Cat Thursday (46)

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! Hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.

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Yes, a giant wool cat head exists! How cool is that or creepy?! I love it and want one.

Housetu Sato and his students from the Japan School of Wool Art have created the only giant wool cat head in the world.

They took some pretty hilarious photos with it on! I must have!

*All cat head photos were taken from the original Japan School of Wool Art and Boredpanda.com sites.

Reading With Gabe--Little House in the Big Woods

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It's been hard this year getting used to Gabe in full-time school. I'm a stay-at-home parent and I enjoy (most of the time) being home with him. Kindergarten was the time to ease into the whole school schedule with only half days. But here in Japan it's been all day.

I wanted to connect with him more in my own way. So I've been reading various books to him throughout the year. Life gets busy, especially with him in school all day so we don't get through as many books as I'd like but we've managed to read Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I loved the books as a kid and I enjoyed the TV series. It's been a great experience sitting down with him at night and reading. Gabe enjoyed Pa's tales and his songs. He even wanted me to sing some of them to him. There was only one I knew the tune to, though.

There are a lot of great children's fiction today but there are also so many that aren't. I've ordered a few chapter books for him from his school and they haven't been great. Just silly and that's OK. But I want him to know what really good literature is as well. And Little House in the Big Woods is that. With our modern conveniences it's so easy to forget that only 100 years ago we didn't have our modern appliances and ease of life. Wilder describes how everything was done and made. How did a family survive? Fascinating. A simple tale about Laura and her family in a year.

I look forward to reading the rest with him and I hope he enjoys it on his own one day.

Living and Reading in Japan (8)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next year (2014-2015).

We just got back from a trip to Okinawa! A week-long funcation! Okinawa is beautiful. The bluest ocean and the whitest sands...but I haven't been to a lot. We built sand castles, soaked in the sun and the ocean water, and ate some great food. I now have post-vacation blues...

Reading:

• Persuasion Jane Austen

  

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• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker

Finished:

• Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris (audiobook version)

Looking Forward To:

Golden Week here in Japan. It'll be crazy crowded but Hiroshima has one of the biggest if not the biggest flower festivals in Japan and all within walking distance. Gabe will have the week out of school and we'll be enjoying ourselves with all the sights, sounds, and food!

Making:

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Okinawa loves taco rice dishes. I had two while I was there. So this week I'll be making some of my own. Forget the shell and add the rice!

Listening To:

Common Sense with Dan Carlin. The man has so much insight into what is going on in the world. It's depressing but liberating at the same time.

I also got a membership with Audible. I'm really enjoying digital audio!

Watching:

iZombie. Such an interesting concept of crime and zombies and women power! Love it!

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Grateful For:

Earth and the ocean and how beautiful and healing it is.

Things I Did This Week:

Okinawa! Okinawa is so interesting because the U.S. military has such a strong presence there. There's an American Village area, lots of people speak English, and there are a lot of tattoo parlors, and burger joints. We got our Mexican food fix!

We went through Airbnb. Such a cool site. You rent out people's homes and apartments for so much less than a hotel. We stayed close to the beach and had comfortable beds and two separate rooms.

We hit the aquarium and the old Okinawan village, Shujiro Castle that was completely rebuilt after its destruction during WWII, and the rest of the time were all beaches!

Tokashiki Island is where we went for our last beach day. We took an hour long ferry boat ride over the the island. Crystal blue waters and white coral beaches all day. It was amazing.

Cat Thursday (45)

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! Hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.

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This week features cats that camouflage! From BoredPanda.com.

Parks and Recreation

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I just finished binge-watching "Parks and Recreation." I started and stopped a few times with the first season but I kept hearing such great things I decided to just pull off the adhesive bandage and get to it! I'm so glad I did.

It's a funny and tender-hearted show about a woman, Leslie, who just loves her job because she gets to help people. She works hard at making government actually work for the people and it's just fun to watch. Her ultra nemesis in all-things government is Ron Swanson--basically a libertarian anarchist is how I'd best describe him; he lives to sabotage government while working for them.

My favorite episodes are the ones that show how awesome people can be. I get the Kleenexes out...

Here's my favorite Leslie Knope clip. She lays out all the fake reasons (she didn't actually shoot Ron but is protecting a friend) she shot Ron. It's fantastic.



Leslie was a great advocate for good government and feminism. I just can't get enough of this show and am so grateful it was created and I got to watch it. It's one I'll be watching again and am so sad there will not be any other episodes.

You are gone but not forgotten! Please and thank you :)

April Fool's Day

No one knows for sure the origins of April Fool's Day, but it may coincide with the coming of spring and its light-heartedness as we come out of a long and dreary winter. The Hindus have their Holi Festival. Ancient Romans had Hilaria that celebrated the resurrection of Attis.

Before the Gregorian calendar was adopted in the 1500s, the new year was celebrated around April 1st. Even in Japan, the new fiscal year and school year begins the first of April. So some say that jokes were played on those who would not or didn't know about celebrating the new year on January 1st. Some say Chaucer wrote down March 32 or April 1 for the day.

As a kid I loved April Fool's Day. It was a chance for payback on my siblings. Being the youngest, I usually got the tail end of most of the harassment. My all-time favorite was Saran wrap on the toilet...

To me it's another reminder of glorious spring and seeing all the flowers and trees blossom is truly incredible.

Sakura season in Japan!

May your day be filled with lightness of heart and loudest of laughter while enjoying the warm spring air!

*My information comes from Wikipedia on April Fool's day and Infoplease.com

Cat Thursday (44)

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! Hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.

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Cats and their adorable offspring! These are really cute. All pics are from the site iizcat.com

Living and Reading in Japan (7)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next year (2014-2015).

We've been a lot healthier with the warmer weather! Spring is here. I haven't needed a jacket for two days now...

Reading:

• The History of Hell by Alice K. Turner
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Finished:

• I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Genius by Martin Short (audiobook version)

Looking Forward To:

Okinawa in 3 weeks! We are heading south for a week and I'm looking forward to a warm beach and relaxing!

Making:

I've been trying to hone in my creative side recently and I've decided to do some art journaling. Sometimes I'm very consistent, other times not so much. But it's been fun exploring. I haven't done this since I was a kid.

Listening To:

Serial. I'm way behind since this ended last December but I finally caught up and was floored.

Watching:

Parks and Recreation and Unbreakable Kimmy. So funny.

Grateful For:

My legs. So silly but they've gotten me far here in Japan. As the weather has been warming up, I've been trying to get out and walk around the city. Everything is so close. It's been an adventure!

Things I Did This Week:

We went to a fun-themed restaurant called the Bandit or Sanzoko in Japanese. Foreigners like to call it the "chicken shack." They are famous for their chicken on a stick or yakitori. It's pretty darn good. Then we headed over to Kimawa Mu Valley that has an underground mystery treasure adventure. They put in statues and clues that remind me of Indian Jones. It's really fun. Gabe had a blast.

Their rice balls are amazing! Salmon, seaweed, and a sweet plum inside and wrapped in more seaweed! Yum.

We only have 3 more months in Japan so we're trying to take it all in ;) We thought this was going to be 2 years but it got cut short so back home in July.

Mini Book Reviews--Stiff, The Great Agnostic, The Goddess Chronicle, The Pale Blue Dot

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Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

This book was disgusting but in the most fascinating way. It made me look death right in the face. A book everyone should read.



The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll and American Freethought by Susan Jacoby

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It was a great introduction to a fascinating man and how he brought secularism and freethought to the masses.






The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino

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Disturbing yet gorgeously written story on the mythical gods of Japan that gave birth to their islands. It's also an insightful treatise on what women have faced and continue to face in a patriarchal world.






The Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan masterfully contemplates the future of us in space. He lays out where

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we've been and where he hopes we can go. The first chapters and last chapters are must-reads. He is greatly missed.

Cat Thursday (43)

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! Hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.

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The best cat videos are over a century old!

A new exhibition is coming to New York. They put together the stills to make some small cat "videos." Super cute.

Living and Reading in Japan (6)

This weekly meme has been inspired by Michelle at The True Book Addict and Lisa at Lit and Life--Life: It Goes On...but I wanted to tweak it a bit for myself since I am living in Japan for the next year (2014-2015).

January was full of the influenza :( With an outbreak at Gabe's school, too. We both came down with it and then I developed bronchitis on top of that. His school closed down for 3 days to get the outbreak under control. It was a rough couple of weeks! Feeling better now. Woot!

Reading:

• Persuasion by Jane Austen
• The Pale Blue Dot by Carl Sagan
• The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino
• Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Finished:

• The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
• Georgiana Darcy's Diary by Anna Elliott

Looking Forward To:

Spring Break starts the week after next! DH will take some time off and who knows where we'll go but GO we will. I have a few fun St. Paddy's Day activities planned and some other art stuff. Hit McDonald's and Starbucks, you know, classy stuff to do while in Japan....

Making:

We made tacos the other night. Gabe wasn't a big fan of those back in the States but he agreed to try them again and loved them! Yay. He's getting all growed up and liking new things!

I made honey butter! So yummy. I also plan on making a pumpkin chicken chili next week.

Listening To:

I started Invisibilia, a new podcast from NPR. The pilot episode was a tear-jerker. I'm loving it.

Watching:

I am almost done with Gilmore Girls! I've been catching up on my comedies like The Mindy Project, New Girl, and Modern Family. I've added Agent Carter to my list and Empire. I took a chance on Death Comes to Permberley on Netflix the other week. 

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I also watched Virunga. Heart-breaking. Watch and then be inspired to do something.

Grateful For:

Vending machines with hot coffee in them here in Japan. Seriously. They have been a life-saver this week.

Things I Did This Week:

We went to the zoo last weekend. It was an adventure on the train and bus and a little bit of walking. I do not like zoos. I think they had their purpose. And I do think there are many humane zoos as well but overall I think they do not care for the animals, especially the large animals, very well.

The tiger and the black bears looked like they were going insane with pacing and anxious habits. They all had the tiniest of spaces. It was heart-breaking. I voiced my concerns with my son and told him about some of the pros and cons of zoos from my point of view.

They did have some native Japanese animals that I had never seen before like the red panda or the raccoon dog. And Gabe got to hold a guinea pig and pet some really soft rabbits.

And the zoo in Hiroshima is old and small and pretty rundown. I hope they can get some funding and get the place updated with bigger habitats for these beautiful and elegant and scary yet awesome animals. They need this. They broke my heart.

BUT, the week before that we went to Tokyo for some awesome fun of Disneyland, Legoland, and Studio Ghibili for Gabe's 6th birthday! I cannot believe how old he is getting. We had so much fun.

Disneyland!

Studio Ghibili Museum

A really cool bridge we walked on

Some classic depictions of 1940s Japan in a local mall

Fun English translation signage!

On a good note, I went out to sushi with some friends. And I've been getting out and walking everyday hoping that will help me from getting sick so much and getting depressed. So yay to coffee and friends and sushi!

Cat Thursday (42)

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! Hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.

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I thought to myself...cats sleep in weird places so let's see what the Google gods have in store for me today...

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So adorable! May your week be full of sleeping cats!

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

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It's been awhile since I've read some top-notch adult fiction. I loved Kidd's "Secret Life of Bees" and "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter." Her prose held me. I didn't even realize this was a story about actual two sisters who were abolitionist-feminists. It's an awesome writer who can pull together fact and fiction and do it justice.

I am so glad that Kidd intertwined the story of Handful, a slave in their home. Through her voice we got to see and hear and try to feel even a pinch of what life was like for slaves during this time. So often we hear of stories where white people help black people. Yes this is true. Whites have been the ones with the power. We know this. But I want to hear about their stories. The slaves. What they did to rebel, survive, live, etc and to save themselves. I love that Kidd thought about this and put stories like these into her narrative.

It was a bit disjointed. She jumped a lot from one point in history to another but I feel that was the best way to do a historical fiction biography like this. So even though it felt a bit uneven, I see why it was necessary.

Overall, it was a poignant, powerful, and inspiring book.

I loved these quotes:

"First time I saw it, my feet hopped in place and I lifted my hand over my head and danced. That's when I got true religion. I didn't know to call it religion back then, didn't know Amen from what-when, I just knew something came into me that made me feel the water belonged to me."

"Mauma didn't fall again, though, and I reckoned Gad had lent me an ear, but maybe that ear wasn't white, maybe the world had a colored God, too, or else it was mauma who kept her own self standing, who answered my prayer with the strength of her limbs and the grip of her heart."

"People say love gets fouled by a difference big as ours. I didn't know for sure whether Miss Sarah's feelings came from love or guilt. I didn't know whether mine came from love or a need to be safe. She loved me and pitied me. And I loved her and used her. It never was a simple thing. That day, our hearts were pure as they ever would get."

"There's no pain on earth that doesn't crave a benevolent witness."

"I saw then what I hadn't seen before, that I was very good at despising slavery in the abstract, in the removed and anonymous masses, but in the concrete, intimate flesh of the girl beside me, I'd lost the ability to be repulsed by it. I'd grown comfortable with the particulars of evil. There's a frightful muteness that dwells at the center of all unspeakable things, and I had found my way into it."

"History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart and we repeat history until we are able to make another's pain in the heart our own."

Cat Thursday (41)

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! Hosted by Michelle of The True Book Addict.

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No major theme today. Just throwing in some random cute ones this week!

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