TRICK OR TREAT ! ! !

Happy Halloween!

Pictures of the kids will be posted this weekend...E is going to be an mx motorcyclist, N is going to be a clone trooper and Z is going to be, what else... a koala. This is not our pumpkin but there is a very cool one in the works by E. He's actually worked on it for a few hours already-stay tuned. We are going to E's school for a festival instead of handing out candy and going door to door.                     

Tokyo

I took these photos in a tranquil park along the Sumida River at the edge of a high tech business district. That's a tea house in the foreground, about to receive a visit by a group of business men and ladies in kimono. The high rise buildings in the background are part of a theme I observed frequently while living in Japan: the stark contrast of old and new. It creates an eclectic combination, like a decorator mixing hand hewn, worn antiques that tell a tale with more forward, edgy, contemporary pieces. Experiencing Japan is like being caught between the past and the future.

T H I R T Y - E I G H T ! ! !

The family took me out for Mi Rancho last night after my class because Papa is flying tonight and all the kids have things going on. So, I spent my birthday today getting my hair CHOPPED off and shopping :)  It is now the afternoon and the craziness starts-Z to dance class, N to football and E to soccer!

Touchdown!

N got his first game touchdown today, plus, two separate times after he kicked the ball at kick off, he recovered it when they fumbled!! His team, the Rattlers, won the game, wahoo...

Z had a sleepover last night with another little girl who also has two big brothers. Her mom says she too complains, just like Z about having to sleep by herself every night while the boys and mom and dad share a room. She says Z is her sister and so we celebrated last night because there were more girls in the house than boys (we didn't include Duncan).  Z's 'sister' spotted a hot air balloon this morning while I was making the french toast. Happy Saturday!

Fruited Trees

It's almost lettuce season in my town. The farmers are watering away at the 2" sprouts, thanks to the Colorado River and intricate irrigation system set up. I have had no such luck with container vegetables. They don't seem to do as well as the roots in the cool desert soil of this valley. At night, you can feel a coolness radiating off the ground and chilling the ankles - really a strange feeling. This is the lemon (?) growing on the lemon tree in our back yard. We also have a key lime tree but I'm having a hard time keeping them fresh for longer than a few days once picked. They do come in real handy when making margaritas though!!

Lizard Hunting Season (suspended indefinitely)

SAY CHEESE

Back in Japan it was hercules beetles and now it's gray colored lizards common in these parts that captivate the curiosity of my kids. Lately we've had many (at least 15) baby lizards scurrying along the cement wall in our back yard. They are really cute and one lonely little guy was especially naive when he crawled right onto my hand. He had been living in the curtain hanging from my patio. -We can do that here in Arizona, have fabric and furniture outside, really the only thing we have to worry about regarding maintenance is DUST and sun fade. You haven't seen dust until you've lived here. 

Anyway, my 9 year old, N, was lizard hunting this morning - he really wants one as a pet but we've always decided to let them go after 20 minutes or so. His hunting license has now been denied however because he accidentally squashed a bucket on one while trying to capture it. He wasn't going to let anyone know of course but then Z, his 7 year old sister, came across the dead little thing, mouth gaped open, so his little secret was spoiled. I did a pretty good job of making him feel really guilty if he wasn't already - only because he had plenty of warnings regarding his tactics. My husband and I were trying to remember what Andy  Taylor  did when Opie slingshot a bird. Okay, so there was more intent behind that.

Inspired by Ziggy, another wandering friend

I often check in with my friend's blog to surmize what she's been up to lately. I say surmize because it is completely in kanji. I do get some information from the photos of her dog Connie, her delicate breakfast and her latest creative endeavor which might be quilting, pottery, cooking, watercolor or music. Her creativity is endless and she's inspired me to start my own blog of soulful delights. It's a creative outlet if nothing else. So...here is my inaugural post.

The pic above was taken at an old mining ghost town in Castledome, AZ. My husband and three children went to visit the town, reassembled by a husband and wife. They have put great efforts into collecting artifacts from the region and recreating the buildings that once existed. Some of the structures are original and all offer a photo feast.