Tues Oct 21 ,2008 Walking in sunshine whoo hoo....

Konbonwa
Karla here and I finally had a minute to check up on my friend Randee's daughter Lauren Molitor. Remember when I told you about the girl who got squashed between the two trucks at her sorority car wash and was left in critical condition with two crushed lungs. Well she walked out of the hospital on her own this week only 41 days after her freak accident and is now back home with her family and continuing her recovery and months of therapy from there.
WOW!!! I am once again amazed at this family and the strength, grace and miracle they have once more been blessed with.
If you would like to check out the news articles about Lauren and videos from TV coverage near Milwaukee WI..... see these web sites or type in Blackle Lauren Molitor Milwakee WI and hit search

http://www.examiner.com/r-2937187~Crash_victim_walks_out_of_hospital.html

http://www.examiner.com/r-2936776~Lauren_Molitor_Goes_Home_From_Hospital.html

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/31161634.html

So with that good news in mind Jean and I headed out today on our own leisurely walk along the Yokohama Harbor. It was another gorgeous fall day here in Japan and there were many people out enjoying the warm temps and time with each other.
We first stopped to tour the Yokohama Doll Museum and it was very interesting to see dolls from all over the world and also to learn how the Japanese make their dolls. They mold them with pressed wood shavings and then paint them.
Got a few "illegal pics" before I realized I was not supposed to be snaping away in the building. We had a nice chat with a lady volunteer who was very eager to explain what some of the Japanese words meant and she too, was quite impressed that I was actually taking notes and writing stuff down. They had a teddy bear exhibit too, but were missing a very important one in their collection. Smokey the Bear of which I have one from my childhood...perhaps I could sell it to them for some BIG $yen$? :-)
We took some more legal photos in the doll making classroom and had fun chatting with two little older ladies. They even gave us each a little tassle cloth ball charm they were making.
Everyone keeps thinking JEan and I are good friends. They are VERY surprised when I tell them Jean is my mother in law, and they can't believe she is 71yrs old. I am beginning to wonder if my gray hair makes me look older and if I too should color mine?
I doubt if I will, but I sure would like to cut it..I feel like a bush woman with this long manging mess.
We then walked along the waters edge and over to the Landmark Tower in the Minato Mirai area of town.
Stopped for a bite to eat along the way and people watched. It was fun to observe all the different fall styles now days. Many of the young girls are wearing 1001 different kinds of boots with either black leggings or knee socks of some variety and then jean shorts with vests with fur trim and knit hats with big tassle balls of yarn on top. Jean and I are sweating to death and we can't figure out why they aren't with so much heavy stuff on already and it is not even cold yet. I wonder what they wear when it gets cold and snowy ??
Saw a young girl with long black straight hair down to her knees. Some man was busy taking pics of her as she flipped her hair about. She said she hadn't cut it in 13 years. WOW! You don't see that much any more.
I took pics of the metal sculpture I think looks like a roller coaster and we peeked inside the tower to see what it was inside and found it to be more shopping stores. Thankfully Jean doesn't like to shop either and so we avoided all that and went to Chinatown to eat some supper before coming back home.
We have had another quiet relaxing night reading, watching TV, doing computer work and waiting for CJ to come home. He just now showed up at 10:30pm and so I had better go and check up with him on his workday and to see how the big product launch went. More tomorrow from Tokyo perhaps?
Karla