ChanomiTalk

ゆかりちゃんの結婚式2次会の
ビンゴでいただいたディズニーリゾートの一日無料券。
ついに使わせていただきました！

強風で寒いし、水のショーも中止になってしまったけど、すごーく楽しかったです。
海底20000マイルもストームライダーもアクアトピアも夢中になって乗ってました。
夢の世界やった～。また行こう！ね！

ジーニー＆ダッフィー（＾▽＾）びっくり！花で造られているのです！

I just got back to Florida from 5 weeks of training in California. Being in the Coast Guard and telling people you’re going to California, they automatically assume it’s on the beach, where it is warm and beautiful. Not this training center, it is in a town called Petaluma, Northern California, between San Francisco and Santa Rosa, and far inland and up the mountains. The temperature in March was low 40’s and it rained almost every day. The training center is also on protected wildlife land, so you will see deer and turkeys daily. Somehow these animals know you cannot harm them, and they have no problem walking right up to you or making cars stop for them.

みちこせんせい　は　げんきな　せんせい　です。　：－）

きょう　４じかんくらい　に　にほんご、　べんきようしました。

にほんご　は　きれいな　ごがく　です。

また　あした　おあいしましょう

My neighbor has an annoying dog. It is a small, black and white dog that is chained in the backyard about ten meters from my bedroom window. It barks all the time which is very irritating. It often barks early in the morning and late at night. Sometimes it even wakes me up at 3 o’clock in the morning. My neighbor has to hear it but doesn’t seem to care. Although the constant barking is frustrating, I worry that the barking is because the owner doesn’t take good care of the dog.

The last few days have been extremely busy as I make the necessary changes to prepare for my new life after my divorce Settlement on March 9. I have chosen to purchase the marital business and our land in Hawaii and my ex husband gets our house and financial payments from me. Our children are shared equally however I have the authority on their school and medical.

The change over day when everything we Settled on takes effect is set for May 1.And so before then I need to ensure that I make the necessary preparations and changes to the marital business so that it goes smoothly (like redesigning and rewriting the business  websites so that there is no reference to my ex husband in it anymore) . I also have to prepare to move out of the house and so he can move back in.

I am doing this with not a lot of help and so I am very busy and a bit pressured to ensure that I can afford everything.  Nonetheless everything seems to be unfolding as planned and I am extremely grateful.

Aloha !

A Japanese wedding is an expensive affair… for the guest that is. As a guest, you are expected to give 30,000 yen (about $366 US dollars). If going as a couple, you are expected to give 50,000 yen (about $610 dollars). Additionally, it has to go into a special money envelope called a “shuugibukuro”. However, if you get married, they are expected to give you back the same amount you paid. So, they keep track and they definitely remember if you gave too little. But the intent is that you are helping them pay for the 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 yen reception. Usually, couples almost break even for the costs. There are other rules for giving money such as, always use new 10,000 yen bills, bills should be face up with the head near the opening of the envelope (inner envelope), and the lower flap of the outer decorative envelope should be on top of the upper flap so that happiness will be caught. Unfortunately, I can’t fit all the etiquette rules in this short story, but if you prepare even a little, it goes a long way. However, here’s one last tip, never wear a white or black tie to the wedding. White is generally for close relatives and black is only for funerals.

納骨の時の一場面。
斜め降りするくらいのひどい雨降りに。
お墓の前、神主さんが両手を使うので傘をおく。
濡れると思って祖母が背伸びをし神主さんの方へ傘を傾ける。
母親が濡れると思って父と叔父が傘を傾ける。
その後ろから親戚が父たちに傘を傾ける。
みんなの思いやりの傘リレー。

I recently switched laundry detergent because I liked the smell. I switched from Tide Original to Tide Febreze Sport. That was a mistake. Apparently my skin is sensitive to this detergent and I became itchy when I put my clothes on. I thought because it was the same brand I’d be okay. But I guess not. Now I have to switch back to the boring smelling detergent. Oh well.

法事のため実家に帰省しておりました。
一番早く桜がさいた地域から未だに雪が積もる地域へ。
実家ではストーブとこたつとカイロと厚着はまだまだ現役です。
寒ガーリーみどりです。

遺影を眺めながら、ばあちゃんが私にポツポツ話してくれたこと。うんうんと聴いていました。我が子をなくしたばあちゃん。「何歳になったって家族を失うのは嫌だ。」と。そして涙流しながら「みーちゃんも親より先に死ぬのはいけんだで。」と。そうだね。

納骨。不思議なことに拝むと天気が荒れる。大雨やあられに変わる。そしてお骨をおさめると雨が穏やかになる。みんなで不思議やね、と何度も話しました。おじちゃん。おじいちゃんやご先祖さまと仲良ぅやってや。その後も親戚とご飯を食べたり、アルバムを引っ張り出して昔のことを浮かべたりと夕方まで賑やか。たくさん笑いながら過ごしました。人とのつながりは温かいね。昔はそれを窮屈としか思わなかった自分。助けられていることを実感し、少しずつ変化です。