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><i>Obaachan</i>, Tetsu's mother, my mother-in-law. I choose to love her and I try to appreciate her for being a strong branch in my husband and children's family tree. <br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-37312407528242390492013-05-10T15:32:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:45.234-07:00An occasional patchwork FridayMy friends and I had another sewing day... not our regular Thursday patchwork. Mrs. Furui has involved us in making things for the hospital (whereas we USED to only do patchwork for the kindergarten) and so now the occasional Friday get-togethers are "hospital patchwork day".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhsN_VVZSTSf5LJtL6DWou9JCxX8lfTLFGO4aLrB8ifbVMZn1ynhEqPkBXbKwqF75t-xQlk7iBuGLStdIq0tUQYemN8QOyKSziYA-PPIQHaADlIWlvEppSvRPTLFm5Ge-uJufWJTH7YI/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhsN_VVZSTSf5LJtL6DWou9JCxX8lfTLFGO4aLrB8ifbVMZn1ynhEqPkBXbKwqF75t-xQlk7iBuGLStdIq0tUQYemN8QOyKSziYA-PPIQHaADlIWlvEppSvRPTLFm5Ge-uJufWJTH7YI/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The hospital and Ronald McDonald House get a lot of donations and someone donated an ABUNDANCE of beautiful fabrics. So whoever is in charge thought of Mrs. Furui and sent a few boxes home with her. Our group agreed to turn some of the fabric into pretty little <a href="http://erinerickson.com/2012/04/heart-shaped-pouch-mini-tutorial/">heart pouches</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUlsC6L3vcjwo8UUfCneYRcNhxfqlFwn4CR-KpyTNGYQJjZ2Zx6ooy2_QlGV8im03zCOB2JuDtMwW_X1i4GDl9QnNvL1RIgVjpz27DvSN94MEcpuuWZodXekQ-ZeqKoxghYTcb8Nb-Ws/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcUlsC6L3vcjwo8UUfCneYRcNhxfqlFwn4CR-KpyTNGYQJjZ2Zx6ooy2_QlGV8im03zCOB2JuDtMwW_X1i4GDl9QnNvL1RIgVjpz27DvSN94MEcpuuWZodXekQ-ZeqKoxghYTcb8Nb-Ws/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Four of us with two sewing machines going, finished up the heart pouch project adding to the pouches we'd made a couple of weeks ago. 20 pouches all together! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDnTF0tzhi2MJCH9p-CuLSCtAedRK6XpowUusYaaKKWxyHFILoqUkgp0cmnHTR37LXq1KAtqejnp-tYNKTDxpzgAs-0LrGWO__D8xWu6fmKj8uwFGP6lqe8bgtdnayDznVOn0fEqcXa8/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDnTF0tzhi2MJCH9p-CuLSCtAedRK6XpowUusYaaKKWxyHFILoqUkgp0cmnHTR37LXq1KAtqejnp-tYNKTDxpzgAs-0LrGWO__D8xWu6fmKj8uwFGP6lqe8bgtdnayDznVOn0fEqcXa8/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Quite an assortment of colors and patterns.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVn2OT-mBd45JY9FDXH7xqcZCFGYjkuw5gH61Arxb0QGN2TZ9ToZEaZuaTl1Pqqx6rVZsN3xF7GJLEpksw3d-PO4kPvHkZTnOKnzWjtY0pEweWbRqOkgu34ch8Yi-DsHu3rfOajRxSuME/s1600/P5106696-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVn2OT-mBd45JY9FDXH7xqcZCFGYjkuw5gH61Arxb0QGN2TZ9ToZEaZuaTl1Pqqx6rVZsN3xF7GJLEpksw3d-PO4kPvHkZTnOKnzWjtY0pEweWbRqOkgu34ch8Yi-DsHu3rfOajRxSuME/s400/P5106696-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Well, that was a nice day of chatting, teasing, sewing and playing with pretty fabrics.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNJh3ojJBGXYbIOYIxoAZ_OSbTnYyy1Z-kLQdaZGcyTIv0wVSRqBcPCk3LQ-yO3M_H2jFoO88ieQJj2OP4pQ5q2sOrOapY7aw3rq6fgHG-nAoZ5FlhH16P1bQGBBTfXTGhRJfZl5mFFQ/s1600/P5096669-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkNJh3ojJBGXYbIOYIxoAZ_OSbTnYyy1Z-kLQdaZGcyTIv0wVSRqBcPCk3LQ-yO3M_H2jFoO88ieQJj2OP4pQ5q2sOrOapY7aw3rq6fgHG-nAoZ5FlhH16P1bQGBBTfXTGhRJfZl5mFFQ/s400/P5096669-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />On the home front I got another 4 Pine Burr blocks finished. Only 4 more to go... not to mention the 40 plus lattice strips still to make. I brought home scraps from the heart pouch session to use in my Pine Burr lattice. Not that I need any more scraps...<br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" /></a>Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-39569904500748647712013-05-09T17:08:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:45.305-07:00Passport photoI have purchased my plane ticket for going to the States in July. I AM READY!<br /><br />Am I ready? Wait a minute... When does my passport expire? Gasp! It expires in June!<br /><br />Well, I'm glad I noticed that little potential panic situation. I set about renewing my passport yesterday and readying an envelope to send to the US Embassy in Tokyo.<br /><br /><ul><li> I needed to enclose the online application form. I managed to fill that out. </li></ul><ul><li>I needed to enclose my current passport. No problem.</li></ul><ul><li>I needed to enclose fees... A bit more difficult to do than expected (money orders and such at the post office) but after an hour of filling out forms and waiting for people to confirm things, that got done too.</li></ul><ul><li>I needed to enclose a recent photo. Sigh...</li></ul>There are few things more depressing than getting photographed for an official paper especially when the LAST time the photo was taken was 10 years ago. I distinctly remember not liking my passport photo when it was taken 10 years ago. But let me tell you, it was A LOT better than the one I had taken yesterday! And I did my very best to make this one a good one too! I mean, I bypassed the photo booth and paid the extra amount to have the camera shop take a photo for me. (The photographer used a Nikon camera. I'm pretty aware of people's cameras nowadays.)<br /><br />BUT... Nothing can help the fact that I am 10 years older... Grayer hair. More wrinkles and spots. Definitely weigh more than I did in 2003.<br /><br /><i>GYAHHHhhh!!!! </i><br /><br />I'm going to have to live with this passport picture for the next 10 years!!!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV2MUe0-iYpmWNsEooI_fkeutcnoGSxX6J0-ToVqX1Q_FfuF75gkFaVp3Bovq_ozPe2nsPPN_qR45NPtcge2phfa0q-h4QFDZWExPdWCYe_N84WyAzO_BOcv9FKcbDhNpN7OaLi9K3kw/s1600/P5096665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuV2MUe0-iYpmWNsEooI_fkeutcnoGSxX6J0-ToVqX1Q_FfuF75gkFaVp3Bovq_ozPe2nsPPN_qR45NPtcge2phfa0q-h4QFDZWExPdWCYe_N84WyAzO_BOcv9FKcbDhNpN7OaLi9K3kw/s200/P5096665.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />The only positive thing I can think of is that in 2023 I will probably look back at this picture and think of the good ol' days...<br /><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: medium none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8172632957318133896.post-8069992758185605812013-05-08T17:10:00.000-07:002013-07-06T11:55:45.375-07:00Sleeping cat paper piecingI have been doing more paper piecing.<br /><br />I offered to make a block for Julie at <a href="http://myquiltdiary.blogspot.jp/">My Quilt Diary</a>. She started a project of making stars to represent her blogging friends. Hmmm.... I consider myself one of her blogging friends and it might be interesting to see what she comes up with for me (when she gets through her long list of friends) but I really liked the idea of contributing to her someday quilt.<br /><br />"I'll be happy to make you a block!"<br /><br />Julie took me up on it and then I had to figure out what kind of block would represent me. Maybe all quilters ought to give this a think through... Do I want to make a cross?... I'm Christian. Do I want to make red, white and blue?... I'm American. Do I want to make cherry blossoms?... I live in Japan. Do I want to make a kitty block?... I'm a cat lover....but I'm also a dog lover too... <br /><br />I decided that cat lover is the most obvious. Embroidered? Appliqued? I don't think Julie had any specific requirements except for measurements. Paper pieced?<br /><br />Well, that measurement requirement was one reason I went for paper piecing. You can't beat that technique for working with small pieces. And Julie wanted a 4 inch square inside an 8 inch star.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FYmK7jXu2VbD8CiR3qj1KM1GFnyWoUtsic2LqunA-XPsSEMkkwy41qUvqKCiU5w8jgvTzTzJoeCybo7GvGB5lMX9kA2eDmFbNjwKlpjtiFD2ybQs8uz5aWwzQ5gD3REkPICHNbXaODY/s1600/DSC_2653-1024x685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx4YqZnWuwCl5atQt5uBFUxpp2QQxPpjt3VREzzf9yC71InD1PeFzTsBrwqgEDlMt5j4FetV_j_uwgM8qcDCc6ZsPdYm-BQSI4udcnAbKqMLY-rbTt7xWyxPEpNWpUuiAzeF1uVFtEUM/s1600/IMGP2821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx4YqZnWuwCl5atQt5uBFUxpp2QQxPpjt3VREzzf9yC71InD1PeFzTsBrwqgEDlMt5j4FetV_j_uwgM8qcDCc6ZsPdYm-BQSI4udcnAbKqMLY-rbTt7xWyxPEpNWpUuiAzeF1uVFtEUM/s400/IMGP2821.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I found a pattern that I liked. Cat. Sleeping cat. GREAT! I live in Nikko, Japan and the town is famous for the Sleeping Cat carving on one of its famous shrines. Julie will get the connection between a sleeping cat and me living in Nikko.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbsnCfCcrjrAZwyf91j9eNVHrJIF71fD1iXHDHgyVJTu5_aIRr6pPuUKT6uzVYcvKyzeWW2x7soe3olyiLRFmejgzcXFgjsCGH3sAibFmvAb4A5cdgWVvOf7EueazTXKEO-8rqVLaRZc/s1600/P5096663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbsnCfCcrjrAZwyf91j9eNVHrJIF71fD1iXHDHgyVJTu5_aIRr6pPuUKT6uzVYcvKyzeWW2x7soe3olyiLRFmejgzcXFgjsCGH3sAibFmvAb4A5cdgWVvOf7EueazTXKEO-8rqVLaRZc/s400/P5096663.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />My major problem was that the paper piecing pattern was for an 8 inch square. So I shrunk the pattern on my scanner! Now I had the right 4 inch square size but I also had MINISCULE pieces to sew.<br /><br />I also tried to go authentic (always a mistake) by making a white sleeping cat whereas all the sleeping cats at MY house are brown or orange. I absolutely couldn't find a black and white piece of fabric that would make the same markings as the Nikko Sleeping Cat, so I made my own. Hmm. It looks like that cat has a frilled collar. Well, it is ORIGINAL. And come to think of it, the real Nikko Sleeping Cat doesn't have a tail... but mine does...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMX_HtFChCMs11pgH5Ql2QBiec7q8h8QszX8xy-graeIzKNU419IT7O6YisJ8KwqNE8CRzOmbynCTOatxKEeHAKhza0pkfUz9Qh9ozcO_fw-WfXbKRwX9CBG2CsghqG8vDmv5K6C5foeE/s1600/P5076656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMX_HtFChCMs11pgH5Ql2QBiec7q8h8QszX8xy-graeIzKNU419IT7O6YisJ8KwqNE8CRzOmbynCTOatxKEeHAKhza0pkfUz9Qh9ozcO_fw-WfXbKRwX9CBG2CsghqG8vDmv5K6C5foeE/s400/P5076656.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Let me tell you, shrinking an 8 inch pattern makes for many possibilities of error. I had to toss my first attempt and try it again.<br /><br />The star part of that block is a fabric with an oriental feel to it... A bit of gold in there hopefully like the Nikko Sleeping Cat carving. And I did sew the star by hand so that it will be easier for Julie to include it in her quilt. <br /><br />Okay Julie. My block is made and it will get in the mail to you today! I hope you can use it! <br /><br />Now for the rest of you. What block would YOU make to represent yourself if given the challenge?<br /> <img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/174/DECD099A9EE3A5F6D8D0D1026F3F59DB.png" style="background: transparent; border: none;" />Tanyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00858446371419879296noreply@blogger.com0