First Day in London

It was grey skies in the morning as we walked along the Thames.

 Passed the London Eye, crossed the bridge toward Big Ben and the Methodist Hall, across from Westminster. Skies cleared after lunch.

 We walked by the Cenotaph, through Whitehall and on toward Trafalgar Square.

We finished with tea in the Crypt at St. Martin in the Fields.

Take Off - Flying Home the Long Way Around

Today's date one year ago marks my flight from Tokyo Narita to London Heathrow on my way home to Tampa Florida. I left Ichikawa early-ish to catch the BA flight to London. The gang at the OMF Office and Guest Home wished me a safe journey from the front steps, as is traditional. (Yes Julie, this has happened many times in the same place.) Check in and shopping for a book and boarding all went without any memorable hitch.  They did not confiscate my Alien Registration Card as they had in the past, but punched a hole in it and handed it back to me for a souvenir. The flight itself was not particularly memorable. I just know that I was happy that it was shorter than flying to the US.

On the other end of the flight I was met by dear friend Ruth M. who was my guide to London and surrounds. Once I understood that Clapham Junction was the center of the Universe, the British Rail system was a snap.

September 24, 2012

The second in this "Anniversary" series of posts is not an exciting memory, but one that anyone who has traveled, especially far from their home, will recognize; final packing.

I had booked my trip home via London for several reasons.  The first was that flying that direction happened to be less expensive. At first I balked at the idea of flying the "wrong way" around the earth to get home. After checking I found that I could stop in the UK for a bit and then continue to Florida with no penalty. After checking with friends in the UK I found that I could visit in various interesting places, and that I could travel by train for much of he distance.

How do you pack for that? For guidelines you look at the airline restrictions and at traveling convenience. I had already decided to reduce all that I had in Japan to the barest minimum. I had packed four boxes to be shipped by sea and had sent them on their way.  The rest needed to fit into luggage that I could manage on my own.  I was thankful for the airlines limits. Gone are the days of hauling two bags weighing 75 pounds as I did on my first trip to Japan!

I was finding it hard, funnily enough, to throw away old clothes.  I could not buy clothes to fit me in Japan, so I rarely threw things away, choosing instead to keep them clean and mended as well as I could and carry on. During the packing process I managed to throw a lot of things away. I had to think too about the weather in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well.  That meant I needed what I considered early winter gear in Japan. I was grateful that my friend Ruth M who was meeting me at Heathrow had mentioned that I could leave extra luggage at her place while I rambled about.

So, at the end of the day, I had packed my large hard-sided case on wonderful 360 degree wheels, the large wheeled duffel  for which this was the last big trip, a wheeled carry-on, and my new red canvas bag which was combined purse, lunchbox and computer bag. This is really one bag too many to handle, but I had scouted ahead for information on the availability of wheeled buggies at my destinations.

Below are group pictures which are required at any Japanese gathering of note. In this case, they are of additional goodbye celebrations in my honor.

Anniversaries

July through November is our family's Birthday sector.  It seems most families have some part of the year when most of these celebrations cluster. I am notorious for forgetting birthdays and anniversaries of those I love.  I'm not proud of it, but somehow I rarely have been able to come up with appropriate greetings on any sort of regular basis.  I have been trying to turn over a new leaf (yet again) to say something, send an email or mail a card even if it is a few days or weeks late. A sad state of affairs and I'm sure it says something about my personality or childhood or something.

This week marks some special remembrances for me. I started actively thinking about it when I received an email from the couple who now run the Ichikawa Guest Home. They've been there a year, which means I've been gone for a similar amount of time.

I've been to Japan four times and have come home from each of those trips in the late summer/early autumn. The last trip ended last year on September 25 when I flew from Tokyo to London.

I've said many times before, this last transition to the US from Japan was a difficult. But, you know what? I'm starting to get over it. I no longer am reduced to tears thinking of all that I left behind. I have started to embrace where I am now. Ready to think about moving forward, making decisions I couldn't come to grips with as yet.

A year ago today, I was being farewell-ed by my friends at church, watching the end of the Sumo tournament and being taken to a really nice restaurant for dinner.

Great News for Aging Quilters

This was posted on Facebook today and I found it quite encouraging, especially since I have been balking against exercising outdoors as our daytime high temperatures remain in the low nineties.  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2002862/Why-quilting-uniquely-good-us.html

So keep on quilting and improve your health.

One of Those Years

When I saw a friend today she was shaking her head and looking skyward.  "It's one of those days," she said. I replied that I felt like I had had "one of those years."  She couldn't believe that was possible, but with a string of anniversaries coming up for me I really feel this has been a year that is better behind me.  One of the most difficult aspects of my year was the amount of time it took me to work through the issues of returning to America after being away four years.

I'm a bit better now. Not so resentful of my home country for being what it is. I've pushed myself to get out and do some volunteer work. Now I'm reevaluating the need for additional income and keeping healthy.

A year ago, I was still in Japan, showing my able replacements at the Guest Home the ropes. The farewell parties and get-togethers had already started and I had booked my flights in and out of the UK and on to Florida. I had started to pack. I ran on adrenalin to get things done.  More excitement was on the horizon.

Binding Nearly Completed

It's been a long haul, but the new binding on the Double Wedding Ring Quilt is nearly complete.  I was reminded again today as I sewed binding on one of the quilts completed by our Wednesday Morning Sewing
Group that I really like the newish clips I bought for this, among other purposes.  Before, when I have been doing the binding on quilts, I tried to take great care in pinning to try to reduce the chance of scratching myself in the process.  The clips eliminate that problem and hold the binding really well.  I have also used these clips when sewing bags and purses together and there are several interfaced layers and piping and maybe batting needing to be sewn together.

The last major jobs to be done are the hanging sleeve and a combination pocket/label for the back that will give a bit of the quilt's history so far, and document the repairs made.

I have a question for all of you reading my post.  I know that some friends and family read these blogs regularly.  I am also aware of a whole batch of other people who read them from various parts of the world. It would be great to know who you are.  Would you please leave me a comment? All you need to do is list where you live, why you came to my blog. You could make other comments if you like. No need to write more than a few words. Please feel free to use the option to comment anonymously if you like.

Looking forward to hearing from you all!