Postcard Swap

It's no secret that I love receiving mail, so when I saw Jessica was hosting a post card swap and I had to jump on board.  I was partnered with Mrs McDancer and received a post card from my college town {Her husband is currently attending the university I attended (Eastern Michigan, not U of M). Small world!}

 Just in case you aren't sure where Ann Arbor, Michigan is let me show you

{excuse my massive looking hand and shinny forehead}

Receiving this post card has giving me major college flash blacks!  I will always remember when I first moved to Michigan how strange I thought folks were that used their hand to show me where they were from.  

If you look at a map of Michigan you will notice that the bottom half looks like a mitten.

{photo courtesy of geology.com}

Because of this, most, if not all, people in Michigan will hold up their right hand and point to the spot on that hand where their home town is.  The star on my hand is about where AA would be on a map of Michigan.

Jess, this was so much fun, thanks for hosting!

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Now it's time for me to go to bed, at 2030.  I'm leaving here at 0500 {UGH!} to ride a bus for 4 hours {one way! UGHx2} to attend Honen Matsura.  It's technically a fertility festival but my girlfriends and I are looking at it like a bachelorette party with 100,000 people in attendance. Check out some of these Google images if there aren't any children near by.  This is one of those things that I just have to see for myself and share with all of you! 

30 by 30 {6 months}

Holy {insert a string of expletives here} crap!  How is it possible that I only have 6 months left in my 20's?!?!?  Part of me just wants to get it over with and an even larger part of me isn't ready to accept that I'm about to be 30!  I will say that I have had an absolutely amazing 29 years on this planet.  I have suffered my fair share of hardships but I know that my life is extremely blessed and I am profoundly grateful for all that I have done/seen/experienced in my life.  I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that the next 6 months are just as amazing!

Progress so far {11/30}

Health/Fitness {0/5}

1} take a yoga class 

2} complete a 5K {Training has begun. Race day: 07APR12.  Signed up to "run" a Warrior Dash while I'm "home" for my brother's wedding}

3} climb Mt Fuji {ordered these super fun new hiking boots so I can break them in...that's a start right?!?}

4} do 1 unassisted pull up

5} pass the Army PT test for my gender/age group {looked this one up, I need to run 2 miles in 20:30, do 17 push-ups in 2 minutes and 45 sit-ups in 2 minutes...I have some training to do!}

Food {4/6}

6} learn to cook lobster {DONE 16Dec11}

7} make gnocchi from scratch {DONE 8Dec11}

8} learn to make grandma's relish

9} try 5 new foods {DONE} 1. natto beans.  2. umeboshi.  3. ratatouille (I know, I know, I'd never had it before and now I'm obsessed).  4. collard greens 5. turnips

10} make Pioneer Woman's homemade cinnamon rolls 

11} learn to make 5 traditional Japanese dishes, including sushi {DONE}  1.sushi rolls. 2. inarizushi. 3. omelet (they're slightly different than the omelets we eat in the States) 4. tempura 5. shabu shabu

Travel {2/8}

12} drink the Absynth we bought in Prague 3 years ago 

13} visit at least 3 new countries {2/3} 1. Taipei. 2. Australia

14} learn enough Japanese to carry on at least a 5 minute conversation {working on this one}

15} visit Disney (Tokyo Disney will have to do) {doing this while my momma is here next month!}

16} visit Hiroshima

17} snorkle the Great Barrier Reef {DONE July2011}

18} ride an elephant in Thailand (this and #17 are trips that will help knock off # 13 as well and are sort of in the early planning stage.  If our vacation locations change, these will have to be changed as well)

19} visit a Japanese Onsen (hot spring) {DONE 31Dec11}

Random {5/11}

20} get out of debt (ALMOST THERE!  STUPID STUDENT LOANS!) still working on this one but we're on track to be done before I turn 30 =}

21} get caught up on my scrapbooks and stay current

22} read 50 books {38/50 and looking for recommendations!}

23} find out my blood type {DONE This happened today, I'm O+ for those that are curious}

24} design a logo for BleuDress (or pay someone else to) {DONE 5Mar12}

25} MASTER all the functions on my camera {DONE 16Oct11 thanks to this class}

26} solve the Rubik's cube or complete a crossword puzzle without any help {I can't even figure out the Rubik's cube using the cheat sheet they include!  I'm working on some crossword puzzles!}

27} save $20K {I have come to terms with the idea that this one is not going to happen thanks to the 3 trips we will be making to the US next year.  I'm not happy about it, but it's a fact}

28} watch all of the Star Wars movies (I've only seen the newest one)

29} renew my CPR certification and keep it current {DONE 10Mar12}

30} be paid for a photograph {DONE 7JAN12...I changed this one back to the original}

PhotoWalk

This past weekend our local photo club went on a photo walk to a nearby town, Machida.  We went with a game plan similar to one of the walks I went on during PhotoFest Japan last October.  The idea was that we were only allowed to take 36 photos {similar to shooting one roll of film} and every photo was supposed to link together or share a common theme.  When I did this walk in October I struggled a lot and I think that was mainly because I had a hard time picking a theme so this time I knew ahead of time what I wanted to focus on.  I really think that having a game plan helped because I am much happier with my photos this time around.

Thanks to my friend Lindsey for sharing this photo of me taking the 1st shot above!

It seems as though almost everyone, if not everyone, in Japan rides a bicycle.  They are everywhere, so it made for an easy theme in my photos.  I'm sure it's part of the reason everyone here stays so thin.  I see more bicycle parking lots than I do car parking lots. There are "no bicycle parking" signs every where that are mostly ignored as you can see from these photos.  I searched ALL day for a bike with a parking violation ticket and it took me until about 10 minutes before we ended for the day to find 1 bike with a ticket on it!
PS. I'm working on checking things off my 30 in 30 list...thoughts on the watermark logo on the photos???

half day/snow day

I had mentally checked out of winter {it's been in the mid 50's all week} so you can imagine my surprise when I woke up and saw this scene.

 I had a meeting that should have been cancelled so I put on my trusty new rain boots and headed out.

The roads were AWFUL!  I can't believe there weren't any delays or cancellations.

My meeting was in the building across from my husbands office, so I stopped by and discovered that they were sending everyone home so I got to bring the husband home with me =}

which means he got to scrape the car off & drive!

Once home, we promptly got to work on building a snow man!

I'm pretty proud of his roundness, I worked hard!  I did however make him a bit too round in the middle {my husband called it an "American" snowman in Japan}.

After we had the snowman built, I got out our "snow crayons" {colored water in squirt bottles, I use the same ones I use to decorate sugar cookies} and went to town drawing in the snow.

We have a very talented dog, what can I say? 

 {ok, so I did that, not him}

We even let the neighbor kids decorate our snowman.

I don't know about you, but I think this is the best looking snowman I have ever seen! 

We also taught the neighbor kids that it's OK to eat snow.

Our neighbor built and decorated a snow-pumpkin

We posed for a photo with our snowman {he didn't look so hot after the colors all ran together}

Now the snow is already starting to melt, last I checked it was 40 degrees outside.  Tomorrow it's supposed to be 55 so this snow won't stick around.  I'm glad we had a fun day playing in the snow today but I'll be happy when it's gone for good!

Japanese glass beads

Today my friend Miho took myself and 2 other ladies to make Japanese glass beads.  

We got some instruction from this kind gentleman.  He was very patient with us!

Then it was out turn to pick some colors and give it a try

 I obviously enjoyed myself

 TO {red} N {yellow} BO {blue} DAMA {green}  {I knew all but the green}

TONBODAMA=glass beads

 Our friend Miho is a seasoned professional at this

 Once you are happy with your shape and design in goes into the pebble bath to cool off

 The shop also has a jewelry making area

Plus it is a coffee/tea shop

Upstairs was an area with more seating where we were served tea & chocolate while we waited for out beads to cool

Our finished products

For our 1st time, we were all pretty impressed with how well they turned out!  Here is mine =}

{the fabulous owner also sent us all home with a gift but I am going to give mine to someone so I can't show you yet!}

After craft time, Miho took us to her favorite noodle shop for lunch. When we pulled into the parking lot, the line was out the door.  "People were waiting outside in the cold for these noodles?  They must be good!", I thought and I was not disappointed!

You walk in and everything is completely open.

You get to watch them make everything!

This guy rolls out the dough.

 Then laid it on top of the slicing machine.

The next guy comes over and puts the dough through the slicer which makes the noodles.

 The noodles are placed into a huge tub of boiling water and then fished out with these giant nets! {pun intended}

 Then you place your order {what size bowl you want and if you want any special sauces added}.

 Next you can choose some tempura to go with your noodles.

 Which is also cooked fresh right in front of you.

Then you eat!

Udon noodles with shrimp and eggplant tempura and an inarizushi.  YUM!

These are 2 things that I never would have experienced if it weren't for a friendship I made through church.  Miho, I am eternally grateful to you for sharing this part of your culture with me!

I plan on recreating this day with my mom when she gets here.  OH!  I think that is the 1st time I've mentioned that on here.  

MY MOMMA IS COMING TO VISIT!!!!!!!

In just a few {5 or 6} short weeks, she will be here and I cannot wait!!!  She will hopefully be here just in time for the sakura {cherry blossoms} and the warmer weather.  It's going to be so nice to show my mom this amazing country.  This is a once in a lifetime trip for her and I'm so glad she decided to come.