Sakura!!

I know this post has way too many pictures.  But you should see all I didn't put on.  We went picture-taking happy on a beautiful day yesterday.  The sakura is in full and beautiful bloom all over our area.  We took a few hours to enjoy the beauty around the area.  It restored our souls.  For a girl whose favorite color is pink, this is pure heaven.  In fact, as we sat under the sakura, I commented to Ken that this must be what heaven looks like!  Please enjoy Japanese sakura!

In Tsuruoka City Park, they really make sakura blooming a festive occasion.  We've been watching them set up booths and lanterns and lights for weeks.  People come to sell food and their wares to sakura seekers.

Working on selfies.  We get better!

You can even buy citrus trees,

flowering plants,

Or Koi fish to put in the pond of your Japanese garden.

The park is built around the site of an ancient castle and shrine.

There were many picnickers in the park.

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?

Notice how the Japanese people sit seiza- with their legs underneath them.  Ouch!

This man was drawing the beauty.

I love this picture.  As my daughter, Kristen said, it reminds us of Anne and her "white way of delight."

Another fun picnic of Kindergarten children and their teachers.

At night, they light these lanterns and other lights.  It looks like a fairyland.

This picture represents so much of Japan: sakura, pine, and the flag.

I love the lighting of this shot.  I should have taken more!  Ha! Ha!

We volunteer at the local community center each week.  To celebrate the sakura, we had a little picnic.  Many of the ladies made special treats to share.  These sakura mochi treats were made by a 90-year-old lady that faithfully comes every week to volunteer. 

More mochi

These were the bento boxes we had for lunch.  They were beautiful, but some of the food was a little hard for we Americans to eat.  It was very Japanese, including jelly fish salad, an (sweet red bean paste), konnyaku, bamboo, and squid salad with mugi cha (wheat tea) to drink. 

The booths sold everything from candied fruits (oranges, strawberries, cherries, etc.)

Okonomiyaki,

Tako yaki (octopus balls,)

And more okonomiyaki

This beautiful tree is about 1/2 block from our home.  How we've loved driving by it every day!

These are also near our home.

In fact, remember Blackie, Ken's crow friend?  He/ she has his nest in one of those beautiful trees.

We love this very Japanese picture of the sakura on the mountainside with the lake and the  fog -shrouded mountains in the background.

This is one of our very favorite pictures we've taken in Japan.  It's a view of Tsuruoka from the mountain.  We may frame this one.

Wait- those aren't sakura! But they are beautiful.  Just to give you a break from pink!

In the afternoon, we went to Sakata to make some visits.  We went to the home of a less active sister that we visit regularly.  She wasn't home, but she lives right on the river.  We strolled along the river behind her home and got some more beautiful pictures.

Another one of my favorite shots!

You made it!  You got through all of the sakura pictures.  We are so grateful we will be here for two springs in Japan!  There just isn't anything more beautiful than Japan's sakura!

The Eternal Root Canal

And it's finally over!  After twelve dental office visits and 2 1/2 months, the root canal and crown replacement are complete!  Hallelujah! 

That is just how they do dentistry here in Japan: many visits for one procedure.  Though no one officially told us, we've concluded it's for three reasons:

1) This is socialized medicine and the dentist is paid per visit.

2) Many dentists don't use anesthesia, so they keep appointments to 30 minutes, figuring you can stand anything for 30 minutes.

3) They keep appointments to 30 minutes to be less disruptive to peoples' lives and work. 

Though it was a long ordeal, it really wasn't too painful.  Ken's dentist did use anesthesia when needed (on two of the visits.)  Ken found the dentist and his staff to be very thorough, respectful, precise, and professional.  When in Japan . . .

Elder Hinton with some of the staff he has come to know so well.

The genkan of the dentist's office. 

In one of the last visits, Elder Hinton presented the dentist with a Book of Mormon with his testimony written in it.  Don't worry, he paid him too- a lot!  It actually would have been very inexpensive except we wanted a porcelain rather than metal crown.  The government insurance pays only for metal. 

So Nikko, Nikko, (smile!) Elder Hinton!  Your eternal root canal is over!!!

Easter Dinner with the Satohs

On Easter Sunday, we had the Satohs over for an almost traditional Easter feast. 

Ham, asparagus (thank you, Costco!), potato salad and yogurt parfaits.

I usually make Funeral Potatoes on Easter, but sour cream is hard to find and is very expensive here, so I made potato salad instead. 

I have a Jell-o salad recipe I usually make for Easter dinner, but Jell-O as we know it, doesn't exist here.  So I made yogurt parfaits instead.  They were delicious.

Imi brought delicious custard puddings to add to our feast.  Eaten with our strawberry shortcake, it tasted almost like strawberry trifle!

Brother Satoh was branch president here for about ten years, so they told us a lot of the history of the branch.  Easter isn't celebrated here as we do at home, so it was fun to share our Easter traditions and foods with them.  We enjoyed our evening with the Satohs.  As I was preparing the meal, I got a little intimidated.  I asked Ken, "What am I doing, cooking for the best cook in the branch?"  He asked me, "So why are you cooking for the best cook in the branch?"   I thought about it.  "Because I love her."  We really do love these good people.  She cooks every week for our Family Home Evenings.  Her food is delicious.  You've met Brother Satoh before.  He's "They don't drink Sake! Satoh"  They serve tirelessly.  Often when we're at the church, he'll be there deep cleaning the church, just because.  One day he had lifted the mats in the genkan and was vacuuming and scrubbing underneath.  Each of them work two jobs.  When they have time off from their jobs, they spend it serving.  He showed up in a pouring rainstorm the other day to change the tires on our car for us.  It was Imi that showed up with that delicious cake for Elder Hinton on his birthday.  They do a lot for the elders, too.  That's just the way they are.  It was a privilege to have them in our home, and made for a happy Easter for us!

Another Sweet Spring gift

As we walked to church the other day, our singing gardening neighbor greeted us.  Ken complimented her lovely garden.  Ken had meetings after church, so I walked home alone.  I really think she was kind of waiting for me, for as I walked by, she beckoned to me and said something in Japanese.  She then picked lovely daffodils from her garden, singing all the while, and handed me a bouquet.  I am grateful I  know how to say "thank you" graciously with a deep bow. 

Samuel Jared is Born!!!

We feel so blessed to announce the safe arrival of Kristen and Jared's new baby boy.  Please meet Samuel Jared, our family's latest addition.  He was born on March 31, 2016 and weighed 8 lbs. 2 oz.  He is our 11th grandchild.  We now have 5 granddaughters and 6 grandsons.

During the labor and delivery (their Thursday morning and our late Thursday night), Jared sent 1/2 hourly reports on the progress and happenings through a text app. we use in our family.   It felt like we were part of it.  We and Kristen's sisters texted encouragement and love messages throughout the labor.  We decided we were long-distance doulas.  It was a sweet blessing of modern technology to be part of it!  It made us feel maybe not quite so far away. 

The next day, I texted, asking his middle name.  We knew his name would be Samuel, but didn't know the middle name yet.  Our granddaughter, Brielle, Samuel's older sister  texted back that his middle name would be Zaphnathpaaenah.  Oh, dear.  Then she texted, "April Fool's!"  Cute joke!  They named their first son after Jared's dad and their second son after Ken, and this son after his daddy. Welcome to the family baby Samuel.  We love you!!! 

With big sister, Brielle.

With Nathan

With Jacob

With Audrey.  When they came to visit at the hospital the second day, baby Samuel was in the nursery.  Audrey was quite put out about it.  She asked Kristen if she had taken him back to the store.

Welcome to the world, baby Samuel!

Thank you for the pictures, Kristen and Jared! 

They Caught the Feels!

As part of Zone Training Meeting each month, they have one of the Japanese missionaries do a mini lesson on Japanese and one of the American missionaries do one on English.  Last month, in the English lesson, the elder asked, "What are some things we can "catch."  Everyone started throwing out ideas: a cold, a ball, someone's drift, the feels,  . . .wait, what?  Ken and I turned to each other.  What is "Catch the feels?"  The discussion went on, but we were puzzled.  So brave Elder Hinton raised his hand, "Wait, what does 'catch the feels' mean?"  The missionaries looked kind of embarrassed, but tried to explain. " It's like when you're watching a really emotional movie, and you're really feeling it."  and another said, "It's just when you're feeling really emotional."  Okay.  So after the meeting, in the car with "our" elders, we brought it up again.  "What does 'catching the feels' mean?"  Elder Weatherred was brave and said what those cute missionaries didn't dare say in the meeting.  He said it's when you go out with someone and you really like them, and you say, "Oh, no.  I'm catching the feels.  This might be "the one."  OH!!!  Naruhodo! as they say here in Japan (I understand- I get it.)

     I can't understand a word in sacrament meeting, so my mind wanders.  As I looked around the room the next Sunday (we have about 25-30 people at church each Sunday,) I realized how many of them were single adults.  A bunch of them.  There were four or five single men and four or five single women in attendance that day.  And they are all about the same age: 35-50 range.  Wait!  Why don't they get married?  They all need a temple marriage!  What a great idea!  So as others contemplated repentance or some other sacred subject, I started matching them up in my mind.  He goes with her, he goes with her. I had it all figured out and it was perfect!

So, a few days later I shared my perfect plan with our elders and Elder Hinton in the car.  I was so excited.  Then I asked, "So why haven't THEY figured this out?  Why don't they just get married?  The elders were extremely quiet, and after a bit, Ken said, "Dear, it's all about catching the feels."  The elders thought that was hilarious!

Well, I guess the single adults must have caught wind of my scheming because in the last two weeks, two of those eligible bachelors have announced their engagement to be married.  And another of them confided to Elder Hinton that he also is fixing to pop the question to his girlfriend.  So none of them "caught the feels" for who I chose for them,  but they did catch it . . .  or them . . . or whatever it is. 

This is Brother Satoh.  He caught the feels for Mrs. Honma.  She has three teenaged children and they will be living in our branch!

This is Brother Karube.  He caught the feels for this woman from Tokyo.  They will make their home in Yamagata.