Inspiration For Longevity

New approach! I am now going to do my best to include Japanese translations for all of our Japanese-speaking guests who do not speak English. I hope those translations work well! I do not think my command of the English language is sufficient to describe the resplendence of the shrines and temples at Tosho-gu in Nikko.  There were so many times when no matter what direction I turned, there was a scene of exquisite beauty.  I just cannot imagine the hours and days and months and dedication it took to construct object after object of such immense aesthetic quality! We left our home early Friday morning and were home by 4:15 on Saturday. It was a day of unbelievable photography! We stayed at the Nikko Kanaya Hotel, which is amazing in and of itself. Their list of prior guests include Frank Lloyd Wright and Albert Einstein. I guess we traveled in good company! In future posts, I will include additional photos and details from that trip. Believe it or not, there were other scenes t...

  These are all photos from my recent trip with Stuart to Oshima Island. It really could have been more gorgeous! I continually remind myself how important it is to have a sense of humor! When I am struggling, I love to ask myself, "Am I having fun yet"? Last night gave me plenty of opportunities to apply these lessons!  The evening started innocently enough as I was thoroughly enjoying the bike ride home on my new bike. Despite the very strong headwind, I was making good time using the electric assist. That was until I felt the dreaded feel of a tire going flat. Sure enough, in no time at all, I came to an abrupt stop with no air in the back tire. Well, no problem! I had a spare tube and I have changed plenty of flat tires. I proceeded to remove the back wheel and then spent 30 minutes pulling my hair out as I tried to remove the damn tire! Unfortunately, the tire was so tight up against the rim that I was not able to remove that tire, no matter what I tried to do. OK, round...