Work In Progress Wednesday

Lizzie Kate

Dogwood Afghan - second block

Puppy Love

Temple in Shibukawa Area

This temple is about a mile from my house and I just found it when walking.  I don't know the name of it but it is in the Shibukawa area of town. There were some dark clouds, but it didn't rain that day.

Another interesting place.  Do I find these places or do they find me?

Monday Morning Star Count - Hexie Tree and Week 12

Hexie Tree progress - Sequins and beads to create the look of twinkly lights and a gold star on top of the tree.

Year five of the temperature quilt 

Week 12 

July 18 - 24 

88, 95, 91, 90, 90, 90, 90

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Five temperature/color scheme remains the same as previous years: 

100+ Brown 

90-99 Red 

80-89 Orange 

70-79 Yellow 

60-69 Green 

50-59 Blue 

40-49 Purple 

30-39 Pink 

20-29 White 

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.

Lost Thing

It is getting more and more difficult to send something to the United States. Several weeks ago I mailed a letter to a friend in Indiana, USA. Ordinary envelope, correct address, proper postage.  It went to the US and came back to me in Japan, with a yellow sticker on it that said "not at this address".  I checked my address book and I checked the return address on the last letter she sent me and they all matched.  I put the returned letter in a new envelope with another letter and put the letter in my bag to mail it.  When I got to the post box, I didn't have the letter!  Somehow I lost it on the way.  I hoped the finder would drop it in the mail box, that's what I would do.  

A few days later I received a notice in the mail from the police saying they had something they thought belonged to me - a lost or forgotten thing.  I knew it had to be the letter.  I asked my Japanese friend to call the phone number in the notice and ask them to put the letter in the mailbox.  She called for me and they told her I needed to pick up the item (the letter). It was a 45 minute walk on a hot day to the fourth floor of the big police building (not the little local koban - police box). When I got there, I was the only one needing help and there were eight people working in the lost and found office.  I waited an hour for them to find my letter, which was wrapped up in plastic.  I wrote my name and address on a printed form, they gave me the letter and I walked down the stairs and out of the building.  I was about half a block away and one of the office workers came running after me, saying sorry sorry.  I had to go back because they had given me the wrong form to write my name and address on.  I did it again on the new form and quickly walked away! I put the letter in the post box and hopefully my friend will receive it.  

Lost and found is very serious in Japan.  When someone loses a phone or a wallet, they get the item back intact. It is amazing.  I was surprised that I had to go to the big police department building though to get the letter.  If you found an addressed stamped envelope, would you put it into the post box, or take it to the police station, or leave it where it lay, or something else?  I'm just curious.

Police Station with Lost and Found

730 Crossing, Ishigaki, Okinawa

Have you ever driven in a country that drives on the opposite side of the road from where you learned to drive?  I think it's difficult to change.

After World War II until 1952, the United States occupied Japan.  In the southern most island prefecture of Okinawa, the US military control continued until 1972. Because of this, cars drove on the right side of the road in Okinawa, even though cars drove on the left on Japan's main islands. Okinawa drivers continued to drive on the right even after its return to Japan. On July 30, 1978, Okinawa switched back to driving on the left. 

This date is referred to as "730" by many citizens. The change was not popular with the people of Okinawa because it was the decision of the Japanese government. Thankfully, on July 30th the confusion was minimal and there were few traffic accidents. In Ishigaki, the transition began at 6 am, with 164 police officers and local volunteers guiding drivers to the left at what later became known as 730 crossing. A monument was constructed at this crossing.  In 2008, the area around the monument was made into a public park to celebrate the anniversary of 730.

Friday Finish - Mola Fish

This project has been very fun.  I'm sure I will make another mola. After doing the mola part, I added a triangle to each side with the same blue fabric.  Then I backed it with the same purple fabric, and it's done.

World Embroidery Day is Tomorrow!

World Embroidery Day was created by Kerstin Nettelblad and Skåne Sy-d, members of the Swedish Embroider's Guild.  The first World Embroidery Day was celebrated in Sweden ten years ago, on July 30, 2011.  Now it is celebrated annually on July 30th. 

What are you doing to celebrate? Are you stitching something special in honor of the day? I have a few things I'm thinking about working on.

Work In Progress Wednesday

 Lizzie Kate - new project

Mola Fish

Floral Bouquet

Puppy Love

Record Number of Missing Dementia Patients in 2020

In 2020, there was a record high number of missing dementia patients in Japan - 17,565! That was up 86 from 2019, according to the National Police Agency.  Of that number (17,565!), 214 were not found by the end of the year. Police data showed that 74.2 percent of dementia sufferers who went missing were found the same day, while 99.3 were found within a week, so it's not quite as bad as it sounds. Still, there are a lot of people wandering off.  Where do they go while they are missing?

According to estimates by the Health Ministry, by 2025 the number of people in Japan suffering from dementia is likely to expand to 7 million, or one in five people over 65. Some local governments have started providing mobile global positioning system tracking devices for dementia patients, in order to help find missing dementia patients.

I had no idea there were so many dementia patients who go missing! I often see elderly people walking down the street.  Maybe some of them are missing. Is this an issue where you live?

Monday Morning Star Count - Hexagon Tree Quilt and Week 11

I pulled out my hexie tree quilt that I haven't worked on in a very long time.  I am adding sequins and beads to be little twinkly lights.

Year five of the temperature quilt 

Week 11 

July 11 - 17 

86, 86, 82, 79, 82, 90, 88

I am reporting the high temperature each day.  My Year Five temperature/color scheme remains the same as previous years: 

100+ Brown 

90-99 Red 

80-89 Orange 

70-79 Yellow 

60-69 Green 

50-59 Blue 

40-49 Purple 

30-39 Pink 

20-29 White 

You can see my finished Year One Quilt here.