Subarashi

Finally Sewing

  I have had a really hard time concentrating on anything for the past few months.  One of my favorite hobbies is to sew.  I have not been able to tackle a single project in recent months.  Finally finally I sat down at the machine and made this patchwork skirt with a top for my granddaughter.  The photo didn't turn out very good as the colors are much more vibrant.  I forgot to bring my camera and had to settle d for my phone's camera and it doesn't seem to capture true color.  This was a really fun project but did take some time since you had to cut out 7 different fabrics, six different ones for the squares.  Top row has 12 squares and the second row has 18.  It was such fun and it fit her perfectly.  My sister went over with me yesterday to celebrate her birthday.  She is now 7 years old.  We had lunch at the Japanese restaurant.  Kojisan was as gracious as ever and it was fun to speak a small amount of Japanese.  My Japanese is so rusty these days.  I am thinking it is time for another trip to my other home.  Setsuko..what do you think?  Should I come visit again?

I have many projects planned and now hope to have the drive and energy to continue to sew.  It is how I have always been able to relax. 

Enjoyment

Friday night  we went to the Tacoma Little Theater.  It is the oldest little theater this side of the Mississippi.  We went with Michael and Lisa to see The Buddy Holly Story.  It was excellent, filled with music and we danced in our seats.  I would love to have season tickets there with Michael and Lisa.  What a fun thing to do with them.  

Saturday I spent the day with friend Bev.  I picked her up and we drove to Bellevue to a furniture store to shop for a new sofa and chair for her beach cabin.  I am so excited that we found the perfect thing on sale and even more excited that she actually bought it.  This lady rarely spends money on herself.  She will love the new furniture!  Now we need to find lamps and a rug!  After buying the furniture I took her through the Metropolitan Market.  She informed me she has never gone shopping in Bellevue. I must take her shopping there soon.  We then drove to Kirkland to eat at The Purple.  I love that place.  We sat outside and had a great time.  Afterwards we put the top down on the car and drove the beach drive and then home.  It was such a fun day!

Finding time for enjoying life has been difficult lately with all the stress in my life.  I am finally taking some time to enjoy time with family, friends and alone.

On Sunday I had a very busy day in the sun.  It was my granddaughter Ashley's 3rd birthday and I went to the zoo with her and her parents.  Ashley took one look at the camel and screamed in delight, "I want to ride!"  I got the tickets and off we went.  She was so excited and waited patiently for her turn.  When we got on and the camel started walking she let out a huge giggle!  I think I had just as much fun, if not more, as she did riding that camel together.  After all, how many grandmas get to ride a camel with their 3 year old granddaughters!

  What can I say?  Spending time with Ashley at the zoo was the best time I have had in a very long time.  After the zoo I raced back to Puyallup to go to a Global Daughter party at friend Bev's house.  She had a great turn out!  After the party I went and picked up pizza and drove back to Tacoma to Michael and Lisa's new home.  They were moving in and NO FRIENDS showed up to help.  John and I helped to unload the truck!  John, Michael, Lisa and sometimes Josh (16 yr old) had unloaded almost half of it when I arrived.  What a lot of work!  I am sure they will be happy in their new place once they get moved in and get some of things fixed up!  Great area of Tacoma and so much to do.

  We worked until about 9pm.  They still have so much to do in the next few days.  I am going to love having them closer to us.

I am trying to take better care of myself so I have taken the last two days off work.  I usually always have something I need to do when I take time off work.  This time I have two full days at home to do whatever I want.  Yesterday I hired someone to come in to deep clean my kitchen and 3 bathrooms.  She also washed down all the doors.  Oh my, that feels good.  I worked in the yard and my sweet sister came over in the evening and helped with my driveway!  She also brought over a pie for John.  He said it was the best pie he has ever eaten. 

Today is another day off for me.  I am reading, having lunch with John and then who knows?

Something I Did Right

As my sister prepares for her retirement from teaching I have reflected on my own past experience as a teacher.  I am happy not to be teaching now at this stage of my life, but I enjoyed my classroom experience of 17 years.  If I miss one thing about teaching it would be the incredible students I taught and watch grow up as they spent 2 to 3 years in my classroom.

I once said that if I could just impact one student's life then it would all be worthwhile.  Many years ago I had a group of third year Japanese students that I adored.  They were such a close group.  On their last day of school before graduation I gave each of them a note in an envelope that said what I admired most about them.  I had one student who was not going to graduate with his class due to a failure in English class.  He had many hardships in his life, family issues that kids should not have to deal with at that age.  He still came to my class nearly every single day and even on that last day when all his friends were celebrating.  He had told me he didn't think he wanted to go to summer school to get that credit and graduate.  I hoped and prayed that he would not let one little class keep him from his important high school diploma.

The next year he came marching back into my classroom and handed me a dozen red roses in front of my other students.  He showed me his diploma proudly and told me that he had that diploma because of me.  He took that note that I wrote him and put it up above his desk and read it everyday he said.  It motivated him to finish school and get that diploma.  He told me I was the reason he was a high school graduate and would go on to college, unlike many of his friends.  I cried that day, told the story to my students about wanting to make a difference to just one kid.  They cried out, "you are not going to stop teaching now are you?"  I didn't. I continued to teach for several more years, meeting more wonderful young people.  I watched this young man go on to community college, start learning Chinese, go on to a University and move to China.

Today I got this note from that student.  I had lost touch until he found me this week on Facebook (love it).  Here is what he said.

Dear Sensei,

I am so glad that I finally found you!!! A few times I have gone home and when I called your number some man answered and didnt know you at all.

Yes I am still living in China and things are wonderful!!! My brother Andrew moved here about a year ago he was 265lbs but has lost 45lbs and is in his third semester of Chinese as well and working and doing pretty well.

I am working for a joint venture company between IMG (sports marketing) and CCTV 5 The biggest sports broadcaster in China. I was blessed to go through the Olympics last year and do a great amount of incredible things and last week I closed my first big deal for IMG worth 1.25 million dollars with the NFL!!!!  I also brokered the first ever broadcast deal for the UFC (fighting) with a chinese tv station.  I have a great gf and am considering marrying her next year, we will see what happens.

Anyway, enough rambling, I miss you sensei, and please always remember none of this would have been possible without God and you in my life :)  This is a life you have credit for :)

Catch me up with you and let me know how things are going and what you are doing.

In these difficult times of my life this was the medicine I needed today to move forward.  I don't think any of my students really understand what gifts they have been to me...this old teacher. Again this young man has made me cry happy tears.

Proof You Can Find Love After 60!

You only have to look at the face of my beautiful friend Gail to see that you can find love after the age of 60.  She and her new husband are surrounded in this picture with women who all taught with her.  All of us, as of this coming Friday, will no longer be teachers, but forever friends.  Gail met this wonderful man a few years ago on a trip to China.  She has been in touch with him ever since (not telling her friends).  She surprised us this year after they were engaged!  We didn't even know she had a manfriend.  After being single for a zillion years and raising her children alone, she found her true love.  They will spending their time traveling together and enjoying their children and grandchildren.  Such a deserving woman.  What fun it is to witness her joy.  Today they had a reception so several friends could get together to celebrate!

 

Fabulous day.  I enjoyed the party and enjoyed spending time with my friend Bev.  We rode together and had such a good talk both ways.  She has been such a good friend and such a support through these hard times in my life.  She fills me with joy.  I need joy.  For those who do not know which of these ladies is Bev.  She is the beautiful one with grey hair and always a smile.  She is an inspiration.

Worth Mentioning

I sometimes am too busy, too stressed, or just to lazy to blog.  I am trying to blog about the positive.  My life lately has had very little positives which could account for the lack of blogging.  However, there are still great highlights here and there so I am taking time tonight to blog about them.

1. My wonderful sister is getting very close to retirement!  Lucky girl!  I was her "date" for her Puyallup Education Association Retirement Dinner last week.  This is where the district PEA honors the work that has been done by teachers that are ending their careers.  I guess I could have done it too, even if not retiring but "leaving service", I just didn't know I could.  They put on a very nice dinner on the Tacoma waterfront.  The day was beautiful so the view was wonderful.  I do think my sister gave the most animated and engaging talk of all the retirees.  I could tell she was a language teacher!  It was a very nice celebration.  Two other former Rogers High School retired language teachers came to her send off. 

 

2.  I drove over to Moses Lake to spend the day and night.  My granddaughter had her ballet production.  I was lucky to get to see both performances!  She was so excited to dance.  She loves ballet.  She was loaded down with flowers after the first performance since she had a huge crowd there for her! 

 

3.  I also was able to see my newest grandson, Kelden, who is finally growing.  He is still such a peanut at 8 months and so adorable.  He smiles all the time.

 

4.  I spent time with the 10 year old grandson.  He is still a chatterbox.  Always so much to say and so very smart!  None of my pictures of him turned out :( I do have this goofy one with his guitar.  He loves to play the guitar and has been taking lesson since January.  I understand from him, and I quote, "I am progressing quite well".

5.  My cousin Kendra was in Moses Lake at a horse show.  I stopped to watch before I came home and found it really interesting and fun!  I love beautiful horses.

So there is the good stuff.  I must put in one of the  downers...We had plans to go to Kelona, Canada on June 26th for a week.  My husband cancelled it.  He wants to use our RCI week in Mexico sometime else instead.  I don't care about going to Mexico...getting on a plane etc.  I really NEEDED a vacation now.  He is on an endless vacation so to him a vacation now or in 3 or 4 months doesn't matter.  I really need a vacation...I guess I said that.

Not Much Good

There hasn't been much good in my life lately to blog about so I just haven't been able to bring myself to sit down to write.  My life had been pretty awful as of late so I guess I will just put a few pictures of a few...and I mean I have only had a few moments...of the good things.

I am thankful for this young lady.  She has really been there for me in my down times.  On this day she was my cheerleader, encouraging me to ride my bike to take my mind off other things.

Half way through the bike ride at mile 12...Mike and Lisa prove that love exists.

25 miles and we finish!  Notice my cheerleader!  I can't believe I did it.

My sweet sister gets to retire from teaching!  This is her celebration.  She is so special that the State Superintendent of Education showed up! Gorgeous day, gorgeous lady.

Look at all these women with style!  Black and white ladies ROCK!  All are retired teachers..except me!  I am a "left service" teacher which basically means no paycheck.

I am trying to ignore the horrible garden in my yard by concentrating on these rhodies full of blossoms.

Here is hoping life gets better and there are more good moments coming.  Hard to see that in my present frame of mind but one never knows.

Mothers at Kala Point

All five of us are mothers with grown children and grandchildren.  We have been there for each other in good times and bad since I can remember.  We have laughed together and cried together.  We have supported each other through the early death of parents and a child, through several divorces, through illness and many other difficult times in our lives.  We have shared great joys and much laughter with the stories of our lives.  I have often thought that we would make a good novel...the story of our lives together. 

Here we are with Auntie Kay, the mother of Leslie and Kendra and the godmother of Deborah and Eileen.   Here we are together to celebrate Mother's Day.  Five women with a deep connection, all mothers and all grandmothers.

In my last post I talked about how horrible it was going to be with Auntie Kay moving to Arizona.  None of us was looking forward to this weekend after that bad news.  Finally Auntie Kay's husband had won and was about to get her away from all of us.  Then it all turned around....Auntie Kay found her voice again.  She told the man that she would not go, could not go, he could go...but she would not.  We are rejoicing with this news.  She is happy again.  It was time to celebrate!  Off to Kala Point for a Mother's Day weekend of celebration and fun.

It was perfect.  Everything perfect!  We ate, drank, walked, talked, laughed, cried and then did it some more. Each night we relaxed with a movie.  We watched The Reader the first night and then laughed ourselves silly with Sex In The City The Movie on the second night.   Fabulous wonderful girl time memories.  Sunday we enjoyed a delious brunch at the local cafe.

We started with food and puzzles!

Played on the beach!

Sisters enjoying the beach!!

It was all just so much fun...Port Townsend, Kala, the market but especially the girl time together.

 

Happy Mother's Day....

Women friends, nothing in the world like the friendship of women.

Bummed On So Many Levels

The last couple weeks have been extremely hard and draining.  You know that commercial, "Need to get away?"  I would love to go far, far away.  Feel the need to get away from everything and everybody.  This is when you wish money was no option and you could forget everything and hop a plane to anywhere but here!  Well, maybe not Mexico.

After two incredibly awful weeks and when things are starting to seem to be improving I get two pieces of news in one day.  The first news was that John's niece's dad (his sister's ex-husband) has died of prostrate cancer.  Since my husband has this same nasty stuff this hits a little too close to home.  He was diagnosed only about a year before John and his was the aggressive stuff too.  I am trying so hard for to get John to enjoy life and think about living but this sort of brings him down.  He says, "it is just reality".  Maybe I just don't want to think about this reality.

My next bit of news came in the evening in the form of a phone call from Auntie Kay.  That horrid, self centered husband of hers finally wore her down. He took her to Arizona and got her to buy a house there.  They will move within the next one to two months!  I hate that man.  She said she got tired of the pressure.  She said she told him that it was for 2 years.  She is too old to move so much.  He has moved her from her wonderful waterfront condo to another condo...he thought her condo too small.  Then back to her condo because the one he moved her to was not right... then to a house because he wanted a yard.  They had to remodel it and he never worked in the yard!  Then to a 3 story townhome with a beautiful view that they had to remodel because it wasn't right for him.  Then to a rambler with a yard and a view of the mountain that was new and they had to remodel because it wasn't right for him.  Then to another house (moved into about a year ago) that wasn't right and he had to remodel and put in a different backyard.  Money money money down the drain.  Will this man be happy now?  He has been pressuring her for years to move someplace, any place that was away from her family, her church, her activities and friends.  He wins...they are off to Arizona in the middle of the f.....ing summer.  Have I said how much I hate this man.  I don't usually use that word... but I truly hate this man.  He will get her there and manipulate her and that will be it. 

I must say there was a bright spot to my week.  My mother's friend, Marie, was here and my sister and I spent a nice evening with her.  Boy is she going to be mad to hear this news about Auntie Kay.

Girl Fun

Girl's Night Out at the Windmill!  I was fortunate again to have tickets given to me by the chef that does all food for this amazing event.  It is an event that is for women only, all women of any age.  You are escorted into the event by men dressed in black tuxedos and then the fun begins.  There is live music, and several food stations.  The food is always wonderful and the presentation is simply beautiful.  There are gorgeous ice sculptures for the martini and wine bars.  It takes place in a gorgeous flower nursery and the flowers were beautiful this year. 

 

 

We girls, all but one, retired from teaching at the same high school.  The one that is left will be gone in just a few weeks!  Let's hear it for Debbie!!  Yippee. 

Other girl fun today was a nice long walk with my dog near the river.  We both enjoyed the sun and the walk.  You can see from her photos that she had a grand day.  She is zonked out tonight!

 

Tomorrow is a busy day.  I was planning a little R and R while everyone was gone on a bike ride but now it looks like I will take care of granddaughter, Payton.  It will be okay...they grow up fast and then they want nothing to do with us old people!  Think we will run errands together and get food ready. 

Find the Fun Where You Can

Nothing like a good swing with a cute granddaughter to help a blue mood.  I decided after driving to a property near the Narrows Bridge and doing a walk through inspection that I needed a mood boost.  I drove over the bridge to spend a few hours with granddaughter Ashley.  She is pure joy.  Just the sound of her voice screaming, "GRANDMA" makes my day! 

The next weekend was full of sunshine and we had our first real lake day of the season.  Ashley really enjoyed the day outside feeding the ducks, playing with the dog, and throwing rocks into the lake.  She did not want to get into the paddle boat this year. 

The boys even got out in the canoe after dumping grandpa in the lake and making sure that Ashley now really didn't want to be in a boat! She shouted, "Grandpa is in the water!  Grandpa is wet!" This was just too cute!

Where Ashley is..there is Sadie.

Where Sadie is...there is Ashley

Good food, outside in the sun, with family makes for a great day of fun.

A couple nights with the 3 grandchildren from Moses Lake can bring some fun too!  Here is little...and I mean little..Kelden looking at Grandpa's watch.  He is finally gaining weight.  He is now 6 months old and finally 12lbs.  Just about the cutest little guy in the world and so happy!

Grandpa and I took 10 year old Thomas and Adyline to the zoo for the afternoon on this past Thursday.  It was really fun.  They don't have the chance to do things like that very often and they had a great time.  I loved watching them get excited about every little thing.

 

The two nights were exhausting and yet very fun.  The kids are growing so fast that I want to enjoy it all now.  Soon they won't care that they are visiting with grandma and grandpa. 

I am trying to remember that all of us should find the fun where and when we can.  Life is unpredictable.