This and That

In our neighbor's rice field these two large birds have been seen recently.  The white one is an egret and the other is the grey Heron.  They walk delicately through the rice plants picking out tadpoles and frogs to eat. 

These are two of the many colorfully painted pre-school buses here.

My personal favorite is Thomas the Tank :-) 

Baby Aito, born Christmas Day 2014 is now six months old and cute as anything.  Here he is in church with Mom and Dad. 

Mother's Day at Bread of Life Baptist Church in Kobe. The ladies received a flower-covered tea mug. 

Night sounds

This time of year out here in rice paddy country is rather noisy in the early evening.  Thousands of frogs are singing their hearts out hoping to attract a mate.  It must work because in a couple of weeks, there are tadpoles galore in the water and soon little frogs are hopping all over the place.

Meanwhile, this is what we go to sleep by.

Accidents will happen

As I was mowing the yard along the top edge of the back slope, I ran over a tree stump that could not be seen.  The blade got stuck and bent it so the machine does not work now.

Now to wait for a replacement blade.

Then a couple of days later I was cooking something on the stove.  I needed a small bowl from the cabinet directly over the glass top, four burner stove from the left side.  The bowl I wanted was wedged between two others so as I was tugging a little, and suddenly the right side door opens and out tumbles four bowls that fell on the stove and the floor.  Amazingly, the bowls did not break, but got chipped around the edges and wound up in the trash.  Then I discovered the glass stove top got cracked around the large front burner, about half-way up.

Cracked stove top

Then on Saturday, our dependable front loader Maytag washer bit the dust after 14 years of service.  It had been making loud spinning noises for a few months, then it just gave up.  Henry took the back off and found the belt had worked its way off the drum and the exterior was rusted.

A sad day--the death of the washing machine. 

Rusted parts.  

 So we went to the local electrical shop and chose this Toshiba 7kg washer, top loader.  Japanese and American machines drain differently, so naturally, our water hookup had to be rearranged.  

 Henry got under the house and took photos of the pipes to figure out what to do.

 It took about a day and a half to get the water hooked up and now we have a new machine that is soooo quiet, I did not know the cycle was done until I heard the beep, beep, beep signal indicating it was done.   So nice.

A little garden flower show

Spring has arrived here in Kobe and the garden is in bloom.  My favorite, bearded iris, is not as abundant as in previous years, but still gorgeous.  These are lavender, but to the camera they are more blue.   The above iris is at the East corner of the house below the kitchen window. It was a good 3.5 feet tall and was starting to tip.

The same iris in in front of a hooked rug wall hanging from at least 25 years ago. 

This is a carpet ground cover called ajuba and it has a purple flower.  The yellow flowers are wild strawberries.

Since paving the parking lot, lots of long worms have crawled onto it, only to either get squished or dry up in the sun. 

Daffodils

A composite flower that's ball-shaped.

I don't know the name of this purple flower but it is abundant.

One of many types of moth, hanging on the door frame.

Then I found these Lilly of the Valley 
flowers nestled among its neighbors.

This composite flower has little bluish star-shaped blooms.  Don't know its name either. 

The Proposal

Here Peter proposes to Jewel in the Capitol Rotunda during an event called Capitol Connection.  This is where they met a year ago.  It's a bit dark and the audio is not great, though.  Jewel's dad is taping it.

This video was taken a few weeks later at their church during Talent Night.  Peter and Jewel sing "I'll Do Anything" to each other as her dad is watching them interact.  Funny and good singing.  Watch for the end of the song...

New parking lot! 2015

We f i n a l l y got our parking lot paved (took some time to save the money for it).  The company came one day to prep the space and the next day came to put down the asphalt.

Backhoe being unloaded. 

The parking lot ground was leveled and raised from back to the street, for purpose of rainwater runoff. 

 Truckload of gravel to level the ground

Backhoe working.

A truckload of dirt got stuck coming down that hill and not turning wide enough.  The back wheel lodged between the streets, suspended in air.  A large crane came and lifted it onto the street.

The path paved up to the handicap ramp. Yeah!

 From the second floor window

 This is the space between the back deck looking toward the front door steps.

 The steamroller rumbled along.  When it came right up to the house, it shook and rattled windows.  I thought it was an earthquake. Thankfully it lasted just a few seconds.

 The pavement around the front flowerbed the surface was raised about three inches and it really feels funny to be walking or driving on higher ground than before. It will take some getting used to.   :-)

Finishing and packing up to go home. 

View from the street.  Really looks so good.  My knees and joints are so grateful since pulling weeds in this area is now history!  Thank you, Lord, for your blessings.

Resurrection Sunday April 5, 2015

Charles Wesley wrote one of the most popular hymns in the English language.  Here are the lyrics with scripture references.

We've a story to tell the nations: He is Risen Indeed!

Christ the Lord is Risen Today – Charles Wesley

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!

Mark 16:6          Luke 24:6
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!

Matthew 28:6     Luke 24:34         John 20:18
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!

Colossians 2:15
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Isaiah 49:13

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Romans 6:9-10

Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Luke 11:22         Colossians 2:15

Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is o’er, Alleluia! Luke 23:44-45

Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Isaiah 27:65-66          

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia! Matthew 27:65-66      

Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia! 1 Peter 3:18-20           Revelation 1:18

Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia! Acts 2:24

Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Luke 23:43

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!

Psalm 24:7-10
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! I Corinthians 15:55

Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!

Romans 6:10              I Corinthians 15:22
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

I Corinthians 15:22

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia! Colossians 3:1

Following our exalted Head, Alleluia! Acts 2:33   Ephesians 1:22    Colossians 1:18

Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia! Romans 6:5

Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Romans 6:4, 6

Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia! Nehemiah 9:6

Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Psalm 19:1

Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Luke 24:6-8        Matthew 28:6-8

Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!   Mark 16:6

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!

Psalm 27:4         1 Peter 1:3, 8
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!    John 3:16

Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!

Philippians 3:10
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Isaiah 26:19

The Proposal

Peter called us a few weeks ago and said he was going to propose to his girlfriend Jewel.  He wanted to do it in the Capitol Rotunda during Capitol Connection (a ministry of our home church where pastors meet with their representatives on the Hill).  This is where they met a year ago.   Jewel sent me this video, filmed by her Dad (you can her him in the background).  Turn your sound up a bit and you can hear what they said.

Christin, Joe's wife, was there (you can spot her behind Peter acting as if she doesn't know what's going on at about .15 mark, just after someone walks in front of the camera).   She sent me this photo: 

Jewel sent these two:  The Ring

Waiting to hear of the date and we'll make plans to go.  Please pray for all of us.   Congratulations Peter and Jewel!

KIBBS Bible Conference 2015

The annual Bible Conference at the Bible School was March 16-20.  Here are some highlights.

The Alumni

Pastor Lalman preaching and Ron White interpreting

Graduate Yoshida-san  There were two other men also.

Yoshida-san, his dad and mom

and with his fiance  Kaori

Ken Lalman, Kishimoto-san who did the caligraphy Bible verse, and Evangelist Bob Jones

                                            Here is a special sung by the six men students. 

BP Readings

Henry and I went to the doctor to get our meds refilled.  Everyone has to take their own blood pressure reading.   We sat next to each other at two machines.  The top one is mine, the bottom is Henry's.  Notice something interesting?  The doctor said it was rather unique.

I guess this means we are normal....although that may be open to debate.

My GI Joe

Number four son, Joe, has finished basic training at Ft. Jackson, Columbia, SC, and is now at Ft. Lee in Richmond, VA, for advanced training in whatever duty he will have. Joe will finally finish in mid-April and will be in the Army Reserves for the next eight years.  Congratulations, kiddo!

Joe with his army-issued glasses and Christin

Tree Trimming

Henry spent a couple of days trimming three fruit trees on our back slope.  They were getting rather gangly, so he cut them back by half.  There were already buds on them, so the fruit will be somewhat less than last year.  However, we may be able to actually reach the fruit this year.  

Henry is in the plum tree. 

The end result of three trees.  The black ball is for compost, but sticks can't go in there.  Eventually it will all get burned.   Henry also cut down the  remaining Japanese pear tree since he cut down the mate last year and one needs a male and female tree to have fruit. 

During the process a Daurian Redstart darted here and there and perched on the branches, then dropped to the ground and hopped around looking for something.  He's a winter visitor here and will depart in April sometime.  Pretty little thing.

Mr. Redstart

    
It does not stay put for long.