This is pathetic

Okay, so this may be the longest I have gone and neglected my poor blog. I've been
a. busy
b. lazy
c. crazy
d. all of the above

If you guessed d. you are correct. Crazy busy days lead to laziness. No excuses.

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The school year ends in March in Japan, and begins again in April when all the Cherry trees are in bloom. Yes, that is the reason why. Japan is big on ceremonies and for school entrance ceremonies Cherry blossoms are a must. That is why at just about every school of every kind has cherry trees at its front gate.

I'm an English language (conversation) teacher - in case you didn't already know that about me. I came here 21 years ago on a one-year contract. I studied International Business in University and was told (while doing an Internship for the Governor of Colorado) that I would need first-hand international experience in order to get an international job. I was told to just go anywhere, for a year or so, then come back and apply. That was the plan.

That was 21 years ago. Did I already mention that? These passing years get harder and harder to accept.

I love teaching English. I love each and every one of my students. I truly feel that I am doing God's calling for my life - at least for now. My life is not perfect, far from it. But there is a certain contentment and motivation toward my "work" knowing that at least in that area of my life I'm on the right track. For now.

Who am I to challenge convention? I keep my English class schedule in line with the annual school schedule and try to end a year's worth of study in March. And start again, fresh and new with the Cherry blossoms, in April.

All of this is to say, that at least for this past month "work" has been busy.

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I know I am also incredibly blessed to be a member of The Digichick. I was asked to join as a Creative Team member in October 2010. Since then I have been on a few other designer's teams, and I am still on ViVa Artistry's team as well. But TDC (The DigiChick) is my digi home. I took on the task of heading up TDC's challenges about a year later. And from this past January, I was asked to become a member of site Admin and take on the position of CT Leader. I cannot tell you what a blessing this shop, these people have been in my life. I am honored and humbled at the same time.

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Oh yeah, speaking of scrapbooking - since that is what is blog is supposed to be at least partially about - I do have some pages to share. Looking at all that I have to upload here makes me realize how long its been. I have December pages for pity sake! Guess I'll try to do this chronologically. Please bear with me as heretowith follows an image-heavy finale.

 papers and elements from Sugar Sands Beach Kit and Sugar Sand Boardwalk Christmas by Etc. by Danyale
font is Mary Magpie by Darcy Baldwin {fontography}
page template is by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs

 As seen in the December 2012 Artisan Notebook.

 my February desktop

these three pages made using Amore Mio, 

the February Boutique Collaboration by The Digichick Designers

 my February forums siggy image

 a sweet little Valentine. Both of these are made using Kitty Loves Puppy by Quirky Twerp

Papers and elements from Cupid's Arrow by Katie Creates
Template from I Heart You by Cornelia Designs
Action on photo from Inspired by Charm Box Studios
Font is I Love Me Some Brook by Darcy Baldwin {fontography}

 all papers and elements Glitter Memories  by The Digichick Designers

all papers and elements from Grey Skies by Sherwood Studio

papers and most elements from Journey by Etc by Danyale
as seen in the February 2013 Artisan Notebook

all papers and elements from Mascherari by ViVa Artistry

 all papers and elements from Quirky Originals by ViVa Artistry

all papers and elements from Confucius Says by Viva Artistry

my March forum siggy image. all papers and elements

from Slainte by The Digichick Designers

all papers and elements from A Love Like This by Kimeric Kreations
page template is by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs
font for journaling is So Much to Say by Darcy Baldwin {fontography}

As seen in the for the January 2013 Artisan Notebook.

all papers and elements from Exposed by ninigoesdigi at MScraps
page template by Busy Bee Designs

And while I've got you here, why don't you come join us for our March Challenges! Would love to see your pages too.

For the few who still stop by, and for the few who read this far down the post, I want to thank you for being patient with me and my complete lack of blog maintenance. Thank you so much for stopping by, please come again.

Edo Shigusa.... lessons from the Edo Period

I just got back from parents observation day at my son's school. The local elementary school has Saturday school about once a month, in one form or another. Sometimes it's Sports and Field Day. Sometimes it's just 4 hours of regular classes. Today was one of those days with one exception, the 2nd class period was open for parents to come and observe.

What better subject to watch our children learn than Ethics. The word for Ethics (Morality) in Japanese is 道徳, pronounced as DohToku. The first Chinese character, 道, means path. The second Chinese character, 徳, means virtue. So DohToku means "The Virtuous Way or the Path to Virtue." That's beautiful.

Today's lesson was absolutely fascinating to me. I learned a bit about the Edo Period in Japan and how teachings from that period deeply affect Japanese thinking and conduct even today.


Common Courtesy

Various societies have unique and sometimes opposing ideas on what is considered to be polite. Just think burping at the table after a meal or loudly slurping noodles and you get the idea. Most societies' ideals on manners are probably based on what they believe to be common sense and common courtesy towards other people: "Please," "Thank You," "You're Welcome." Lending a helping hand:  "Here, let me get that for you." Avoiding Conflict: "After you," "Excuse me," "Sorry about that."

かに歩き、Crab walk. A person should walk through a crowded space with great care in order to avoid bumping into others.

傘しげ、Umbrella tilting. People walking with umbrellas on a narrow path should tilt their own umbrella toward the outside - even if it means that they will get rained on - in order to avoid colliding with the oncoming person's umbrella or forcing the other person to get wet.

肩ひき、Turning shoulders. Two people approaching each other in tight quarters should turn their shoulders so they can pass without colliding.

こぶし腰浮かせ, Sliding Over. A person should slide to the middle of a row to make room for newcomers instead of making the newcomers walk over those people already seated.

Etc. For me, these simple courtesies are logical, reasonable, and go without saying. Common. (Okay, maybe I'd rather have someone climb over me to get to their seats instead of giving up my own seat.)

One of the main points of today's class was that courtesy is rooted in thinking about the other person over self. Japan is a small country with a relatively large population, concentrated in a few large cities. Most of the land is quite mountainous so living areas on the flatlands tend to be quite crowded. Streets are narrow and many do not have sidewalks for pedestrians. Walking paths are sometimes only wide enough for one person to walk on. Japanese courtesy is, in part, born out of these tight living quarters.


Uncommon Courtesy

If a person humbles self and honors others, discomfort and conflict can be diminished. When granting a favor to others, its common to do so quietly and without making self stand out. If either the giver or the receiver of the favor stands out, the person feels embarrassed. When accepting a favor, it's common to refuse the favor (or gift) initially. The recipient says something to the effect of, "Oh, you really shouldn't have. I can't accept this. You've gone to too much trouble on my behalf," apologizing for having needed assistance in the first place. Finally, when after the refusals to accept and the insistence on accepting are done on both sides, there are words of gratitude.

One example from today's class that stands out the most to me is that, traditionally, when one person accidentally stepped on another person's foot, the person who got stepped on would apologize for being in the way and obstructing the other person's path. (I'm not sure that it still works this way in modern Japan though.)

It was at this point that I realized - not for the first time - that Japan is unique in its way of thinking. Having lived here for so long, I have somewhat mastered the art of humbling self and exalting others. In some ways its like a game. But in order to have smooth relationships in this country, one must humble themselves at times. One must learn the art of bowing in respect to others, learn the art of apologizing, learn the distinct balance of how much to refuse a gift before receiving it. Learn how being humbled is actually to be honored. What you see is not what you see.

I am not comparing Japanese culture with American culture, or to any other part of the world. Humble, meek, respectful, sharing, placing others before self. These are excellent qualities to strive for in any society. Its hard to put it all into words, but today I fell in love with Japan a little more.

ONE day at a time

I mentioned that in late November my family and I went to a nearby park to take our photos for our annual Christmas / New Year's card. I think I may have also noted how slightly uncooperative my daughter was. I guess its just not cool to take family pictures anymore.

Nonetheless, I will force the issue each year as long as I can because I believe that one day my babes will look back at them at be happy.

Here is a page that I made with pictures of my daughter and I on that day. These were a few photos that my husband took while setting up the camera and location. You can see how "teenagery" she was being. Hmmm.... now that I look at these again, I guess she wasn't *that* bad, she did actually smile a bit. Probably from annoyance at me. Kind of like those gas bubble smiles babies do.

 papers and most elements from Ness by ViVa Artistry
gold butterfly is from Fall Jubilee, blue butterfly is from Blue, both also by ViVa Artistry
font is I Feel Pretty by Darcy Baldwin {fontography}
alpha is by Gina Cabrerra
page template is by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs

So instead of forcing yet another photo session with my children so soon, for this next page I decided to go back in time once again and use pictures of when my children were actually happy to smile for the camera. I love my babes. Other than the Gift of God's own son, they are the most incredible blessing I have been granted.

 all papers and elements from L'hiver by ViVa Artistry
font is Glory Bea by Darcy Baldwin {fontography}
page template by Fiddle-Dee-Dee Designs

 I've chosen my new One Little Word for 2013. Have you? I was so happy how well I was able to focus on achieving goals last year using OLW that I definitely wanted to try it again this year. My word for this year is ONE. The reason I chose this is because I tend to get overwhelmed when I realize how much I have to do - work, home, kid's activities, etc. I'm sure we can all relate. But instead of going into overdrive, I tend to shut down completely and not accomplish anything. So I wanted to remind myself this year that I don't have to do it all. That I can just focus on ONE thing at a time and I'll be fine.

most papers and elements from Into the Great Unknown by The Digichick Designers
doily from Roots and Wings
pennant banner from Yearbook Class of TDC
hexagon stitches from Hexagon Stitches Vivid by Quirky Twerp
page template from Ring in the New by Rainy Dayz Designs
font is Traveling Typewriter

Finally, for my digi-scrapping friends this may be interesting. A friend of mine started making photo actions last year and one of them is this Resize for Web action. I've used several of these actions in the past but have never been fully satisfied. This one rocks! I rarely, if ever, have to do any final adjustments after running the action. Its the perfect amount of sharpness. I highly recommend it.

 

Thank you as always for stopping by my little corner of the web. Please come back again soon.

This should have been done in December, but...

These next few posts are late. Out of season. Very late. Its not that I wrote them weeks ago as drafts and forgot to upload them. I didn't write them then, I'm just now getting around to it now. Just like I'm just now getting around to printing and mailing my Christmas / New Year's cards. I'm adding a little heart to my cards so they can double as Valentines as well.

I played hooky in December. I shut down and froze up in December. It was a good month in some ways, bad in others. But for the most part I just did not want to feel stressed out.

I did enjoy scrapping Christmas pages (with photos from years gone by). I did enjoy trying some new photography techniques to get pictures of my tree lights. I did enjoy spending time with my family for a long winter break. I just didn't blog about it, sorry.

So I guess I'll just jump right in then and show the rest of my December pages. This first one is of my babes from Christmas 2003, nine years ago! I have to use these pictures because I just don't get many pictures anymore of my babes together, or of my babes at Christmastime.

 all papers and elements from Plum Pudding by ViVa Artistry
sparkly alphabet by Jen Wilson
page template is from Fa La La La by Amber Morrison
fonts are from The Holly Sessions by Darcy Baldwin {fontography}

This photo on this page is even older, my daughter from Christmas 2002. I just love the excitement in her eyes!

 all papers and elements from Snowkissed by Sherwood Studio

 In our December Challenges at The Digichick, we have an occassional photography challenge hosted by Charla, a staff member of TDC and a professional photographer. In December, she taught us a quick and simple technique for taking Christmas tree lights and trying to get the starburst effect. I enjoyed the challenge so much, I tried it twice.

for both of them I used a frame or an effect from Charmstagram Toolbox

In the last of my Christmassy pages, here is my 2012 family Christmas card.

all papers and elements from Winter Solstice by Kimeric Kreations
Christmas Sentiment stamps by Arty Pants
photo and cluster template by Busy Bee Designs

Thank you so much for stopping by my corner of the web. I wish you a very belated Happy Holiday season. I pray 2013 will be a healthy, happy and successful year for each of you.

The sky is falling

I went to see Skyfall today and it was wonderful. I rarely go to see movies in the theater, maybe two to three times a year and its got to be something I've been waiting for. With Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga being done (although technically Twilight is not done for me yet since BD2 comes to theaters here on December 28th), the only movies I am waiting anxiously for now are Catching Fire and Mocking Jay from The Hunger Games.

Some foreign movies are released nearly the same time here as they are in their home country, but some we have to wait several months for. Almost all of the Twilight movies and The Hunger Games I waited for 6 unbearable months after American release. This trend really confounds me. Its just another aspect of my life where I have to intentionally push down my own desires and just wait patiently for these things to come. Living overseas but still expecting an American life usually only leads to frustration.

One of the best things about watching movies in the theaters here, however, is that you can take in your own food and drink. Yes, they have concession stands selling slightly overpriced (no where near American prices) popcorn, snacks and soft drinks. Most theaters here also have gourmet drinks (gourmet being Starbucks and the like). But many patrons, including myself, opt to buy a bottled water or softdrink from 7-11 before entering the cinema. I've even brought in my dinner from McDonald's before and its perfectly acceptable. I love that freedom. Theaters are clean and comfortable. I've even watched a movie in a reclining seat with foot rest before - standard for that particular theater.

One thing that used to bother me about watching foreign movies here was the intense and immediate replay of culture shock I experienced afterwards. I would get so involved in my two hours of English speaking heros and heroines, action scenes and car chases down the streets of London and San Francisco, that when the movie finished and I stepped out of the theater - back into the streets of Chinese written characters (kanji) along the streets of Tokyo, I would feel disoriented and lost for a few minutes. As the years have passed here I experience that post-movie culture shock a bit less now.

The passing of time makes some things a bit less shocking, easier to swallow and get on with life again. But it does make a few things harder too. Such as seeing how quickly my children grow and change. Learning to let go, ever so slowly yet knowing all the while that one day I will be alone again. That is how life is supposed to be. Empty nests. But I think I'm in for an entirely new kind of culture shock when the does happen.

My family and I usually only take a family photo once a year, just in time for the holidays. Sometimes we would drive far for a day outing, and sometimes we would just take the photo in the comfort of our living room. This year, we went to a nearby park where the leaves were in their glorious second spring. These photo taking sessions used to be a little bit fun - at least we could all stand close together and - if needed - tickle a smile out of the kids. My daughter is now a teenager and had no interest in taking photos with the old family. She'll smile and pose for hours at the photo-booths with her friends. But it was quite an adventure getting her to put down her cell phone and snap a few shots with mom, dad and little brother. In the end, we did take a few good ones though. Snap 150 photos and the likelihood that you get two or three goods ones increases.

This is a page that I made using one of those photos. My husband likes this photo the best because of the huge colorful tree behind us. But if I were to use this one on a Christmas postcard our faces would be smaller than a dime. Not so good if we want to show how happy we are to friends and family around the world in our annual card. So I will choose one of the other ones - one of the closer up ones.

 all papers and most elements from Journey by Etc by Danyale
dried vines from Old Garden also by Etc by Danyale

It's December, time for all the designers to break out this year's holiday scrapping designs. Since I don't have Christmas photos from this year yet I have been using photos from Christmases past. This one is of my babes from Christmas 2006. See how much they have grown since then. Time passing.

all papers and elements from Rustic Christmas by 2:00 a.m. Designs
guest designer at TDC this month.

 

I've finally remembered that its 2012, and here it will be 2013 in less than a month. No wonder I can't seem to keep up. Six years have passed in what feels like two, and this past one year has passed in what feels like six months.

My One Little Word for 2012 was Move. This was the first year that I have chosen a word. In the past I've made resolutions for myself - very specific goals. I can't remember achieving a single one. This year, focusing on just my one word, I believe I was successful. My goals were to MOVE myself - artistically, physically, spiritually, and in my work (would you say workfully?).

This is the page I made at the beginning of this year.

most papers and elements from The Daily Details by The Digichick Designers
some elements also from Emporium and Shutterbug both by The Digichick Designers
 

I made this page for the November 2102 Artisan Notebook about Scrapbooking Memes. Now, that was one I definitely had to look up. What in the world was a meme and were there any that related to specifically to scrapbooking? This is what I came up with - OLW.

all papers and elements from Kaleidoscope Kit and 

Kaleidoscope Attach It Artsy Papers by Etc by Danyale

And just in case you can't read the tiny journaling - and would like to - here you go.

"Over the past several years, every January, I've heard talk around the scrapbooking community about One Little Word, otherwise called OLW. I'd read discussions in the forums about what everyone's OLW would be for that year. I had no idea what it was all about.

I used to make resolutions each new year - that come March or April would already be broken. I had good intentions, desire to change my life for the better, but would always make too many plans that were too wide sweeping, disconnected. I was setting myself up to fail from the outset.

2012. Enter One Little Word. Once I understood what it was all about, it sounded much easier to keep just one "resolution" that would encompass all of my goals.  I decided to give it a try.

I wanted to increase my physical activity. I wanted to re-energize my work situation. I wanted to deepen my friendships and kick-start my creativity. I wanted to move several areas of my life from one level to the next. So I chose MOVE as my OLW for this year.

Now, in just about any situation where I feel stuck or I know needs a change, I just repeat the word "Move." I focus on my OLW and try to apply it in nearly every area of my life. I feel good about the progress I've made over this past year. I haven't achieved every goal I would have liked, but by keeping with my One Little Word I feel more focused and more able to make the changes I need."


Okay. Enough for today, I'll be back soon. If you've made it this far I thank you.