Friday, May 7
Today was bright and sunny. And hot eventually. I mostly did some running around. First stop was Motor Vehicles where I was able to renew my license! Yes! Now I am good to go for another five years. It was also a quick trip to DMV; about 40 minutes total which was really nice.
After that I went looking for the Lens Crafters so I can get new glasses. However, I did not find it in the mall where their website said there was a store. The name did not appear on the store directory so I went looking, but still did not find it.
Alas, after I got back to the local library I accessed the internet and was able to get the phone number of the store. I called. It was in the mall, I just did not go far enough. So I made an appointment for Saturday morning.
For lunch I stopped by Panda Express where Matthew works and got lunch. It is good food. He asked if I would go over to Wendy’s where Joe works and get a frosted twistee with Oreo cookies. I may have to try that sometime.
Later in the afternoon I stopped by the church and talked to Mr. Dove for a few minutes, since I did not talk with him the night before. Then I went outside and found Mrs. Flowers and Mrs. Ricucci who were watching the late-stay kids on the playground. It was good to see them. Mr. Flowers was also there; he graduated from the college the night before. He is also about 60 years old, and did not intend to take classes and graduate, but was convinced to do so.
Thursday, May 6
Trip to USA blog
May 6, flights
Henry and Sara took me to the bus on Rokko Island to catch the bus to the Kansai Airport. It was a smooth trip, no traffic and we got there about 10:00 am right in front of the Delta Airlines ticket counter. The flight to Tokyo was on time, smooth, and took a little over an hour. There was plenty of time to get the plane to Detroit at gate 23. Due to mechanical problems, everyone had to move to gate 15—where all 300 of us waited for that plane to be prepared. We were to take off at 3:00 pm, but finally departed 3:45. The plane was full, there were several small children who cried frequently enough; the movies were really boring. I just saw them, did not hear them. Anyway, the food was good and I got a window seat.
It was one of the smoothest flights I have ever been on, PTL.
However, since we left late, it got to Detroit 30 minutes late which meant that I could not get the connecting flight departing at 3:15, so they rebooked me on a 5:15 flight.
We arrived at Reagan National Airport on time. After collecting luggage, I found the Metro and boarded the commuter train out to Branch Avenue Station in Maryland. I have not ridden the Metro since 1983 when I quit work downtown. I was impressed at the cleanliness and organization of the stations, albeit I thought they were a bit dark, but easily accessible with my heavy luggage. Arrived at the station about 8:00 and Matt picked me up about 15 minutes later.
We then went to the church where the graduation ceremony was just ending so we waited in the gym area where the reception was held.
The first one I met was Barbara Jo. Same as ever. Then Carlton who heads the Reformers Unanimous ministry. Dr. Creed and his wife came in later (he married Henry and me nearly 27 years ago). Talked to the Tellos, a sweet, faithful couple from Peru. He made our wedding rings. They could remember my face but not the name off hand, but recognized it when told. I met the Redigers, Ken and Mary Gill, Pastor Connor, the Strouds, David and Terry Long, soon going to the Caribbean to start a church. It was so good to see familiar faces.
I am staying in the basement apartment of Rick and Brenda Dove. It is really a beautifully-decorated place.
And so thus ended the first day of travel—about 26-28 hours for me. I think I will go to bed now.
One day to go
Wednesday was busy attempting to pack under 50 lbs of stuff and doing odd things to leave the house for three months. Still did not get it all done.
This morning I saw the first iris bloom in the yard. In the eight or so flower beds I have around the property, I counted almost 90 iris ready to bloom. I won't be here to see them this year. We always give a stem to the moms on Mother's Day, and I won't be here for that either.
The columbine and ajuba are just gorgeous also. The bees love the purple flowers. Maybe I should become a bee farmer?
My trip starts 5/6 in Japan at 8:00 am so I can catch a bus to the airport and begin 24 hours plus of travel, reaching the final destination of Clinton, MD, about 7:00 pm on Thursday. Wake me when it is over!
This morning I saw the first iris bloom in the yard. In the eight or so flower beds I have around the property, I counted almost 90 iris ready to bloom. I won't be here to see them this year. We always give a stem to the moms on Mother's Day, and I won't be here for that either.
The columbine and ajuba are just gorgeous also. The bees love the purple flowers. Maybe I should become a bee farmer?
My trip starts 5/6 in Japan at 8:00 am so I can catch a bus to the airport and begin 24 hours plus of travel, reaching the final destination of Clinton, MD, about 7:00 pm on Thursday. Wake me when it is over!
Two days to go
May 4, 2010. Busy day trying to wrap things up before the trip on Thursday. Managed to locate a special gift for someone. Stopped at a store in Arima for omiyage. The lady is one of Henry's English students and she insisted I take several items--for free! I fully expected to pay, but there was no convincing her. Golden Week makes the quaint little town with very narrow streets even more crowded. Do you know how difficult it is to find a T-shirt with kanji? Everything is in English or French. Anyway, located some items and have them laid out on a table ready to pack on Wednesday. After I do some necessary cleaning, sheet changing and laundry I will tackle the suitcase and get everything in for under 50 pounds.
Henry tilled up the garden space. Thank you! I was going to do it, but am so happy he did. No time to fit it all in. Scanned a bunch of photos for my book which is still not done even though I have been working on it (sorta) for two years. Now to decide on the format and how to publish it.
Tomorrow is another day. God is still good.
Henry tilled up the garden space. Thank you! I was going to do it, but am so happy he did. No time to fit it all in. Scanned a bunch of photos for my book which is still not done even though I have been working on it (sorta) for two years. Now to decide on the format and how to publish it.
Tomorrow is another day. God is still good.
Answers in Genesis Museum 2008
On April 26th, Dan, Charlene, son Stephen and I went to the AIG museum near Cincinnati. It has been opened just a year, so there is still ongoing construction on the premises. The landscaping is just beautiful on the nature trails with waterfalls, streams, a bog, gazebo, picnic area, and hanging bridge.
The tour itself starts in the lobby with dinosaurs and people and live turtles, frogs and birds in some of the displays. The display pieces are very realistic and some animals and people have moving parts such as heads and hands. It starts with stating that people look at the same evidence, such as dinosaur bones, and come up with different conclusions. Of course AIG takes the Biblical account of creation and does an excellent job of presenting God's point of view.
Some of the visual theaters had interesting presentations, especially the one with the angels Michael and Gabriel talking to a girl who is questioning how she got here. Very realistic regarding Noah's flood!
The displays are first-rate, the audio and visual aids are top-notch and the overall presentation is great. The motto of the museum is "prepare to believe." We saw many exellent exhibits of dinosaurs, how the earth was formed, and Noah's flood. This museum will strengthen your faith if you are already a child of God, and will really make you think about the claims in the Bible.
Met an Internet Friend
Glenda Alvin and I have been corresponding via the internet since about 2000. We met during a Y2K exchange. She sends me a box of items every year and I send her some Japanese fabrics. It was great that we could finally meet. She and a friend come every year to Paducah and this time we arranged to meet on Thursday. The time was short as she had to return to Nashville at 6:00 pm, but it was good to put a face to a name.
Best of Show
This is a stunning quilt. Done completely by hand over a two-year period, by a lady from the Netherlands. The quilting in the center is about 2 cm apart and the corners are appliqued to look like lace.
Global Warming
There were so many quilts and vendors to see, it was not possible to do just in the two days we planned to be there. We went to as many places as possible and I just was amazed at the talent quilters have. Each quilt was beautiful, unique and skillfully done.
River Rose B&B in Illinois
This year I was able to fly to Indianapolis and visit friends. Charlene and I drove down to Elizabethtown, Illinois, and stayed in a B&B called the River Rose Inn. It's a 100 year-old- home right on the Ohio River in a town population 350. If you blink, you would miss the town almost. Such a quiet, beautiful setting. Each morning we watched the barges go up and down the Ohio with their cargoes. The birds twittered and flitted about while the squirrels scurried across the yard being chased by the blue jays. We sat under a huge magnolia with a gentle breeze wafting through the leaves.
The Ohio River 
Elizabethtown Court House
The oldest Illinois Baptist church with continuous services. 
Our innkeeper, Sue, was a gracious host, a California transplant. Their four
bedroom inn was full every night and we met several wonderful couples. One morning at breakfast, all eight of us were at the table and discovered that we all were former military or military kids (Charlene and me), so the conversation was lively. B&B's are so much better than hotels for the price. You get to meet so many nice people.
The bugs are coming!
October 3, 2007
We have a tall dahlia plant out front. It has yet to produce flowers in three years. I hope it does so this year before it gets too cold. Last week we found several rather large caterpillars on it, just chomping away at the leaves. One was a really ugly brown and the others were a light green. Me thinks this will be a luna moth, but maybe not. Here's a little fella saying "hi" to all you folks out there!
A SAD DAY
Thursday, June 28, 2007
About noon today I was outside messing around in the garden after putting some kitchen scraps on the compost. With the container in hand, I went around to the path adjacent to our house and thought, "We need to find someone to watch our turtles while we are in Okinawa next week." We had two turtles named Therm, a larger one, and Spot, the smaller one. They were both in their black turtle container and left outside overnight. The previous night they were left there also.
However, as I approached the deck where the container was, I discovered Therm's shell upside down on the deck, outside the tank, and it was totally empty. Only the hind legs were left and parts of the shell were scattered about. Some cat must have gotten it. I said, "oh, no!" because it was my turtle.
Usually the girls tend to them every morning either feeding or cleaning the tank, but today they did not. It was a good thing, because they would have totally lost it. I was shaken at the thought myself. :-(
Knowing the girls would react very emotionally to this, I scooped up the shell with a dipper into the scrap container I was holding; got a shovel and went to the back slope and buried it under a tree.
Last July we buried Myrtle Turtle who was 5 years old and died an accidental death by being overheated. Teresa cried for hours over that one.
There was no sign of the little turtle named Spot. My guess is it was taken away because it was small. It could have been done by one of the crows, but I did not see any evidence of a crow about. My guess is the cat.
I told Henry about it. After lunch we told the kids and Sara was really sad because Spot was her turtle and she prayed all the time for it to grow and live a long time.
So when one is sad over a tragedy, the best thing to do is go shopping! So we girls went to the local mall and bought presents for a birthday party on Saturday.
About noon today I was outside messing around in the garden after putting some kitchen scraps on the compost. With the container in hand, I went around to the path adjacent to our house and thought, "We need to find someone to watch our turtles while we are in Okinawa next week." We had two turtles named Therm, a larger one, and Spot, the smaller one. They were both in their black turtle container and left outside overnight. The previous night they were left there also.
However, as I approached the deck where the container was, I discovered Therm's shell upside down on the deck, outside the tank, and it was totally empty. Only the hind legs were left and parts of the shell were scattered about. Some cat must have gotten it. I said, "oh, no!" because it was my turtle.
Usually the girls tend to them every morning either feeding or cleaning the tank, but today they did not. It was a good thing, because they would have totally lost it. I was shaken at the thought myself. :-(
Knowing the girls would react very emotionally to this, I scooped up the shell with a dipper into the scrap container I was holding; got a shovel and went to the back slope and buried it under a tree.
Last July we buried Myrtle Turtle who was 5 years old and died an accidental death by being overheated. Teresa cried for hours over that one.
There was no sign of the little turtle named Spot. My guess is it was taken away because it was small. It could have been done by one of the crows, but I did not see any evidence of a crow about. My guess is the cat.
I told Henry about it. After lunch we told the kids and Sara was really sad because Spot was her turtle and she prayed all the time for it to grow and live a long time.
So when one is sad over a tragedy, the best thing to do is go shopping! So we girls went to the local mall and bought presents for a birthday party on Saturday.
THE TOADS HAVE ARRIVED
June 19, 2007. My sister sent a box enclosing these bubble-wrapped toads for my garden. They were designed by Sandy T. from my quilting list and it was at the Hobby Lobby that we saw them there in Colorado Springs. They make a nice welcoming addition to our front deck and church entrance. Perhaps they will be joined by some real frogs and toads very soon.
Trip to America, Week one
It started on April 23rd. We left around 11:00 am from our home to the airport with a van full of luggage. Noseh-san rode with us so she could take the van back. We left Kansai about 3:45 pm or so and headed east. It was a bumpy ride sometimes, but the captain told us before we landed that the 200 mph tail winds got us in about 90 minutes earlier than scheduled. So we had plenty of time to navigate the San Francisco airport before the next flight to Dulles in Virginia. We arrived there
sometime after 8:00 pm I think, rented a van and headed to Henry’s sister’s house in Mt. Airy, MD.
Uncle Rick and Aunt Carolyn were waiting patiently, so we all unloaded the stuff and then chatted for some time. Henry and his sister love to talk politics while the rest of us sorta went off to bed. Rick was stuck since he had to wait for Carolyn to help him. Their story is remarkable in itself and worth telling in another missive sometime. He is a quadriplegic from an accident in Vietnam.
The kids really took to their aunt and uncle, but Rick kept saying that they should be quiet because they make so much noise (not–he was just kidding). Henry and I took an early morning walk on Tuesday around the block, as it were, in the country and it was so beautiful. We saw horses, birds, and a couple of white-tailed deer in the woods by the stream. Henry got some wonderful movie shots of that area. Such wide, open spaces with lots of room to run if one had the inkling.
sometime after 8:00 pm I think, rented a van and headed to Henry’s sister’s house in Mt. Airy, MD.
Uncle Rick and Aunt Carolyn were waiting patiently, so we all unloaded the stuff and then chatted for some time. Henry and his sister love to talk politics while the rest of us sorta went off to bed. Rick was stuck since he had to wait for Carolyn to help him. Their story is remarkable in itself and worth telling in another missive sometime. He is a quadriplegic from an accident in Vietnam.
The kids really took to their aunt and uncle, but Rick kept saying that they should be quiet because they make so much noise (not–he was just kidding). Henry and I took an early morning walk on Tuesday around the block, as it were, in the country and it was so beautiful. We saw horses, birds, and a couple of white-tailed deer in the woods by the stream. Henry got some wonderful movie shots of that area. Such wide, open spaces with lots of room to run if one had the inkling.
Wednesday, April 25 - 29; Missions Conference, Fairfax Baptist Temple, Virginia
Wednesday the 25th we headed toward Fairfax Baptist Temple in Northern Virginia for their annual Missions Conference. It was the first time in 17 years to be there, and their new facilities are just beautiful. There were eight other missionaries and families there. FBT treated each and every one of us like royalty. The conference was great, the preaching was spot on and the singing was so uplifting. So nice to hear God’s Word in your native tongue. On Thursday evening, Henry’s sister,
Mary, from Lakeland, Florida, had come up and joined us along with niece Kate and Mary Osborne, a family friend. It was good to meet them again.
On Friday evening, Woody and Deane Ferrell came up from North Carolina to see us. They are both in their 80's now and still serving the Lord as fervently as they can. Mrs. Ferrell led me to the Lord back in 1975, so it was especially poignant to see them again. We got lots of pictures.
Friday afternoon we were able to meet Mary again at the Osbornes over in Herndon, VA, for a few hours. That was a good visit catching up on family things. We tried to meet up with the Ferrells on Monday the following week, but just missed them. However, we shall see them in heaven if not here on earth again.
Sunday night at the conference’s end, all the missionaries and families on the platform. Then the church members proceed to come forward, each with a gift and just lavished each of us with all sorts of things. It was so awesome. Sara was able to spend Thursday and Friday in the academy with the third grade, so a bunch of these girls all came giggling up to the platform with a huge bag of gifts just for Sara. They had such fun giving it to her; you should have seen the looks on their faces.
Priceless. Sara said, “Is this all for me?” Then they had a group hug–so sweet. It was really a joyous conference–our cups run over.
Mary, from Lakeland, Florida, had come up and joined us along with niece Kate and Mary Osborne, a family friend. It was good to meet them again.
On Friday evening, Woody and Deane Ferrell came up from North Carolina to see us. They are both in their 80's now and still serving the Lord as fervently as they can. Mrs. Ferrell led me to the Lord back in 1975, so it was especially poignant to see them again. We got lots of pictures.
Friday afternoon we were able to meet Mary again at the Osbornes over in Herndon, VA, for a few hours. That was a good visit catching up on family things. We tried to meet up with the Ferrells on Monday the following week, but just missed them. However, we shall see them in heaven if not here on earth again.
Sunday night at the conference’s end, all the missionaries and families on the platform. Then the church members proceed to come forward, each with a gift and just lavished each of us with all sorts of things. It was so awesome. Sara was able to spend Thursday and Friday in the academy with the third grade, so a bunch of these girls all came giggling up to the platform with a huge bag of gifts just for Sara. They had such fun giving it to her; you should have seen the looks on their faces.
Priceless. Sara said, “Is this all for me?” Then they had a group hug–so sweet. It was really a joyous conference–our cups run over.
Monday April 30th, week two
Henry preached in the Academy chapel and Joe gave his first testimony.
Somewhat of a surprise to us, but a good one just the same. Afterward as we passed the lunch room, Sara saw her new friends and went in to say goodbye. They all wanted her to stay with them! Then another group hug and we left.
We went to Clinton, MD, and our home church, Independent Baptist, and met Matt just as lunch was being served so we ate there. Saw many faces from yesteryear and it was good. Then we went over to Mrs. Greathouse’s home near the church where
she had invited us to stay for the week. She is such a gracious, Christian lady. She and Sue Phagan had made space for all of us. It was very enjoyable being there.
Tuesday we had met the Long Family, missionaries from our church to Nigeria, who were home on a short furlough with their three kids. It had been a number of years since we last met. We also saw the Gill family while there; Ken, Mary and Anna. They are considering not going back to Nigeria for various reasons.
Somewhat of a surprise to us, but a good one just the same. Afterward as we passed the lunch room, Sara saw her new friends and went in to say goodbye. They all wanted her to stay with them! Then another group hug and we left.
We went to Clinton, MD, and our home church, Independent Baptist, and met Matt just as lunch was being served so we ate there. Saw many faces from yesteryear and it was good. Then we went over to Mrs. Greathouse’s home near the church where
she had invited us to stay for the week. She is such a gracious, Christian lady. She and Sue Phagan had made space for all of us. It was very enjoyable being there.
Tuesday we had met the Long Family, missionaries from our church to Nigeria, who were home on a short furlough with their three kids. It had been a number of years since we last met. We also saw the Gill family while there; Ken, Mary and Anna. They are considering not going back to Nigeria for various reasons.
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