Thoughts of Japan

My first job out of college was working for a company that sold Japanese machinery.  My days were filled with typing letters to men with names like Mr. Yoshikawa, Mr. Miyake, Mr. Nishijima & Mr. Tanaka.

I made many travel arrangements for my bosses to travel to Japan.

During the time I worked for this company, we had numerous Japanese visitors including a young man who came for a month for training purposes.  He brought with him several different types of Japanese food and shared them with us.  I remember my boss wanted to send him home with a gift from America and his choice was a pair of cowboy boots :).

At this job I became friends with a co-worker. 

He travelled to Japan often.

Our friendship turned to dating.

Not long after we began to date he went to Japan for a month.

It seemed like a loong month back then, but he returned bearing beautiful gifts from Japan and lots of pictures to share.

Seven months later he popped the question and we were married the following year.

When we were married we received beautiful gifts from many of the Japanese people we were associated with through work.

The Japanese people have a "gift" for gift giving. 

Throughout the years of our marriage my husband has travelled to Japan several times.  He was able to experience many different aspects of the Japanese culture. 

Like the rest of the world we have been watching the devastating news from Japan with such heaviness in our hearts.  We are reminded of the people from that country who have crossed our paths and send up prayers for their safety.

One final thought:

My old boss is now my father-in-law.  Now in his early 80s he still keeps in touch with Mr. Nishijima.  I recently got an e-mail from my father-in-law who told me that he & Mr. Nishijima spoke to each other on Skype and that while he felt the earthquake, he and his family are safe. 

The vision of these two elderly business associates making contact this way somehow warms my heart.

The pictures on this post were taken in my yard and neighborhood.  I found gardening and walking to be a good diversion from the heaviness of the news this weekend.

Sunny Touches On A Rainy Day

It's been a rainy weekend.

Went to bed last night to the sound of rain on the rooftop.

Woke up this morning to more rain on the rooftop.

While I'm loving this rain for the benefits it brings to the garden, it is making it a bit dark & dreary inside the house.

Since the sun doesn't want to shine outside, I'm going to do what I can to make it shine inside.  I'll start by lighting some little lamps here and there. A yellow candle with a lemon scent will surely add to the sunny atmosphere I'm trying to create. 

As my brownies are baking in the oven and my chicken dinner is bubbling away in the crock pot, I have a few minutes to set out a few touches of Spring cheer.  The sunny yellow forsythia wreath adds a bright spot to a corner of the family room on this gray day.

Cheery dishes and a yellow candleholder seem like a good idea for the dinner table tonight.  In fact I think I'll step outside and snip a few pansies.  Be right back . . .

When I began this post I wasn't planning to literally bring the sun in, but a funny thing happened when I brought the pansies in.  The sun came pouring through the window and it hasn't quit since.

Happy Sunny Sunday!!

If the sun isn't shining at your house, try making your own.  You never know it just might work.

Starting March on a Silly Note

After a long quiet winter, waking up to a birdie chorus makes me want to ...

Picking my first bouquet of these also makes me want to SING ...

'Cause no matter what the calendar says, I know that these two things can only mean one thing ...

Now doesn't that just have a nice . . .

:), ;-), =), :)

And to think the hubby rolled his eyes as he asked what I bought that bag of wooden blocks for.

 

Oops, I'm short an L.

Guess I'm going to keep my eyes open for some more blocks, honey. ;-).

Happy First Day of March to You!!!

Who You Gonna Call?

 When my mom used to visit, she had the habit of leaving little gifts for me to find.  The magnet above was one such gift.  I found it after she left and had to laugh.  Back then we lived in different states, but talked on the phone at least once a week.  My mom was also an early bird.  Me ~ not so much.  In those days she would often call me when I was still lounging in bed thinking about starting my day.  I must admit that I often wondered why she had to call sooo early.

But, that was then and this is now.

Now, it wouldn't matter if she called at 5 a.m., I'd gladly pick up that phone and talk.  In fact, I might even follow the advice on her magnet and call her before she had the chance to call me.  If she were to call today I'd wish her a Happy 87th Birthday.

It's true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder.

With that thought in mind I'm making it a higher priority to call my brother on a regular basis.  He lives on one side of the country and I'm on the other.  Though we get along just fine, distance makes it hard to feel close sometimes.  Sadly, there are times when I hesitate to call because I feel like I don't know him very well anymore.  I don't like that feeling so I've resolved to make a better effort at communication.  I think I'll call him at least once a month.  But I promise not to call at the crack of dawn.

Is there anyone that you've put off calling?

If so, now might be the best time.

Call Me When The Street Lights Come On

Many, many moons ago, when I was a wee little girl, a beautiful spring day meant a day spent outside.  Nothing could lure me inside.  Well, nothing except when the street lights came on.  In the 60's that was the universal signal for children everywhere to stop playing and head for home.  Perhaps some of you also have these memories.  If not, you may think this is another story taking place when dinosaurs roamed the earth.  It won't be the first time I've been accused of telling one of those tales and I'm sure it won't be the last time. 

I guess no matter how old I get, when the fresh spring air begins to blow and the tulips push forth from the earth ...

When the daffodil buds are plump and ready to burst open ...

I'm ready to head outside to smell the flowers
&
to play outside until the streetlights come on.

Now I will admit that the form of play has changed.

I'm quite happy to sit outside enjoying my lunch while watching the bird activity now.  But lest you think I am a total dinosaur, I might add that I can also take pictures of my lunch and read the newspaper while eating.  That's right, quite the multitasker am I.

Although, I will admit to feeling a bit silly taking photos of my lunch.  What if the neighbors are watching?? 

Who takes pictures of their lunch?  Odd ladies over the age of 50?

So glad I read this article ... while eating.

Apparently it is quite hip to possess the skill of taking photos of your food on your patio.  Why it's front page news today!!

And the best part of all ~ she's only 26.

I'm off to take a walk, plant some seeds, water my pansies and breathe in the sweet, sweet smell of almost spring.

I'll be in when the streetlights come on.  Just in time to soak in the bathtub, apply the BenGay and hobble to bed.

Getting To Know Janice

One of the many things I enjoy about blogging is being able to visit interesting people from all over the world.  I think of it as armchair travel at it's finest.

Recently Yiota from Greece offered an opportunity for  her readers to get to know one another a bit better by way of interviewing one another.  I took her up on this offer and she soon sent me the name of my interview partner, Janice from England.  It was fun getting to know a bit more about Janice and I'm sure you will agree that she is a very interesting lady.

So, cozy up in your favorite armchair and let's get to know  Janice from jabblog.

1. What made you decide to start your blog?



The son of one of my husband’s friends was very seriously injured in Afghanistan at the beginning of 2009. I wrote a blog post to try and draw attention to ‘Help for Heroes’, a charity set up to help wounded military personnel returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. The young man in question has made a good recovery and is getting married this year but still requires further operations.



2. When you have an hour all to yourself, what's your favorite way to fill it?


Since I stopped working full-time (I still find it hard to say ‘I retired’) I’m fortunate enough to be able to please myself pretty much what I do and when. My all-consuming pastime since February 2009 has been blogging.


3. Do you have a favorite season?


Each season in turn becomes my favourite but if I had to choose one to be the only season I could ever have I think it would have to be Spring. There’s such a freshness to it. The whole natural world seems to be waking up and taking notice and the colours are so bright and clean.


4. Do you like to travel and, if so, what has been your best trip so far?


If I could travel without crowds and delays I’d be inclined to do much more. I really enjoyed visiting my son and his family when they were living in New York City.


5. Will you be watching the upcoming Royal Wedding?


Probably, with the justification that it’s history in the making!


6. What do you consider your 2 best personality traits to be?


I had to ask my husband about this. He said that I’m a great listener (I would have said good) and a tactful corrector (I think that means I’m bossy!!).

7. Do you have hobbies?


I enjoy bird-watching, photography (though I’m not very good) reading, playing the piano (which I do badly) gardening, walking, blogging, cross-stitch, people-watching. I used to breed and show Burmese cats and have tried and abandoned dog showing.


8. How do you like to begin your day?


As quietly as possible! I like to have a cup of fruit/herb tea and watch the birds on the feeders. I am definitely not a morning person inasmuch as I like to come to full consciousness slowly and not have to talk to anyone. This was sometimes difficult when my children were growing up, but two of them are similar to me in this respect. The other two are larks like their father.

 9. Is there one person who has greatly influenced your life?


There have been people I have loved and admired and whom I miss but not one great influence. I suppose the examples my parents set have guided the way I try to live. Barry has opened my eyes to many things I would not otherwise have seen and appreciated.


10. Who are your favorite authors?


Margaret Atwood, Ann Tyler, Oscar Wilde are among my favourites. There are also children’s authors that I enjoy – Michael Morpurgo, Anne Fine, Dick King-Smith (who died recently) Roald Dahl (who also wrote for adults.


11. Do you have a favorite meal?


Steak with tomatoes, courgettes (zucchini) and chips (fries)



12. Do you have any "pet peeves?"


Too many, I’m sorry to say! I don’t like listening to television and radio presenters who keep saying ‘actually’ or ‘err’, and clichés irritate me. Naturally, I’m never guilty of any of those! I deplore the use of ‘of’ as a verb and although I know that incorrect spellings don’t necessarily impede understanding they always jump out at me.

Thank you, Janice for allowing me to interview you & thank you, Yiota for making this opportunity possible.

I ♥ Spray Paint

When I saw this little set of shelves at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, I nearly passed it up because of the color.  That barn red just wasn't working for me.  But, the little scallops and "polka dots" were definitely calling my name.  Hmm... what to do, what to do??

Well, get out the spray paint, of course.

Aaahh . . .  the transformative power of spray paint. 

It's such a quick & easy way to make your thrift store finds work in your home.  Barn red probably looked great in someone else's house, but around here there's a lot of white & yellow & blue. 

So, if you're ever hesitating to pick up a thrift store treasure because the color isn't right, think again.  A little spray paint may be all that's needed to make it work for you.

~ The End ~