May 16, 2009 Birthday wishes and bugs galore

Hi all
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to sis in law Dina, niece Jessica and nephews Jacob and Chandler who all celebrated birthdays in the past 2 weeks. Hope you all enjoyed your special days.

Today CJ and I are hanging out at the house and regrouping after a busy week. CJ had the BIG product launch at work this past week and it went well, but late night dinners and outings with the guys left him pooped and ready for a day to hang out and play catch up at home. So we slept in this am and then when we woke to cloudy skies and cooler weather we decided to skip the Thai festival in Tokyo and do bookwork, packing, phone calls.... and such here at home. Maybe if it is nice we will venture north for the 2ND day of the festivities.

I should be packing for my trip back to MN and Honduras next Friday but as usual I am procrastinating on that chore. :-( Had a few days in the house this week and then a fun day taking pics of the rainbow assortment of roses in bloom at Harbor View Park...WOW...what a colorful display it was. Then as I made my way down the slope to the grocery store, I saw lots and lots of bugs, blossoms, butterflies... I was taking pics of a butterfly flitting about and then saw a bee busy gathering nectar from some white blossoms and then all of a sudden I started seeing with tunnel vision so to speak. My world then took on a very narrow perspective and I began seeing things in miniature. I sat down on the steps and just looked at a bunch of weeds in front of me along the cement wall and what to my wondering eyes did I see but all kinds of little insects, ants, ladybugs, moths, butterflies,and insects of all varieties. It was a rather magical time and lots of fun. The longer I sat and looked the more little creatures I saw moving to and fro along stems, leaves, stamens of flowers...Needless to say my getting to the store took longer than I thought and even my walk back with an armful of goods didn't keep me from stopping to snap some more on the way home as the sun was setting for another day here in Japan.
I am still enjoying my explorations here in Japan and now I am getting excited to get back to MN and Honduras and hopefully see those places with a different eye as well and capture some nice photos of people, places, bugs .... there as well. Yesterday I thought I was going to Sankeien Garden to check out the Iris with Jenny and Janice, but our plans changed and I had another exciting and fun filled day meeting many new people. Janice had to cancel out of our walk due to repairman spending another day redoing her closets which got mildewed over the winter months. A very common thing here in Japan when houses are closed up and there is lots of humidity and rain. We did stop by her House to drop her some fresh pastry treats and to at least say HI and then of course she invited us and we had a nice chat with her as she was replacing all her clothes back in the closets. I found she is a hippo lover as well and has a collection of her very own back home in the UK. She had a few little ones to remind her of her love for them, that she brought along with her to Asia from home.
We then went off to Chinatown and met up with some of Jenny's lady friends. It ended up being a very odd and rare situation here in Japan but I got in the middle of a outward verbal display of confrontation in a public restaurant. It all ended quickly but to actually witness it with my own eyes and ears was indeed something very unusual. :-(
As we made our way through Chinatown we must have looked kind of funny to some as we ended up being dressed in the exact same salmon color. I actually said to her we look like twins today and I bet other people will think that's pretty funny given the size and personal style we both have. I am like a foot taller than Jenny even with her high heel wedge shoes on and she is always all dolled up from head to toe in a monochromatic color scheme, head band, jewels, and a made up face. We even had some young Japanese men run up to us and ask for our photo together. Jenny was actually quite shocked by it I think and said usually we are the ones asking to take their pics and now they are taking them of us.I am sure were gabbing much louder than we probably should of been and so that and our color display amongst the black suits and white shirts must have been a sight for sore eyes. Oh how I would love to see that photo:-) ha ha
Jenny and I then made our way to the Yamashita Park where we sat next to the fountain in the cool breeze and sunshine while enjoying our curry filled and cream cheese/cranberry filled pastries. Yum! We often got refreshed as the wind blew and the fountain water mist sprayed us a bit with some refreshing and cool water droplets. Ahhh!
Then the junior high boys from Osaka gathered around the fountain railing and as they waited for all the students to gather and regroup for the return trip home. We started to chat with a few of them and the next thing we were taking pics of Me with Hitashi, Mao, Toro....They were very surprised when I stood up, that I was even taller than Hitashi who was actually quite tall for a 14yr old. We bid them farewell and were headed to St Maur school to pick up her son Yuki. On the way out of the park we met up with another new Korean lady for me from Houston. She and her dog Sarah a Shiatzu who could have been Jenny's dog with all her red hair bows keeping tufts of hair out of her eyes and on her rump. It still cracks me up how the people love and dress up their dogs here. I suppose if I didn't have kids I might do the same, but then I don't really like the little rat dogs as I call them and I am not too sure how bigger dogs look good in clothes, bandannas around their necks maybe or a winter vest in the snow..but come on I have a tough time paying $20 for a dress for myself let alone a dog.
Anyhoo, after a nice long conversation with Sarah's mom(? can't remember her name) we made it up to the school and never did get to walk through the rose garden. We did see a few roses in Yamashita though and enjoyed our visits there. At the St Maur Int'l school I was meeting folks left and right. It was the end of the day and all the parents gathered on the playground and had chats with one another as their kids played on the jungle gym. Jenny introduced me to so many new ladies I had a headache when I was done trying to quickly write all their names in my little pocket notebook. Yes I carry that with me here, just like I do in Honduras or whenever I am traveling. It really helps when I get home and can look back and see just what it was they said to me.I met ladies from UK, Holland, France, Hawaii, Korea...and my dear friend Gracia from Honduras via Texas was there too. I always love seeing her as she and I hug and kiss like we are old friends and yet, I really have only talked with her 2 or 3 times for very brief periods. There is just something about the Latin culture and its people. Their warmth and love just seeps from them with no problem. It makes me so happy and relaxed. I told her that too, and how it makes me even more excited for my upcoming trip and the one month of hugs and love I am sure to give/receive at the hogar. To love and be loved is the greatest joy on earth Right?
After we left the playground Jenny I and her son Yuki stood on the street corner and chatted some more. It was fun for me to talk with Yuki and ask him questions about kids his age and what they like to do. He speaks very good English at 10yrs old. Perfect actually. I did not hear one word or sentence that was not grammatically correct. Cool. He was born here in Japan but has lived in Switzerland and Singapore already in his young life. He asked me if I was going to come to his house but I said not today, but I will have to have him and Jenny over when I get back here in July. They are fun folks and they are home alone allot as the dad is often not home before midnight everyday of the week. When we were talking on the playground with other moms many of them said the same thing. WOW...I am glad CJ is not doing that. Most nights he is home at 7pm at the latest. This week of course it was like most other families live on a regular basis. It reconfirmed for me that is NOT how I want to live my life and I guess I feel fortunate it has worked out like we want it,so far.
It made me sad to think many of these kids never see there dad's except on weekends. CJ said well I never saw my dad either as he drove truck all week, but I said it seems a bit different as he is gone and out of town. These guys are home and coming and go each day and night to the same house yet the kids never get quality time with their daddies till the weekends and sometimes not that either as many companies have golf outings then. Uff da!

May 16, 2009
Today CJ and I slept in as he was pooped from his week of late nights out. It catches up with you and I wonder sometimes how the men can even function when that is the norm. Can't be too healthy, I wouldn't think.
We have been doing book work,going through papers, this blog, and I've been "thinking" about packing. We also enjoyed a looooong chat and lots of laughs and a few tears for me with Kalen and a short hello with Mike on Skype as well. Mike is now in Iowa City and enjoying that town and its coffee shops. I guess each of the actors is staying with a different family. That is fun and something I did not know. I think he said he lives with a older retired couple. Mike said it has been raining alot and he was concerned about possible flooding. I guess last year they had quite a problem there. Hope the rain stops and things dry up so hopefully massive crowds can make their way to see him perform in his Shakespeare plays next month.Sumo is on now and so I will close this up and head down to see what is going on. I forget all this week to check, or I was not home when it was telecast.
We may head to Thai festival tomorrow and then I have a very busy week next week before we go home to Mn on the 22ND. Monday I will go to the orphanage again with Janice and Lynn. Tuesday for a hike in Kita-kamakura along the seacoast or hills with the Janice and the "Jwalkers or maybe Jaywalkers". Wednesday the YIWC goes on a block printing exhibition outing and then on Thursday its the final monthly luncheon till it resumes in the fall after summer break. We are having a social dance demonstration as out entertainment I think. Then Friday we leave for MN and WI for niece AJ's High School graduation party in Chetek with the Harriman gang. I think Bernie and Solvei will ride along with us after we pick Kalen up from the airport. Graham may have to work in Duluth, but we are hopeful he can catch up with us in EP on Memorial Day for a family bike ride and and hour or two for the 4 of us to hang out and catch up.
Then I will have two weeks in MN before I head to Honduras for the month of June. I need to make my annual trip for new kid photos, to get new information and to meet the 6 new children that arrived at the hogar since my visit last year. So who knows when I will get to this blog again. My guess is,it will not be until after Memorial Day? I most likely will get pics on Face book as the days go by...that seems to be easier for some reason.
Take care and hope I get to see some of you when I am back in the area.
Love ya
Karla, CJ and family