A beautiful day - winding down...

April 11th

Today was an interesting day - due to the weather. It started out as a kind of miserable rainy day. Grey and dark and with the rain coming down steady and humming... After I did the chickens (there were a lot of eggs this morning, probably because I went later than 8:30 due to watching some NCIS that I rented) I didn't know what work to do. There wasn't even any rice to sort. Muto-san and Hitomi-san had collected some vegetables and herbs- italian parsley, asparagus, long green onions and some more - washed them, and then wrapped them in newspaper for Miyata-san to come and take them away for a restaurant... I'm so cheesy, but I find something really poetic and beautiful in how they go about that...maybe it was just the sound of the rain today that has gotten me a little sappy...Then they left for errands and things. I had the house to myself...on a normal day like that I'd probably do cleaning but I was really unmotivated to do anything productive. I was thinking about trying to bake cookies but there as no butter. So, I grew weak to another disc of NCIS. I started watching NCIS at home during the later seasons, so I've been watching some of the earlier episodes that I'd never seen  before. I really, really love that show! So after that I decided I'd make some lunch - tuna/boiled egg/ cucumber/ tabasco sandwich with leftover miso soup (that was STUFFED with onions, sweet potatoes, fried tofu, normal tofu, chikua, yaakon, burdoc, long green onions, wakame, carrots and more) with apple. The sandwich was kind of lopsided due to my very terrible bread slicing job and therefore basically fell apart and had to eat the thing with chopsticks. More NCIS. Then I made a can of zenzai (sweet bean soup) and some quick make dumplings to put in it...then feeling guilty about being so lazy I decided to go on a walk. The weather had changed considerably - white, fast moving clouds, blue sky, shining golden sunlight everywhere - the world glittered due to the wetness left after the rain. Absolutely gorgeous. However, it was also hot and humid with only an occasional breeze so I got pretty uncomfortable with jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

All of the spring flowers are still out and beautiful. There are these beautiful bright yellow flowers that grow in bunches and sometimes like entire fields - there are still daffodils, purple wild flowers, some remains of sakura, the fallen tsubaki flowers, and a lot of little white flowers and even tinier blue ones. The grass that is growing underneath the black barked, still bare chestnut trees is amazing, literally glowing green and the blades fleshy, the grass is thick and tall and perfect - like green fire - beautiful.

When I came back Hitomi-san and Muto-san were home (and with doughnuts!). I ate soy powder doughnuts - they were chewy and delicious:D

I have only a little more than one month left here in Japan. I leave here in 10 days to go back to Uto. Everyone here has been so wonderful to me... it's going to be hard for me to leave but I know that I'll be back. Hitomi-san said it's going to be lonely around here without me... I told her I'll be lonely without them as well.

Hana-chan (Katsu's 1.5 year old daughter) came yesterday, since her mother works every Tuesday. Last week, we watched Totoro three times in one day. Yesterday, it was a record of four. She is adorable - wanting to play outside then wanting to see totoro, and after she sees totoro, it's back outside, then she wants mama and papa then she wants totoro and so on and so forth. However, she finally knows my name! She went from calling me "Older Brother" (Oneechan) to "Older Sister" (Oneichan) then to "Leah" (my name). It makes me so happy to hear her tiny little child's voice call out my name " ria?" Makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside:)  I get to see her one last time next week. Then probably the next time I'll see her, she will be 5 years old.

Michael leaves for the Pacific Crest Trail in three days. Before when I was skyping with Mom, Michael came and did a harmonica performance for me - he's been practcing. I hadn't heard the sound of a harmonica in so long...it was really, really wonderful. I just think how in a little bit, he will be exactly where he has been dreaming to be for a long time, somewhere in the wild - in nature and beauty - I can see a campfire and him sitting there playing the harmonica in the dark and only orange light from the fire... :) I can even smell it... I hope that David and Michael stay safe and healthy and have an incredible time - they have been looking forward to it, working hard for it and really deserve it.