Day 1 in Kyoto

Vacation In Kyoto Day 1

by Donna Charles on Monday, April 5, 2010, at 6:48am

Vacation In Kyoto Day 1

I’m happy to be spending the rest of my vacation with my hubby. I want him to experience some of Japan with me. : -) Teresa’s sensei has us booked in Kyoto for 2 nights and then 2 nights in Hiroshima. Marlon booked us a night at Crown Plaza which is located right beside the Narita airport. We have our tickets to ride the bullet train (shinkansen) with reserved seats.  Thank goodness I would hate to have to stand with luggage while we are riding to Kyoto. Marlon had also contacted the front desk which helped us get one huge piece of luggage to the airport so we didn’t have to lug it around. GREAT I don’t know how we would have been able to carry the luggage easily on the trains.

We are packed and on our way, we did stop at McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich and some coffee. I was very happy when I walked in and saw a familiar face so early in the morning. The young girl smiled at me and said chicken taco. A light switch flipped on oh yeah I remember her she was our waitress who spoke some English. Such a sweet nice girl she was in there also with a guy who works at the chicken taco place. : -) We chatted and got our food and headed to find our shinkansen train headed to Kyoto. : -) Marlon has learned how to read the train schedules well which I am glad. I am not bad and think if I had to do it on my own I could.

Marlon and I are in Kyoto and it’s raining but what’s new were in Japan. Thank goodness we don’t have far to go our hotel is right across the street from the train station. Hotel Keihan Kyoto was a nice place and loved the location. We can’t wait to put our luggage in the room and take off for a new destination. We walked along the river where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom in the slight misty rain. Oh, the beauty of these flowers made me say awwwwww so pretty. I was so happy to reach the Gion district, I had done some research on this area and was hoping to get to go here. The geisha girls are supposed to be in this area a lot and I was hoping to see them. We made it to Gion Center where we found a geisha girl Cherry Blossom show that started April 1st. Lucky for us we are here for the first show, Marlon bought us 1st class tickets: -) Our seats were in the balcony yippee….. If I would not have seen anything else in Kyoto besides this geisha cherry blossom show I would have been happy. What a way to start our vacation together. : -) I’m so happy oh so happy……..: -)

After the show, we shopped and bought a few things to hang up in the condo when we return home. Later we searched for a place to eat spaghetti which was tasty with some garlic bread and wine. Walking along the river at night among the cherry blossom trees which were lit was an awesome sight to see. With the addition of the red hanging lanterns, you could imagine how beautiful this view was at night. Back to the hotel, shower and rest up for another day of adventure…….in Kyoto

Sayonara to Friends in Utsunomiyia

Sayonara to Friends in Utsunomiya.......

by Donna Charles on Monday, April 5, 2010 at 6:24am

My last day was spent with great people that I have got to know well since I have been in Japan. I hated so bad to see my friend Teresa get on the bus to CA, seeing her off this morning was very hurtful. I am happy though she is going to go see her son off to Afghanistan. The time she gets to spend with her son before he leaves will help her deal with the fact that she will not see him again till he arrives home. Hope this gives her heart some peace and happiness, thinking about you Teresa as I watch the bus for Narita airport take off with you in at. Sayonara my friends………….

The day was spent going to Oya, a small town with a giant stone Kannon and underground quarry that provided much of the greenish stone that distinguishes Utsunomiya's architecture. A lot of hotels, stores, places to eat have this stone within their premises which I find very interesting. The stone is used also to make various pots etc. I already have one pot that I have a bamboo tree in and its very nice. : -) We walked several feet within the underground quarry, now I had flip flops on and it got very cold in there the farther we went down. Can’t tell you how far we went down inside the quarry but there sure were a lot of steps. We made our way into the dimly lit quarry/cave and looked around and talked about the history of this place. I guess during the war they would hide their planes inside the quarry to keep the enemy from spotting them. Good idea never figured out how they got in and out of this place but then again we weren’t allowed to go into a lot of the areas.

Once we made our way outside the gift shop was close by so of course we had to go check out the place. Nobody bought anything but that’s OK it was nice just looking around.
Outside the gift shop down some steps I saw a huge Buddha made of oya stone. What an amazing sight, Becky and Sue had already been here so they knew what to expect. My mouth dropped open as I gazed up at this huge statue. Time to leave and I have wanted to go see Central Park so we take off to find it. Becky tries to find the park; we go over by the Art Museum but still cannot find the park. OH well if I make it back to Japan I will go there then. Becky wants to stop at the grocery to pick up a few things; she has invited hubby and I over for some good home cooked American food……….YUM YUM thank you Becky. ; -)

At Becky’s and Chris’s apartment Becky starts preparing the brownies which we are going to have for dessert tonight. Love it she has decided to top with some ice cream delish……. While she mixed up the brownies I entertained myself with watching a good Numbers show yippee in English again Yippee……….. TV in English is wonderful if I haven’t mentioned that yet. LOL
Becky poured me some chardonnay that I had purchased at the market delish I’m relaxing and having a great time watching one of my favorite shows.
Chris and Marlon have arrived and are happy to be done for the day, the car building is done and talk with the designers is done for now. Dinner was some great pot roast, potatoes and carrots………OMG so good……….: -) Thanks for being so thoughtful Becky and Chris. You helped make our trip wonderful.

Things I learned about Japan:
HOT washcloths delivered to U before you eat
Some Japanese language- when I think of the language I think of Sue…..do you remember the no thank you phrase? LOL
Girls in Utsunomiya love big false eye lashes, and after they leave for school roll their skirts as high as they can get them. Love to dress sexy…….

Food Utsunomiya is known for is gyoza which I love the taste of them.


Teresa Rick-blessing over the food before we eat……an .enter and exit sign in Kanji, tea ceremony is so important to Japanese history and it’s an honor to partake in this activity. Many adventures together thanks for making this adventurous, we so enjoyed spending our weekends with you as this gave Marlon an opportunity to see more of Japan he thanks you both so much. : -) Dressing in a kimono and getting me 3 Happy Coats was a blessing thanks I so wanted to do this. : -) I feel special that Teresa honored me with this activity. Loved Tochigi City and and having coffee at the coffee house so special, thanks for showing me the place to buy my sandals and my big toe socks LOL

Becky ~ learned that the walls around the homes show that is their property. Hotel Feel LOL now the history behind this building is secret……LOL big walls around building and gated. People go there to have sex secretly and the place is well hidden. I mean they even have curtains in front of their cars so when the gates are open and you can see in you can’t see their cars. LOL Belinda and I were lucky to have met you. Taking us to get massages and haircuts, pedi’s and nails done was so special we loved it all. Talk about treatment the Japanese culture treats their customers with so much respect. When you get a hair cut it’s not just a hair cut. You end up getting a head massage, both hands massaged and you back rubbed. These are just some of the things ……….oh yes I don’t want to forget that fabulous dinner.

Nobuku and Takahiro~ thanks for showing Marlon and I the kindness of the Japanese people. The trip to Mosiko and Mooka will be forever embedded in our minds and hearts. Meeting your family and getting to see the 430 year old house was spectacular. Your kindness and generosity was more than we could have ever asked for : -) I still can’t believe I got to sit at the potter’s wheel and make a sake glass!!!! Wow I would never have dreamed that I would get to do this. On top of that we got to purchase something from a famous potter who even the Prime Minister has some of Takashima’s pottery. OH yeah the strawberry farm was delish……. Those 8 quarts of strawberries did not go to waste they were eaten by many and loved. : -) loved meeting Nobuku for lunch with her friends so enjoyed our talk.

Belinda~ thanks for being such a great friend I so enjoyed the three weeks we were together on the Belinda and Donna Adventures will remember this forever........ your the best.......: -)

Day 30 Happy Coat Tobu Mall

Day 30 Happy Coat Tobu Mall

by Donna Charles on Tuesday, March 30, 2010 at 3:57am

It's Sunday and the weather is cool outside. Marlon and I ate the great tasting pastries from the French Bakery at the Rail road station. Rick and Teresa are going to meet us at the Fish bus stop where we will board the bus and go to the location of the Tobu Mall by Ori and Dori mall. I am happy we are going to finally go and get the Happy Coats that I have so wanted. : -) I think these coats are very pretty and desirable. I can't wait to wear them when I get home, I like them and think they are cute. : -)
While waiting at the Fish Bus Stop we saw some movie crew filming. There was a lady and a little boy whom were suppose to be at a train station leaving to go someplace. I watched and took a few pictures of a lady with her baggage standing at the top of the stairs bending down and talking to a little boy. During the review of the happenings around us Teresa and Rick showed up. The next thing we see and hear is a bus passing by us and saying something in Japanese that I couldn't understand. I asked Teresa what was going on and she told me to stay away from these people and this bus with the big microphones. They are mafia trying to change people's mind to go back to the old ways in Japan. Like why would they want to go back to old ways?

ON the fish bus and going to Tobu Mall and I'm excited and hoping we find some that I can buy for a cheap price. We are off the bus which only cost $1.50 to ride : -) Rick and Teresa are leading the way to Tobu Mall and we are going directly to the floor that has the Happy Coats on it. I am just so eager to see if they really have some cheap. When we entered the store we both stopped and looked at some socks that were on sale the white ones with the big toe separate. We both found a pair that fit. Teresa then took off to see if the Happy Coats were still on sale. YEA there are still here and on sale. I pick up a red one first with some black design in it. The minute i put it on it felt good on me i said this is MINE I love it. The price is right and I'm feeling good. I try on several others and decide to buy 3 of them : -) I told Marlon I want to buy him one silk Man's Happy Coat and I am paying so please try some on. He did not hesitate to bad and did as I had asked. The gentleman helped Marlon pick out a couple to try on and Marlon made his choice. I love his Happy Coat and could not believe that his cost 7 x's more than mine......... We take our purchases up to the counter and pay for them. Shopped around the grocery some and was feeling a little hungry, Teresa and I wait in line to buy a vanilla pudding filled fish cake. OMG they are just so tasty love them shared some of mine with my Man Marlon. ; -D

We are out of the Mall and have decided to head back to the hotel. We are all going to walk since its a nice day outside no rain. Teresa and Rick are going to walk on home Rick has to study for a test on Monday for Japanese. Marlon and I decided to walk around some more which we did go and look for something to buy Josh and Chris but did not find anything. We have not eaten lunch so have decided to just go back to hotel and snack then go early and eat dinner.
Dinner time we went to Sammy's 2 and Mila to girl that was working at Sammy's 1 was our waitress. We also talked to some guys from England while we were in there. The food was great and Marlon and I enjoyed ourselves. Mila and I exchanged email addresses and somehow I did not get hers? : -( hopefully I get to go back there and ask her for it again. We are home now and relaxing for the rest of the evening.

Day 29 Visit to Ushiku, Ibaraki Japan

Day29 Visit to Ushiku, Ibaraki Japan

by Donna Charles on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 8:54pm

I am excited as we get ready to leave for the day, we have no idea where we are going just the Rick and Teresa will be here to pick us up at 8am. : -) Life is good..........

Teresa's sensei is working on making arrangements for us to spend 2 days in Kyoto and 2 days in Hiroshima!! We are anxious for them to get here so we can find out if this is going to happen or not maybe too late to make arrangements. This timing is hard to find places to stay due to peak cherry blossom timing. They arrive on time and we are on our way to an unknown destination. Teresa tells us that her sensei will call if she has any questions about making the arrangements for us. As we start to travel down the road Teresa shares a book with us about where we are going today. We are going to Ushiku which is in Ibaraki about 2 hours away. On our way the sensei calls Teresa and has a few questions Teresa gives the phone to Marlon and he gives her the answers. Sounds like the sensei has found us places to stay in both locations. :-)

Almost at our destination and before we even get there we can see the Amida Buddha from a mile away. OMG it is very big ~tall. The Amida Buddha is in the Guineas World Book of Records for being the tallest bronze statue in the world. The Buddha is 120 meters tall.......... When we arrive the entrance is through a archway and a long sidewalk with nice scenery around to look at. Heading towards the Amida Buddha we are on our way to go up inside the Buddha which the distance we can go is the 5th floor at 85 meters high. The first floor contains The world of infinite light and life. The floor will be filled with reliefs of silence and mystery. ? We will see what that means? Second floor at 10 meters high is where you can copy the sutra with your heart for Amitabha Buddha if U believe in this. 3rd Floor at 30 meters is the golden world that has 3,300 images of Buddha. 4th floor/5th floors at 85 meters is the room of Mt. Grdhrakuta which is the name of the Indian Place remembered in connection with Buddha. There are windows at every four directions to view from.

Once we arrive at the back side of the Buddha there is a box with plastic bags in it asking you to remove your shoes before going into the Buddha. We do as instructed and go into the Buddha where a lady meets us of course with her shoes off also. The doors close and music starts playing and then the lights go off and its pitch black in this place sorta eery if you ask me. No one said anything complete silence minutes later the doors open to go into the Buddha. I am feeling kinda freaked out by this especially since i couldn't understand what she had said to us before all the doors closed up. YIKES..... Well the doors are open and a spot light is on a gold Buddha and Buddha's are lined along both sides of the walls. We all walk in and look around the room and then enter a hallway that reminds me something from a star trek movie. Colored lights are shining making the path dimly lit to get to the elevator we are hoping. Finally the elevator is in sight to go to the 2nd floor, there is a lady standing by the elevator waiting for our arrival. : -0 Heading up to the 3rd floor now.

We are now on the 3rd floor and this place is suppose to represent the pure land. It is the golden world because thats all i can see is gold color everywhere in the room. There are 3,300 Buddha's on the wall inside gold boxes. Stunning sight to see..........People can hold memorial services in this room for the dead. Now on to the 4th and 5th.

There are windows located in all 4 directions to look out. Its amazing I am this high up in the air and for the first time I do not feel fear of heights ? I observed out all the windows at the beauty outside. The flower gardens are starting to bloom and the sun is shining making this a great day to be out sightseeing with friends. ; -D The 4th/5th floors are as high up in the Buddha guests are allowed to go.

We are going back down the elevator now and out on floor one there is an observation deck outside. We all put our shoes on and take a look outside around the place. Again beauty is all around us, this place is just like most of the other places we have been to. They are tucked within a woods off the main drag which makes sightseeing in Japan so fascinating. I am having the time of my life here!!

We are going to Kagami Crystal Glass Company. We are hoping to get a tour of the glass factory which was founded in 1934. This company is Japan's first crystal glass factory. This glass company makes the crystal for the Imperial House, the State Guesthouse and its Japanese annex building. This glass company has such high quality that it is the only glass used in the Japanese embassies and consulates around the world . I am excited to be here and hope i can buy a small piece of this fine crystal. : -)

We look inside the store of the glass company and OMG the crystal is out of my ball park wow. Rick talks to one of the gentlemen who work there and hooks us up with a tour of the factory. GREAT we went out to the car and snacked to curb our appetite so we could go on the tour at 1pm. The gentlemen started out showing us the glass museum which has several pieces of crystal made by the founder of the company Kozo Kagami. The beautiful crystal in this museum is so precious, so beautiful and again I am standing with my mouth open that I have even been honored to be inside this building. The gentleman than proceeds to take us into the factory. The skill these men have is something that they have worked very hard to master. All the glass is fired and blown by people there are no robots doing this process. This to me is what makes this glass so different than any other. During the tour one of the gentlemen working gave Teresa and I a small piece of the glass that had a pretty cord wrapped around it. WOW we both could not believe this happened. We thanked the man many times of his generosity.
The gentleman giving us the tour took us into a special room where there are only 6 machines and 6 glass masters used to sit. Now they are down to 2 because of the economy. There are only 6 masters in Japan and they at one time had the honor of all 6 working there. Anything these masters make are even more money. The art that is placed within the glass in of course all hand done and is a beautiful piece of art. Again what an honor to be in this room the 2 guys were not working Sat when we were there. The tour of now over and we are back in the glass shop where we are looking again to find something we can afford to buy.

I mentioned to the gentleman if they had any cherry blossoms designed glass that I had seen in the area where the masters were working? There was not any on the floor but they did come back with some pieces that the master had finished and signed the boxes that he made them along with the stamp on the bottom of the glass. You can tell this company's glass the art work in the glass is phenomenal. I won't say how much we paid but Teresa and I both got a small glass with cherry blossoms on it and I am as happy as I can be this is just so beautiful. Hope when the kids inherit this they don't put it in a garage sale. LOL

Lunch time and we are headed to our next destination which is an FARM? We have to pay to get in and we are on a mission to find something good to eat. Once we went inside this place where you cook your own food on a grill we all said YES lets eat here. We picked out 3 different meats, sausage links and some veggies to grill. Marlon and I went next door to buy some rolls for our dinner. WE each had our own grill and sat down and put our big bibs on so no grease could spat on us. : -) We look so cute !!!! LOL

Lunch was great, the guys done most of the grilling life is good. I love my hubby so much I thank him so much for making this trip happen for me. He is the first one to ever bring his wife with him I feel so special that he jumped through hoops to make me be the first wife to go with their spouse to Japan. Toured around the place and left to head home been a long day and we still have a 2 hour drive back home. Before we left Teresa bought us a beverage to try sorta tasted like Sprite very good but the odd thing was how it had to be opened and then once opened there was a marble in the bottle of the neck that rolled around. NO the marble would not come out of the opening that you drink from. LOL

Before Rick took us back to our hotel he stopped at Coco's and we ate dinner which was delish love this place great food and dessert. :O LOL Back at hotel and relaxing now ......... had some wine and cheese and crackers to top the night off.

Day 28 Art Museum

Day 28 Art Museum

by Donna Charles on Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 9:40pm

Another adventure another day..........

took my 3 letters to my grandsons to the post office but it wasn't open till 9am, I still have 10 minutes to wait. I'm hungry so i go next door to 7~11 and get a can of coffee and a danish. By the time I am done paying for my stuff and head back to post office it is open. Take my letters in and give them to the postman and since I have been in there alot they know me and knew it went to USA. She put it on the scales and total was $3.50 paid her and headed back to hotel. Sat down with my coffee and danish and read the American Newspaper for Utsunomiya. By the time i was done reading the news paper and finished my danish Teresa was outside waiting on me.

Hoped in the car which i still can't get used to, getting in on the drivers side which in Japan is the passenger side. LOL We head off to Osonogowa's house to pick her up but when we get there we weren't suppose to be there till 11. Osongowa gets in with us and we are headed to FDK Mall so Teresa can get money out of ATM for the weekend. Teresa had remembered that I had never been to Mr. Donut and we still had time before we had to meet the other Japanese ladies at the Art Museum. We decided that we would go to Mr. Donut's to kill some time. YUM YUM they were delicious. : -)

Time to go to museum, the Art Museum is located within a very beautiful surroundings. Lots of trees and a remote location. Met the ladies inside the Art Museum, most of them can speak some English which makes communication a little easier. The display of Art today was a collection from OHARA. We went through the Art Museum together and the ladies were knowledgeable about Art and explained some the paintings to us. Its lunch time and we are going to Visconti's for lunch which is an Italian place.

The food is being given to all of us and was very good. Just one thing to mention I ordered lasagna and all it was is a bowl which had melted cheese on top and was still bubbling. Very nice browning on top; first bite just cheese no noodle? Next bite same? whats up with this no noodles in lasagna? Basically I had a bowl of hot cheese which needless to say was not so good. There are no cows in our location of Japan so therefore the cheese or what they call cheese is not even close in flavor or texture. The spaghetti everyone else ordered was fine, was expecting some garlic bread also but that didn't happen either. Everything was good for Japanese food LOL

We all separate and go our own ways, Teresa said we are now going to Central Park. The weather is not looking good the sky is dark. We make it to the park and Teresa gets out her umbrella its starting to sprinkle rain. She wants me to get a few pictures at the park, once we round the corner through a grove of trees the sight is beautiful. A pond is in sight with shooting fountains located in several spots around the pond. : -) its raining now even harder so we get a few pictures and head back to car. Teresa's umbrella is only made for one and there are 3 of us trying to stay dry and that is not happening. We all hurry back to car and by now its pouring LOL Finally we are in the car and laughing that we are so wet. When we left the park we saw lightening and heard thunder. Teresa said she has not heard or seen lightening for a long long time. It shocked me also strange thing is one bolt of lightening and on crack of thunder and that was it no more.

Dropped off Onogowa and now Teresa is taking me home. We have planned to go to dinner tonight at a Chinese Place called the Big Menu. When Marlon gets home we get ready to meet Rick and Teresa. It has stopped raining but is cold outside. : -( The restaurant looks very nice and we all go in all of us walked to get there. I ordered chicken fried rice and hot and sour soup. I got the fried rice but the chicken was given to me on a plate? Crispy chicken thighs which I did not care for i don't like dark meat. The hot and sour soup was egg drop soup with pepper oil poured in it. Marlon liked the soup and I hated it. This is not my day for food, I ate my rice with my chop sticks which by the way am pretty good with them. Walking home and chatting about our last week in Japan, we are thinking about spending 2 days in Kyoto and 2 days in Hiroshima, Teresa's sensei is working on making us some travel arrangements. We will see tomorrow if this is going to happen. We are suppose to meet up with Yuri again in Tokyo but if plans get changed then I don't know if this will happen. We may be able to meet for dinner before we leave as we will go to a hotel close to Narita airport for our flight out the next morning.

Day 27 with Utsugi

Day 27 Dinner With Utsugi

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 7:42pm

My day has started off wonderful...........yippee Becky is picking me up and taking me to get a pedicure at Bell Mall. She arrives on schedule and we are on our way, what a dreary day its raining!! What better way to spend a rainy day than with a friend shopping?

Our arrival at the mall and we are heading to set up my pedi. ON the way we stopped at a store Becky was looking for some kind of pillow for a friend. She had forgot her phone in the car and I stayed in the store trying on watches. I need a watch my friend Belinda went home and she always had the watch so I didn't need one. By the time Becky gets back I have picked out a watch with a nice pink band. : -) and paid for it. Better get moving to get the pedi scheduled for today. The mall is packed with people mostly school age kids. All children are on Spring break this week and since its raining choose the mall as the place to hang out.

We have reached Aprodities hair salon and Becky is requesting appointment for today for pedi. Bummer no appointments left for today. No problem Becky just made it for Monday at 1pm

It was lunch time so we went to the food court and everyday is challenge for me to decide what to eat. Becky got something that looked like a pancake. I tried it but was not my favorite so this is NOT what I had for lunch. Becky said several NATG ladies would be here today and are coming to the food court to meet us. Teresa showed up and we decided to get a meal and split it. She shows me this pink shirt she bought and believe it or not I had looked at that same shirt. Also while heading to the food court I had found these awesome pink sandals which would match the shirt. : -) Funny how we have the same taste : -0

Stood around looking for what I wanted to eat for lunch Teresa explained what the foods were to me and finally choose a Korean dish. Rice dish was served in a extremely hot iron dish set inside a wooden box tray. The raw egg sitting on top of the rice, kimchee, and what ever else was in there was not that appealing. I hate runny eggs let alone raw eggs. One of Becky's Japanese friends was sitting at the table when we got back and she said to take the 2 spoons and stir it up and the iron will cook the egg. Have to believe she knows what shes talking about. I did as she said and YES it cooked up very fast and the rice in the bowl got very hot. She also told me to push the rice mixture up on the sides of the iron bowl which will make it crispy. You can guess once I put the first spoonful in my mouth I loved it really the mixture was great....... Teresa and I enjoyed our Korean dish and ate it all up. : -0

Some more NATG ladies showed up and we moved to a bigger table so we all could sit down. We all chatted together getting to know one another. I am ready to shop so Becky and I take off and shop in some stores there. I am so enjoying this mall with Becky its a nice mall with many shops and things to do and eat. I wanted to buy something that would fit in an envelope for my grandsons so they could receive something from Japan. Becky had the perfect idea and took me to that store to look. When she showed me these cards that pop out I was happy perfect gift. The boys can set them on their dressers in their rooms. PERFECT gift thanks Becky great idea. Nice to run around with someone who lives here they have bought for their own grandchildren and know where things are. I didn't have to spend hours shopping in and out of stores she just took me to the one i wanted to find but couldn't on my own. Its great because this month is boys month to celebrate life. Last month was girls month. After that I wanted some coloring books and needed 3 more and maybe an activity book for the 9 year old. Becky knew where to go again and directed me to the store that we needed to go to. : -) I'm set with all the goods I wanted to find.

Becky and I decided its time for a Starbucks. : -) On our way to Starbucks I did stop and get those pink sandals: -) and then made our way to Starbucks. Becky called Teresa to tell her we were there but no answer. Starbucks has a new frapachino drink called honey orange. Sounds great I bought Becky and I one and we sat down to rest and chat. Teresa showed up right when we sat down they were getting something to drink also. After we all finished our drinks including some other NATG women who found their way to Starbucks we decided to take a walk. Teresa bought a fish shaped cake that had vanilla pudding in it. OMG so so so so good, she shared with Becky and i and the little boy she was pushing around in a stroller.

Time to head home now, Becky drops me off back to the hotel, today was a very social day meeting new people. More new friends love it. : -)

Malon gets home at 6:30 yippee and we are to meet Utsugi in the lobby. Utsugi is here on time and yes its still raining and very cold outside. Walking in the rain is not my favorite thing to do. By the time we go to the train station and find out the place he wanted to go was closed for renovation for a week I was already cold. : -( Then we walked another 2 miles to another place to eat, I was frozen my feet and hands felt numb and I even had on gloves. Anyways we are here and the place looks inviting. We go down some steps into a nicely lit place to eat. Utsugi orders all kinds of food and we began eating. He also ordered us all drinks, guys got big beers and I got a salty dog. Next round minus the salt and just bring the dog and the girl laughed. We toasted to a long lasting friendship and clicked our glasses together and we all said cumpie............said just as I wrote. Utsugi proceeds to get out a big box he had been carrying and handed it to me, gift. :-D I opened the big box and within it was a doll which is not the typical doll you would think of. Now from what I understand from Utsugi this is generally given to the first borns girl on girls day by the grandparents. I don't actually know why i got this gift but it is beautiful and unique. when I opened the gift my mouth fell open as you will see in the pictures LOL............. I got choked up and gave Utsugi a hug and told him to tell his wife thanks for the beautiful gift. We finished eating and Utsugi said Donnasan I want to buy you a plum sake drink which is his and his wives favorite also. I love plum sake so delish..........sweet no alcohol taste. Finished and are heading out....we told Utsugi he was welcome to come to Ohio and bring his wife and stay with us for a visit. Maybe when he retires this will happen. Don't know if we will ever see him again as the project he was on that put him and Marlon together is over and he will be assigned to something else. I will miss Utsugi as we have become close friends while he was in Ohio living by us for 3 months and while i have been here in Japan. He walked us to the curb and we hugged again and waved at each other. We even turned back around to look at him and he had done the same bye bye Utsugi.........wave.............

Day 26 Tea Ceremony

Day 26 Tea Ceremony

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:50am

Today i feel excited I'm going with Teresa to watch her and her tea ladies do a tea ceremony. I do some laundry to keep my self busy till 10 till 10 when I am suppose to meet Teresa at the bus stop with the fish on it. Called and talked with a couple of my grandkids and wrote them letters and sent BB a paper Japanese doll that's dressed in a kimono and Josh a pack of Pokemon trader cards. Kay my sister in law has not been well and we wanted to send her something from Japan. I had bought a handkerchief from the flower park we had went to this past weekend. The handkerchief has beautiful wisteria on it which is a flower that Kay likes. : -) I got up to go to post office quickly before my laundry was going to be done. I stood up and noticed that there was a red light blinking on the phone. Didn't know if the phone always did that and i just now noticed it or not. Decided better call front desk and ask them. Called them and had to tell 3 people before someone answered my question. Come to find out someone had left coffee for me. Hummmmmmmmmmm???? I went down to pick it up and didn't know if I heard them wrong, or it was a cold cup of coffee that Marlon brought them to give me at 6:30 this morning or exactly what i was going to get when they gave it to me. The minute the front desk girls seen me they handed out a container of Taster's Choice decaff coffee ???? I ask them who dropped it off and they didn't know. Things that make you say HUMMMMMMMM????? The container has been opened and used so I don't know but I took it back to my room and picked up the letters to go mail.

I walked all 3 of the letters to the post office and mailed them off. : -) Hope all are happy when they receive them. I had to hurry back and get laundry out of dryers and folded getting close to time to go to bus station. Brought my umbrella looks like rain. ; -(

While waiting for Teresa thought I'd go quickly to the train station and get me a latte. I no my way around some so no problem. Got my latte and as I was waiting for it to be made I noticed that they had toast. OMG I'm thinking I don't have time to get back in line and order that because I don't have that much time. Guaranteed come in the morning i will have a piece of that thick sliced toast with butter. YUM YUM......: -D

Get back to the bus stop and Teresa is not there yet but soon after I got there I saw her coming out of the train station. We chat for a minute then the fish bus pulls up and we take our ticket and get seated. When the bus drops us off Teresa guides us to her sensei's house which isn't far from the bus stop.

We get to her house and go inside but not before taking our shoes off and leaving them at the door. Upon entering her home I notice she has decorated in traditional style Japanese with low tables and tatomi mats for flooring which is how all homes are measured. The size of a totomi mat is uniform so when you tell someone how big your home is you actually tell them how many totomi mats wide an long it is. Once inside we are greeted and Teresa gives me a present to give to her sensei I should have thought about bringing a gift but I didn't thank Goodness Teresa covered my butt. : -D

We talked and then her sensei invited us into the living room where we sat on the floor on cushions, there was a low table which we sat under that had a beautiful quilt under the table that laid on top of your legs. Now this is really neat, the minute I put my legs under the blanket I could feel heat. Wow I lifted up the blanket to get a closer look and there was a heater in the floor and you could put you legs down far enough to not have to sit on them. GREAT love this idea, met her husband who has been retired for one year and seems to be loving it. We talked for a while and then got up because the ladies had things ready to start the tea ceremony. I was directed to take a seat on a bench by the which was located on the right side of her. I sat down and was quiet and just observed what was going on around me. Boy talk about feeling nervous when I have no idea what is going to happen next or what if anything I will be doing.

During the ceremony I was brought a tray that had 3 pieces of candy on them shaped in beautiful shapes filled with bean paste. I used the chop sticks on the tray and picked up the one that looked like a bird. I sat it down beside me and was told to pick up the tea napkin in my left hand and use the wooden pick to cut it with and eat it. Well of course I was nervous all eyes on me, and I picked up the napkin with the pretty bird and about dropped the bird. It went into the air and I caught it, OMG that really did not happen did it. Well yes it did and I could say was sorry, sensei said good catch and the ceremony went on. I was directed to eat the birdie and while i was doing that one of the ladies was making my green tea by going through what seemed like 50 steps before Teresa brought over the cup. She sat in front of me and I took the cup from her turning it twice so the print on the bowl was facing me. I was then told you drink it in 3 drinks then hand it back. I did as I was told thank goodness my turn is over wow.........

This ceremony continues until all ladies have made a cup of green tea for everyone in room. Sensei's grand daughter who is 2 is learning the tea ceremony also. She did not make tea of course but she did the pastry part!! We are all done with the ceremony which lasted about 2 hours.

Its lunch time now and we are ordering lunch out. Choice was odon noodles or rice with chicken and onion. Teresa and I both ordered the rice dish and Teresa paid for it. The doorbell is ringing and they answer the door its the delivery man with the food. OMG he has these beautiful dishes on a wooden tray and the ladies start bringing the bowls in and sitting them on the table:each bowl had another bowl on top to keep the food warm. : -) I still can't believe the delivery service brings your food in glass bowls and also the chop sticks. Life is Good!!! We all finally sit down and eat the table looks so lovely with all the nice things they put out when setting the table. All together we sit down Japanese style and eat our rice/noodles with our chopsticks. Company is great as is the food : -) afterwards we have green tea and the cakes with bean paste in them that Teresa gave me to give to sensei. During our tea the guy came back to pick up the bowls how cool is that?

Its time to put on the kimono now and the sensei directs me to the sunroom where she is going to put my hair up. She proceeds to put all my hair up and use some pretties in it also. ; -) Hair is all up and looking good. I now am putting on the undergarment which looks like a house robe. She points in the direction of the other room and tells me to take off my pants in which I did. I am now standing in front of all the ladies and being dressed in the kimono. WOW there are lots of elastic bands and belts holding this thing together in its proper place. Finally I am fully dressed in the kimono and can hardly breath everything is tightly placed and looks like a sensei dressed me. The band around my waist is beautiful as is the bow she has made in the back of the kimono.

Lots of pictures were taken and afterwards;I was asked by the sensei about my experience of today. I told her and got choked up. I know its hard to understand but my emotions were running wild. I honestly felt so honored to be her and get to see this special tea ceremony and just be with this group of women. I talked the best I could to tell them how much i appreciated all they done for me. : -)

I got the kimono taken off and am now dressed in the clothes I came in. Forgot to mention that its raining so hard you can hear it hitting off the roof of the house. So glad I brought my umbrella gonna need it to get to the bus stop. Teresa and i head to the bus stop and hope we can make it there before the bus leaves. We both put up our umbrellas and walk swiftly towards the bus stop. We see the bus already at the stop and pray he waits for us. Lucky us he waits for us and we are now on board the bus tired and out of breath from running. Nice we are on the bus and smiling that we are warm and dry. Teresa and I are at the fish bus stop where we got on at and we are heading in different directions to get home. We hug each other and part our separate ways.


At hotel waiting on Marlon he doesn't come home till 7:30 and we are to meet in the lobby at 8pm to go eat dinner with the group. I guess Utsugi is going to eat dinner with us Thursday!! I can't wait as I really like him !!! Tonight we went and ate uakitori with our group; had a wonderful time. Walked home and am now back in the hotel and out of the rain. End to a great day : -)

Day 25 Visit to 100 Caves

Day 25 Visit to 100 Caves

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:52am

Teresa picked me up at the JR Train station and we headed to visit the 100 caves. The caves are a hard location to find until you find them LOL........... I think it was 119 road that you can see them from. I had never noticed them being there until now. Teresa found our way to them and got out of car, I was amazed about these caves especially the history of them.

There was a bus load of seniors there also which Teresa was able to talk with one of them. : -) I climbed up the stairs and made my way over to one of the caves. I am so curious the Japanese during World War 11 had hid in these caves and lived there. They chiseled Buddha's in rock and each home has a different Buddha. This amazes me that people actually lived in these holes/caves they had made. I went into several of them and yes I had to duck down but the cave they built didn't go back very far. Guess you need to be able to keep an eye on what is going on outside.
After exploring some of the caves we then trucked on up to the top of the stairs which opened up into a big woods. There was a a cement shrine at the top of the hill which is the beginning to the woods. We When we got to the top and walked a few feet there was a drop off which scared the bee gee bees out of me. Here I am standing on the edge and looking down into this beautiful area filled with trees and rock and water stream. ; -D This is a place to come and relax so peaceful. We then ventured on around the hole in the ground and came upon 4 small cement Buddha shrines. You can tell they have been there a long time, maybe the people that used to live in the caves built them I don't know but that would make sense.
We came upon a huge lot of bamboo trees with some other tree mixed in with them. The green leaves were very bright GREEN and the leaves were so soft it was truly breathtaking. Took some photos then headed back down the hill. The cherry blossoms are really starting to pop and this also excites me the beauty and aroma that they bring is wonderful. At the bottom of the hill was a big shrine made of cypress. someone had broken out some windows so i took a picture of what was inside the shrine.

Time to leave the caves and try and find Central Park. Teresa tried hard to find but we could not so instead she took me to Bell Mall where I could shop at Uni Qlo which is somewhat like Old Navy notice i said somewhat. The sizing is not like USA everything is basically made small there also : -( I tried on several shirts but the arms were too small, very disappointed as i finally thought i had found a store that had clothes to fit me. I did find a vest and and a short sleeved sweater to fit me which is great because at least I got something that I wanted. : -) Bought a shirt for my cousin while I was there; hope he likes it.

Time to go home tired and want to be at home before Marlon gets home from work. Marlon got home at 8pm. We ate dinner with some VQD people and had a wonderful time.

Day 24 Tobu World Tour/ Dr. Fish/Cracker Factory

Day 24 Tobu World Tour/Dr. Fish/Cracker factory

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:48am

Becky and Sue came and picked me up at hotel around 11am. I was waiting on them and ready to leave. They tell me i can make a choice whether I want to go to Tobu World Square or not. Sounded like they wanted to go and I don't mind sounds good to me. Am excited about being with my friends again. Enjoy spending time with Becky and Sue. Both of them are sweet people and I am lucky I know them both. :-D I have copied some information about the world Square just so you know what i went to see there.


Tobu is located at 209-1, Ohara, Kinugawa Onsen, Nikko-shi, Tochigi-ken. Tobu World Square is a theme park with miniature recreations of the world's historic relics and architecture.
The park is roughly divided into six zones (Modern Japan, America, Egypt, Europe, Asia, and Japan) where detailed recreations (1/25 size) of 45 World Heritage Sites including Egypt's three great pyramids, the Parthenon, and Rokuon-ji Golden Pavilion as well as the Empire State Building and other famous buildings of the world (approximately 100 in total) are found.
Approximately 140,000 miniature dolls each about seven centimeters in height stand around the architecture to make the exhibits look as real as possible.

Toured around all the exhibits and now its lunch time. We have finished looking through the shops and saw all world exhibits and are ready to leave.

Stopped on our way to Flowers and green paradise Nikko 花Ichimonme,Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture. Had lunch at Canon an Italian restaurant food was great but very expensive. Time to get to the Flower place where we will meet Dr. Fish.

upon our arrival at the flower paradise the place is pretty big and doesn't look busy at all lucky for us. When we walk in I hear Sue making noises about what she is seeing, I walk in and see all the huge begonia plants hanging from the ceiling of the building. They were beautiful, breathtaking and now i know what made Sue make those noises the beauty of all those huge flowers.


We decided that visiting Dr. Fish would be the first thing we do when we get in there so we went to sign up and pay our money. I leaned over the pool of fish and inside was about a 1,000 fish. I still paid my $3 which in America cost approx.$45. I also bought a towel for $1 to dry my feet when done. There was already a Mom and daughter with their feet in the pool of fish and it didn't seem to bother them at all..... I took my socks and shoes off and so did Sue. :I am very nervous about doing this i hate fish touching me its a freak out I have when i get in the ocean or lake. I turned around on my bottom and put my feet in the fish pool first and the first fish that touched my feet I screamed because it scared me so bad when they started attacking my feet. YIKES Becky said its ok Donna and then Sue put her feet in and felt the sensation that I felt and she was not quiet either. LOL the video will show you our reactions. I am so glad that Becky took us here because this is something i would never have done on my own. Great idea Becky for thinking of doing this trip to Dr. Fish. We toured around the green house. There is also a place to buy things to eat and a nice area set up under all those hanging baskets to sit and enjoy lunch. There is also a pool which has flowers floating all over it and table and chairs set out by it. you can also eat your lunch sitting by the pool, beautiful place to spend some time and enjoy lunch there. : -) Becky Sue and I are having a great time together, so nice to have such wonderful friends while here in Japan. We all shopped and then it was time to leave this tropical paradise.

Again we are all in the car and headed to the cracker factory. Now I have no idea of what to expect when we get there. The cracker factory is not far from the flower paradise location. The place is a big purple building very interested in what goes on within the building. Becky took Sue and I inside and there are lots of tables set up with a variety of crackers on each table. They have samples set out of each type of cracker they sell. We all got so full on sampling those crackers. Needed some coffee so Becky took us over to the machine where you could get a cup for FREE. WE sat down at tables they had set up and sipped our coffee. : -) Becky told us that she wanted to take us to watch them actually make the crackers. She proceeded to take us upstairs to watch the production of making crackers. Thanks again Becky for a beautiful trip around Japan!!! I appreciate everything all my friends are doing for me to make this a trip I will NEVER forget. ; -D

I'm home now and Marlon did not arrive home till 8pm, he wanted to go out and grab a bite. We ran into Bill and Clement and they invited us to have dinner with them we wasn't going to but thought why not we don't want to walk around finding some place to eat so lets eat at la Pausa which is cheap and good food. Dinner was great as usual and I enjoyed our conversations while eating dinner. I even got 1/2 of Bills potato salad I love it!!! LOL

Day 23 Visit ot a Famous Pottery/ Mashiko and Mooka

Day 23 Visit to a Famous Pottery/Mashiko and Mooka

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:54am

The day is beginning with a danish from the famous Frommer D'OR with a nice cup of coffee. I am so excited about meeting our new Japanese friends Nobuko and Takahiro. They are picking us up at 10am and were there exactly on time. I am so happy to see them and look forward to spending the day with them.

We know that we are headed to Mashiko and can't wait to get to this famous pottery town. On our way Noboko asks me if i like purple and I said yes purple is my birthstone. She hands a beaded necklace to her son Takahiro who gives me this beautiful necklace. Wow its beautiful and matches my outfit i have on perfectly. I tell her many times how much I like the necklace. I could not find a necklace that I brought that went with my outfit but thanks to her i now have one. Thanks to Noboko. ; -)

As we arrive into town we pass several pottery places. It seems like she is looking for something else maybe she wants to take us to first. I know they are turned around because they are using the map and had to make a phone call. Can't speak Japanese so don't have any idea as to what they are talking about. They are looking for another destination just don't know what it is. We finally pull in to this very narrow lane where a Japanese guy is standing and pull in and go down the lane. The Japanese guy then follows behind and makes his way to his home where he goes in. I am confused on what we are doing but it looks like we are visiting him. Nobuko then tells us this is her Mom's cousin and we are here to visit him. We all get out and I find out this is Takahiro's first time to be here also. We go up to this Traditional Japanese home where a bonsai tree is propped up over the sidewalk wow this place is breathtaking. Before we reached the main house there were 2 rows of beautifully trimmed bonsai trees that lined each side of the sidewalk just like you see on the movies really. There were hundreds of VERY TALL bamboo trees behind his house and beautiful flowers and flowering trees everywhere.

We finally make it up to the house where the front has 2 big doors that are open and he is sitting at a tradition table on the floor and the room is breathtaking. Looks just like an old traditional Japanese home. Pictures taken will never do this place justice. The table was low and pillows were placed on the floor to sit on. The decorations in the home was minimal but what he had were authentic; the flowers within his home were so well maintained. Again we must remember his home is 430 years old with much of the things in it passed down from generations. I take my shoes off and enter the home I start to sit down on the end but he motions me to sit on other side of table up by him. ; -) I take my seat and the others follow. He proceeds by pouring us each a cup of green tea and hands it to each of us. The flowers in the elongated dish make this home so happy and peaceful to be within it. Noboku talks with her cousin, Takahiro translates some of the conversation; which at the moment is about the rice paper doors on the home and how they are very very old. The design on the doors are gorgeous. Mr. Takeshi told a story about 2 pieces of pottery that he cherishes in his home. His wife died around 5 years ago and was a potter also. After she died he found the small vase on the edge of the table by him (white flower in it) at an pottery store and knew it was her's. She had a special design that only she made and he bought the small vase. Then he found one more piece of her pottery which looked just the little one on the table but on a much larger scale. He then told us he missed his wife very, very much. : -( We sipped our tea and he brought out the square wooden box that had a calligraphy brush in it and bottles of liquids. He had a small piece of metal and poured a small of amount of liquid from each bottle onto this block in the box. He then took the metal object and started mixing it up spreading it thin on the block. There was a card also in the box which he removed and put on the table and wrote his name on it and handed it to me, no facial reaction at all. I told him thank you very much.

He motioned for us all to get up and he went out side and showed each building on the property and what was in each one. The first building was a round building which was a 430 year old Cask house (traditional Tea Party house). I did not get very good picture of inside of house and wish I would have. : -(

Next stop was to see the climbing kiln which was used wood for heat to start the kiln. This of course is a technique that is rarely used its so hard to control the temp within the kiln. Mr. Takeshi then showed us another kiln which was huge with a door on the front that reminded me of a bank vault door, this is the kiln they use the most. But once a year they use the climbing kiln and alot of the local potters come to watch the start up of the climbing kiln.

Next stop was a building that contained many potted flowers, so beautiful........ there were lots of tools to prune his bonsai trees and misc pots sitting around. Next is to finally find out what the round building is? I am so curious Mr. Takeshi proceeds to tell us that this building used to be called a CASK house which is an old traditional style Tea Party. He opened the door and the only thing in there was a round table and pillows around the table to sit on.

Now the building made out of oya stone housed his museum of fine arts that he has made or was gifted to him. Wow when you walk in and see the beautiful pieces of pottery that is ART you feel so honored to be even in the same room with the owner Mr. Takeshi. All the pottery is made of ash and clay from Mashiko Japan. We all are very, very careful as we make our way around the room admiring every piece of pottery. The prime minister of Japan has some of Mr. Takeshi's pottery there is a picture of the prime minister up on the wall standing by 2 huge beautiful pots made by Mr. Takeshi. I feel like I have been blessed to get to meet such a talented man in pottery. ; -)

Mr. Takeshi took us into the warehouse next where there was housed many items that needed finished. Then onto another building at the bottom of the hill that was where the pottery wheel was at. Out of no where a young guy appears whom is a 4th generation Sekizawa and he follows us inside the Pottery Wheel room. He takes a piece of the clay and man handles it with all of his might and makes a design within the clay. Wow we are all so impressed with him already. LOL He then pounds on the block of clay and forms yet another design within the clay we all stand there amazed at the speed he can do this in. He jumps onto the seat located in front of the pottery wheel and places a big piece of clay on it. The next thing that happens is he wets both of his hands in the bucket of water and wraps his hands around the blob of clay. I stand and watch how he handled the clay like he was the master telling the clay what he wanted it to do. Within 5 minutes he had massaged the clay and made a cup. He massaged the clay some more and within minutes he had made a saucer for the cup to sit in. We are all standing there with our mouths open in amazement at the speed he just made those two items.

Mr. Takeshi tells the young man to get up and ask me if I wanted to try the pottery wheel. I say YES and sit down on the seat. Well no experience except what I'd just seen the young man do i knew i needed to get my hands wet to mold the clay. I molded the clay the best I could but I broke the cup I was making from the lump of clay, He told me to throw away and I did. I started to get up from the wheel but he said NO try again. I got my hands wet again and started all over with the lump of clay. All eyes are on you and i felt under pressure to perform. I let myself relax and massaged the clay forming the shape of the cup then the young man made his hands move the way I needed to mine. I watched his hands and tried my best with the wheel turning to do as directed. I needed to thin out the walls of the cup and looked over and he was showing me how to move my hands. What a teacher very good without speaking a word. i completed my cup and the young man only had to smooth out the rim of the cup and cut from the lump of clay my piece he then sat my piece right beside his 2 and if I say so myself I did a good job for my first time. : -) I got cleaned up and we left to go back and get our car and leave for lunch in Mashiko. This will be an experience that i will never forget as long as I live. Thanks to Noboko for making this wonderful event happen. : -)

We went into town and found a place to eat, Takahiro explained the menu to us and we all picked what we would like to have for lunch. We ate lunch and talked about the wonderful experience at Mr. Takeshi's home and how we wanted to buy a piece of his pottery. Noboko said she would call him and see if he had any for sale. She got his phone number and finally got through to him he said he would sell us some pottery. I am on top of the world as is my hubby. ; -) Noboko then told me that they would follow and I could go anyplace within the town I wanted. We first shopped right there where we had eaten, Noboko bought me some handmade coasters that have cherry blossoms on them wow so beautiful thanks so much Noboko your the best : -) Marlon and I went into a few shops and i bought something for Jammie and something for myself. We did not want to spend much money because we wanted to spend our money at Mr. Takeshi's.

Noboko said lets leave and go to his house and we were all on our way to the car. Now on the way we see this big statue of a raccoon. I start laughing so hard as I see the private part of the raccoon sticking out, why? I don't know but it sure is funny they say the raccoon brings happiness looks to me like he already found his happiness LOL

We are in the car and headed back to Mr. Takeshi's. We all get out of the car and he is waiting for us in front of the museum. He takes us in and we start to look around to make this shorter he does not want to sell anything except some tea cups we decided this is better than nothing we have something that he has made and we feel good about that. We pay him $7 a piece for the cups and he wraps them up very good for packing to take back to USA. Marlon and I are happy with our purchases and ready to leave. Good bye Mr. Sekizawa hope our paths may cross again some day. : -)

In the car and Noboko tells us we are going to the sake house where we will learn how they make it and sample the sake they have for sale. When we arrive the place has a large wall surrounding it and there are 2 people standing out front and a policeman. They all help us get across the street and enter the sake house. Noboko takes us to the factory first and show us the big drum that houses the sake, we see the big paddles that they use to stir it with. The process of making sake has a hand drawn display of how sake is made, very interesting as Noboko explains the process to all of us with some interpretation from Takahiro.

We leave that building and start our way to sample the sake. Noboko had already set it up for us before we all got there. Even Takahiro enjoyed the tasting with us : -) Noboko did not touch the alcohol if you get caught driving in Japan while intoxicated they take your license for LIFE. We all enjoyed the sake tasting. Marlon and i bought 3 bottles of sake 2 which were strawberry flavored and only have this time of year and 1 bottle of plum sake which also is seasonal flavor. I like plum best. ; -)

We leave the sake house and are now on our way to Mooka to meet Noboko's friends that own their own strawberry farm. ; -) Noboko's friends are very sweet people and the couple both greet us with big smiles and Noboko introduces us. The nice lady and Noboko are chatting and and her husband leads us back outside into a long huge plastic building where there are thousands of strawberry plants. They give us some containers and tells us to pick and eat all we want so thats what we did. LOL We so enjoyed picking and eating the sweet delicious strawberries. We all talk and have fun and we are finished picking and eating berries. Its time to go back to the other building and pay for the berries. The lady told us we did not have to pay but Noboko paid her anyway. The lady gave Marlon and i 4 quarts of strawberries and by the time all was said and done we received 4 more quarts from Noboko.

I know this one is a long short story LOL but I felt like the details of visiting Mr. Takeshi's home of 430 years old had to be talked about in some detail.

End to a beautiful sunny day spent with Noboko and Takahiro. : -) Great memories were made today for sure.

Ate dinner tonight at our famous chicken taco place here in Utsunomiya. I will stay in touch with my new found friends ...................... after dinner Marlon looked up Mr. Takeshi Sekizawa on the internet and he is a well known potter in Mashiko famous for his unique firing method

Day 22 Tochigi City

Day 22 Tochigi City

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:47am

Marlon and I are looking forward to getting to know Rick and Teresa a little better. Neither one of us know Rick yet but will be the end of the day : -) They will arrive at 10am to pick us up in front of the hotel. We are excited about our day as we have never been to Tochigi City or Ashikaga Flower Park which is known for its beautiful purple and white wisteria. The wisteria will not be in bloom but thats ok we will get the just of the beauty and how much there will be by the trees. : -)

Rick and Teresa were right on time as scheduled and we are on our way to another adventure while here in Japan. Marlon is happy he gets to attend this adventure with me. Teresa had made us up a goodie bag which was so nice and thoughtful of her. There were 2 bottles of water, granola bars, candy etc. Thanks Teresa again so thoughtful the water came in handy later on in the day : -)

Marlon and I enjoyed the scenery on the way to Ashikaga Flower Park which is our first destination. They paid our way into the flower park and the beauty the awaited us all was wonderful. The smell of fresh flowers was a smell I have been waiting on the smell of spring in the air : -) The first thing we see is a bright red and white tulip garden and with the sunshine wow that surely put a smile on everybody's face. I knew this was going to be a special day with friends. We walked around the many beautiful flowers taking lots of pictures of the beauty that surrounds us. We saw turtles out enjoying themselves in the pond and ducks swimming around. One pond was full of tulips placed strategically throughout the pond what a wonderful idea !!!!! We sat for a moment and enjoyed the view.

Around 1pm it was lunchtime we were all getting hungry. We each ordered our food and Marlon and I shared a bowl of odon noodles with tempura. After we ate Teresa and I had been eying the wisteria ice cream they were promoting. The guys did not want any and said they would take a taste of ours. : -) The purple icecream flavored with wisteria was GREAT. Don't know if Marlon really liked it he only took a couple of licks from the cone and i ate the rest.

Shopped at the Wisteria Story shop and purchased a few items. Teresa bought me a phone charm that is so cute.. its a Japanese lantern with Japanese writing on it and some purple wisteria so cute, I immediately put it on my purse. : -) thanks Teresa so thoughtful of you......

We are now on our way to Tochigi City and we are so excited to be going. Upon our arrival we the first thing you noticed was the stores had old Japanese style fronts on them. Teresa and I enjoyed shopping in the many shops along the way. We did go into a place that sold Japanese style shoes and we each bought a pair of shoes for $10 each. We are both loving our new flip flops!! We also went into a unique store that sold handmade brooms and not like we have here in the USA. Pictures will provide more facts about the brooms. Rick and Teresa were on a mission to take us somewhere special to them. Marlon and I followed them to a coffee house that sold a variety of things. While we were shopping they ordered us coffee. Rick came and got us and the coffee was sitting on a picnic type table. We all sat down and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee. The coffee was not just a cup sitting on the table it was well displayed and very inviting. The coffee was very good, we all talked about where we were going next. Finished my coffee and made my purchases which were wrapped like a gift as all the Japanese do when buying something from their store.

Heading towards the water canal in Tochigi City Teresa stops and buys some food to feed the fish and hands it to me. I thanked her and we are now walking along the beautiful canal. There are several shops along this canal also which included a huge farmers market with lots of fresh fruits and veggies : -) There was a store that a lady had made origomi rabbits and owls etc we stopped and went into look. Teresa made a purchase and we are all walking the canal again feeding the fish as we go. ; -) At the end of the walk was a shop that Teresa and Rick had been in before and had purchase some of their Art. We went in and they remembered them from 5 years ago which is amazing. We all talked and got our pictures taken as a group with them. Time to head home now towards Utsunomiya. What a beautiful day this has been.

When we arrived in Utsunomiya Rick and Teresa wanted to know if we had dinner plans and well no we hadn't thought about dinner yet. They decided to take us to a place called the Flying Gardens. The place was nice with great prices and food. We all made our purchases and Marlon and I ordered a small bottle of sake to share. Sake is not my favorite drink but I can drink it. : -) I like flavored better. We bought their dinner but that no way is payment for such a wonderful day with 2 great people.

Thanks Rick and Teresa for a beautiful trip today, what a great way to spend a Saturday with friends.

Day 21 A Day with Teresa

Day 21 A Day with Teresa

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:56am

This morning Belinda left Japan at 5:15am to go home. I am really missing her this morning. Marlon went down to the bus stop to make sure everyone was ready to go home. No one had overslept and were all accounted for and got on the bus, bye bye Belinda its been a wonderful adventure in Japan with you : -)

Marlon is back knocking on the door i open it thinking he had forgot something and he hands me a fresh cup of hot coffee. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my husband? I thanked him and he's off again to go to the bus stop its getting close to time for the work bus to arrive.

I will take today one step at a time it will be different without my good friend Belinda here.  I'm up early and think I should get all my laundry done today. I have been so busy this week and didn't do such a good job keeping up with the laundry. I do have to get my notes written from yesterday and published so I have things to do to keep me busy.

Later in the early morning I get a chat call from Teresa : -) nice to hear from her. She invites me to lunch and to go see the castles with her. I of course take her up on her offer and am glad that she contacted me; now my day will be busy oh yes that's great. Got my laundry all done and put away. I still have time to wait before I go to the JR Train station to meet Teresa. I decided to write a letter to Aunt Pat since I also had talked with Kimmy my cousin on chat today. Sent them a letter, and Aunt Donna and Darryl a letter and of course my Grandma Grooms Hope they all enjoy receiving the letters from me while in Japan.

I walked letters down to the post office and mailed them and start out for the train station to meet Teresa. I had some time to kill so I shopped around a little bit. I can not believe it but I found a very nice hat for my Mom and was having a hard time deciding what color to buy. I tried both of them on and loved them both. I thought I would wait for Teresa and ask her opinion on which hat to buy for Mom.

Went to the location we had agreed upon and noticed that a blind person was using her cane to tap along this yellow indented lines which I've seen all over Utsunomiya. I was later told that these lines aid the blind in getting from one point to another. I actually see this system in us.
I can see Teresa coming down the sidewalk headed for my location. She comes up through the elevator and once the doors open I give her a hug. I start telling her about a hat I have found for my Mom but need her opinion on what color to choose. I show her the hats and she tells me the tan one because it is better color for spring. I make the purchase and tell the girl the hat is a gift for my Mom. She then starts to wrap up the hat.  I am so impressed with the time she takes to wrap the hat. Once she was done and I paid she then walked us to the front of the store and handed me Mom's present. Teresa said we should take it back to the hotel so that's what we did.

Now on to the gyoza place to eat I'm getting hungry. Teresa orders us 12 gyoza and they are delish  We eat and talk and enjoy our time together. Teresa insisted on paying for lunch; so sweet of her.  I wanted a latte when we left and we still had 15 minutes before the bus with the fish on it came. We had time to run into the train station and get one. Ordered my latte and we are know standing at the bus stop where we will catch the bus with the fish on it. Teresa told me to take a ticket once I get on the bus and head for the back of the bus. I enjoyed my ride on the bus and it ended up being about a 15 minute ride so not to far.

We ended up close to the Castle Ruins where we walked until we reached our destination. Teresa explained to me about the displays that were set up in the building. The elevator was in sight which would take you up to take a closer look at the castle ruins. A group of Japanese men and women were up there looking around also. They started asking questions and Teresa talked with them : -) Thank goodness she was here because I did not understand anything they were saying. We looked around and took a few pictures and looked out and observed the beautiful view in front of us of the cherry blossoms starting to bloom. 

Went back down the elevator and started our tour around Utsunomiya Park. There was several people just sitting on benches enjoying the sunshine, relaxing in the sun,............... Teresa and I walked around and took several pictures of the cherry blossom trees that were in bloom. It's time to head back to the JR train station, the guys will be home early tonight. I ask Teresa if her and Rick want to come to the Tajmahal tonight, she needs to talk with Rick.

Marlon contacted me and said we will meet Becky and Chris tonight at7pm. I told Marlon I would contact Teresa to see if Rick wanted to go and tell them what time we were meeting for dinner. Teresa said Rick wanted to go so all is good. 

Dinner was fabulous and so was our company.  Visiting with everyone was so nice, love having such wonderful friends I feel so lucky!!!! Dinner is over and we are all ready to walk home. Teresa asked us if we had any plans for Sat. She invited us to go with her and Rick Sat to Tochigi City. Yes we wanted to go with them they will meet us around 9am in the morning.

Day 20 Lunch at Tajmahal with NATG Ladies

Day 20 Lunch At Tajmahal with NATG Ladies

by Donna Charles on Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 3:57am

Well today has been a day that will be in my memory banks forever.!!! I got to meet Teresa Layman whom I used to work with at Honda. This is her 2nd 3 year stay in Japan, she is doing well over here and seems to have adjusted to this new life style. Belinda and I were asked to go to lunch with the group of NATG Ladies to a place called Tajmahal. I was very excited when I found out Teresa would be there also. : -) I truly miss my friends I had made at work, I made several good friends while working. The brain aneurysm i had in 04 stopped me from ever working again and I lost contact with most of my friends I worked with, life goes on......... My life has went on also many changes since this happened to me. I thank God for giving me good family and friends who continuously pushed me to continue therapy to be the best i can be. ; -) Never seems like i tell those people how much i appreciated their encouragement to not give up......... you know who you are !!

Since I have met Marlon and got married 2 years ago my life has really changed from an abusive relationship to a man that cherishes me for who I am. I thank him alot for bringing me to Japan to be with him for 6 weeks. This will be an experience as I have said many times I will never ever forget. Thanks to all the people I have met while visiting Japan who has made this trip exceptional. : -)


Belinda and I started our day with getting some laundry done and then planning to meet at 11:00 in the lobby. I knew we have to meet early because I needed to buy 4 handkerchiefs for Jim M. to take home with him he leaves Friday morning. We headed down the street and finally found the store we had been in several times before and love the items she carries. Went into the store and shopped for the handkerchiefs and found the perfect ones. When I went to pay for them the lady like always wrapped each one individual in Japanese designed paper. I really love that they are so great in wrapping up your purchases. : -) We were going to be late getting to Becky's but at that point there was nothing we could do, didn't realize that the store we wanted to go to was that far away.

On the walk to Becky's we saw flowers and we both at the same time said let's get some for Becky!! We stopped at 2 places but did not care for the choices we were given. We both know of a spot where we stop often and admire the flowers near our hotel so we take off in a very fast walk so as to not be to awful late getting to Becky's. We find the shop by our hotel and make our choice and then practically take off in a run to get to Becky's with flowers in tow. The flowers are a potted plant so she can have a long time and always remember our visit with her !!!

Finally we are at Becky's house which was also a further walk than we had thought it was. Becky lives pretty close to Bell Mall. Oh well we are at her house and all is well, we gave Becky the flowers and she said she loved them and she in general loves flowers. Glad that she appreciated them !!! : -)

I am really anxious to meet Teresa now she lives in the same apartment building as Becky GREAT. Teresa will be riding with us to Tajamahal. We all go down to get in the car and pull up to wait on Teresa. When Teresa comes out she gives Belinda and I a gift which is a nice set chop sticks, so nice of her!! We talked the minute she got in the car : ) so nice to see her smiling face again its been so long.

When we arrive at Tajamahal I am so very impressed with the place. Its a very nice Indian restaurant that serves great curry. When we arrive there are about 6 NATG women already seated and there sensei Mioki.
The sensei helped order our food and Becky also helped. When the food arrived I could not believe how much we were given. ; -) Teresa and I ordered level B of how hot we wanted our curry to be the rest of the group ordered A. There were 5 levels of heat wow I would not want mine no hotter than it was pretty warm........ yikes......you are given this big oblong piece of bread and that is what you eat your curry with. So all of us ladies dug in and most of them enjoyed their food. : -) Had a wonderful time talking with all my new American friends. At the end of the meal we ordered chi tea; they all liked it but I did not. I left mine just not what I'm used to from Panara Bread.... LOL

We are on our way back to Teresa's apartment where she will dress someone on a kimono which takes about 2 hours to do. Teresa is also a sensei on tea ceremonies wow is all I can say this is such a ritual over here in Japan and is hard to learn, sit, walk, in a kimono. I am very impressed with her skills that she has learned of the Japanese culture. Way to go Teresa great job.!!! Teresa said she owns approx 30 kimonos and also has to practice this skill at least once a week to keep the tea ceremony fresh in her mind.
I am hoping her sensei will give me the honor of attending a tea ceremony with her we will see : -)

Becky has made us all a cup of coffee and we are sitting around the table. On the table Teresa had been making origomi cranes and I said I would like to learn how to do that. Teresa got her paper out and gave it to the sensei to show us how to make. Some of us decided we would try to make, this was very fun at learning how to make these cranes, will have to get the instructions as I will not remember how to do.

Teresa is ready now to put the kimono on some lady, We choose Belinda because this is her last day here in Japan. Teresa shows her the underwear as they call it and told her to go put them on and she would help her. Belinda comes out and the dressing begins.......... there are many many belts, elastic bands etc that Teresa uses to put the undergarments on. Everything is placed on you TIGHTLY making it somewhat hard to breath. Belinda even put the shoes on and the socks with the separation of the big toe from the rest of your toes. Belinda is looking for pretty all dressed up in her kimono thanks to Teresa skills of putting it on her. The pictures will give you more detail of the kimono Belinda even tried on the happy coat which is worn like a jacket over the kimono when going outside. : )

It is time to leave and head home before the guys get off work. LOL Becky takes us to JR train station where we will walk back to the hotel from there. We have truly enjoyed the experience today. Belinda and I chatter all the way back to the hotel.....: -)

It is raining and cold out which is nothing unusual for Japan, it seems like we have warm sunny days now and by the time the guys get home its cold and rainy. Last night there was some snow mixed in with the snow. Decided to stay close and eat at La Pausa, went down to lobby and met Jim and gave him the handkerchiefs we had got for him. We are on our way to La Pausa, we will have to wait but thats ok didn't want to walk anyplace else in the rain and cold. Another Japanese lady and her son came in and we started talking to each other. We take pictures as a group together and continue talking in broken English. Takahiro had been to Canada and taken some English classes there for 3 months and his skills are pretty good. His Mom Nobuko speaks pretty good English also. They are happy that they can learn some English we are happy because we can learn some Japanese from them. The waiter has come to finally seat us and we invite them to have dinner with us so they do not have to wait longer in line. They are very nice and we like them, they agree to have dinner with us.

They help us read the menu and then order for all of us. We end up getting a pizza, 2 orders of garlic bread, and 3 orders of pasta......wow this is great. We all talk together and enjoy each others company. I tell her about our daughter Audry who is in college and has several degrees. She went to college and has a degree in art and now is getting her masters in Teaching. Nobuko asked what she did in art paint? I told her that Audrey's love was pottery and she was very good in making interesting and useful pottery pieces. She then ask me if I wanted to go Sunday with her to Mosco where they sell lots of pottery. She loves going and has made several pieces there by taking a class. Wow I am going with Nobuko Sunday this is wonderful and i am looking forward to going with her. : -) They also paid for our dinners we tried to pay our half but she insisted they would pay. Look forward to spending more time with them. An end to another adventurous day in Japan.

Day 19 Awesome Trip to Nikko with Becky

Day 19 Awesome Trip to Nikko with Becky

by Donna Charles on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 8:32pm

Last night we had decided that Becky one of the NATG (North American Task Group) wives would pick Belinda and I up and take us to Nikko to see the lakes and Kegon Falls. We both have been wanting to see this part of Nikko but have not had the chance to do this. I am very pleased that Becky has offered to take us!!! Becky had some Bible study in the morning so that gave us girls time to catch up on laundry and Belinda started packing for her trip back to America Home Sweet Home. I will surely miss her when she leaves and have cherished every moment of the time we have got to spend together.

I did manage to get a load of clothes washed and i just hung them up on hangers to dry. The air is so dry here which i really don't care for, but i guess the Japanese don't mind because 85%of the time its so very humid you always feel wet. YUCK.......... Summer would kill me over here I would have to sit inside the air-conditioning because I get hot so so easy. When Belinda would be cold I would be feeling great with a thin jacket on and she would be bundled up with gloves on LOL

Went down to the lobby to wait on Becky to arrive. Took out one of the newspapers that was of course written in English and read more about Toyota's problems with their brakes. So sad that this is happening to their company but it just doesn't pay to cut cost when it comes to safety. Belinda is down here now and we talk about today and getting to go back to Nikko. Both our men would love to go to Kegon Falls but just never had the time to fit it into their schedule. I see Becky's blue fit pull up and away we go our on trip to Nikko.

Becky decided to take the back way to Nikko because it is just so beautiful. Becky was right about that the scenery was totally awesome. Going down one of the roads to Keggon Falls the entire road was lined with lots of cedar trees that were very very tall. The trees also had huge tops which bundled together to make a canopy over the top of the road. I did manage to stick my camera out the window to try and capture what I'm talking about. LOL

Becky said she needed some gas before we head up to Nikko so when she finally found a gas station its like everything else around here. As soon as she pulled up most all gas stations are FULL SERViCE. The attendants bow and ask you how much gas you want and what kind, reg or super. There are at least 2 attendants one for each side of the car. They start by cleaning every window on your car I'm talking every window and will do anything else if asked like check oil. I've been so impressed with the quality of service you get in Japan; no matter what they are doing for you its the best service. I have forgotten to mention you that in Japan there is absolutely NO NO NO tipping which is very nice.

We are on our way again and the view is phenomenal. The mountains are so visible, they are huge with snow on them, the sun shining on the snow makes them so beautiful. Its so hard to explain what i see even pictures don't do this justice. LOL Riding along in the automobile nah nah nah nah........Becky says we should stop and get a snack which she has suggested a Nikkemon which is generally a white round dough looking thing with something that looks gross in the middle. Well when she told us that is what she wanted to get as a snack Belinda and I looked at each other and thought Oh NO. We have looked at these things many times and laughed about them they do not look good at all. We would have never tried these but it looks like today will be our day. She pulled over at a store/gas station and we all went inside. She ordered one and Belinda and I both tried it and LIKED it. We both ordered one and something to drink and are now in the car heading to the Nikko.

Our adventure getting up the side of the mountain will be an experience I will never forget. There are at least a 100 switchback curves so needless to say the driver must pay attention. It got pretty scary as we climbed and climbed up the side of this mountain. The sights of the mountains again kept getting better and better. Belinda and I were in total aw as we took picture after picture. Belinda did alot of filming of our adventure which she can get photo shots of later. There are wild dangerous monkeys up in Nikko also but I have yet to see any. DANGEROUS monkeys doesn't seem like something that I care to be around anyways LOL

WE have finally made it to a store that has a nice place to pull off Becky I'm sure needs a break from driving all those switch backs up the mountain. This trip is wonderful for the fact Becky knows alot to tell us and is happy to do this for us girls. Thanks Becky for taking time out of your day to be our tour guide : -) The view from the top of this mountain is breath taking I am standing near the edge of the mountain looking out at the beauty in front of me. Donna where are you as my hubby says to me alot. I'm in Japan and have been here 3 weeks and it still doesn't seem real to me. LOL We decided to not take a gondola ride no need we are just fine standing here at the edge looking down and around the sights. We are headed on to Nikko National Park where we will view the awesome Kegon Falls can't wait to reach our destination.

Well I see a town is in sight and I can't tell you how far on top of this mountain we are but I know its a really long way down........... YIKES....... The town is small with lots of quaint little shops. Becky pulls into this cute little coffee house along the waters edge and again the view with the mountains in the background are magnificent.

We get us a seat by the big windows that overlook the lake : -) Its funny but when we went to sit down at the table we felt like we were sitting on the floor LOL. it was like sitting with your kid at their little table and having tea with them. We laughed about how small they were........ The waiter came over and Becky talked with him about the menu. Belinda and i decided to order pizza the picture look good. Thank goodness most places to eat have pictures. When the Japanese come to America they are always asking where are the pictures? This is something they miss since they do this for us.

The food has arrived and they bring the pizza out on a dinner plate for Belinda and I. Wow the pizza looks delicious. Belinda and I smile at each other and dig into our pizza hoping it tastes as good as it looks!!! YUM YUM so good best pizza I have had so far. Becky's food arrives and she tasted it and she told us to take a bite also. It tasted like they had poured ketchup on the rice and mixed in chicken pieces. It really wasn't bad but I'm glad I did not order that dish. : -) I ate my entire pizza with no problem I was stuffed but man was it good lots of toppings, salami, green pepper, onion and lots of cheese. Under the toppings were thinly sliced tomatoes along with a light layer of pizza sauce. GREAT........

Enjoyed each others company and finished up so we could get to Kegon Falls in Nikko National Park. Becky pulls into one pay parking lot and we find out we are not at the correct location. She said we would have to pay it was our mistake. Sitting in front of a machine that you have to put the $3 in to get out of the lot. I put down my window and there is a guard that comes out I explain that we made mistake he must have understood me because he gave Becky back the money and raised the gate so we could leave : -)

We only needed to go down about a block before we seen the sign that said NIKKO Mountain National Park Kegon Falls. We have finally arrived at our destination. : -) WE are all excited and ready to go see this spectacular sight we have heard so much about. It costs $5.50 to go down to see the falls. The money is paid and we are directed to get into the elevator which will take us down 97 meters to see the falls. I stand in the elevator watching the numbers change on the meter, 20m, 30m, 60m, 80m and finally we have arrived at 97meters. Are my ears popping you betcha!! The doors open into this long tunnel so we walk on not to our destination yet. Now there is a set of steps we must go down and then we look out and there is a huge plat form called the observation deck. We are there yippee.............

The power of the water coming over the top of the waterfalls is very, very strong. Nothing is green yet but the trees that are located on the top of the mountain. I see 2 waterfalls which are very beautiful. I try and capture the beauty with my camera but there again is just no way that can be done. All 3 of us are standing admiring the spectacular view in front of us : -) A Japanese boy asked me to take a picture of the 4 of them, no problem. I take the picture then they will take ours; after taking theres Belinda asked them to be in our picture with us. 3 of them stood in our picture and I hope it turns out good : -)

We stayed down there for a while admiring the view and then headed back to the elevator to be taken up 97meters to the top. WE get out of the elevator and start walking back to look at a few shops for handkerchiefs for Jim to take back to his 4 women : ) We looked in a few shops but no luck. Belinda saw a Santa and has been looking for a Christmas ornament. I heard music playing from the shop that had the Santa out front. Maybe its Christmas music playing but after getting inside the shop we find out its a music box store. Oh well not what we are looking for but still interesting shop. Becky gets a phone call from Chris and he tells her they will be getting off work soon and are all going to the Viking restaurant for the guys sayonara party.

We sit and wait for the guys to pull in; once we see them some our getting out of a taxi and some rode with Chris who is NATG member over here in Japan. The restaurant is a place that has a grill in the middle of the table and you cook your own food, you have 90 minutes to eat all you can. : -) I am not very hungry because I had a big pizza earlier but oh well I want to enjoy this experience. : -)

Everyone had a wonderful time together with only a few members of the group missing, Katie, Tom, Dave and Scott. There loss is all I can say the party was for them! I seen things happen I couldn't believe. Deb grilled some octopus on a stick and ate it yuck I would not be able to do this at all. She said it was crunchy with little taste; I'll take her word for it. Jim and Troy were seeing who could eat the most. I laughed I have never seen Jim having such a good time with the group. ; -) Troy had some good competition is all I can say. Fun FUn watching the group have fun together.

Belinda and Deb got to hold a couple little Japanese girls oh they were so cute. This made Belinda's day and I'm happy that she is happy!!! Deb was the first one that the little girl went to which made her happy also. : ) Time to get out of there and I took a group picture of them hope it turns out.

Becky drives Belinda, Marlon and me back to the JR train station where Rick is waiting for Belinda to arrive. What an end to a fabulous day, again I will miss my dear friend Belinda when she leaves Friday morning. : -(