Let the Fun Begin

Typhoon Roke roared across Japan just three days after I returned from settling College Boy in his new digs in Bellingham, Washington. The Ancient Mariner's aloha shirt was drenched by the time he wrestled his luggage through our front gate and into the back seat of the car while I gripped my umbrella in both hands and floated after him a la Mary Poppins. I drove him to the pier where he got soaked all over again transferring his luggage to the "official" vehicle that took him to the airport from whence he jetted off to meetings in Hawaii and San Diego. He was one of the fortunate few who actually managed to fly out of Japan that day.

That's pretty much all I can tell you about Typhoon Roke since, after changing into dry clothes, I stretched out on the couch with a book and promptly fell asleep. When I woke up eight hours later, a bit after midnight, the winds were starting to die down. Ah, the joys of jet lag.

But I'm back on Japan Time now and geared up to savor our fifth and final year in our host country. Just a few hours before Typhoon Roke arrived, I moseyed over to the Yokosuka Officer Spouses' Club welcome coffee at the Officers' Club where I saw a clutch of bright-eyed newcomers lining up to join the Japanese and American Wives' Club and Ikebana.

It's going to be a fun year. The Ancient Mariner will be around a bit this fall while the ship is under repair and we'll squeeze in a few adventures. Artistic is finally back from her tsunami evacuation and Fearless swears we're going to see the last two major gardens on our bucket list before we all depart Japan next summer.

Whenever I manage to nab a seat on a train, I'll pull out my knitting. Hats are my new favorite thing and I am indebted to College Boy for commissioning the ear flap hat that got me started. The Blonde Wonder is sporting my second creation at left; I still haven't quite grasped sizing but I'm making progress. Berets are fun because I can read a book on my Kindle while knitting them. But I also like ribbed stocking caps because I can time a Hail Mary to correspond with two knits and two purls, lending a whole new meaning to the term "prayer caps".

Two garden outings are on the agenda this week. Stay tuned.