Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.
Albert Einstein
Showing posts with label MM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MM. Show all posts
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Liked this one!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Off to Japan
Not me - but my oldest son, Chris and family. I'm dog-sitting their blind, diabetic black lab. What's wrong with this picture?
It's quite an adventure taking a family of six so Chris travels with them, stays a week and returns to work here for the summer. Japanese school is literally year-round so the kids attend during the summer. This allows them to better learn their reading and writing skills in Japanese. Since they speak it in their home, they're naturals with the language but learning the thousands of kanji and other Japanese writing characters is a lifelong process. So, Jordan who just finished fifth grade in the USA and Julia, going into second, will spend their summer break in school again this summer (and likely every year). They are so excited to see their other grandfather who spoils them that they don't even mind that they have to go to school when all their American friends do not. It will be a clear advantage for them one day to be totally fluent and literate in both languages but we hate sending them away every summer. At least we see them more than we did when they were full-time residents in Japan.
Kiyomi's family lives in Yamagata so it takes a while to get there even after they arrive in Tokyo. After they get through the immigration stations and customs, they board a bullet train to Yamagata. All in all the trip takes about 24 hours. They just let me know that they are in San Francisco now, waiting for their flight to take off. Then in August, Chris will go back for another week to help bring them home in time for school here. I may be able to swing it to go with him then. If not, maybe next year. They do get a little vacation break from school in August so I'm sure they will do something fun then.
Personally, I'm doing great!!
It's quite an adventure taking a family of six so Chris travels with them, stays a week and returns to work here for the summer. Japanese school is literally year-round so the kids attend during the summer. This allows them to better learn their reading and writing skills in Japanese. Since they speak it in their home, they're naturals with the language but learning the thousands of kanji and other Japanese writing characters is a lifelong process. So, Jordan who just finished fifth grade in the USA and Julia, going into second, will spend their summer break in school again this summer (and likely every year). They are so excited to see their other grandfather who spoils them that they don't even mind that they have to go to school when all their American friends do not. It will be a clear advantage for them one day to be totally fluent and literate in both languages but we hate sending them away every summer. At least we see them more than we did when they were full-time residents in Japan.
Kiyomi's family lives in Yamagata so it takes a while to get there even after they arrive in Tokyo. After they get through the immigration stations and customs, they board a bullet train to Yamagata. All in all the trip takes about 24 hours. They just let me know that they are in San Francisco now, waiting for their flight to take off. Then in August, Chris will go back for another week to help bring them home in time for school here. I may be able to swing it to go with him then. If not, maybe next year. They do get a little vacation break from school in August so I'm sure they will do something fun then.
Personally, I'm doing great!!
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Spring Fever
MAY DAY! I'm so glad spring is officially here. I was even happy to be able to mow my lawn the last couple of weeks. It was great to be able to get out there again. Winters can be so long!Today when I went walking as I usually do on my lunch break, I was feeling pretty high. The weather was perfect and I noticed especially how the breeze would create flutters of tiny round seed pods from the trees that almost looked like warm snowflakes blowing in the air. They would settle on the water and the river would quietly float them along. They covered the ground on either side of the walking path where they caught in the grasses and were so thick you could shovel them. How amazing - there were billions of them. It's a wonder we don't have a regular forest here! I guess only the lucky few really get to become trees. Surely they all aspire to such a fate! But even those that don't created a lovely sight for me today. I was grateful to not be plagued with allergies so I can always enjoy the spring without such a nuisance as many people must deal with. The trees almost all had leaves or blossoms - a few were still sparce, but looking alive nevertheless. The most amazing crop of wisteria lines the path. It has lavender grape-like clusters that are so thick and unbelievably fragrant. (I liked it so much last year I bought one and planted it in my back yard. I actually have one cluster on that little bush this year!) It was such a nice experience - hated to go back to work. What a shame to be stuck in an office on such a day as this. Enjoy!
May Day
Sarah Teasdale
(1884-1933)
A delicate fabric of bird song
Floats in the air,
The smell of wet wild earth
Is everywhere.
Red small leaves of the maple
Are clenched like a hand,
Like girls at their first communion
The pear trees stand.
Oh I must pass nothing by
Without loving it much,
The raindrop try with my lips,
The grass with my touch;
For how can I be sure
I shall see again
The world on the first of May
Shining after the rain?
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