Shiriyazaki

On Memorial Day, we took a field trip. We drove up to the northernmost point of Honshu: Cape Shiriya.


It's about a 2-hour drive north along the Pacific coast, and after I got over my "navigator's fear" of getting us on the wrong road, I was able to relax and enjoy the scenery.




At the cape, we saw the lighthouse,


enjoyed lots of rocky coastline,

a rock-gatherer's paradise

fun for rock climbers, too

amazing Pacific breeze!

No swimming allowed!

and, Katie's favorite part, the wild horses.








In Japan, every point and peak seems to have its own shrine.





After rock climbing and horse viewing, we were ready for lunch, but it was too windy for an outdoor picnic.


We ate in the car in the parking lot, while still enjoying the view.

PBJ on thick Japanese bread...mmm...mmm!

On the drive back, we passed a wind farm with huge windmills catching the Pacific winds.




For several days before we went, Matthew had been asking if there would be bad guys there, too. Finally, I made the connection. To him, wild horses sounded like misbehaving horses, so there might be misbehaving people as well. I think he must have been wondering why on earth we would want to go see such a thing.

After he met the horses, which are very gentle and mostly interested in eating grass--not at all aggressive like the wild ponies of Assateague Island, which come up to your car and nose around for people food--he understood the attraction.


All of us enjoyed the scenic drive and fresh ocean air of what was probably our last field trip before the baby arrives.

Checklist

A few months back, I wrote about all the chores we needed to do before the baby is born. With only 2 weeks to go, I thought it would be good to go back and see how we're doing.

--rearrange the living room--partially done. We moved three bookshelves and some furniture, but haven't braved the armoire/piano switch yet.

-master bedroom--all 6 boxes are gone (hooray!)

-nightstand: cleaned and moved; diapers: ordered, arrived, and washed; basket for diapers: still working on this one. It needs to be large, but not overwhelming. I keep looking when I'm online and in the stores here. Hopefully, one will show up soon.

-dressers: mine is clean; John's is getting there. So is his nightstand.

-storage shelves: clean and rearranged to make room for baskets of baby clothes in lieu of a dresser (baskets and clean clothes in place)

-the front hall closet: I cleaned and reorganized two shelves yesterday. Then I had to take a break to list a pile of school books from one of the shelves for sale online. It's the right time of year to sell, so if they're going to sell, they should go soon. If they don't sell, I think I'll donate the religion ones to our parish RE program. Hoping to finish the rest of the shelves today.

-the school closet: not there yet

-grading--I'm working on this as much as I can. Now that we have finished classes for the year and only have exams to finish, I will have more time during the day to focus on grading.

-better chore chart and retraining: still working on this one. I found an interesting chore chart online, but haven't ordered yet. I'm still pondering the best way to do this. Doing it at all would be a step in the right direction, however. I need to make a decision.

-The other thing that I have added to the list is the gardening. We are overrun with dandelions. John has been working at it every weekend, but it seems almost impossible to get rid of them all. And we're not even talking about in the grass of the yard. I'm only hoping to clear them out of the flower beds, along the sidewalks, and in the gravel driveway/parking area.

-Oh, and, haha, I forgot to mention that we need to bring in the bassinette, clean it, wash the liner and sheets, and find something to put it on so it is the right height for the side of our bed--so I can easily reach the baby and return him there after night time nursing.

Thank goodness we have two more weeks. :-)

Clear the roads!

Patrick passed his driving test today.

He'll get his license Tuesday when the Pass and ID office is open. Then he will be able to drive on base, but not off base. The Japanese driving age is 18, so he has to wait awhile for that one.

He took a classroom course on base, provided through the Youth Center, but did his behind-the-wheel training with us. He had to have 9 hours of driving before the test today. For Washington State, he needs 50 hours, so we have to keep tracking his hours.
When we get back there, he can get his Washington license, as well.

Now blooming...

...plum trees!

bus stop at Edgren High School

on the street looking away from the high school

bowling alley and library

outside the high school

Edgren bus stop side view

over the bus stop roof

close up of the blossoms

May crowning

"Bring flowers of the fairest,
Bring flowers of the rarest,
From garden and woodland
and hillside and dale;

Our full hearts are swelling,
Our glad voices telling
The praise of the lovliest
Rose of the vale."

St. Jude's has never had a May crowning before, so when the religious education director, who is also in my women's Bible study group, said she wanted to do one this year, I enthusiastically volunteered to help. She appreciated copies of programs from Holy Family in Yakima and our home school group there.


Then she asked Katie and me to make a crown for the statue of Mary. This was a new challenge. We wanted to use fresh flowers, but the wreath needed to be very tiny, which requires tinier, and more fragile flowers. So we made a basic wreath of silk flowers and on Sunday morning, Katie picked some fresh violets, double violets, and other tiny flowers out of our flowerpots and yard. I wove them into the wreath as we rode in the car, then we misted the wreath a few times during Mass. Miraculously, we kept Matthew from playing with it or sitting on it, and it survived until the celebration.

The procession began with the youngest and oldest g irls from Joseph's First Communion class carrying in and placing the wreath. Unfortunately, I missed getting a photo of them. They looked very sweet in their First Communion dresses.

"O, Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today,

Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May."

"Hail Holy Queen enthroned above...

....Salve. Salve. Salve, Regina."