Happy Eastern Orthodox Easter, Birthday!

Today the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Easter. Their date differs from "ours" because they use the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian to calculate the date. So Happy Easter again! It's not New Year anywhere that I know of.

28 years ago, on Easter Sunday lovely little Leah was born. I remember it like it was only 28 years ago.

I couldn't comment on this pic when she posted it on her blog. I think she looks like Wolverine's little sister in this shot.

Here we are comparing big pink bellies. Mine's just big. Hers has Nash inside. Gage makes this picture better. Gotta love him.

Happy Birthday, Leah. I love you and miss you.

Ro Ho En

I've been lax in posting. I have no excuse. But I've been traveling through the city of my birth looking for interesting things to share. A couple of weeks ago, I visited Ro Ho En. It is a Japanese garden, built by gardeners from Phoenix's sister city in Japan: Himeji. Ro is Japanese for Heron, a symbol of Himeji Castle. Ho is Japanese for the legendary Phoenix bird. And En is garden. It's in downtown Phoenix but has a very peaceful atmosphere. I liked it. I'll go back.

A stone lantern is typical in Japanese gardens.

I have never figured out why carp are so revered, even if they are called Koi.

This is a Shachi. A mythical fish with a tiger's face, they are traditionally placed on the roofs of important buildings as a charm against fire.

One of the smaller waterfalls in the park.

The big waterfall, focal point of the park.


It's only a short light rail ride away. There is a lot of other cool stuff there, like an offset bridge to ward off evil spirits. It seems demons can only travel in straight lines.

www.japanesefriendshipgarden.org

Happy Easter, Birthday, New Year!

Yesterday was Chris' 29th birthday, Easter, and Thai New Year all rolled together. I went with my friend Nok out to the Buddhist temple in Waddell, AZ to celebrate. I like going to the Thai and Buddhist festivities because I always learn something new about them. But mostly, there is always a lot of really good food! If you ever find yourself in a Thai restaurant, have the fried bananas for dessert!

Some of the stuff available.

The monks eating.

Second from the left is the new Miss Thai New Year. On the right is last year's Miss Thai New Year. I figured this out all by meself when the new one led the procession around the grounds.

Thai New Year involves water. A lot of water.

You pour water over the monks' hands and they bless you.

I usually just go through the food line and grab stuff that looks good. I don't know what a lot of it is, but the really tasty stuff I ask what it is. Just before we left, Nok had me sample some chile sauce. I could tell that the good people on the other side of the table were afraid it would be too hot for my puny white guy taste buds. I tasted it and it was good! They were surprised I didn't burst into flames. I brought a little container of it home, as well as some crispy rice cakes with a caramel-like substance dribbled over them.

And Happy Birthday, Chris. I love you and miss you.

I've Been Here!

This is Yguazú Falls, just outside of Paraguay on the border between Brazil and Argentina. In Guaraní, "y" means "water" and "guazú" means "big." So it is literally named Big Water. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

I Enjoy Life

I had an appointment downtown to take a test in order to qualify to be an interpreter for the Maricopa County Superior Court. So I hopped on the light rail and headed to downtown Phoenix. As you know, winter in the Valley of the Sun is delightful and we are inundated by visitors from out-of-state. On the way in, as we passed Tovrea Castle (which is close by the rail line) a tourist asked a helpful "local" what that building was. He replied that it is where the first Governor of Arizona is buried. It isn't.

http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/tovrea.html

Now I'm sitting waiting for my test, having arrived 15 minutes or so early. I can hear somebody with a horrible accent speaking Spanish in a room just off the lobby where I'm sitting. I can only hear one side of the conversation. (Turns out the test is given orally over the phone.) I listen as the guy says "No sé si voy a pedar." and I cracked up. I think he meant "No sé si voy a poder." If you know Spanish and are slightly twisted, you will laugh, too.

I finish my test, and head back home. As we pass Tovrea Castle again, a different tourist asks a different "local" what the building is. He replies that it's the Wrigley Mansion, as in chewing gum. It isn't.

Visit Done

Two of my beautiful daughters, one of my son-in-laws, and four of my magnificent grandchildren came to visit. We visited GG and Grandpa in Thatcher, as well as my two wonderful sisters and assorted nieces that either live there or dropped by on their way from one place to another and one I talked to on the phone. It was good to see everybody again. I just wish we could have had more time. And that I had taken more pictures. I had my camera, but didn't unsheath it but once. Sigh. Thanks, Mom & Dad, Anna, Kathy (especially for the mending!), Hank, Andrea, Emily, Beth, Julia and Paul.

Random Thoughts

If it weren't for the whole no income being unemployed thingie, I think I could get used to being a man of leisure.

I am looking forward to a visit from my two eldest daughters and assorted family members this week. It has been too long since I have seen them. Dress warm, my dears. It's only going to be in the upper 50's and low 60's in Thatcher. Brrrr!