Breaking Out

My friend and I got together for lunch to celebrate and make plans for breaking out! The restaurant we went to was brand new - we thought that was especially appropriate!  The future is new and bright.

World's Oldest Living Man Dies at Age 112

Since moving to Japan four years ago, I have become very interested in the oldest people in the world.  That's probably because so many of them are from Japan! We recently learned that the oldest man, Yasutaru Koide of Nagoya Japan, died at age 112. He said his secret to living so long was not smoking or drinking, not to overdo things, and "living with joy". He died of heart failure and pneumonia last Tuesday.  

I think I'm going to focus on "living with joy" so that whether my life is long or short, it'll be the best it can be.

Lunch with Friends

After spending the morning scrapbooking with Vicky, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Bombay Blue - the favorite of all four of us.

2016 Smalls Stitch A Long - Cross Stitch Card Finish

New year - new start at this SAL.  I’ve made a card using a Jeannette Douglas design.

You can join in this SAL, hosted by Heather at Stitching Lotus.

Work In Progress Wednesday - Birthday Kit

I've begun working on this small project that I carried on my trip, but didn't work on while I was gone. 

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Up and Down Buttonhole Stitch

I really like this stitch.  I’ve done a small seam with three strands of Mandarin floss on the pink block.

Next I tried it with a single strand of Bravo! on the blue block and added detached chain stitches.

You can join TAST at anytime. Check out Sharon B’s stitch instructions here.

Monday Morning Star Count

I'm using these four hexagon flowers and matching background, along with these blank squares that I will embroider little pictures, to make a wall quilt.  I still have a long way to go, but this kind of gives you an idea of what it will look like.  What do you think? 

Ainu Festival 2016

The Ainu are an indigenous people of Hokkaido, who have a distinct language, religion, and culture. The language has been classified as endangered, with less than 100 people now speaking the Ainu language. Last Saturday we attended the Ainu Festival in Sapporo. We enjoyed a day of Ainu music, dance, traditional clothing.  How fortunate we were to be able to attend!