Monday's Meanderings

This Christmas holiday decorating thing is going to be a loooong process, me thinks.

Last night, I did manage to get the boxes from out of the top of the closet....and now they are just sitting on the floor, next to the closet. Waiting. Waiting for me to actually do something with them.

I'm happy to say that I succeeded in getting the tree put together and the branches spread out to look, you know, real.
This morning, Koji told me that he thought the "tree would look prettier with some lights on it".

Really? Ya think? :-D
~~sigh~~

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On Saturday afternoon, we went to a park to take pictures for our Christmas cards/New Year post-cards....yes, the K-man is getting all creative again and this year? He did good. But...he made me swear that I wouldn't share with you the finished product until later....sorry.

I will, instead, post one that I personally think is really funny...Issei and Koji got a little creative themselves....and we all got a good laugh out of it!!!

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Though I'm not a huge fan of the cold here in Nagasaki, I am a fan of the seasonal foods and fruits and all-around goodies that one can find here.

One of my favorites is the Fuji apple....an apple that is originally from Japan, but exported all over the world. Have you ever had one?

They are truly yummilicious!!!

They are sweet...and crisp....and pretty gosh darn big, too (about the size of a baseball!!).

The best thing about a Fuji is the ribbon of "honey" that runs near the core. Oh, it's not really honey, but....it is THE sweetest part of the apple. There are different varieties of the Fuji...whichever you get, I guarantee that~~if you're an apple lover~~you will not be disappointed with any of them.

If you ever get the chance, I recommend that you give this apple a try....mmmmmm!!

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So.....what do you get when you have some.....

greenery for your head, neck, wrist and ankle....plus


a really puffy brown shirt and a nut-bead necklace.....

put that with.....


....a grass skirt (that is really made

of plastic but, it's just easier that way)....


and under that skirt, you had some big-ass

bloomers....green bloomers that were

big enough for at least one more person.....



Take all that and times it by 10.....10 ladies that is......

.....add some pinning and making sure that all was where it was supposed to be....in a little teeny tiny room (shared with some crabby ladies from a chorus group!!).....

....take a few 'up close and personal' shots.....


...and you have a group of ladies who very closely resemble wood nymphs (that made us all giggle!).

Every year, community centers all over Japan, about this time of year, have their annual bunka sai
(Culture Festival). While the art, sewing, cooking, quilting and other such types of classes exhibit their yearly projects, the other classes that can perform, usually do. This year, there were 3 or 4 chorus groups, Tai Chi, jazz dance, "healthy" dance (still not exactly sure what they do in that class!!), ballroom dancing, folk dance, and yes....hula.
This was the 6th bunka sai for me and even though we work very hard for this performance (usually only one or two dances...this year just one!), it really is a lot of fun.

We did a really good job....or that is what we think anyway...and that is what matters!! And, our sensei and some other senseis that came to watch all praised our performance.
That....felt wonderful!!!

I'm excited that 4 ladies are coming to my party on the 18th....I invited this group of ladies because they are special to me and I wanted to include them in the fun. They have asked if we are going to dance at the party......To be honest, I had thought about asking them, but didn't want them to feel obligated to do so....but they want to, so we will do the same dance...again....for my students.
I had originally planned on doing a dance, so the group dance will just be an extra bonus!!

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You all have a great week....keep that Christmas spirit coming...I do appreciate it!!