tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280456572012-01-28T23:30:36.268+09:00dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.comBlogger5681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-62153183331630323272012-01-24T22:56:00.001+09:002012-01-24T22:58:40.166+09:00

.......and to holy moly, i know it's late wish you all a very happy new year. 2012 is the year of the dragon... and since we are almost at the end of well into the month of january, it can be safe to say thatthe dragon is treating us pretty good....so far. the purchase of a not really new but used as a test drive car right before the holidays has already proven to be a really good financial

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-79517342067638307912011-12-26T23:55:00.000+09:002011-12-26T23:55:10.246+09:00

december 26, 2011lifeand a Christmas party with my studentsangsting 13-year-old9 year-old brother doing what big brother is doingold car about to go down for the countstudent, who was also a very good friend, passing awaypta crap..seriously...total crap, dealing with overbearing mothersand a lot of piddly little things that make me wanna bang my head on the table.(and that really hurts) there has

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-28488752677202795622011-11-22T00:28:00.002+09:002011-11-24T11:06:55.380+09:00

pilialoha: Close friendship, beloved companionship, beloved relative;loving association; to have a loving or tender relationship, to be in a bond of love, romance. on sunday.....some members of one of the hula groups i belong to and i got on a train and went to a city about an hour and a half away for a hula show that included some teachers and teachers-in-training (mainly oldER ladies) from our

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-31637220424028072602011-10-20T14:39:00.001+09:002011-10-20T14:40:16.192+09:00

the weather has turned absolutely beautiful.  i used to say that the spring was what i enjoyed the most, but, i'm thinking that i was wrong.  fall is quickly moving into the top position.the cool, dry air.the flowers.(which have caused some incredible sneezing fits, but... c'est la vie)weekend fashion for us:light sweatshirt or long sleeved shirtshortssandals.it works. a haiku, by me, for the

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-28947766403793920522011-10-11T00:49:00.000+09:002011-10-11T00:49:06.370+09:00

just in case you were wondering...... and.....in case you were curious... meh.it's also for when it's notfunny enough or sad enough or crazy enough or urgent enough to blog about. that's the way it has been around here lately....a lot of little stuff that i can't really get too excited to actually sit down here at my computer and spend the time putting it together. it's also not that i don't

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-29100309675597960952011-09-06T18:07:00.000+09:002011-09-06T18:07:08.024+09:00

i don't really remember dreams very often.  oh, i'll have flashes of bits and pieces but very rarely do i remember most of one.the other morning, i woke up and the dream i had had was so vivid in my mind....while the coffee was brewing i wrote it down on a piece of paper....it was that good.the best thing about this dream....is that it has gotten me to thinking about the future and what i want

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-20772673903575943772011-08-21T22:30:00.005+09:002011-08-22T01:13:54.092+09:00

....and not just any ice cream....homemade ice cream. tonight after dinner, the k-man reminded me about a place here in nagasaki that i have yet to visit.  it's a restaurant that has milk shakes as one of its specialties.and no, these are not milk shakes in the traditional sense of the american milk shake that you can get at your favorite hamburger joint or drive-in.no. the nagasaki milk shake (

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-5092180391589548932011-07-27T22:50:00.001+09:002011-07-27T23:32:02.538+09:00

....number of men i counted today, while shopping, who seemed to be wearingtheir wives' slippers/mules. .....phone numbers in my cell phone address book. ....of those numbers belong to foreigners. ...the number of hours that i pretty much sleep a night...any more/any less and i do not function well.really.i don't. ....the number of years i have lived in nagasaki.(this week is my "anniversary"!!!

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-77089810621143885312011-07-24T22:51:00.000+09:002011-07-24T22:51:31.230+09:00

the hula festival is over.despite the nervousness, (really! i do get more than slightly nervous!!  butterflies? nope. try bats...they're that big!!)and that first little bit, where i'm standing there, on the front row and i'm like,"wait. do you hear music? was i supposed to start dancing now??", it was all fine.actually....it was more than fine. it was great!!!i don't think we made any major

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-24084587869620321612011-07-23T08:21:00.001+09:002011-07-23T08:27:42.461+09:00

today is the annual hula festival here in nagasaki city.  the new group that i joined a few months ago will be performing this afternoon...there are 60-some groups doing their "thing" today...and probably just as many tomorrow.from nagasaki city.that's a lot of hula, my friends.so....let's see.....i have the dress......i have the lei...i have the flowers for my hair...it's all quite lovely,

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-23938370515963784262011-07-16T00:08:00.000+09:002011-07-16T00:08:30.787+09:00

my friend, janet, does this thing called friday fill-ins and i thought that since i haven't posted anything for 10 days (so much for trying to do better, huh? oh well....) this would be a good way to get something up.  let's see how this goes, shall we? 1. I hold my shoulders back and my back very straight when i walk...thank you grandpa rock for making me walk with books on my head when i

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-78557421423708743712011-07-05T00:48:00.001+09:002011-07-05T20:49:11.827+09:00

good lord.obviously...someone has lost more than her blogging mojo.she has also lost a total sense of time.she's got no excuses. she would love to tell you some incredibly wonderful story about how she won the lottery and with her winnings she took her family to hawaii and they have spent the last month frolicking on the beach, eating fresh mangos, and learning to surf....oh, and hula-ing every

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-20086248291938714362011-06-01T22:31:00.000+09:002011-06-01T23:26:17.272+09:00

for many ex-pats, this is the time of year that we start scouring the papers and combing through the internet sites to find reasonable flights, waiting 'on hold' for what seems like forever while some person who may or may even be able to understand what it is that we want, searches to find the answers.yes, my friends,it's almost the summer holiday.it's time to think about going to our

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-35382755447281902442011-05-24T23:06:00.001+09:002011-05-25T00:31:55.505+09:00

during the last 'golden week' holiday a few weeks ago, we loaded up in the car and headed out on akuroiwa family adventure. as usual, it was a one-day trip....literally....one. day.22 hours. about gazillion kilometers.  one car.one angst-ridden teenager.  one aggravating little brother.mom. and dad. we loaded up in the car and headed out at 4:00....in the morning.during the trip, we drove a

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-3260676690920450052011-05-08T22:42:00.000+09:002011-05-08T22:42:23.076+09:00

does that explain why i haven't posted a sentence or picture or even a joke for such a long time?damn.a lot of things have been going on.a lot of nothing has, too.i have done some soul-searching...some deep thinking....given myself some pep talks...drank a few beers....read more than a couple books...and have spent some time just..... being.i also signed up for this month's "blogging everyday"

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-25317699044125688142011-04-13T23:54:00.000+09:002011-04-13T23:54:05.051+09:00

*********************monday was a long day....two classes and then a pta meeting at koji's school were on the schedule.(the pta meeting, by the way, was an hour of my life i'll never get back again. ugh!) after the meeting, i had to race to the supermarket to get something for dinner and then 'ride like the wind' (vroom vroom) to pick up koji at the after-school place by 6:00 and finally i could

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-21443668966337439502011-04-13T07:35:00.000+09:002011-04-13T07:35:54.834+09:00

an onegai in japanese is a favor or can also be "please" when asking for something ("onegaishimasu.")....and i have an onegai for you today..it's been a month since the earthquake and tsunami. the level of devastation is hard to comprehend.the stories are heartbreaking.and yet...there are so many people who are working so very hard to help the people in these areas try to find some kind of "

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-90005643304770057822011-04-05T22:14:00.000+09:002011-04-05T22:14:56.619+09:00

finally.it feels like we've been waiting for so long for her.we hope she stays for awhile...because we really, really like spring.we have for as long as we can remember....and before that.sunday, the k-man, little k-boy and i took a drive.(teenage k-boy had better things to do...or at least that is what he mumbled as he and his 'crew'shuffled out of the house.) it is cherry blossom season in

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-45232717940178644962011-03-31T20:59:00.000+09:002011-03-31T20:59:28.598+09:00

this....is Wolf.and i'm sure that, if he could actually type and send me a message,it might go something like this: dear debbie,how are things with you?i know you are pretty far away from the earthquake, tsunami, daily after schocks andthe trouble with the nuclear power plant, but, my human (the sweet and lovely, janet) and i think about you often and thank the stars above that you are safe. you

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-41958875282093571372011-03-30T01:20:00.002+09:002011-03-30T01:28:42.574+09:00

I have had quite a few e-mails from various people from, literally, all over the world, asking how they can help the people of Japan, in this most horrific of disasters.I want to share with you a few places that I think are great places to donate goods and money. Second HarvestThis organization has been wonderful in getting supplies out to the areas that need them the most.  Their trucks go out

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-50981911047850942872011-03-21T20:55:00.011+09:002011-03-22T00:34:08.751+09:00

so much has happened this past week.so much sadness and devastation.so much confusion.it's hard to know who to listen to....who to believe.which news to follow. and, no. it's not even a possibility that i would come "home" because of this.it's hard for many to understand, but really....i am home.plus....we are so far away from tokyo....it would be like...someone from my hometown... in

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-37210990628889356642011-03-15T11:18:00.000+09:002011-03-15T11:18:48.864+09:00

oh, my dear friends, i'm so sorry for taking so long getting a message to you from here.the last few days have been crazy, but....we. are. okay. nagasaki city is actually so far away from the areas hardest hit by the earthquake and tsunami that most people didn't even know about what happened until they got home from work on friday night. if you look on a map, tokyo and sendai and fukushima are

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-11150179094465188282011-03-08T22:22:00.017+09:002011-03-08T22:24:42.191+09:00

If someone were to say "Japan" to you right now (like I just did),what images would come to you? Mt. Fuji?Perhaps Mt. Fuji in the spring and and some sakura (cherry blossoms)? Geisha? How about station officials smooshing people into the trains of Tokyo? Maybe you are more sports minded and Sumo came to mind.*This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of the great Konnishiki. Or maybe, your

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-67022536507309083152011-02-25T23:58:00.000+09:002011-02-26T01:20:11.511+09:00

look what i noticed in our garden today...the weeping willow-esque ume (plum) tree that is in the corner of our garden is blooming.though there are only a few blossoms now, the promise of the sweet aroma to come is definitelysomething to look forward to.  spring is by far, my favorite time of year, i think. *******look...look..at what i bought at the fabric store the other day.....flamingo

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-85802827235361499062011-02-24T21:53:00.002+09:002011-02-25T01:10:14.093+09:00

in the last fourteen days, we have had a rush of events and occasions here at kamp kuroiwa.one wonderful....one pretty good and another? absolutely freakin' awesome. **************** on saturday, i attended the wedding of one of my students.actually.....she was my student when she was in high school.  she graduated 13 years ago and for the last three years, has been my student, again, in one of

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-79191443751581624412011-02-17T23:03:00.003+09:002011-02-18T01:03:08.622+09:00

yesterday....i was on my way home from a doctor's appointment.i had rushed from my morning class to the clinic to get there before the "last call of the morning", which was at 12:30.  i hadn't been able to stop for lunch so i was pretty hungry.i had bought a Pepsi Nex (not sure what it's called in the States, but...it's a pretty good diet cola) and was stopped at a light.remembering the peanuts (

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-13274226163816491112011-02-14T23:57:00.000+09:002011-02-15T01:00:00.027+09:00

**I started this particular post a couple of weeks few days ago....got sidetracked by life and now, I'm back, thinking that I need to get this finished or it'll be lost forever.** Happy Valentine's Day!! If you celebrate it, I hope it is a wonderful one for you.Here in Japan, we do things a bit wonky.To make a long story short:girls give boys chocolates;if a boy likes you, he'll give you

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-12696371355711244102011-01-31T23:52:00.001+09:002011-02-01T00:55:37.959+09:00

i can't find it.i know it is here...in this house somewhere...hiding in plain sight, mocking me and myinability to discover its whereabouts.dammit. i need it. no, it's not one of those things that will cause me to fade away to oblivionwithout it, but....it has meaning.it symbolizes a relatively new friendship that i cherishas much as i do the old ones.it's symbolizes the fact that i can't be

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-17528273658564091942011-01-17T23:13:00.000+09:002011-01-18T18:26:07.891+09:00

We are now in the throes of almost-13-year-old angst and it is truly reeking a havoc on yours truly unlike ever done before. He's happy.He's sad.He snuggles on the sofa with mom and watches TV.He's angry.He's lonely.He plays and laughs with his little brother.He talks about something funny that happened at school.He fights with his little brother.He's silent.He's mumbling something under his

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-31727568535298762182011-01-11T23:51:00.000+09:002011-01-11T23:51:24.264+09:00

happy friday, everyone. and yeah...i know...it's tuesday night (here in japan, anyway...i don't know what day it is where you are)... just work with me folks...and look back up to the title of this particular post.  did you see it? "easing back into a regular schedule" some of us just ease back into things a little slower than others. whatever. ~~sigh~~i found these gerber daisies at my favorite

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-28268903089720072912011-01-02T23:35:00.001+09:002011-01-03T02:10:19.642+09:00

2011The "Year of the Rabbit".The old year ended and the new one began in a very unique way....snowy...cold...and we were pretty much snowed in.  This was the most snow for this time of year in over something like 90 years.It was beautiful but....we live on a mountain (okay, so it's a really big hill) and by the evening of the 30th, the buses were already driving with chains on their tires. It

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-32990909953330570372010-12-29T23:30:00.000+09:002010-12-30T01:39:31.243+09:00

I can remember very clearly giggling when Granny would mention how the "older you get the faster time goes...just you wait and see".  I'm sure that, had the phrase been popular, I would have been all "Whatever!" whenever she talked about how time was slipping away and how she needed it to really slow down a bit to get everything done.  Yeah.  Whatever. I  wish that the time I spend lounging on

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-6974815618391084272010-12-22T08:30:00.002+09:002010-12-22T08:36:14.823+09:00

When the K-man and I first met, a very long time ago....like 16 years a long time ago....I never thought that I would be where I am today.  Oh, sure, when we first met, it was fun and well, to be honest.....he had a car and I was pretty damn tired of taking the bus/streetcar/ankle express everywhere so the fact that I had this cute guy who wanted to take me places was just an extra bonus in my

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-58577424280554756672010-12-15T01:52:00.000+09:002010-12-15T01:52:37.435+09:00

You know how some days, nothing really fun or memorable happens.  Sometimes, you just find yourself in the dailiness that is life and you don't really think much about it.I do this.And then....something happens that makes me sit back and go "Whoa! That was fun!"A couple of weeks ago, one of those somethings happened. I'm still smiling about it. One of my students had just come back from a 10-day

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-48315608977337448092010-12-05T23:47:00.001+09:002010-12-06T01:23:14.215+09:00

On Wednesday mornings, for the past 6 and 1/2 years, I have been going to a community center to teach English conversation.  This particular group started out as an 8-week course, but when the course was finished, they wanted to continue.  At that time, there were 23 people in the class.  Today, there are 22 students and  about half or so are original members.  Though there are a couple who are

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-33696872988340090282010-12-04T01:33:00.000+09:002010-12-04T01:33:33.352+09:00

Tomorrow, I'm planning on making a carrot cake for my good friend's daughter.  Her 18th birthday was yesterday and, well.....she likes my carrot cake (with awesome cream cheese frosting...of course!) so I thought it would be a good present to give. I've been thinking about possibly doing cupcakes.If I lived in the States, I'd have access to some really cool cake decorating supply shops andI would

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-63090390234641194082010-11-26T23:31:00.001+09:002010-11-27T01:00:43.728+09:00

So...I learned something today:  when you call your mom to wish her a Happy Thanksgiving and to get the scoop and report on the dinner that she had just finished eating with the rest of your family,but...she's not home so you leave a message to call you back, and then when the phone rings a little bit later,you think it's her so, being the incredibly funny person that you are,you answer the phone

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-70955238476501652252010-11-19T23:58:00.052+09:002010-11-20T01:33:41.962+09:00

I'm a huge fan of Eric Carle.I mean, really....that whole Brown Bear thing? Just wonderful.And don't even get me started on that Hungry Caterpillar!! The illustrations he uses in all of his books are just so very nice. This...is one of my all-time favorite pictures:*Google pictures*The picture is so simple, yet.....I love it. A few weeks ago, we went to the local museum and walked through the

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-77424541677523931622010-11-19T01:15:00.001+09:002010-11-19T01:16:31.146+09:00

Karma....is the the belief that (according to various people over at the the coolest on-line dictionary ever) "all of your actions will have equal repercussions, affecting you".Someone also said thatit is the "the law of cause and effect. From good living, we become a better person, gain greater inner peace and enjoy a good life".And though  "what goes around comes around" is a great way of

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-7793908963782362032010-11-10T01:23:00.000+09:002010-11-10T01:23:20.147+09:00

Yes, friends. I am.But....due to a variety of reasons, (some I might talk about at a later date, others we will just "sweep under the tatami mat" and neverthink/angst about again)my blogging mojo has gone MIA. So....until all is back to normal  (^-^)/*,take a listen to this...I think it's my new theme song. I've missed you, my friends. I hope all is good and groovy with you and yours.I'll be

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-19128458729790105732010-10-08T23:07:00.002+09:002010-10-09T00:59:33.197+09:00

Yes....I'm still here.Yes....I know that it is no longer September. (will change the header soon...I promise!) Here's what's been going on.... No. That's a lie. There has been stuff going on... just not anything I really felt moved to blog about..... PTA meetings, new classes, prepping for culture festivals with various classes, new hula class (yes, now I'm in 2), more PTA stuff, autumn

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-44915291328513179042010-09-25T23:06:00.081+09:002010-09-26T01:11:47.520+09:00

Is it possible to have 'spring fever' in the fall?? Mother Nature, quite suddenly, decided to cool things down a bit and it has been absolutely wonderful here in Nagasaki.  We have had a bit of rain (squalls, if you will) but nothing that would cause any trouble.Plus, the rain allowed me to use my new umbrella...my new FLAMINGO UMBRELLA, thank you very much...and I felt oh so very special walking

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-30589269748467601042010-09-22T23:16:00.000+09:002010-09-22T23:16:43.063+09:00

angst:  a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity As the mother of a 12-year-old boy, this word has become a major part of our vocabulary.And just for the record, before I go any further, let me just say this:  I am NOT liking this stage...not. one. bit. We've all had it....the angst.  I'm pretty sure that it was recommended as a 'life study' in junior high.Some of us survived

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-1875428035428598712010-09-19T22:36:00.002+09:002010-09-19T22:39:59.835+09:00

A long time ago, I remember my grandmother telling me that she really hated the fact that as she got older, time seemed to be going by much faster than what she would like...and sometimes she felt as if, when she woke up, she had slept through more than one night.  I laughed and she said "Just you wait and see...it'll happen to you", which made me laugh even more.Well, guess what?  She was

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-44973157163342097472010-09-10T23:14:00.000+09:002010-09-10T23:14:33.187+09:00

...from a time when rock stars wore suits, skinny ties and danced like no body's business!! **************This was a week of an  almost typhoon, (one came close, but not close enough for any damage...we here on the western side of Kyushu fared much better than many north of us), getting back results of the "so. did you study anything during the summer holiday?" tests (Issei had exams the

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-19599260245855065422010-09-05T23:26:00.114+09:002010-09-06T01:38:08.912+09:00

~~sigh~~So much to do...so much time I don't have....er, ahem didn't have.Crap.I know that I have complained about the heat here this summer.  Oh, and wait.  Don't forget about the humidity.  I was actually starting to feel like I was just being a whiny baby about it all.  Then, it was made official. This summer has been the hottest on record in Japan since 1946.19 freakin' 46, my friends. 

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-11869744590203635002010-08-28T22:43:00.000+09:002010-08-28T22:43:15.638+09:00

Christmas in August and a very cool shot glass...what more could a couple of flamingos ask for?Well, they could ask for something other than that ornament to go in the shot glass, but, that's just me and my crazy thinking. **Thanks Dena, my lovely BFF.  I love you and miss you something wicked!** Are you wondering why I'm posting Flamingo Friday on a Saturday or does this not faze you anymore? (

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-50468429822932056372010-08-24T23:54:00.004+09:002010-08-25T01:19:19.037+09:00

The hula festival that I was angsting about so terribly last week has come and gone and I survived.  Oh, I knew I would be okay, it's just I have this tiny little fear of getting on stage and then forgetting everything that I've practiced.  In Japanese, they call this ma shiro ni natta...."my mind went white".The ladies in our group and I walk out on the stage and get into our starting pose....

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-46786400733603799072010-08-20T23:49:00.000+09:002010-08-21T01:59:30.974+09:00

A flocking.You've seen pictures or maybe you have even experienced it yourself.A birthday...a housewarming...a new baby...any kind of celebration is the perfect time for a flocking.Actually, it really doesn't need to be a celebration.  It can just be someone (or a group of someones) wanting to make another someone feel loved. I have to admit, there is a little part of me that would love to wake

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-42668249691151356382010-08-18T23:15:00.004+09:002010-08-19T02:15:57.280+09:00

...her hula mojo that is. This weekend is a very special event for those of us in Nagasaki City who belong to the Kyushu Hula Association.  Our annual Hula Festival will be on Saturday and, thanks to an incredible number of groups who are going to dance, also on Sunday.  Over 100 different groups are getting ready for their 5-8 minutes of fame.It's a big day that we have all worked very hard to

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-81290957988550909002010-08-13T23:23:00.000+09:002010-08-14T02:24:00.279+09:00

Well....kiss me on the lips and call me cute.Damn.All day long, I've been thinking it was Thursday.Sure, I had my Thursday night class last night...on Thursday night.But...when I woke up this morning....yep....Thursday again. Or, so i thought.Yeah, yeah, yeah....it's all a part of the charm.So.Friday, huh?Oooookaaaaaaay.I perused through some of the flamingo pictures I have collected--from the

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-69608114322289426802010-08-06T23:46:00.065+09:002010-08-07T01:11:07.888+09:00

I love days like this.  Days when things happen that just make me smile.  When things happen that remind me that 'all is right with the world'. Tonight, I got a message from my friend, Janet....who passed on a picture from another friend, Gary, of some things that, well, I need would like to have.  I really do.Gary is an incredibly talented potter who does some very cool stuff (go to his blog and

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-49188841618817176922010-08-05T23:05:00.005+09:002010-08-06T01:13:09.368+09:00

So....the whole 'floating message' has been taken care of.  Muchos arrigatos to my friend, Cheryl, in Santa Fe, who was reading another blogger having the same trouble and passed on that blogger's address, who I quickly e-mailed ("hi, you don't know me, but....") and got a speedy reply and remedy.All I had to do was go to the place where I got my background, do some changing around and...voila!

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-87598218914895341462010-08-02T23:30:00.006+09:002010-08-03T01:07:42.732+09:00

No....not that kind of Wicked Witch feeling, it's.....more of the"I'm melting" kind of feeling.Mother Nature has suddenly decided that it is summer.Hot.  Humid.  "Good Lord is it a sauna out here, or what?" Summer. You would think that after 19 years here....plus the 5 in South Texas..(I also did time in Atlanta and Ohio)..that I would be at least a little bit accustomed to the sweltering

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-40428396180085397172010-07-23T23:25:00.105+09:002010-07-24T01:46:09.916+09:00

The other day, the boys and I were driving down the road, when we saw one of these... Both boys commented about it being "Mama's dream car" and then Koji thought that it would be really nice  if it were painted this color... Then Issei mentioned that we would need to add some "extras" to make it perfect... It was at this point that I realized....Oh Good Lord...MY dream car is the same as

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-9332251423761051712010-07-17T22:47:00.002+09:002010-07-18T01:08:27.524+09:00

Bird is....by Kanami Ogata Ms. Ogata is a Japanese glass works artist and her stuff is incredible.  Mona and the girls over at GafferGlassUSA pointed me in her direction and I'm so glad they did.  Her website is in Japanese, but, you can see pictures of some of her work....great pieces.  I'd love to go to an exhibition!I'm pretty sure that this particular piece was not meant to be a flamingo....

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-84470870429691503752010-07-15T01:14:00.000+09:002010-07-15T01:14:02.437+09:00

This is my 19th year in Japan.  If I were to put a ballpark figure to the 'how much have you spent on umbrellas in the last 19 years?" question, I'd have to do some figuring.  Let's see.....19 years X about 2-3 umbrellas a year purchased @ 1,000 yen ($10....average) per umbrella = a number I don't really want to even think about. Holy Moly, Batman.  That's a lot of cash spent on items that were

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-35992904849755370912010-07-09T22:53:00.000+09:002010-07-09T22:53:53.206+09:00

A long time ago, when Debbie was still quite young, a very dear friend of hers had a little girl.  This little girl was beautiful and most precious to Debbie.   Debbie has always had a very special place in her heart for little girls.  It started when she was in high school, with her own little sisters, who were the first of the beautiful and most precious to her. When this particular one was

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-22220987240915406242010-07-05T10:35:00.001+09:002010-07-05T20:21:21.612+09:00

For a few years, we were a family of three...Issei was the lone Kuroiwa son.And then.....on July 4, 2002Koji, came into our lives.(Koji....about 2 hours old.)He was small....and some of us weren't quite sure about him.But...we got to know him.......we realized that he was fun to talk to... ...and he had a great laugh!Issei said, one time that "Koji's whole body laughs."He was right.The Kuroiwa

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-80320511779142665652010-06-30T00:27:00.000+09:002010-06-30T00:27:10.121+09:00

I hate to go on and on about how much it has rained since Thursday, but really....enough is enough!!!Sadly, the weather forecast for us is still more rain...through Saturday.  Some parts of Nagasaki have "heavy rain" forecasted for tomorrow.  It's humid. It's sticky. It's smelly (due to the fact that our laundry juuuuust doesn't get dry. ew.).  It's cool until you move and then, voila--your

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-44037795001289818432010-06-27T22:10:00.002+09:002010-06-28T00:31:12.918+09:00

Okay...so that title was a bit deceiving.  It has not rained continuously for 4 days.  No.  But, it has been dreary, humid, cloudy, sometimes breezy, sticky, drizzly AND rainy for 4 days.  4.  Days.  Those of you who are planning a trip to this part of the world, FYI-- this is the time of year to avoid in Japan.  The 'rainy season'.  (Those of you who used to live here, go ahead, shake your head,

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-71929733459934873712010-06-25T23:33:00.029+09:002010-06-26T01:01:52.039+09:00

.....but I would totally settle for one of THESE... ************And just in case you haven't had something make you shake your head and say "WTH?" today, here are three posters of Winston tobacco's new campaign--supposedly aimed at making smoking attractive to the younger generation-- that seem to be everywhere.What do YOU think? Happy Friday, everyone.I hope you have a great weekend.

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-14923516573050599472010-06-24T23:41:00.001+09:002010-06-25T01:43:02.202+09:00

*Totall acts of randomness on a late Thursday night as Debbie decides if she is going to set her alarm for 3:30 in the freaking morning to watch Japan play Denmark in the World Cup.* Yes, a tie is of utmost importance...you know...when you're a professional...answering the phone..dispatching people here and there.************The movie du jour at the Kuroiwa house this week...King Kong vs

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-79995801442459397652010-06-19T01:56:00.001+09:002010-06-19T06:45:17.757+09:00

Hey...there you are! You came back.  I'm so glad you're here.  I just wish I had more for you.  This week has been one of "those weeks".  You know the kind....the one where you really wished that you had handled things a little better or done things a bit differently.  Oh, it wasn't bad, mind you....it was just a whole lot of "meh". I'm going to blame most of this on the rain.The 'rainy season'

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-45840454963660484172010-06-12T01:48:00.000+09:002010-06-12T01:48:21.278+09:00

Mother Nature has decided to kick up the warmth and humidity a bit...today was pretty toasty and sweaty.  Aaaah....the lead in to (dumdumduuuuuummmm) The Rainy Season.My students said today that it will start on Tuesday.Oh, it's supposed to rain a bit this weekend (a lot actually) but(dumdumduuuuummmm) "The Rainy Season will begin....on Tuesday." They have spoken. Oooookay. It's late.  I'm

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-45285459445622760372010-06-08T00:19:00.000+09:002010-06-08T00:19:26.194+09:00

....or Wednesday or maybe even possibly Saturday. I haven't really posted very many recipes here on my little 'ole blog.It's not that I don't think I'm a good cook, in fact, I think I'm a pretty good one.  It's more because, many times, I have either not followed a recipe and have completely lucked out with a particular dish or I have used a recipe but it was mainly as a guideline...mere

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-39024984522422347422010-06-05T01:51:00.000+09:002010-06-05T01:51:28.727+09:00

....and we will be oh so very happy when he loses that damn surly card. We are living with a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde of emotional angst.  It's quite amazing to observe, actually....one minute, he will be smiling, laughing, messing around with Koji or me outside, but he takes one step inside the house and something almost evil-like takes over.  The rest of us are trying to keep our senses of humors

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-81935842948158113162010-06-03T15:16:00.001+09:002010-06-03T15:19:09.328+09:00

This....is a tornado.... And, this.... is a whirlwind...or a "dust devil", as they are sometimes called: I think I can be pretty safe in saying that this.... ...did NOT go through your child's/grandchild's sports festival last weekend.I'm might be wrong here...but....I'm probably not. By the way....those tornado pictures? On Tuesday, my homeland (Southeast Colorado) made the news....Oh not just

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-76226652967812130862010-05-31T10:38:00.001+09:002010-05-31T10:39:07.649+09:00

When I was growing up, there was a lady who lived on the corner across from the church that always had red roses in her trees.  Not in her rose bushes...in her trees.  In her regular pine-tree looking kind of trees.  I remember asking my mom or granny to drive by her house so we could see them.  In the mind of a small child, any person who would tie fake red roses in her trees was just so cool. 

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-75212668562632448042010-05-30T02:22:00.000+09:002010-05-30T02:22:46.453+09:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks where oh so much is going on and as the things are happening you think to yourself, "Oh...this is going to be such a funny post." or "Man....I canNOT wait to get to a computer and tell people this."?And then...when you get home?  Nary a word gets typed....nor idea gets imagined...nor joke gets told.This, my friends, is what has happened here.Not sure exactly

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-65157097518843538262010-05-21T23:13:00.100+09:002010-05-22T08:40:53.680+09:00

(And the Kuroiwa Flamingo Family just keeps on growing.....Thanks, Mom and "Aunt" Karen!!) So...the other day, some of the ladies in our neighborhood where standing in front of the garage next door,  talking about everyone else, I'm sure, in the 'hood when I got home.  I didn't want to seem rude, so after I parked my car in our space, I walked over to say "hey".  I was making polite conversation

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-17800016624387400822010-05-16T23:22:00.000+09:002010-05-17T06:40:15.503+09:00

 The time has come, my dear readers, to announce the winners of the giveaway....but first, I want to say thank you. Thank you for coming here and reading...thank you for your comments and support... and thank you, especially for your friendship. When I started blogging in October, 2006, it was mainly for my family and friends back "home".  Never in my wildest imagination did I think this blog

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-33640330508118406582010-05-14T23:36:00.050+09:002010-05-15T00:55:25.577+09:00

 During the Golden week holiday, the family went to a local festival. There was a small art exhibition of a young artist.  His work was very simple and colorful.A little too simple for my taste, but....as Issei said, it looked kind of like Picasso. As we were looking at the paintings, Issei stood very close to my left shoulder, almost behind me...He:  Hey....Mom?Me:  Yeah?He:  I can do this.Me: 

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-57464627568049883142010-05-10T23:10:00.000+09:002010-05-11T01:11:57.859+09:00

*or Yes, I know Mother's Day is over...work with me folks, would'ja? So....Mother's Day...how was yours?I hope you had a great day...and were treated just a little more extra special than usual.My day?It was great. I mentioned over on that "social networking" place that I was "trying to come up with a plan to get ALL the Kuroiwa men OUT of the house for a few hours today... THAT would be the

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-8935894605796048572010-05-08T01:17:00.000+09:002010-05-08T01:17:07.586+09:00

Crap.So.How ya doin?Me?I can't complain.But, see....that's part of the problem.I can't complain.I'm also having a hard time putting my thoughts into words to type out.And really?I'd just like to go to bed.So guess what?That...is exactly what I'm going to do.I'll leave you with a couple pictures I could title When someone says "I found something you HAVE to have"~~and they were right!!From my

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-46881010597812328852010-05-05T12:20:00.000+09:002010-05-05T12:20:21.854+09:00

See....that's the bad thing about a long-ish holiday...you almost need a few more days after the holiday to get ready to get back into the swing of things.  I've got so much that should be done, but.....Damn.Today is the last day of our Golden Week ...today is こどもの日, Kodomo no hi, also customarily known as Boys' Day 端午の節句, Tango no sekku.   My boys say that we will call it Boys' Day as the girls

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-43191711488042286892010-04-30T23:59:00.158+09:002010-05-01T01:47:11.055+09:00

The 'mingos are living dangerously today...they obviously are not familiar with the sparrows at feeding time.************ A few weeks ago, I posted my 500th post and I had plans to have a giveaway or something of that manner to celebrate.  Well, here we are, post #515 and guess what? I think it's finally time. Since I'm all about passing on fun stuff that I find here in Japan (remember the zori

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-69263934863713547502010-04-29T23:11:00.143+09:002010-04-30T01:29:11.043+09:00

Today was a holiday here in Japan....Showa Day....the start (for many if they take tomorrow off also) of Golden Week (which is really only 3 days, but this year we also have Saturday and Sunday so it's Golden almost Week ).Today, I treated myself to something I only do 4 or 5 times a year.  I wish I could do it more but...some things don't work out that way.I got a haircut.I know you may be

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-89372876689585060892010-04-23T23:54:00.001+09:002010-04-24T02:01:07.694+09:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time....This is me and my grandfather.Though I grew up in the same area as my grandparents, I didn't really grow up with them.Oh...I knew who they were but....not really.My parents were married young and divorced not so long after.  My mom remarried and I became a member of another family...that first family, always there.....but, not so near.I have

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-54726096431634816872010-04-22T15:01:00.001+09:002010-04-22T23:49:28.245+09:00

(Thanks Cheri for the great cake picture...someday...we'll have it fer reals.) So...Tuesday was the official celebration for the day the world was blessed with my presence. =^-^= Tuesday was....a great day...a flamingolicious day!Not great as in earth moving, heart-palpitations-great, but....still.....yeah.. (Thanks, Nancy, for the decorations!!)The weather was a bit rainy, but....it seemed as

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-16922033336943501432010-04-19T21:55:00.004+09:002010-04-20T01:21:51.252+09:00

The colors that can be seen in our garden, in any given season, still never cease to amaze me.  Now...the cherry and peach blossoms are fading, the azaleas are coming in their full-bloomyness (and yes, I know that is not a real word, work with me here, you know what I mean!),but probably one of my favorite flowers this time of year is the kunshiran (clivia) that sits in a big pot by the front

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-79618691445593043122010-04-16T23:12:00.101+09:002010-04-17T01:10:46.278+09:00

No....not Laverne as in"Laverne & Shirley"(though I have had a few Laverne Difazio moments)... no...I'm thinking more of this Laverne... Yesterday, one of my neighbors came over and and brought me a bag that her friend had made."She made a bunch of them and gave me some....I don't need but one or two so I'm giving them to everyone around here. I don't know if you'll like it or not but...if you

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-58456443326041846062010-04-13T23:15:00.001+09:002010-04-14T00:39:42.840+09:00

....next to yellow or sterling roses, these are probably my most favorite of flowers.... ...this 'green curry' and nan are really quite delicious andwe do so love a good dippin' dinner... ...this baby is in possession of some num-num-numable cheeks*Her momma was my student about 12 years ago* ....it totally makes my day when a student's daughter, who went to America for spring holiday, brings

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-55528984513803062392010-04-09T23:28:00.001+09:002010-04-10T07:07:20.921+09:00

...that someone up there truly loves me and wants me to be happy! Thanks Mom...you rawk the leftover Halloween Easter candy.**************We've had a really hectic week and I'm we're beginning to feel it. Tiredness is running rampant among the Kuroiwa's. So....some pictures..a bit of a "Few Words Friday", if you will., *************** Mom exhibiting her mad Anne Geddes' style picture taking. Ms.

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-5012079081914475402010-04-08T22:29:00.001+09:002010-04-09T00:56:35.272+09:00

The other day, a good friend of mine in the States asked,"Does Japan have a ceremony for everything?"My answer:  "It certainly seems like it, doesn't it?!" The list of thing that Japanese have ceremony for is endless....it seems strange to say this, but...it's the Japanese way. Japanese especially like to officially celebrate the beginnings and endings of things. The most obvious would be births

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-62970930159170834922010-04-06T23:15:00.000+09:002010-04-07T00:15:45.859+09:00

Today was the first day of school for my little one.....Today....he became a 2nd grader.*Yes...a man of "doin' it my way" fashion sense. Today...was the first time (other than those times when 'older brother' was sick)the 'little brother' had to walk to the big corner ofour neighborhood to meet the rest of the groupto walk to school...alone.....(Which totally explains the tummyache last night.)

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-47021113418087053492010-04-02T23:43:00.001+09:002010-04-03T00:45:40.777+09:00

************A Proclamation:Please let it be known thatthose of us living in the House of Kuroiwa,(especially Debbie) do proudly insist upon encourage the observance of,what is known as, The Birthday Month.Let the celebrations begin!!! Actually...a little FYI for your reading pleasure....Today, as my mom will tell you, is my real birthday.You see....40-some-even years ago, I was bornon Good Friday

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-11100547574078762492010-04-02T01:59:00.000+09:002010-04-02T01:59:24.179+09:00

Issei had been needing to go to the doctor for quite awhile, but, since he was in school and I have classes and new patients are encouraged to go to the ENT on Monday and Wednesday mornings only...we had a hard time finding the time to be able to go.He has been having a hard time breathing....it's almost as if he has allergies....every. single. day. all. day. long.  We knew it was getting serious

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-69505089396037003082010-03-31T01:33:00.001+09:002010-03-31T07:33:45.588+09:00

Dear Debbie, I had just a few moments before I needed to turn off the computer and thought that it would be a great time to get this started to you.  I've been meaning to send this but...well...you know how it is.  A great idea ends up spending most of its time on yellow sticky notes...going from place to place, from notebook to notebook and then....where do those notes go, anyway?? (^_^) I

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-23772376229054118062010-03-26T22:46:00.002+09:002010-03-26T22:48:39.659+09:00

This is my sister (my bebeh sister) and her husband.... they live in Their very good friends decided to get married in that exciting townand this man performed officiated. The wedding party stayed at the so of course they thought of Debbie.But....since Debbie lives a gazillion miles away,she could only be there "in spirit"...or... on a stick.(^_^)/*She is pretty sure that she had a good time. *

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-46897401663981438612010-03-23T23:58:00.000+09:002010-03-23T23:58:50.719+09:00

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

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-51041676111292809672010-03-19T08:29:00.001+09:002010-03-19T08:30:38.600+09:00

Good morning!!Yes, I know...I'm usually posting my 'Friday thang" very late on a Friday night/early Saturday morning, but...not this week.Today is going to be one of those "holy Hell!!" kind of days.Busy, busy, busy.Classes all day today....meeting tonight with the 'after-school' parents where Koji goes....and then I have to finish getting everything ready for a flea market that I'm doing

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-17839546370429731792010-03-16T01:20:00.000+09:002010-03-16T01:20:00.754+09:00

Today.... was just one of those days..... You know....the kind where it rains/pours/drizzles pretty much off and on all day long.......the kind where you lose a ring...one that you've had for almost 10 years...the one you took off on Sunday night as you were making the pizza dough and put it on the shelf above the sink and then this morning? pffft. It was gone.  After wearing a ring there for

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-30191745227245371722010-03-12T22:49:00.000+09:002010-03-12T22:49:05.938+09:00

See what happens when they come to my Friday class!! Never again, my friends...NEVER...again!!(At least not when I take peanutbutter brownies!!)(^_^)**************I'm feeling a little random....how about it? So....which one would YOU be??A few weeks ago, a couple of friends of mine and I were out shopping for a wedding present for another friend and after deciding on a coffee maker for the new

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-31321077199201105032010-03-09T00:50:00.001+09:002010-03-09T00:52:29.846+09:00

This weekend, something slightly eye-opening was brought to my attention.  I realized that the hard-rocking singer/songwriter Jon Bon Jovi? Yeah...he is just a little more than one month older...than....me. Yes....this man....this incredibly hawt man........and I..... ...are the same age.~~sigh~~In the process of discussing this realization over on "that other social network", the question of

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-24950867819173356782010-03-06T02:28:00.000+09:002010-03-06T02:28:15.956+09:00

Okay...so here's the deal:  after weeks and weeks, nay...months and months...of pretty much every Friday posting some of my most favorite of things here....I fell off the wagon and landed in a big 'ole pile of meh last week and didn't post a one of my pink feathered friends.  So...this week...to make up for that....I give you muchos flamingos!!!                This flamingo was part of this

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-81067909385246725922010-03-04T01:17:00.000+09:002010-03-04T01:17:23.393+09:00

Once upon a time, there were three American women who met in Japan. They each came with different missions and goals in mind...led slightly different lives...and yet, found themselves in one particularly similiar situation. They were all pregnant at the same time.  (There were actually two others but today's story is just about the three.) While one was due in January, the other two actually had

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-5393782093409894632010-03-01T22:45:00.002+09:002010-03-02T01:21:12.895+09:00

For the last ten days....the non-blogginess of this particular site can be blamed on the following, in any combination or singularly, at any given time of day or night:influenza of the swine-ful kind (Issei),birthday celebration (again, Issei), sickness sympathy symptoms (Koji), apathy (lot's and lot's of that, but not about the sick son or the fake-sick son either), feelings of being overwhelmed

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-77442636723284148862010-02-19T22:55:00.006+09:002010-02-20T01:10:58.662+09:00

"No, Debbie....don't!! Don't throw it away!! We LOVE Christmas!!!" ******************Janet has a Shooting From the Hip project going on....taking pictures with your cell phone of life around you and posting them on your blog. Yesterday, as I was walking along a road that runs in front of an elementary school, I could hear the sound of a garbage truck....and of kids....laughing and yelling. I

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28045657.post-91565552589172412412010-02-19T01:00:00.007+09:002010-02-19T01:32:26.053+09:00

In honor of Mardi Gras, this week's words for the Weekly Word Challenge are "beads" and "costume".~beads from my dad~ ~beads....just waiting....~ ~beads of prayer~~beads of hope~~beads for personal peace of mind~~beads worn by a grandma, greatly missed~ ~Costume...just one of many~~my very own, Superboy~

dkuroiwahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14702013452096435136noreply@blogger.com5