2016 - The Year in Review

Good-bye Year of the Monkey.

All in all it has been a good year.  I'm dealing with some medical challenges, but they are temporary.  They have shown me what kind, supportive friends I have and I am so grateful. 

I am happy to continue living in Japan. This year I have lived and visited new locations and have learned so much.  The culture and history here are incredible.  With all the crazy things going on in the world and especially my own country, I am so thankful to be in such a calm, safe, peaceful place.  

I am pleased with the stitching I have been able to do this year, even though it has been quite a bit less than previous years.  I  am so thankful for my stitch group.  In addition to letting me share my hobby, they have been so helpful to me in many many situations.  

I love my job and my eager, hard-working students.  It is such a joy to work with students who truly want to learn and seem as happy to see me as I am to see them.   

I feel so blessed and so fortunate.  Thank you!

Sleeping and Eating in Okinawa

I stayed at the Estinate Hotel, which was the best of all the Okinawan hotels I've stayed in. It is just a few minutes walk from the monorail station - very convenient! I found a great deal on Agoda.com and paid only 6100 yen a night, including breakfast. Most Japanese hotels have pillows made of chopped up plastic straws, but this hotel had real pillows.    Almost  all of the staff spoke some English and all were friendly and helpful (like when I broke my arm).

There were five breakfast choices, but three had meat, so I didn't choose them. The first day I had the dome pancake with fruit.   The rest of the time I had granola with fruit.  I didn't take pictures every day, but the fruit was not always the same.  Have you heard of dragon fruit? It's the white fruit with black dots.  Oishii!  

One day I ate lunch in my hotel. I chose what was named the "vegan lunch".  It was good and only 700 yen.  

Two days for lunch I went to a restaurant near Shurijo that I've been to many times before.  It's very popular so there is always a wait, but it is well worth waiting for.  It sits in a beautiful garden.  Both days I ordered the banana fish set.  The second day I also had sherbert. The set lunch was 1100 yen and the sherbert 200 yen. 

While waiting for one of my craft classes I had a cold mocha coffee drink at McDonald's.

I didn't have a lot of energy for going out to eat at night so most of the time I ate at my hotel. Okinawa fish and chips is fried tuna, not cod.  I really like pizza and could eat it any time.  

At the Naha airport, I couldn't resist an A&W root beer float.

2016 Smalls Stitch A Long - Alphabet Ornament

This month's small is a stuffed ornament.  Twisted cord made from DMC floss.   The size is about 3 inches x 3 inches.

Linking up with Heather, the Stitching Lotus, the hostess of this SAL.

Christmas Stitching - Finishing 101

The stitchers met on Sunday (Christmas), but there wasn't a needle in my hand because of my broken arm!  In our last session, they worked on cross stitch snowmen. This time, they needed to do the finishing into ornaments.  

They thought making twisted cording was like magic!  They will finish attaching  the cording at home.   

Christmas cake!  Even if I can't stitch I can still eat cake.

Omiyage.  Thank you!

Best of 2016 Linky Party

This linky party is hosted by Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs.  I participated last year and enjoyed seeing everyone else's posts. 

This year I will post my five best/favorite finishes again. Click on the name and it will take you to the finishing post.  I didn't have as many finishes this year as previous years - working full time and having some medical challenges took up stitching time, I guess.  

Orphan Hexie Pouch

Woven Bag

Sashiko Hexie Runner

Tiny Tree Ornament

December Needleroll

Christmas Ornaments Made in 2016

No new hexagons today. My arm is healing.