longer legs needed!

People in Japan all have these wonderful heating tables.  Big problem is the legs are too short so you have to sit on the flour!  For 30 years I've been doing that.  But this year I decided I'm getting to old to get up and down like that and why shouldn't I fix the problem?  So I found some wonderful boards, cut them the right length, took off the old legs and scared in the screws to hold the new legs!  Now I'm working on a patchwork quilt that is large enough to finish the kotatsu.  (Japanese hot table with blanket covering the edges to keep the heat in.)  Hopefully I'll finish before Spring when it will no longer be needed!

more of the temple

This is the biggest stone lantern I've ever seen or noticed anyway!
Above and below are the views taken from the same spot of the cave and pond with the back of the temple building.  The photos make it look quite nice, but actually it is kind of a dirty pond much smaller than the photos show!  But all in all it was worth the 200 yen to walk around and enjoy the nature.  

Kamakura fun

My friend and I drove over to Kamakura to my daughter-in-law's house to meet with 2 of my AFWJ friends.  Below we posed for a photo. I had taken my bucket of Legos to entertain the kids for awhile.   We had a sandwich bar and enjoyed visiting.  Above Kelly, Waka, and I took the kids for a walk up from their house to the nearest temple, Zuisenji, which was only about 5 minutes from their house, but with a 1 year old who didn't want to sit in the stroller and a 4 year old who didn't want to walk it took us longer than planned!  We did get the 4 year old to enjoy being swung up the steps instead of being carried.

Saniku Dosokai

Last Sunday we went over to Otaki for a celebration of the school's history.  First was a meeting in the Chapel with alot of speeches.  Then we went to the Cafeteria for a wonderful buffet lunch.  There was this delightful couple from the General Conference of SDA whose home is in Ghana Africa.  They stopped on their way back to USA from the Phillippines.  The couple on the left with the baby is also originally from Ghana but now are teachers at the college.  One of the perks of living in Japan is when the big whigs come from the General Conference all us English speaking people get to meet them.  In the USA I'd never get close!
Above is the group waiting for the blessing and below Jack is with 2 of his classmates.

Smiles from Nami

I remembered when my babies smiled people would say, "oh, that is just gas"!  But I'm sure these smiles from our little 5 week old granddaughter are real.  Koji says she is smiling more everyday.  I captured these with my mouse on my MacBook today.  Just can't seem to see her enough!

Sunrise Golf course

We discovered this cheap short course and think we'll go again some time.  The price of golf in Japan is usually over 10,000 yen for 18 holes, lunch and a bath.  We found the lunch is usually gastly (not vegetarian) and no time for the bath.  But Japanese courses (at least the ones we've been to) are great--just too expensive for more than a seasonal trip.  This course was only 2,000 yen for 9 holes with another 1,000 yen for the second trip around.  No need of lunch or shower as near enough home to return in 20 minutes.  Above Jack is standing by the only long 4 par.  In the far distance is the tee-off and below is the view toward the green on the otherside of the lake.  The other 8 tee offs were just a bit over 100 yards and only 3 par, but not so easy as a lot of steep slopes where the ball can get lost as well as lots of waterways.

Sleeping positions

Koji told me Nami has a bad habit of wanting to sleep on top of either her mommy or daddy's chest.  Of course that takes her back to when she could hear the heartbeat.  She also doesn't like sleeping on her back like most Japanese babies and now the USA is recommending back sleeping to prevent crib deaths.  Below she is sleeping in my prefered style too!  

Bath time/ not abused!

Here Nami is having a bath.  Notice on the photo below her little mark showing she is Japanese.  Japanese and I heard Mongolian babies are born with this bruise like spot on their backside that fades with age.  I've even heard of an American baby doctor calling the police thinking the baby in front of him was abused, when actually all Japanese babies have these marks naturally.  Since my sons were of mixed blood, one had the mark and the other didn't. Nami's father was the one with no mark!

Twin/Suzuki

I noticed this cute little bug on the carlot of the Suzuki dealer in Kisarazu.  Since I have been a fan of the Smart (baby Bentz/Mitsubishi) that is expensive, I thought this one being a Suzuki might be reasonably priced.  Well I stopped and asked the dealer and found out it is not for sale!  But then why do they have it on the lot?  Is it just to get people to stop and inquire and then push off another car?  I asked how much a new one would cost and he said they don't make it anymore.  So guess I'll just have to be content with my Demio.

Passport photo

Above is Nami's passport photo.  Kind of scary!  The one below is precious, but passport photos are so fussy of how they have to be...white background, straightforward face, open eyes, no smiles.

cute witch?

Here is my little cute witch.  I bought this doll from my cousin years ago and just found it in my storage and decided to make her new clothes for Halloween.  Glad the spider on her hat is paint!  Now to figure out how to put her on the broom and have her fly through my enchanted forrest for the Halloween Party on November 2.

little frog

Just couldn't resist taking a photo of this cute little green frog on the bumper.  I sometimes get tempted to try the "kiss a frog and get a prince!"  but since I'm a happily married woman, and the frog is kind of wet, I decided not to.  

I'm WET

I learned today that the new technique in diapers will tell you when they need changing.  In the top photo you can see the little yellow strip going down the middle of N ami's diaper.  But when it gets wet it becomes green like the lower one.  However the SKYPE camera doesn't show up this strip as easily as the real thing.  And to think with my babies we had to poke our fingers down to check or it was leaking and then we knew for sure!

Poor lizzard

We saw our cat was playing with something, checked it out and found her torturing a lizzard.  Not eating it but biting/batting and scratching it.  It would escape and then she would get it again

Here it got under the tire and she kept watching it and trying to get it to come out so she could get it again.

Nami again

Just can't resist sharing these precious photos of granddaughter #1.
Beside the inchworm.  See how I'm growing?
Taken by catching what I see on SKYPE.
A smile with a hint of a dimple?  Maybe gas?

Surf Board UP!

 Here Waka's board decided to fly!

surfing

Andy and Waka surfing.  Waka is the close one and Andy did stand up and came in but he stops before he gets in because he forgot his leash that keeps his board to his foot so he didn't want to chase it into shore.

clean up

After surfing, the kids were cleaning up.  They had a bottle of water to wash their feet and Waka had this lovely long robe that she can change her clothes under without mooning the passing cars.  Inside is even a pocket to keep your other clothes!

Chikura surfing

Today we got up early and went with Andy and Waka to Chikura surfing.  Above the kids are taking their boards and going out into the waves. Jack and I sat on the beach and watched.  Jack had caught a cold or allergy from somewhere so didn't dare get wet.  I brought my snorkle stuff but this would not be a good place to see anything but sand!  So I enjoyed taking photos.
Waka with her long board and Andy with his short board.  I understand the long board is easier to stand up on as it is more stable, but the short board can do the turning and has more control over direction.  Jack and I decided we're too old to try a new sport.  We will stick to scuba, snorkeling, golf, skiing and tennis!

quilting again

Here is a new way to do the 9 square quilt pieces.  Above is using 2 colors and below are 3.

After sewing them together, you have to cut them in half both ways like above.

Then you rearrange them like above and sew together to get the below result.

Children's play

During the party, the kids enjoyed being taught how to play gateball by Erika.  She was so patient and kind, I hope she choses to go into working with children in her future.

Shy kids prefered dragging off a parent of grandma to watch them go down the long roller slide.

I held K on my lap first trip, but refused to do it again as it hurt my behind.  So she enjoyed it as a single.