January 30 2011

January 30 2011- After a full week of school (well, almost full week of school, another 3 day weekend), errands, workouts and Dr's appointments, it was a weekend of "veggie-tating". We did finally get out today (Sunday) to get some fresh air. We rounded up the neighbor boy, Mykah, headed to Homac (Home Amenity Center...the Japanese Home Depot, but better) picked up a cheap plastic sled and headed for a local sledding hill. Swan Lake....we've been there before on other trips, if you recall.
The ducks were congregated in the parking lot. As a new car arrived they waddled over to the newcomers to check for handouts. Not shy at all. Fortunately we had some stale chips and dog bones on hand. (the dog bones Shane grounded up with the heel of his shoe to make them taste little niblits) Andi was delighted to get this one to eat out of her hand. Mykah was happy to scatter crumbs, but not so keen on the idea of hand feeding.
Up in the sky were the hawks. No doubt looking for a tasty morsel...and not the ones we were handing out, but perhaps one we were fattening up for them...

It wasn't just the crazy Americans feeding the ducks. The Japanese children took great delight in feeding them as well.

Above: Apparently hippos turn blue in the winter and like to eat snow.

Above and below: Enjoying the sledding!

Andi is on a little but sized sled. There is a handle that comes up between the legs for you to hold on to. It's a great started sled for her, as she really doesn't like to go fast or out of control. Personally, I would've loved to be on one of those spiny disc ones, go to the top and spin all the way down.....ahhhh my younger years, when I didn't have a glass jaw, and sensitive back. Knowing my luck, if I had gone sled bound today, something probably would've shattered.
Got Shane out of the house. It wasn't to horribly cold. But when all you can do is stand around and watch the action....it's best to dress warm. I had my big "cold weather" jacket on as well...it's just prettier than that one.
This was Mykah's first time of sledding. He did pretty good, once he caught on to putting his feet out to slow down. His first run down the steeper hill was pretty spectacular, going down a couple of additional ledges that he was unprepared for and knocking the wind out him. But as soon as he saw a little Japanese girl about half his age do it and laugh the whole way down....he gave it another go. Like I said, once he realized how important feet were to the process, things went much better.
Andi liked the big hill as well, but stuck with her little but sled....she tried the big one once and decided she felt to out of control.

Mykah, in the meantime, went back over to a smaller hill, that had an additional ridge about midway down, and worked on "catchin' some air".


One little girl worked on her down hill skiing technique. She would ski down a little bit, then do the side step back up the hill side. Scared at first, but laughing as she went....perhaps some nervous laughter.
Andi concentrating on not hitting anybody. I hope she doesn't bite her tongue off.....
Andi and Mykah as we were getting ready to head home. We were only out for about an hour, but for Shane and his back, that's a big outing these days.

And now, in case you aren't aware, the Chinese New Year is coming up. The Japanese observe it as well...in a way. I'm still confused by it. The Japanese New Year was January 1st thru the 3rd, but they observe the Year of the Rabbit, which starts February 3. Can't remember if there is as big of a celebration, I'm sure there is....it is a party after all. I'll have to check with my Japanese friends and see which is more important. I suppose it might all be in how you look at things.

(and pardon the size of the font on the New Year info. I'm tired and don't feel like figuring out how to change it....I've done enough head banging computer stuff already today)

THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT, 2011

02/03/2011 - 01/22/2012 (Metal)

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit, which begins on February 3, 2011 and ends on January 22, 2012. The Rabbit is the fourth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 animals signs. The Rabbit is a lucky sign. Rabbits are private individuals and a bit introverted. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are reasonably friendly individuals who enjoy the company of a group of good friends. They are good teachers, counselors and communicators, but also need their own space.

According to Chinese tradition, the Rabbit brings a year in which you can catch your breath and calm your nerves. It is a time for negotiation. Don't try to force issues, because if you do you will ultimately fail. To gain the greatest benefits from this time, focus on home, family, security, diplomacy, and your relationships with women and children. Make it a goal to create a safe, peaceful lifestyle, so you will be able to calmly deal with any problem that may arise.

Not many people know that the Rabbit is the symbol of the Moon, while the Peacock is the symbol of the Sun, and that together, these two animal signs signify the start of day and night, represent the Yin and Yang of life. It is said that anyone making supplications for wishes to be fulfilled are certain to get what they want... and in the Year of the Rabbit, the wish-granting aspect of the Sun and the Moon combined is multiplied. The Moon is YIN and this is the Yin of Heaven, signifying magic. Thus on each of the Full Moon nights of this year, go out into your garden to gaze into the Full Moon and visualize plenty of Moon dust and Moon glow flowing into you, filling your whole body with bright white light and granting you fearlessness, love and courage. This will not only strengthen your inner "Chi" energy, it will also bring wisdom into your life.

The Sign of the Rabbit

People born in the Year of the Rabbit share certain characteristics: Keen, wise, fragile, tranquil, serene, considerate, fashionable, and kind. Generally, they are quite calm, do not exhibit aggressive behavior, and will avoid confrontation at all costs. When angry about something, they will approach it calmly and considerately, hardly ever raising their voice. And they are quite keen and pay close attention to the situations developing around them. They are intelligent and quick, and can talk themselves in or out of most situations with no problem.

The Rabbit is a symbol for mercy, elegance, and worship of beauty. People born in the Year of the Rabbit are kind, loving persons, and dislike any hostile act. They give others an impression of being frail-looking because of their gentle appearance. But, in fact they are strong-minded and have strong wills. They pursue their ideals all their lives in a precise and orderly way. They do things slowly and deliberately because of their cautious characters.

There is no need to worry about their lives. They are nimble, clever and good at avoiding harm to themselves. They are talented and like artistic ventures, such as painting and music and are generally quite present in these worlds. They are also very hospitable, good hosts and warm-hearted companions. They never embrace others in public places. They know the art of saving face and giving consideration to the interests of both sides.

People born in the Year of the Rabbit are apt to be sensitive to ailments and to have bad allergies. Stress or conflict will detriment their health. Exercise could take off unnecessary stress and strengthen their physical condition. They have to learn to incorporate more action into their everyday routines.

They will become depressed and withdrawn if their homes do not consist of beautiful possessions that make them comfortable. Their homes and offices usually are clutter-free. They have really good communication skills and are best utilized in positions of management. They make great teachers and counselors because they are so diplomatic and well-organized. They can also make great painters or musicians due to their sense of beauty and their love of creativity.

Rabbit people are usually relatively careful when it comes to their finances. They use much of their money for possessions such as their homes, cars or furniture. They love hunting for antiques, arts and crafts and will tend to make sound investments in these types of things.

Rabbit Years: 01/29/1903 to 02/15/1904 (Water), 02/14/1915 to 02/02/1916 (Wood), 02/02/1927 to 01/22/1928 (Fire), 02/19/1939 to 02/07/1940 (Earth), 02/06/1951 to 01/26/1952 (Metal), 01/25/1963 to 02/12/1964 (Water), 02/11/1975 to 01/30/1976 (Wood), 01/29/1987 to 02/16/1988 (Fire), 02/16/1999 to 02/04/2000 (Earth), 02/03/2011 to 01/22/2012 (Metal).

January 23 2011

January 23 2011: Another tame week here in Misawa. Total snowfall for the winter is at a mere 40 inches....not any where near where it should be. On base the plows are out at all times clearing the roads. Out here in town, it's drive at your own risk. We shovel our driveway, though at times not sure why, as the street doesn't always get plowed. If it's a big dump, the landlord sends out backhoes to clear the way.
Where we wait for the school bus is at an intersection, that can get kind of congested in the mornings....2-3 cars at a time. But it's a blind corner, so the kids stand in the driveway of one of the local farmers. Most farmers will use their tractors to plow their work areas around the house and working barns. This fellow has created a giant pile. Which in Misawa, is one of the cornerstones of a good winter....snow piles. Usually our yard has two to three large mounds by now, but well, the landlord hasn't been plowing. (6 inches does not warrant street clearing)
So bus stop time, is a great time. The kids just have to be careful not to slide into his bushes, or knock to much snow off. (mean bus stop mom keeps them toeing the line) The pile is about 12 feet high at the moment. It was bigger the previous week, but I kept forgetting my camera.
And in case you can't pick her out of the crowd....(I know lighting was not the best, hard to do when the sun is coming up) Andi is in the pink jacket. They have a blast...I worry non-stop about blood being drawn, or bones broken before the bus comes. I tell them to have fun, just get on the bus in one piece!

January 16 2011

January 16 2011: Well, that was a long week! I recovered from my "mild" case of the flu. Shane's back is feeling a little better, and Andi is her usual bouncy self. We got out for a little drive. Really, it was an errand to run to Hachinohe to Shane's computer store, but the way home was, of course, "pick a road" trip back home. We ended up in the industrial park area. Not hard to do if you go and choose the coastal roads!

Not exactly the most picturesque part of Japan, but if you keep your eyes open.....

and what a treat we got!
Above: Those are all hawks (well, there is one or two crows posing as hawks, but it's probably just envy) We saw two large "kettles" like this. One group was over trees, this group over a processing center (processing probably some sort of seafood variety of stuff).
I have never seen such a thing. A hawk here, or there, but not a whole kettle! (that's our new word for the day....kettle, cast and aerie.....what a flock of hawks can be called)
Through my Internet searches I have not found anything as to why we saw the kettles. Are they migrating? Hungry and taking advantage of the processors? Mating? (didn't see any in flight action so perhaps not mating) or nesting? Couldn't figure it out.
And for you bird watchers out there.....what type of hawk is this? I've narrowed it down to three possibilities.....goshawk, sparrow hawk, or red tailed hawk. Once I know that, then I can figure out the Japanese name for it.
Regardless though, it was just one of those most magical things to see in. One to file away in the memory banks to pull out on days when you need a reminder of the goodness of life. I think I could have stayed out there all day trying to capture the perfect shot. But two dozen clicks later, Andi announced she was starving and near tears. Truthfully I was rather hungry as well. Off we went.

January 10 2011

January 10- Well, look! It's the one healthy member of our little family out enjoying the playground on a snowy day! The new year started off with a bang for us. Shane is on pain killers for some mysterious back ailment (I'm thinking sciatica), but it's all guesses til the medical clinic can get him scheduled at the Japanese hospital for an MRI and compare them to his MRI of about 3 or 4 years ago. In the meantime, I have come down with a mild case of flu. I've been assured that it's mild since I got my flu shot this year....thank goodness it's "mild" since I feel more than a "little pewey" (as my father used to call it). Andi's been a good sport though, humoring her old parents.
We did finally get a somewhat decent snowfall. When we got here 2 years ago (Jan 4) there was about a foot on the ground. It's just finally gotten to that point this week.
We did get a short trip to the mall in this weekend. Andi was in dire need of another pair of snow boots. She plays outside in the snow for great lengths of time, and her poor boots just don't have time to dry out between rests. (4 sets of mittens, two pairs of snow pants, two jackets...and one pair of boots...where could I have gone wrong with the math?)
I've taken a picture of this used car lot before. This time Shane took the picture (remember he's on pain pills and can't drive....I'm just on Tylenol). If you look close, or click on the picture to make it bigger, you'll see the wipers are all raised in the air. This is a common occurrence here to lift the wipers if the car isn't in use. Keeps ice from forming on the wipers and saves you from breaking the wipers as you're scraping ice off the windshield. Of course now and then you do see a car being driven about with the wipers still raised...

All right. A short blog, without much excitement...but I need a nap now!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!

January 2 2011- Well, now if you're expecting to see some sort of exciting outing to welcome in the New Year, you are about to be disappointed. No big outings. Nothing exciting. Although I did manage to stay up til midnight to ring out the old and bring in the new. But only because Andi wanted to stay up and toast the New Year. We didn't go out for two reasons. One, the eve day brought in gales of wind and rain which continued into the night (50 knot gusts). And the second, Shane was in great pain with a back/hip injury. He felt it pull about two weeks ago, and things escalated this weekend. Saturday, the 1st, he discovered he couldn't get dressed to go to work. So, it was decided it must be time to seek medical help. With Andi roused from her sleep, and sent over to the neighbors (thank you Jenell, again, for taking her!) Shane and I headed to medical. Many pain killers later, and more in hand we headed home. The good news is blood tests reveal no sign of any infection. It looks to be muscle related, but could be a long road. We have traveled this road before, but thankfully it's not the same problem as before, so we are hopeful that it'll be a little less stressful.
So, with Shane tucked away safely in his chair, with computers at the ready, Andi and I decided to invite Mykah, the neighbor boy. (you'll remember him from some summer adventures)
We went down behind the Grand Hotel to feed the fish. Oh yeah, I forgot, it's cold out....they've gone off to deeper parts of the water to hibernate, why would they want to suffer through the cold! Ah well, it got us out of the house and for a little walk. The skies are overcast, so things look a little drab. But thank goodness there is a little snow to cover the drabness. (ok, ok, I'm not going to quibble about our little amounts of snow after watching the wacky weather in the states, compared to there, we are in paradise!)
Above: etchings in the boulders in the water.

Below: Andi and Mykah pausing from throwing snowballs in the water.

The temperature started dropping a little on our walk around the water. Snow flurries started, and even the horses looked a little chilled. There were two horses out, neither was interested in our clicking to get them over for a head rub. I didn't offer them the freezer burnt bread we had brought for the hibernating fish...I thought it might insult them....
In the big parking lot that we use for parking at the Grand Komaki Hotel, are a couple of churches. I'm not sure the denomination of either....
but I do love the name of this one:
Main doors to the "Chapel of Love". Somehow I expect Elvis to pop out around the corner.

So end's our exciting New Years. Every now and then we get a Christmas break where everyone is healthy....that's now and then. Upon telling my sister May of our emergency room adventures this weekend, she decided that she's not real sure about visiting us during Christmas vacation.....ever. You know, in the military, or with other folks who move a lot, you usually tell what the year was, by where you were living....us, we figure out the years by determining what emergency room we were in over the holidays, and for whom. "Oh, the time we spent New Year's Day at the Misawa Airbase Urgent Care.....yeah, the first day of 2011...." "What year did we spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the ER at Naval Medical....oh yeah, 2006...I remember that year"

Happy New Year everyone!