Revisiting Travel Photos: Japan

More from the digital photo file vault! This revisiting photo files has been a walk down memory lane for me. Today I'm delighted to share some photos from our February 1998 trip to Japan.

"Peace" - Created with thousands of paper cranes in Hiroshima

Winter Life

By the time we get to the middle of February, winter gets old. Pretty, but old.

Calendar by Kate McNenly

I've been enjoying my newest neighborhood critter, Bunny FooFoo. Well, probably he won't stay Bunny FooFoo for long -- he seems far too masculine for that! 

Christmas In February

We came bearing gifts and received as well. We played with little boys and savored fabulous meals. We were with our tribe and it was wonderful.

Christmas didn't play out for us in December. Between our isolating and Covid hitting the kids' house (thank you, day care!), we were behind the game. So, we reverted to something my cousins and I actually did back in the day when families were either too large or not well enough to travel far at the holidays: Christmas in February.

All Kinds of Valentines

Hearts. Chocolate. Love notes and pretty cards. Valentine's day is one holiday that can be divinely fun or deeply depressing. Or, a day everyone, it seems, but you, seem to be celebrating.

This is a story of friendship. Back in the 1980s, there was a group of seven of us in various stages of life disrepair. Broken relationships or no relationships, unfulfilling jobs, losses. We seven were good friends -- three women, four men --  about half of whom worked together, the other half made up of people who had volunteered for our television station's fundraising events. 

So, We Got a Little Snow

We've been gliding through winter here in Michigan pretty easily, with very little snow and cold but not excruciating temperatures. 

That was then. This is now. 

 

A Little Love in the House

I'm not quite sure how we got to February. I'm not complaining -- but the year seems to be flying by! It was time to deck the halls for Valentine's Day.

I don't do a lot for Valentine's Day. It seems to pop up so fast and then boom! It's gone. But it is a time where we celebrate love, so I thought I'd better bring a little love into the home, starting with the front door!

January Reads!

I was pleased and surprised to have read five books this month. Take a look at a fascinating book about Broadway bombs, intriguing mysteries and a fanciful scenario -- what if "Queen Elizabeth" escaped the palace? It's a real mix  of mystery, fiction and non-fiction and all by authors new to me. First up is "Mrs. Queen Takes the Train."

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

Revisiting Old Photos....The Nature Collection

One of my fussy projects this winter has been to go through old albums and digitally save the photos I want and send the originals to those in them. In the course of filing the scans, I revisited my digital photo files and have been dumping a lot of those as well. I also rediscovered many from past years that, if they were ever shared here at all, were shared long ago. (Photo purging is a great thing to do on a frigid day!)

Two Recipes to Make Your Valentine Swoon

If you're looking for some fun, easy desserts to share with your Valentine -- anyone from your beloved to your neighbor to your best friend -- here are a couple that are sure to melt their hearts!

Fabulous Fudge Bars

 

I didn't add nuts or fleur de sel to the top -- but you can!

Checking In

Touching base on a sunny, cold day! The birds are back at their feeding frenzy. Lizzie alternates between sleeping and watching! I alternate between baking, painting, reading, watching and blogging!

Gathering Our Inner Resources

There are times all during life when we need the inner resources to keep ourselves busy and productive all by ourselves.

         ~ Fred (Mister) Rogers 

How are you doing with Omicron? Are you hanging in there? Self-isolating and going out only when necessary? Living with abandon?

New Years, 2018. Those were the good old days! More abandon then!

Winter is a Grand Time to Bake!

Sunday morning I awoke to 6 degrees F. Although it did warm up some later in the day, I knew from the time I got up that today would be a good day to bake. 

On Being Alive

"It is a serious thing

just to be alive

on this fresh morning

in this broken world.”

-Mary Oliver

Sometimes Mary Oliver speaks to the heart better than anyone. (No. Most of the time Mary Oliver speaks to the heart better than anyone.)

Winter in the House

I have an awkward relationship with January. It's fresh, a clean slate, time to get on the stick and do something! It's also cold, there's stuff to clean up and put away, and I just want to chill out -- without being chilled!

Truth is, my friend Kate captured my mood exactly in her January calendar offering. For that matter, she captured Lizzie's mood perfectly too!

Starting the New Year Right!

Well, we are full into January now, with cold days here in the north and enough white stuff on the ground that Rick is into cross country ski mode. I'm into nesting mode! Santas, out. Snowfolk, in.

A Blue and White Season: Winter at the Ditch

We've had our first real snow (not all that deep -- only about four or five inches) but it was enough to look pretty at the ditch.

Pretty cold, that is!

The Year in Books

In a recent article in the New York Times, Julie Lasky quoted author Reid Byers on home libraries: "Entering our library should feel like easing into a hot tub, strolling into a magic store, emerging into the orchestra pit or entertain a chamber of curiosities, the club, the circus, our cabin on an outbound yacht, the house of an old friend. It is setting forth and it is coming back to center."

2021 in Pictures

Happy New Year, everyone! I love going back through photo files at the end of the year and the images remind me of the highlights -- and sometimes, low lights -- of the year. Here are a few.

A December Visit to the Ditch

(A quick note -- as you know, unless you are a no-reply blogger and I don't have email contact for you, I usually reply personally to your comments. If you don't hear from me for past comments, I just realize blogger turned off notifications for me! I think it's fixed!)

Until just recently, we've had no snow -- or very little. That makes walking at the ditch a little bit easier! Most of the color is gone, but with the beautiful sunsets and a few spots of bright, it's still lovely in it's own way.

Our Christmas Feasts

In times gone by when the whole of the family was together for Christmas Eve, Rick would prepare a roast and traditional dinner similar to one he enjoyed at his grandparents' as a child. But in recent years, we've been on our own for Christmas Eve so it was time for a new tradition! We would make something new. This could be risky business but also, very fun! Last year it was a Quebecois Tourtierre. This year it was the Feast of Seven Fishes Pie.

Joys of the Season

I have to admit, this has been an odd Christmas season for me. It seemed to creep up and then bam! It was here and I wasn't ready! Cards went out late, I couldn't get my baking mode on, I didn't feel all that satisfied with most of the presents I found (and I still haven't finished shopping for when we celebrate with the kids). It was just odd.

Merry Christmas 2021

From Christmases long past...

... when we went to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads... 

 To those 24 years ago...

A Southern Exposure Christmas

We've been Covid-careful this year, not attending Southern Exposure workshops in person. But Jan and I decided a winter walkthrough at Christmas would be safe, mostly outdoors and easy to distance. So, off we went to see what S.E. was doing for the holidays this year.

When I had my mortgage paying party, we gathered in a private room here. That was over a year ago. Now it has been converted into a "Santa's Workshop."

A Festive Forest

It's finally a festive forest in my home! (Say that five times fast!) So, c'mon in! (Cue the music!)

My house is a 1960s ranch, about 1,250 square feet. The living room is long and and the far end serves as the dining room. Between the two spaces, there are four trees. I love trees.

Holiday Hutches and a Five Minute Centerpiece

In case you haven't notice by now, I put Christmas everywhere. (Cue the music!)

Even "up!"

Holiday Art in the House

Do you rotate art in your home during the holidays? I do. Well, at least some of it! In the case of my hallway, the Paris wall comes down and the holiday wall comes up! Most of this year's wall features the work of Muppet master Caroll Spinney, along with a special piece by a good friend. (Cue the music!)

The centerpiece of the wall this year is a costume design for The Ghost of Christmas Present, done by the late Gretel Geist Rutledge. Gretel was a mainstay of the Michigan State Theatre department during my time there as an undergrad and until her retirement, probably about ten years ago. She went on to pursue her art in a variety of ways. After her death, her family allowed friends to choose from her many costume renderings. This watercolor holds pride of place.

Holiday Decorating -- It's Starting to Come Together

I've started bringing out the fa la la, getting the house decorated for the season. It's a time I always enjoy and yet for some reason, this year I am a little slower, perhaps a bit more deliberate. And maybe that is a good thing. (Cue the music!)

We've had a little snow -- and then it goes. I'm OK with that. I dream of a White Christmas often -- but I'm not that big on the days before and after! 

Cork Poppers Taste International Wines!

I haven't been to a Cork Poppers gathering since Rick and I hosted in July and it was so good to see my fellow vino tipplers! Our theme of the day was "Wines from Anywhere but the U.S." and our food theme was Appetizers and Desserts.

Works for me! Here are our totally non-professional reviews of five wines. What can I say -- we know what we like, and what we don't! And we don't hold back!

Traditions -- When Everything Old Is New Again

 Tradition.

I love that word. It brings to mind memories of times past and occasions and activities that were so special, unique, or fun that they became incorporated into our souls and repeated over and over again. (Cue the music!)

No season seems to echo the thought of tradition more to me than the winter holidays.

November Reads

November wasn't another banner month for reading but everything I read was worth the time.

The Lantern Men