In the spirit of keeping it REAL...

Here is my kitchen sink.  

Always.  It is rarely free of dishes waiting to be dunked in those soapy suds. And, even if my house and kitchen are clean, there are dirty dishes in the sink and a perpetual tower of clean ones air drying near by.  Even after dishes are officially "done" a few minutes later a teacup, glass, snack plate or a mixing bowl begin the stack-to-come in the deep and wide metal sink in my small galley sized kitchen.

Since we don't have an American dishwasher, I am the chief American dishwasher of this crew of dishwashers. I have to admit that I enjoy the smell of dish soap and like always having clean fingernails.  Since our sink is facing our living-dining room, it gives me a chance to visit with family as I tackle this mindless task.  I have come to accept this aspect of daily life.  A job I used to dread, now feels familiar and productive.  A quote from a young Amish girl in the movie "Saving Sarah Cain" warms my heart as the clean bubbly water warms my hands.  She gently rebukes me, "Dishes are never a chore".

 Spring, the nicest seasons here in Tokyo! 

Spring for me means filling pots with dirt and seeing what might grow;                                                   one of my favorite pastimes.

Flower blossoms and new green growth.

Warmer Days.

Even though thsees pictures were taken awhile ago, 

spring is still in the air and we are enjoying it immensely.

                              

Since we, like most Japanese living in Tokyo, don't have a yard we enjoy going to the park.  Sapporo city, where we used to live had small parks at almost every corner. We have found a few nice parks near  our house here in Tokyo; complete with a wide open field of weedy grass for a friendly game of family baseball.  

Take me out to the Ballgame

One of Tim's "hobbies" is watching Baseball, well really, cheering on his long-time favorite team, the Reds.  After many hours working on his Japanese sermon, it's relaxing to watch highlights of an American baseball in English. Somehow nothing feels like summer is on it's way like the sound of a baseball game. Just another way that today's technology makes living overseas easier and it helps us feel more connected to "home".

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter!

A fun tradition our has family is making Hot Cross Buns sometime around Easter. The dough for these yummy easy rolls can be made the night before so they are ready to make first think in the morning for a special breakfast. The kids enjoy making the crosses with the frosting (although sometimes we slather the whole bun and say it's the empty tomb).
Hot Cross Buns

2 rounded teaspoons yeast

2 Tablespoons of warm water

1 cup of warm/hot milk (110-120 degrees F)

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs beaten

4 cups of flour

1/2 cup of melted butter (100 g.)

Dissolve yeast in water and milk. Add sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add eggs and 2 cups of flour. Add melted butter and mix well. Add remaining flour gradually. Place in greased bowl and grease top of dough, cover and chill until firm enough to handle (overnight is ok too). Shape into buns and put on greased cookie sheet. Mark each with a X with a floured knife. Let rise until double. Bake for about 10 minutes at about 200 C (400 F). Form a cross on the top with frosting with a butter knife or frosting tube.

Frosting

3 cups of Powdered Sugar

3 Tablespoons of melted butter

3 Tablespoons of milk

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

Happy Anniversary to us!

20 years ago today we said, "I do"

So thankful and blessed to have a loving, Godly husband

a great partner in ministry and a great partner in life

The last few years instead of Tim buying me cut flowers, we have bought a plant together for our home's garden. Last year it was a rose bush that sits in my sun room. The year before that, we planted lavender in our yard in the US. This year we chose a lemon tree. Mmmm, I can already smell the tangy goodness of California.
We've had fun dreaming about a dream vacation to Okinawa to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Granted we don't understand most of what the Japanese pamphlets says, but the pictures sure look beautiful. We aren't sure when we will go since it is hard to find time when we'll have clear weather as well as a clear calendar.

Actually we would be happy to get away anywhere there is some sand and sea. We love the beach so much that I recently re-decorated our bedroom with this favorite theme.

I drew the warm, cheery colors from a hand-me-down mini quilt at the foot of our bed. I've had fun searching for beach/retro/nostalgic fabric to cover old throw pillows.

Maybe I shouldn't mention to you that the dresser in our bedroom came off the garbage pile 16 years ago in Northern Japan...I bet you would have never guessed though...shhh, don't tell anyone.

Our bed is actually a simple flat wood frame that Tim built layered on plastic drawers, then layered with a comfy futon mat and then memory-foam. This can easily be taken apart and stored when we are on home assignment in the US. It also serves as a great hidden storage spot for winter clothes, blankets, etc.

Since it's hard to find beach theme decorations here in Japan, I made them.

It was fast and easy to hot glue treasured shells and sand dollars we've collected to an old picture frame. I also made a make-shift sign with an old wood sign I had. I flipped it to the blank backside and wrote on it with chalk.

I thought it was fun to collect maps of beaches we have visited, so I ripped and burned the edges for an old-fashioned effect. I slid the map pages under a thin plastic table cloth that covers a card table that acts as a desk near our bed. I also hot-glued ribbons around an old basket to up-date it a little. Voila! A beach get-away for the couple looking forward to a beach get-away!

Happy Passover!

Several years ago some missionary friends introduced us to celebrating Passover with a simple, symbolic meal shared together a week or so before Easter.

This year, we had some other missionary friends over to celebrate together with Matzoh (a cracker-like flat bread) and Haroset (apples, cinnamon, walnuts and honey) which have both become favorites for the kids. They aren't as crazy though about the Maror (bitter herbs). We read through a simple script reminding us of Moses, the Israelites and how God set them free from bondage.

He still sets us

-wandering and homeless-

Free

In Japan there is no reminder that Easter is around the corner. I confess we miss the spring decorations and chocolate bunnies and egg shaped Easter candy that America offers, but I guess here without all the extra Holiday hoopla, our home and hearts are focused on the real meaning of this season.

We celebrate Jesus

our Passover Lamb

By His wounds we are healed

By His Blood we are covered

Miss you already

This son of ours came back safe and sound

This son of ours tasted, touched and felt Thailand

This son of ours saw the deception

draped in glitter and gold

This son of ours rode elephants

This son of ours met smiling children

overlooked and under-privileged

This son of ours trekked through a hillside village

This son of ours will graduate from high school soon

This son of ours is stepping out

and stepping away

This son of ours left a quiet, empty space in our house

and in our hearts

This son of ours was missed

This mama of yours had a hard time saying goodbye for 1 week

How will this mama of yours say goodbye for 4 long months?

In the quiet sanctuary of your room

with the setting sun streaming in

I sat quiet and thoughtful

And oh, so thankful and proud

I felt you gone already, a hint of days to come

you already know

I miss you already

In the Spirit of Keeping it REAL...

...This was my living room this morning.

Our kids came home from a weekend snow camp with 2 duffel bags full of wet, dirty clothes. Since it has been raining for the last 3 days, I succumbed to hanging it the only place it would dry. So with boots and gloves steaming in front of our kerosene heater (pictured bottom right) and jeans and sweatshirts hanging from the curtain rods and ceiling fans, our living room became the laundry room.

Breakfast

I love making breakfast...well, eating it too. And no, not a typical Japanese breakfast of fish, rice and Natto (fermented soy beans- healthy, but smelly!). My favorite splurge in the States is going for Swedish pancakes to IHOP, complete with a side of bacon. I think Japanese bacon tastes like Canadian bacon, but we salt it and fry it up in a little butter to make it more crispy. I've tried to make Swedish pancakes, but they haven't turned out too well. Does anyone have a good recipe to share?The next best thing is Crepes, especially with warm, drippy mixed berry sauce. This was actually a jar of my easy homemade jam that didn't solidify too well. Maybe I'll purposefully not boil it enough next time to make this yummy mistake-jam again. It's great drizzled on pancakes.
I love this Crepe recipe from my old missionary friend. She was the queen of the kitchen and used cooking classes to share with Japanese women the spiritual food that Jesus offers. I worked with Ralph and Stella Cox about 23 years ago when I came to Japan as a summer worker in college. I still use her published cookbook (half in English and half in Japanese) and enjoy trying out her do-able recipes.

I too, have taught many cooking classes as well but found them to be stressful and tiring. Writing the recipe in Japanese (along with metric and weight measurements, Japanese weigh most ingredients instead of using cups) and making extra food ahead of time to "display" and for everyone to taste is time and energy consuming. It's also hard to find recipes that use only ingredients that you can buy here, as well as things that Japanese would like to make (often they don't have an oven).

Recipe Note: I found that if I heat the milk up slightly before I mix it in, then I don't have to "let it stand for 30 minutes" since I am always in a hurry to feed my hungry family...and me too. We usually double this recipe for the 5 of us.

Are You Still Counting?

If you haven't started, start your list now.

Join me in Choosing THANKS today as we number

God's countless, daily gifts.

I've hit 500!

#500 the beauty of just-fallen snow as I sit at our breakfast table

#501 AND not having to shovel

#502 AND everyone in our family got where they needed to be without too many train delays

#503 a quiet morning

#504 a frothy cup of decaf sugar-free Chai Tea

#505 a care package full of hometown sweets and spices sent by thoughtful friends

#506 our sweet dog waiting to greet our return

#507 our bright and window-lit home, even in the winter

When friends and family come to visit us

I know it is money consuming, time expending, energy absorbing and sleep depriving to travel overseas. A trip across the ocean not only charges your credit card, but deducts from a good night's sleep (and a good day's wide-awake) as your body's time clock is off for weeks...fighting through jet lag here and then when you are back home again.

But for us, it's price-less and worth every minute.

When you step off the plane, you step into our life and you give us the gift of

sharing our world with you.

Our world

of small, cold houses and head-bumping door frames

Of confusing train lines and quiet train rides

Of curvy, narrow roads

where sucking in your breath makes the car fit

Of overpriced veggies

neatly wrapped in single serving plastic wrap

Our world

of a missionary kid' school

with challenging academics, thriving sports and drama opportunities

and a high caliber music program

Of a missionary kid's school

with uprooted teens from all places, with all colors of faces,

laughing and chattering in Jan-glish

As my son described family and friends visiting us,

his TCK's (Third Culture Kid's)

heart and mouth expressed it best,

" It's like visiting the imaginary island in-between

Japan and America

that blends our two worlds."

Now, don't you want to come visit?

We were so blessed to have my parents here sharing our world. Besides bringing us a suitcase full of American goodies, they came again to connect to our family and be a part of our boys' life here, a blessing most MKs (Missionary Kids) don't get to experience. What fun to cheer at JV and Varsity basketball games and applaud at the middle school play together.

These memories will last a life time.

We will keep the snap shots of our visit to that in-between island forever.