Yukkuri means slowly. It is also used to convey a message to relax, slow down, chill out. I have heard this expression more in reference to me since we moved here than I have heard in the last year (aside from my mom, who is always encouraging me to do so!). I have been reflecting on this and the ways of the Japanese people. In a previous post, I mentioned watching how they sweep, for instance. They don’t scratch frantically at the ground, they use long strokes. In all their work, they do it well, and take the time required. They are not trying to figure out how to pack as much into a timeframe as possible and hurry on to the next thing. They focus on the here, the now, and do what is needed. It may not be efficient, but if you consider the marvels of everyday life here, it is obvious they’re on to something. The eggs are immaculate and dark orange inside, often double-yoked. The milk is tasty even from a convenience store. The roads are well kept. The cars are all clean. The sidewalks are immaculate. The bread I brought home yesterday had butter cubes somehow baked into it already, in the little holes in the bread. Not in obvious folds. Baffling, and amazing. I could go on and on. Friendships are maintained in a similar fashion, one which we were fortunate to find in our many moves, and in our hockey family. You throw a party and friends bend over backwards to coordinate and bring contributions. Adopt your hens, and build a mansion coop for them? Sure! (Thank you Frank and Ellen! Amazing!) Live with you for two weeks before moving overseas? Sure! (Thank you Arlo and Kumiko! Kumiko, I miss you! And I still wear your lucky socks, Arlo!)

Ben hiking the many stairs up Ogusuyama. Perfect day for a hike to the highest point on Miura Peninsula.

Reflections on slowing down, or at least focusing perhaps a bit more, are timely. I hurt my knee catapulting a pumpkin over Thanksgiving. The fulcrum was too small. And I knew it, but hoped for the best. My knee hyperextended. It felt awful immediately, but I was doing well rehabilitating until two weeks ago. At kendo Ben stopped short in front of me and I swerved to avoid him. I felt something awful in my knee as I twisted. I didn’t stop practicing, though. It hurt, but I could still move. The next day, though, I knew I was in trouble. I had to use a bamboo stick as a cane to walk the kids to school. I could barely get out of bed and use that leg at all. I went to the doctor later in the morning, then physical therapy the next week and long story short I may have torn my ACL, meniscus, one or both. In truth, running feels better than walking. If I stop moving for any amount of time I stiffen up, so better to just keep moving. I’m at least off the Advil, I’m lifting weights to strengthen the joint, and am waiting on a field trip to Yokohama for an MRI on Jan 6. Prayers are welcome 😉

Looking out toward the fish market…

In general I have adapted very well to being extremely careful of who is around me so I don’t have to abruptly turn or twist. But living apprehensively like this is taxing. Last night I recognized while watching a woman scoot across the street that I can’t even really do that without planning it. I can’t jump up and chase the kids. I can’t go from zero to mach 4 anymore. That is a big change. I am far more empathetic to people with limited mobility and how that must affect them moment to moment. I’m very grateful that I can still walk around, but I am fearful of what is next, and how bad it might be. So, contemplating “yukkuri” could not come at a better time.

Today we went for a great hike up Ogusuyama (“yama” means mountain). There is a fantastic view at the top, a spiral staircase to a viewing platform, and even a small noodle shop with an expansive view. We had a great time together despite some grumping from someone who has hiked for nearly 12 years…and who loves noodles. I wonder who that could be. On our way to a fish market at the south end of the peninsula, we made two stops (which I had carefully negotiated to not take too much time, so that we could indeed still hit the fish market in time). First stop went great – care package of American goodies for a friend whose whole family is sick (like 12 lbs of treats – soup, Gushers, Marshmallow Puff, Reeses Puffs cereal, Pop Tarts, Gatorade, etc.). They loved it and it really brightened their day. Then on to stop #2 – the barn where I ride – because the packages for them are bulky and I wanted my friend to have her treat before the New Year holiday. Stop #2 went great. Rubbed horse noses, hid the presents which we’ll open together in early January, and got back in the car, ready to roll on. I chose to go straight on a tiny road instead of turning around with tiny horses, and small children all around (and impaired by the blinding low afternoon sun falling on the dusty windows). So straight we went, up a road I’ve seen little old ladies drive. It soon got very narrow. We thought about turning around, but there really wasn’t a place to do that. We continued on. Dave yelled to get more to the right (driver’s side) but my wheels on the right were already half off the road. I thought he might be over-reacting a tad. It was a very narrow road, but I felt like it was doable in the same manner you point a horse to a jump, give it some firm encouragement, look straight ahead and hope for the best. Assume it will work out, and it usually does. Well, today the universe had a different answer. We heard a pop, and a distinct hiss. Popping sounds are not good. I heard one in my knee a month ago. On a tiny tiny road in the inaka, it is also not good. To our left, I’d bumped into a concrete block that was sticking out a bit. There was a row of them that should have been more like a curb, just brushing the tire, no more harm than some rubbing. But one of them wanted to make more of a point with us. To my right was a small drop-off into immaculate rows of cabbage planted in soft, rich, perfect Japanese soil. That would also have been a deal-ender should we have gone off on the right. Perhaps worse? No way to hoist a minivan back onto the road. So…I’m hoping that you will agree a flat tire is the better option? Please, dear reader?

Anyway, Dave rose mightily to the occasion and figured out where the tire was, wrestled it out from under the car, found the tools and got it changed before I managed to communicate where we were to the roadside assistance people. (Ummm…English please? Sure, I can hold. We were soon on a three-way teleconference. I’ve done this before, twice, from parking lots. “You can’t see the 7/11 on route 214? Ok, let’s start with the Prefecture. We’re in Kanagawa. Can you see Yokosuka? … [directions…directions…translation…searching…] go left. Go 1K and there is a 7/11. Go left. No no, we’re not there at the 7/11. We’re still out in a cabbage field. Go up this little road and take the third right onto a one-lane road. No, a tow truck will not fit back here. You need to send a very clever person in a very small car with a lot of tools…”) My friend’s son was out in his field burning something when I went ahead to check out the rest of the route to see which way we should evacuate. Tetsuya came running back with me and helped Dave loosen the tire bolts. We were soon on our way. But no fish market 🙁

Dave in repose. At last. Sam actually remarked at this view. I agree. Had to capture it.

Dave said on our way home that between the leg and the tire, he thought the universe was telling me something. Sam said “yeah, sit on your butt on the couch and try Playstation!” I had to run (literally) to the commissary tonight for something before they closed at 8pm. I ran swiftly and without pain. I didn’t even realize it was without pain until halfway there, then I marveled at it. I could not believe it. No pain since the flat tire? I think perhaps the universe is saying…patience, trust, but DO step on the gas pedal. It’s ok. It will EVENTUALLY work out. Just yukkuri until it does.

What do you think? Where should we try to go tomorrow? We get three freebies like this in a year with our insurance. SO…we’ve got three remaining!

The best selfie-takers on the planet. Nothing gets in the way. Always ready with a smile. I love you!

An entrance to Kinugasa Park which winds its way through a neighborhood then heads up into the park.

I was odds with myself last week, dithering about what I really wanted, and generally languished in a state of perpetual confusion over the weekend. The weather seemed to either reflect my mood, or perhaps – and this would be nice! – perhaps it was at the root of my dithering. It feels like it SHOULD be fall, it’s mid-October. But it’s warm. And the leaves aren’t changing. I feel great unrest with that. Will they be green all year? Or do very few of them change color? Or do they just take flight without ever hailing me with a gold or red wave? I soon remembered that some beautiful maples I have seen come from JAPAN. The Japanese maple. So, indeed, Japanese trees must show their colors. And with that dawning awareness grew a sense of calm that fall is still to come. Perhaps it’s a month delayed here.

A sakura forest which will be gorgeous in spring. I like it at rest. This is in Kinugasa Park.

But with that solved, I realized there are many layers to the dithering, some of which persist… On the one hand I am really craving a long chat with a dear friend to share stories, laugh together, hear about life back in the States, and even savor hearing about old dramas rehashed.  But, my success in rapidly and totally immersing myself in the very disparate worlds of hockey, horses and now Kendo, plus work and school commitments, all within precisely two months of the wheels touching down (we landed in Yokota on Aug 24), mean that I have no time at all for such an indulgence. I want to give my best to each of these circles of people who have so generously folded me in. And as an astute reader of these notes pointed out (hi, Gillian!), it is mentally exhausting just going about life in a foreign land. Yes, you could do it in a less exhausting way, but my fear is that if I slowed down, I might just crawl, for a long time. I just can’t get off the proverbial treadmill!

Cabbage field on my way to the farm. This farmer is harvesting little ones, or weeding. I am not sure which. But the mystery of whether the cabbage is planted by human or machine was solved last week. Humans make these neat lines!

There is one area where I am very decisive, though. At the barn. After a couple weeks riding one horse, I have been given the opportunity to try others. I am so very grateful for my days at the barn, and if you’ll indulge me, I’ll close this note with a typical day while the memory is fresh. On Tuesdays, I walk in, drop my backpack full of water, snacks to trade, helmet and half chaps. I find a home for this pack near a tight little circle of chairs around a tiny stove I covet. Like my instructor in Washington, Janet, my host runs a tight ship at her barn. There is a “parking spot” for two wheelbarrows (ichirin-sha) – marked A and B. I grab one and a pitchfork and head to the first stall. Some of them are well lit by the sun and others are pretty dark, depending on whether there are windows or clear corrugated nearby to cast light through dancing dust particles. In the darker stalls I muck by feel. I can tell if it’s super heavy with oshiiko. For those stalls I grab the heavier metal pitchfork because I don’t mess around. That stuff has to come out, now that I know the bedding is gathered up from multiple carpenters and lumberyards (scrap shavings). I was at first really worried about being judicious with the shoveling because bedding can be expensive. I really enjoy using my muscle power to help clean and contribute to this stable. I love being out there, working, and quiet. We can spend quite some time all working side by side, smiling as we pass each other (the owner and some of the other riders who also help out), me listening to Japanese news and music on the radio (many older American songs) and the barn banter. I have watched twice now as the owner and her son treat a horse who has colicked – that is a messy job. But both horses which have fallen ill bounced back quickly. They really seem to know what they’re doing. When the stalls are being mucked, the horses stand nicely in crossties side by side and wait. They also walk back and forth through very narrow spaces between other horses, ichirin-sha and even horse statues and tractors without bouncing around like skittish cats. They have some of the same decorum about them as their owners do. Last week I had the rare opportunity to watch a woman do her dress rehearsal for a side saddle competition. I never in my life thought I’d say this, but I really want to learn. Imagine having only one leg to really guide the horse? It would definitely get me to use the rest of my body more effectively, from seat bones through balance using my core. She looked so very regal in her turquoise hat with black feather, long dress coat and skirt flying in the wind as she and her mount gracefully cantered (kakeashi) around in a circle. Wow. Back to the mucking, cleaning and then riding…

My little rooster friend at the barn! I keep snacks for him on Mondays so I can feed him on Tuesdays. I honestly think he knows to look for me now. He always heads to the front of his little coop when he sees me coming.

From time to time we’ll jot a word down on the chalk board, and this last week I was presented with a picture of a rider on a horse and the word “leverage.” My host had given some thought to what I needed to learn, and chosen the right word. I appreciated her efforts to communicate. She also used the word “pivot.” With her English coming so much more easily now, I am not going to win the race to speak Japanese without concerted effort! I write things on the board that I have learned, like the names of the ladies at the barn, “thank you very much” and other minor expressions, even the hiragana characters. It feels like a frontier school! When done mucking, it’s time to ride.

If you take a picture of a place, then study it later, you notice details previously missed. I didn’t notice the plants hanging from the rafters before. As if there isn’t enough work in a barn already, these are also nurtured along. Amazing place. Janet – I always noticed your planters as I walked Emmy over for a ride. You have an exemplary stable!

When presented with an opportunity to ride a different horse last week, I didn’t really know how to respond. I enjoy the horse I’d gotten to know, I don’t want to inconvenience anyone, and I am not really sure what I’m getting into with a new horse when communication is rather limited. I’ve gotten a few phrases down (switch pitchforks, scrub buckets, water, manure, pee, it’s a nice day, how are you, etc.). But Google translate is HORRIBLE for translating in Japanese. There’s no direct translation for anything. I’ve tried to ask the most basic things at hockey (like “where are the boys?”) and ended up doubled over in laughter after many many attempts to explain that I didn’t see them. Hilarious. Then the pantomiming starts. (Once, the coach and I finally just looked at each other, shrugged, threw our arms wide with a big smile saying “oh well!” and laughed! The boys were clearly somewhere…and it wasn’t important.)

The incredible roller slides at Kannonzaki which would not likely be installed in a public playground in the US!

So, trying to describe the personality and ways of a horse is difficult when I can say just a few basics, such as name-ashi (walk), hayashi (trot), kakeashi, migi (right), hidari (left)…turns out those latter two are pretty helpful, actually. Last week I was told going to migi, fine (thumbs-up), but hidari? Well? The son, who is an excellent rider and trains the horses, gave me a funny look. His expression was something like this – shoulders thrust up, big smile-like grimace, and eyebrows up. I took that to mean, hidari not-so-good! I found out quickly enough – this horse would much prefer to run into a gate or a fence than turn left! The head goes left…but the body? Not so much! I was mounted and dealing with this when my instructor asked – “Want to jump?” This is where the dithering would set in for sure back home in the States. Jump. Now…let me think. Have I warmed up enough for that? It’s been 36 years since I last jumped a horse. Probably not a good idea. I need to get to know this horse better. I need a better seat. Heck, I’m riding in sneakers waiting for paddock boots to arrive. Here, though? No way can I ask any clarifying questions nor even share my internal deliberation.

Ice-cream-sandwich-vending-machine face!

I said “Does she want to?” meaning, the horse. “She likes jumping.” Ok, then. Settled! Jump we did! It went fine. Thankfully, this horse that doesn’t like to turn left did enjoy jumping, and I even got her to kakeashi to the left, and take the jumps. Minor victory. This week I was offered another horse to try, the son’s horse, a gelding. I asked about hidari and migi and got the thumbs up for both, but then noticed a frown growing over the questioning-friendly-grimace-face about water in the arena. I asked if the horse got wild…difficult to translate. So I pantomimed the horse jumping, while holding the reins and got a questioning look, from the horse, too. So I mounted, and trotted over and through the standing water. No big deal. I guess it wasn’t too bad. I’m glad I didn’t know at the time this was the son’s “jumping horse” or I might have thought better of going through what it might consider big water hazards!

No dithering. Not at the barn. Just ride. Right, Analissa??? I think you said that once 🙂

A few more pictures, and a link to where I left off last week, I think…

My new rice cooker being used to bake flatbread. So much fun to have a fire put to good use! I really lamented not having a fire here and it seems that is possible. Not only that…we can cook on it! I love this $50 furnace which a top that holds a rice pot.

A better view of the front. A door opens up, and there are two access places on top for cooking. Pretty neat! I first saw a cast iron one at the barn. Figured I’d start reasonably, and then get a heftier one if I find I can use it. Well…that question was settled immediately upon returning home!

Ben ready for his first tournament! Both boys held their own and did a good job contributing to their teams. Sam had a beauty of a slapshot from the point which found the net!

Just a quick note this Friday – it’s 5pm in Yokosuka (actually it’s now 9:30pm Saturday) and I’ve been thinking of you family and friends often. After more than 24 hrs in transit, starting at midnight with a reverse-Cinderella departure by large black Suburban, we arrived in Yokosuka on Wed 8/24 at 4:44 in the afternoon. Every minute since has been occupied with getting checked in – area brief every day for Dave and I, kids registered in school, laundry, ramen slurped, homework done, to-do list tackled…(I had to find a special to-do list app to stay synced with my 27 tasks!). Despite the busy-ness and the “OMG did we seriously just move to Japan?” moment two nights ago we are all doing very very well and taking every advantage of this beautiful and unique place. This weekend I’ll try to get pictures of the summer, baby chicks and camping during hockey camp in British Columbia up but wanted to share a quick hello to let you know you’re missed! Here are some snapshots…

Pool time on Friday – Olympic size pool is on second story of the gym!

Walking to school

Coffee in a can from a vending machine got Dave and me through our area orientation brief last week. Passed the written driver’s test – behind the wheel is Friday!

Favorite ramen restaurant so far!

A walk in Mikasa Park after ramen.

My attempts today to find a stable for riding – Google translate in record mode was hilarious! I asked two stable hands for help and we stumbled along until I realized the microphone might help with a real-time translation service. It mostly did but we laughed a lot when we saw them say something about a “foreigner”! Mighta been “crazy gaijin”!

Perhaps a little small? Cute horses and beach riding option at this place. Would be fun once but pricey!

Miura Peninsula coastline. Warm water and very wide sandy beaches not crowded at all because it’s no longer considered “summer” here. Very season-conscious.

The kids love sushi delivered to your table on a conveyor belt!

Our tour today ended with a double rainbow! “Oh dude?! Is that a double rainbow? What does it MEAN??? “

This is the term used to start your odyssey through the online household goods move application process used by the military. I ignored the silly name at first but after three phone calls to tech support, a browser switch, and some unintelligible acronyms for the location where we’re moving, I have decided I DO NEED SOME COUNSELING! It took 90 min to complete the process of requesting a bid for moving our household goods (HHG) during the week we need to be packed out. I still have to venture back into the website to request our non-temporary storage (NTS – the stuff we need to keep here and NOT ship to Japan) and our unaccompanied baggage (UB).

I haven’t had time to access either counseling or more online form fun because work intervened. One of my clients has been waiting a long time for me to review, reformat, proof and submit a manuscript. She lives in Kazakhstan so this morning I was able to confer on a few final questions just before she went to bed, then tonight she was waking up and thus we were able to close the loop and hit SUBMIT – but Dave was trying to get me to unplug. In vain.

In the meantime, while she was sleeping, I went to Fort Ward to serve as one of the first WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in 1942 for the living history tour of Fort Ward. I had the great privilege of “serving” with CDR Lee (Sarah) and Petty Officer Doherty (Christina) today at Station S – the top secret code school and listening post on the Parade Grounds at Fort Ward. A sell-out crowd of 63 people took a walking tour with energetic docents of all ages – from high schoolers to retirees. We had several young students dive right into period garb to act as kids playing baseball and a Coast Artillery Guard from 1910. In Station S, Sarah had period typewriters set up just as they were used by the radiomen. One for receiving messages, then another on the other side for you to turn to quickly and start transcribing the next message while someone grabbed the papers off the first one.

We had a great time staying in character despite inadvertent attempts to trip us up. It was so much fun – we all want to do it again, and thankfully people on the tour were already asking about the next date! One group of teens was apparently overheard saying “Wow, that was reeeeally cool! Total wormhole to 1942!”

I am also busy corresponding with potential tenants (our house just listed on Sat) and transitioning volunteer work to new leaders. I might also add that the flock management has not simplified. In addition to the 8 cute chicks who are assimilating so well into the larger flock, I have 2 month-olds which were incubated in the dining room and imprinted on me. So when I’m around, and they can hear me on the phone or doing laundry or WHATEVER, they start PEEEEPING loudly. They want attention from ME! Isn’t that soooo cute? It totally is. But honestly I could have picked better timing. The boys take the birds out for recess, but they’re getting harder to catch. Thankfully the boys are also getting quite good at doing their own laundry and sweeping up food bits from under the dining table. I’m having to delegate chores frequently because the multi-tasking has gotten more complicated. In the coop I have a full long-term-care facility going on. I have the 8 peeps in a heaving chick pile in one nesting box at night (if you disturb them, they all inflate like a pillow catching air, then when they calm down again, they all deflate at once); the next box down is Calvin the injured rooster who has cellulitis of his leg due to getting a toenail torn off somehow (I’m treating him three times a day with antibiotic after unsuccessfully treating with a human topical antibiotic); and in the 4th box down I have Wheat who has decided to go broody! Her chicks should pip out on July 5. Calvin is doing ok after about 10 days. I am not convinced he’s in decline, but his toe is very dark and his leg is swollen. I carry him in and out of the coop, put him in a quiet and private place with food and water and clean litter near enough to the hens so he doesn’t feel emasculated, but still safe from marauding coyotes and covered with a snow saucer for the occasional INSANE hail storms which have come through lately.

Here are a couple pictures of the zoo here. I am very much looking forward to my dear friend Molly coming for a visit on Wednesday as she and her family transit through the area!!! What will she think…probably will not be surprised 😉

The last 48 hours:

Calvin and his hurt foot – bandaged up in hockey tape 🙂

Me and my buddies from Station S!

Calvin in his safe little spot.

Crazy hail storm!

Saturday morning 9am hockey game! That means getting to the rink at 0800 to DRY IT OUT when it has been damp! I brought JetBoil to make coffee. This is one of my intrepid parents. It ended up raining anyway, after all that drying 🙁

I’m just a little behind packaging up eggs to sell.

Ben takes the two incubated babies (a month old) out for recess after school. That’s King Sam II on the left and Millet on the right.

8 cute chicks resting after a busy morning 😉

Dear Mom!

Did you know you still have a daughter? I know it has been ages since I have called or written anything more than 3 words! Are you still reading this? I am so so so sorry to have been OFF THE GRID lately! How long has it been? Sooooo sorry. Geez. It’s Mother’s Day! Time to share what is going on around here, but it will be brief because guess what…I have practice plans to print for roller hockey and eat dinner because I’m STARVING! First, though, I’d like to say what an inspiration you are for being energetic and loving to those around you every day! I am so lucky to have you as a role model for investment in the kids. I love you!

We have chicks in a rabbit hutch donated by a friend…because Dave won’t let me get a goat or two. I have plans, though…on that front. If you board goats for a neighbor, they’re not REEEAAALLY your goats, right? Richard…fencing. Think fencing. Yes. Dave doesn’t read this. I don’t think.

Dave is so very thankful I didn’t make good on my goat-adopting plans that he didn’t even PEEP about the incubator set up on the credenza by our dining table with 7 eggs in it, incubating for Ben’s 8th birthday, just like we did 4 years ago. I think he’s happy I’m in a chick-hoarding mania instead of just two goats. He may find that two goats is preferable. He seemed a little mystified at the energies exerted to herd 8 baby chicks in the tall grass while I cleaned out their brooder, but Ben is very good at catching baby chicks (Sam prefers herding them with hockey sticks) and got them right back into the paper shopping bag to carry back to the brooder when I had it cleaned, which was, of course, just minutes before leaving for the rink to skate. Picture Ben with a paper shopping bag, twitching and cheeping in his hand as he carried it into the garage. Picture Dave standing in his socks, watching and wondering. I often drive around, thinking about things, and something Dave said recently – “Oh, there’s no managing her.” I wonder if this is what makes him think crazy things like that? It’s all under control…I’m sure that’s evident, right??? 😉

Baby chick catching strategy: after some study, I noticed that chicks don’t back up. Their first instinct is to run. So catch from the front and they’ll run into your hands. Then just lock down the little chick-cage you’ve created with your fingers. Once this is accomplished, be sure you have their wings pinned down and don’t let them get leverage with their little feet. Then you can safely carry them. Once, Ben thought a chick pooped on his hand and he dropped the poor little thing. I have concussion diagnosis training now thanks to hockey, but the little chick seemed fine. Nevertheless, I named her Helmut (as in, Kohl). She continues to make expected progress…

Ben is a good chicken herder. They get to go on “hikes” out in the grass with him!

Sometimes chicken guarding is exhausting. One needs to take a little break 🙂

The roller hockey team is very small (7 kids, 4 of them entirely new to roller hockey) so my mission is to make it fun to learn the game AND learn to skate, incidentally. I have two very able assistants (teen coaches) so I try to keep the big picture, develop practice plans to provide structure, work with corralling (some are very young and escape the rink to go flop around) and morale. Team spirit – yes, I can do that! Enthusiasm and strong female role model for our girl players – yes, I can do that! I love skating and love the game of hockey, so I am very very happy to have this opportunity. Dave is reviewing my practice plans and telling me if he can hear me contribute anything from across the rink during games 😉 I’m still finding my voice as a coach. I’m an ardent and NOT SHY fan…but coach voice? That should be developed intentionally.

Second practice – in sneakers because a light rain had made the rink surface waaay too slippery. That’s ok – very easy to learning passing skills in sneakers!

First scrimmages! hot hot day, then to a dressage clinic for me. Exhausting 😉 But fun!

I also lead a Coder Dojo club at the intermediate school to provide those kids interested in coding a social group and mentoring opportunities. I have had a lot of fun with this even if I feel very underqualified. I have terrific mentors from the community (two tech folks who donate their time) and we have at least a dozen committed kids who enthusiastically develop programs each week in free sites available on the web. We provide encouragement, challenge, and direction. And from time to time, CUPCAKES for developing a game based on a group-decided theme! (I.e., must be interactive and include cupcakes, a unicorn or a horse, and a happy ending!)

Coder Dojo guest speaker – Mr. Roas presents how his company improves product development efficiencies with customized apps. The kids learned what it takes to develop a concept through design, sourcing, manufacturing, and delivery. It was terrific! (I launched and lead the club on Thursdays at the intermediate school.)

Now it’s Sunday, Mother’s Day. I “slept in” to 7. The above things are all from the last 48 hours.

This morning I rode in a dressage clinic again (they are three days long) and then took Emmy on a trail ride. We rode around in the warm-up ring because I have a show next weekend (AGAIN right after a roller hockey game!) and while cantering my phone flew out. She tried to kick it on its way down into the sand. Pretty funny. So while I was off retrieving it, I decided it was time for a selfie. Emmy hates selfies. She was in the middle of rubbing her head on me and knocking me over. Thankfully I am very accustomed to being shoved – Sam likes to throw me around!

Before going to skate over at the roller rink with all three boys (Dave included) for our Mother’s Day outing, the boys and I tidied and cleaned the house (it looks great now!) and had a wrestling session. They don’t like to hug anymore so I lured them into our bedroom and got Ben onto the bed so I could really hug and wrestle him. Sam came in and saved him from me, and I foolishly tried to get Sam onto the bed so I could smoosh him and wrestle him, too. That went on for some time. We are a dead match now. If I can get my horse-riding legs around him, he’s sunk. But, I can’t quite do that anymore. He gets away quickly and is a terrible force to be reckoned with, especially if I’m in socks and he has sneakers on…on the wood floor…which was the case. I was handicapped. I will come back to this…

Off to play some hockey…then home for pizza. While waiting for pizza I decided to address the chicks’ naughty habit of putting their cedar shavings into their waterer, making for soggy shavings and a tough time getting water. It looked like such a nice, cushy place until they spread the shavings all over. (This was the boys’ idea – they should have shavings, not newspaper. Seemed reasonable. Seemed like Mother’s Day would be a nice day to make their nest even better.) Anyway – I got the hamster waterer from the grown-up chicken coop and cleaned it, then wired it up to the rabbit hutch. I thought it would at least be interesting for them, and perhaps make my life easier. Watch…how long does it take chicks to figure out how to use a waterer? I started filming about 10 min into the adventure.

Happy Mother’s Day, all you moms! Thank you for reading this tribute to the life force we all bring to the homefront. I love you, Molly, Tam Tam, Rebecca, Jenni…and of course my own mom, and my cousins, Leslie and Deborah!  (I just got a note from Leslie – my cousins are alive! And actually read this post!!!!! Turns out they are frenetic, too!)

I know I know…JUST when you thought it couldn’t get ANY better…I went out to close the coop (the BIG birds, the college dorm) I found EIGHT eggs – ALL 8 layers LAID! This happened ONCE before. On the vernal equinox. Amazing, right? Here they are! And guess what else? One of the older babies was ROOSTING tonight for the first time on his little maple branch in the hutch, under his warm red heat lamp! When I went out to check, there he was, ROOSTING like a big boy! (Not all is bliss…the garage door wouldn’t go down all the way. Ben had knocked the emergency brake thing so that it wouldn’t close but it took three people 3 minutes to figure this out.) Lest you think it’s all cheep cheep cheep here…I did growl at that because I was the janitor at the time (doing recycling and kitchen clean-up) and simply wanted to close the darn door! 😉

The boys and I are in Richland WA with Dave to see the reactor compartment of his first submarine, the EX-Birmingham, be laid to rest In the desert. Enroute, I stopped at the Kittitas County Museum in Ellensburg because I read they had a rock collection. The boys also really enjoyed seeing an antique car collection because they know something about Ford and his Model T’s. When Sam saw Ellensburg blue agates he mumbled “uhg Maaahwm, why don’t you sign me up for these sorts of things more? ” I asked at the desk of sky landowners have fee dig sites and got a name! I called and got no answer. Figured it could be run by an old timer so called again and reached the husband who said “ah well I don’t get into Bernice’s things so here’s her number.” Found Bernice still at the dig site and told her we were coming straight away! We picked up gas, Gatorade and snacks (never know what you’re getting into rock hounding!) and headed 30 min north into the hills. After a briefing about agate formation (Ellensburg blue agates are the only agates to be considered precious, made blue, it is thought, by calcidium), and how to interact with a guard llama (look like a human, not a dog, so she doesn’t attack you) and kicking horses (don’t dig in that pasture!), we were off. It was so fun to see the boys light up. We hunted along the stream so we could wash the agates off – came away with probably two pounds of agates, a few with blue stripes. Also found petrified wood and jasper. We finally tore ourselves away, vowing to return soon (“Monday, mom?!”). 2hrs further to Richland and the pool!

Then to the port where the submarine was being offloaded drum the barge it had traveled on all the way from Bremerton, down the coast and up the Columbia River.These trucks are ENORMOUS! Ben took off on a run to catch up with them. I think Dave is glad I’m a runner, too 😉 The “package” Is being towed out to the desert. Takes 6 hours because they travel so slowly. Sam says the package weighs 1500 tons. The truck it sits on has 21 rows of 24 wheels! I ran 7 miles on the very nice bike path up the river while the boys played in the pool. Tomorrow a tour of B Reactor.

Took the boys on a nice bike ride since we don’t have hockey this weekend. Just one more week – happy and sad about the end of the season. I think we’re all a little more worn out than we realize and the fridge is bare. But…I still love spending time on the ice. Five of us skated last night. Felt so good to skate hard and clear my end-of-season cold from my lungs! We didn’t get home until 10pm. Slept hard and enjoyed having a buddy over for Sam. Nice start to the weekend. Boys are playing cards while I make some gifts for the hockey team end of season party. Gotta get back to it! Dave is working on his last school paper of the term…

Telling the boys a story about bike-camping on a 1000km trip around Denmark 20 yrs ago during March. The weather was exactly like this - very windy. Imagine drying towels out in this weather? We woke up to find them frozen in the shape they hung from the tent poles. The tents weren't lightweight like backpacking tents today. And my mountain bike had broken so I was using a three speed tourist bike I rented from the train station. Soon the granny gear on that failed so I got quite a workout! But it was a lot of fun.

Sam loves to have his picture taken! Especially with me - ha!

A little treat from the Jiffy. Fun time with the guys. We also enjoyed stopping for food in very small towns, eating bike-side. Imagine biking along a pasture with no fence and a herd of horses or cows stomps across the road right in front of you? The boys liked thinking about that-no "life-controller" parent to fence them in and make them do homework or go to bed. 😉

This weekend was going to be so manic that I knew I needed to prep Dave three weeks in advance. Hockey game for Ben in Tacoma at 10:20am (so that means leaving at 8:30am), game for Sam in Bremerton (2:15pm), mini game during a Juniors game (Thunderbirds – big arena, announcer, mascot, the whole deal) for Ben at night in Seattle, and then an 8:10am game for Sam in Lynnwood (6:25am ferry, 5am up). On top of that, two boys wouldn’t be able to play unless they got a sleepover with someone and a ride. SO! That only took two hours to convince Dave to add into the mix 😉 He took the Showare Arena run at night on Sat so I could host Sam and his two buddies. These two (cousins) have a LOT of energy. They rival Ben. They climb the steel beams at the rink. Or anything they can find. I promised them for every goal scored by our team (we were playing a tough team) that they could jump off Sam’s bunk. Well…the game was 8:1 (the other team won), but guess what the boys did? Yep. They added the goals and each jumped 9 TIMES off Sam’s bunk! I tried that last night. It’s a good workout climbing and jumping!

Here are some pictures of the events of the weekend…

It started Friday night with Mites practice. I did this stick drill, actually! Didn’t spaz! Ben is VERY fast going through these.

Ben riding down to Tacoma with me. We left Dave and Sam at home to chill a bit then meet us in Bremerton.

Our goalie got hurt, so this is Jaydyn gearing up. He’s one of the boys I got to keep Sat night.

Here’s Alex at the card store (first stop after the game) admiring a strategy game about to start.

This is evidence of boy entertainment…check out the movie below. We were blowing up soda bottles with dry ice…

Dawn at the rink. Pretty sky. I’m arriving at a hockey game 1.5 hours away BEFORE DAWN!

Ferry time! It’s 6:25am now. Hi, coaches! We love these guys. They are all hockey dads – boys on the team.

This is how they build good teams: 9 coaches on the ice with young girls of all ages, BEFORE DAWN!

Sam and Ben got hair cuts today! I tried to get a picture but after giving them dessert and then romping with them, this is what you get – hip checks and mischief!

I paid Ben $5 to do all the laundry – get it out, sort, fold and put away. He did as well as I do! Dave said “that’s not hard” from across the house when I was in there marveling. Nuh uh! Not fair! Folding is not IMPORTANT! It just needs to be neat… harrumph!