It was Murder!

Look what having a regional president/conference planner for a mom will do to you! 

It was a God thing that Arielle and Nolan were invited to play at a friend's party the night before I flew out for Korea. They had a blast. It was a murder mystery party. Nolan (on the right) was the victim. LOL


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Rokkasho Salmon Festival 2011

We were determined to catch this this year. Tickets were sold out and we couldn't participate in the salmon catching....but we went anyway - next year we'll buy tickets.  Here are directions etc if you happen to be googling this in 2012. We hope to be here to get one more shot at participating next year. LOL

This event is held each fall in Rokkasho. They go out in the a.m. and catch salmon and put them in several pools. All day long there are contests to catch salmon.  There is food on a stick...and a produce market as well. This was a nice drive, fun to watch and we enjoyed walking on the beach afterwards.

Pool of sedate, unsuspecting salmon 

Ready, set go.....

Stacia dreams of Gherkins in a pool next year. LOL 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

October's Nursing Home

The first place I drove off base was to follow Twyla to the nursing home. LOL We've been going there for two years. I really like this quick visit. 


Today was Twyla's last visit. Christina has taken this over this year. She's been shadowing Twyla for a few months and ran with it this month. I know that these dear ones are in good hands. Love our local PWOC.

Asia (Lisa's daughter in my arms) was a hit

Men love a little guy - don't they? 

Group Shot 

Twyla getting her quilt signed

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Yakisoba

Akikosan meets with us weekly. The purpose is to tutor us in Japanese and Japanese culture. I think we're doing well with culture...not so well with the language...to much fun. Arielle is doing well. She actually took the time to learn to READ the alphabet as Akikosan instructed at the start...so she's making good progress. 


As I had an accident on Thursday, Akiko suggested she come to our home Friday at lunch and teach us to make yakisoba. She gave us directions in Japanese and we had to respond to her in Japanese...and we learned how to make Yakisoba - with the spice packets included. LOL 

These yakisoba packages are available at Universe - Akiko recommends the ones with the powdered spice mixture

Stacia peels an onion 

Arielle chopped the carrots - and Zander did the cabbage

Add some oil and saute

Add 1/2 lb - 3/4 pound of "pork" (we'll skip this in the future)

brown meat.....add salt and pepper as desired

Add yakisoba noodles and mix - chopsticks seem to work best for this

Add a bit of water - cover and let simmer for about 5 min? 

Add spice mixture and stir

I've made this twice more and we love it - even with just veggies and no meat. I think it would be fine with turkey or chicken or fish - but "that's not the Japanese way."

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Ode to Twyla

OK - I know the saying - smile at the memories instead of crying that it's over or some such thing. Right? But goodbyes are HARD and they STINK!  Marvie blessed PWOC and Twyla Misawa by opening her home for a farewell luncheon. We had the yummiest LUMPIA, great conversations, laughter, gifts - it was perfect.

Twyla's leaving brings a precious season of my life to an end. When I first moved to Misawa, 3 ladies invited me to go to an onsen - I'd been here about a week. Deb T, Twyla, Renee C and I were onsen buddies...and became dear friends. Deb moved to Yokosuka after a year. Renee and hubs PCSd to Kansas this summer. Twyla moved the first week of November. I miss her dearly. It isn't only the onsen...she was a friend who loved me enough to stick with me when I was NASTY.....to confront me when I needed it....to tell on my kids when I needed to know what they were up to...to pray with me regardless....to be there after we worked through the hard things....to allow me to confront her when needed....a true friend.  We also worked together for two years in our local PWOC. Twyla was our outreach....followed me into many projects bigger than either of us realized...and we both grew! 

We worked in as many onsen trips as we could before she moved. 

Precious Ladies

I left the party deep in thought....teary and a bit melancholy. I was glad that I knew the week after Twyla left would be incredibly busy - I'd leave for conference shortly after she moved.  I'd keep my mind occupied......

On the way home I tail ended this car.....my story was quite different from his...mine agreed with the witnesses' but we're out $2,600.00 in repairs. No one was hurt. 

I have really missed Twyla since coming home from Conference. We used to make it a point to go to the onsen when I got home from a trip and soak and share....I miss her...but I'm happy for the time we had together...and realize that I'm now one of the old timers around here....been here 2 1/2 years...more and more friends will be moving. 

YES, I AM keeping my eyes open for new dinner/onsen partners....Misawa just isn't the same without at least a monthly girls night out. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Fun Feathers

When we got our last haircuts, Arielle and I agreed to try something new and fun! Feathers.  Mine is pink and we have no good photos of it. Arielle's was much more noticeable - I think I'll go with PWOC Turquoise next time. 

This was a season where the two of us wanted to do something FUN together as my focus was increasingly becoming absorbed by conference. I think I'll try some dye next. LOL

The only down side of this is that Stacia has been begging for her own feather now.


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Lovely Fall Days

Ah - proof that priorities were still in place 2 weeks before conference! This makes me feel better. We only lost two weeks of school the week before and the week of conference. 

I LOVE THE FALL IN NORTHERN JAPAN! I love the colors, the crisp feel of the mornings, the shortening days and the LACK of sweaty HEAT. LOL 

Harvest has hit the field outside our patio.....

We spent extra time on Egypt but finally finished this section. We plan to add pages to our notebook throughout the year. 

We made cookies for a friend. 

Emily brought a copy of this to Bible Study and I decided to take the idea and run with it for a conference favor.....we made verses centered on The Lord's Prayer to give out. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...