500 Down...many more to go!!
It's sort of amazing, really when I start thinking about it. It took me so long to get this blog up and moving....after a couple test-posts in May, 2006...I finally got serious about this in October of the same year. I've had my ups and downs...but...all in all...it's been a fun ride.
Today....this post....is my 500th post.
I feel like I should be doing something to celebrate...but....my mind is kind of busy right now thinking/worrying about....junior high preparation...end of school year stuff..."what are we going to do spring holiday?"..."how can i get more students in my classes?"..."how long can i go without paying taxes/pension?", life in general kind of stuff. (^_^)
So....if you hang in here with me for another week or two, I'm planning a special kind of giveaway..things that maybe you can only get from here. I'm thinking of Japanese culture kind of things...some treats...and definitely some "stupid English" t-shirts ('cause you KNOW you want one!!) in a leave-a-comment-get-a-chance-to-win kind of giveaway. Keep coming back....I'll try not to take too long!!
And before I forget......Thank you for coming here and reading my thoughts and rambly kind of ideas. I started this blog as a way to keep in touch with family and friends in the States....who on earth would have thought I would make so many friends all over the world?! Thank you, my friends.
You help me more than you can ever imagine.
arrigato gozaimasu. (^_^)/*
*******************
Strange happenings....
Remember last week when I was perplexed?
(yeah, I know....I'm usually that way, but this was a special situation!!)
Anyway....my ring. Remember? Well.....
Stranger things have happened in my life but...this? Yeah.
This is in the top 5.
Long story short....took ring off to make pizza. It disappeared (and no...it's wasn't in the pizza dough!). I put the ring on the window sill...it was gone. We looked everywhere. I sadly accepted the fact that it had disappeared.
Fast forward 3 days...I was in the bathroom sorting laundry...I had made different piles to wash....3 sweatshirts weren't going to fit so I tossed them back into the basket.
"*pingping*"
I look down and there was my ring. On the floor...by my foot.
Where did it come from? I dunno.
Where the heck had it been? I have no clue!!
I would love to tell you my theory on this but that would mean explaining about a great-grandmother who passed away quite a few years ago who likes to take things...and then you'd think I was a bit crazy and you might not ever come back....so, let's just keep it at----the ring is back and Debbie is very happy!!
(^_^)/**
*******************
Last Friday, I was busy getting my things ready for a big flea market that had been planned since December. I had made candles, packaged up some fresh rosemary, sorted out clothes and made some other little bags filled with souvieners that were left over...everything was ready and then...the weather report came.
"Rain...50% chance on Saturday."
Ergo...the flea market was cancelled.
Dammit.
But all is not lost...I have more irons in the fire....
more about this later!!!
(Ooh.....can't you just feel my positive energy?!?!)
*******************
Issei's 6th grade graduation was last Thursday.
It was a good day...pretty emotional as 46 young 12-year-olds get ready to go to "the big school" in April, complete with uniforms and almost 5 times the number of students.
I put together a photo montage, but, I'm cheap so I didn't fork out the big bucks for explanations on the pictures, so...will just have to give you a quick rundown of the day so they might make more sense.
Our elementary school graduation, because the school is so small, includes the whole elementary school. The parents (all dressed in their finest for the day) and students were in the gym, waiting.
The 6th graders entered the gym...one at a time...each one stepping up, bowing, taking a few steps forward entering the gym.
After each student received their diploma, the principal and then a representative of the Mayor's office each gave speeches.
(At times like these, NOT understanding what is being said might possibly be a Godsend.)
Then the graduates stood up, turned around moving their chairs with them and proceeded to give a recap of the last 6 years...each one standing up and speaking one or two times.
The last part of their speech was a "good luck" to the younger students.
And then...they sang a song.
And then...the tears began.
Then....it was the first through fifth graders' turn.
Different kids from each class all added to the speech that basically was about memories of the graduates that they had.
And then....they sang a song.
And again....more tears.
For me....this was the one that got me.
Though I didn't really understand the words of the song, it was the sound of over 200 children's voices singing so beautifully that got to me.
And then....at the end...they all said, in very loud and strong voices,
"Sayonara! Sayonara! Wasurenai de ne!!"
("Good-bye! Good-bye! Don't ever forget!")
To which the graduates answered,
"Sayonara! Sayonara! Wasurenai!"
("We'll never forget!")
And Debbie was a puddle.
We all went back to the classroom and Issei's homeroom teacher (a wonderful lady who we pray will be Koji's teacher in April...she was the best teacher for Issei in 6 years!!) gave her farewell speech. It was really nice and then.....we were done.
As we left the school, the rest of the students had made an aisle outside for the graduates to walk through and held up an arch for us to walk under. Amid applause, cheers, and more than a few high fives, the 6th graders said their final farewells.
It was a great day!!!
Today....this post....is my 500th post.
I feel like I should be doing something to celebrate...but....my mind is kind of busy right now thinking/worrying about....junior high preparation...end of school year stuff..."what are we going to do spring holiday?"..."how can i get more students in my classes?"..."how long can i go without paying taxes/pension?", life in general kind of stuff. (^_^)
So....if you hang in here with me for another week or two, I'm planning a special kind of giveaway..things that maybe you can only get from here. I'm thinking of Japanese culture kind of things...some treats...and definitely some "stupid English" t-shirts ('cause you KNOW you want one!!) in a leave-a-comment-get-a-chance-to-win kind of giveaway. Keep coming back....I'll try not to take too long!!
And before I forget......Thank you for coming here and reading my thoughts and rambly kind of ideas. I started this blog as a way to keep in touch with family and friends in the States....who on earth would have thought I would make so many friends all over the world?! Thank you, my friends.
You help me more than you can ever imagine.
arrigato gozaimasu. (^_^)/*
*******************
Strange happenings....
Remember last week when I was perplexed?
(yeah, I know....I'm usually that way, but this was a special situation!!)
Anyway....my ring. Remember? Well.....
This is in the top 5.
Long story short....took ring off to make pizza. It disappeared (and no...it's wasn't in the pizza dough!). I put the ring on the window sill...it was gone. We looked everywhere. I sadly accepted the fact that it had disappeared.
Fast forward 3 days...I was in the bathroom sorting laundry...I had made different piles to wash....3 sweatshirts weren't going to fit so I tossed them back into the basket.
"*pingping*"
I look down and there was my ring. On the floor...by my foot.
Where did it come from? I dunno.
Where the heck had it been? I have no clue!!
I would love to tell you my theory on this but that would mean explaining about a great-grandmother who passed away quite a few years ago who likes to take things...and then you'd think I was a bit crazy and you might not ever come back....so, let's just keep it at----the ring is back and Debbie is very happy!!
(^_^)/**
*******************
Last Friday, I was busy getting my things ready for a big flea market that had been planned since December. I had made candles, packaged up some fresh rosemary, sorted out clothes and made some other little bags filled with souvieners that were left over...everything was ready and then...the weather report came.
"Rain...50% chance on Saturday."
Ergo...the flea market was cancelled.
Dammit.
But all is not lost...I have more irons in the fire....
more about this later!!!
(Ooh.....can't you just feel my positive energy?!?!)
*******************
Issei's 6th grade graduation was last Thursday.
It was a good day...pretty emotional as 46 young 12-year-olds get ready to go to "the big school" in April, complete with uniforms and almost 5 times the number of students.
I put together a photo montage, but, I'm cheap so I didn't fork out the big bucks for explanations on the pictures, so...will just have to give you a quick rundown of the day so they might make more sense.
Our elementary school graduation, because the school is so small, includes the whole elementary school. The parents (all dressed in their finest for the day) and students were in the gym, waiting.
The 6th graders entered the gym...one at a time...each one stepping up, bowing, taking a few steps forward entering the gym.
After each student received their diploma, the principal and then a representative of the Mayor's office each gave speeches.
(At times like these, NOT understanding what is being said might possibly be a Godsend.)
Then the graduates stood up, turned around moving their chairs with them and proceeded to give a recap of the last 6 years...each one standing up and speaking one or two times.
The last part of their speech was a "good luck" to the younger students.
And then...they sang a song.
And then...the tears began.
Then....it was the first through fifth graders' turn.
Different kids from each class all added to the speech that basically was about memories of the graduates that they had.
And then....they sang a song.
And again....more tears.
For me....this was the one that got me.
Though I didn't really understand the words of the song, it was the sound of over 200 children's voices singing so beautifully that got to me.
And then....at the end...they all said, in very loud and strong voices,
"Sayonara! Sayonara! Wasurenai de ne!!"
("Good-bye! Good-bye! Don't ever forget!")
To which the graduates answered,
"Sayonara! Sayonara! Wasurenai!"
("We'll never forget!")
And Debbie was a puddle.
We all went back to the classroom and Issei's homeroom teacher (a wonderful lady who we pray will be Koji's teacher in April...she was the best teacher for Issei in 6 years!!) gave her farewell speech. It was really nice and then.....we were done.
As we left the school, the rest of the students had made an aisle outside for the graduates to walk through and held up an arch for us to walk under. Amid applause, cheers, and more than a few high fives, the 6th graders said their final farewells.
It was a great day!!!
Congratulations, Issei.
We are so incredibly proud of you!!!
8 comments:
Congrats on the 500th
Congrats on finding the ring
(TYVM Great-Granny)
Congrats to Issei
Congrats on eating thin-mints for breakfast
<3 ;)
Nice montage -- what a special day!
Love your blog...so glad you decided to start it 500 posts ago.
Congrats and good wishes for everything in your life.
What a lovely way to mark a transition.
Sorry about the flea market. And Congratulations to Issei! Go ahead with the Great Grandma story. I would totally understand.
500?! Wow. Maybe I will learn my around blogging if I keep at it. Sure is addictive!
Your video montage brought tears to my eyes! So lovely!! So happy for you, Issei!!
The video was awesome....brought tears to my eyes. You all look so and happy and proud of that young man you call son.
Congrats on the 500th
data entry work from home
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