Any Where, Any Time

When one of your kids lives on one coast and one lives on the opposite coast, the chance to visit with both of them is rare. Our daughter has been working in Japan since January. Our son and daughter in law generously offered me a ticket to go see her (with our son) and of course, I jumped at it. Japan was never on my list of places to see before I die, but I am so glad I went! We mostly saw Tokyo but it was enough.

I have to back up a little to say that about 2 weeks before the trip, I managed to screw up my knee. Not the knee that was screwed up last winter, the other one. I thought it would right itself (with the help of a cortisone shot) and I would be good to go. Not so much. At the last minute, my friend Jane offered me the use of a collapsible cane. My first reaction was 'no way, I don't need that!' but I took it anyway. Good thing, I never would have made it to the hotel, let alone out to sightsee, without it.

My kids both did a good job of masking their horror at the sight of me gimping along. They took good care of me and we saw alot of wonderful sights. When my knee wouldn't go any farther for the day, they put me in a cab (Tokyo cab drivers are amazing!! fearless, helpful, really nice people) and I went back to the hotel. They came back a bit later with vending machine treats (beer, sake, sandwiches, you name it, you can get it out of a vending machine there) and moral support. They called me 'House' and tried to find the easiest routes to places we wanted to go, including finding escalators and elevators.

The best part of the whole adventure of course was the time I spent with the two of them. They are such great, amazing people.

I hope to have a few more pictures for a future post. Between the cane and my being forbidden to take pictures.... I didn't end up with very many of my own, but I will get some from the kids and post them. Why, you ask, were you forbidden to take pictures? Well, at this point in my life, I need 'readers' for everything. I put them on just under my sunglasses so I can see while still being protected from glare...... apparently I look even dorkier than usual....

The Cat on the Mountain

Each year here in AZ as Spring arrives a mountain lion appears to creep down the Superstition Mountains just east of our southern hideout. It is the result of the setting sun and the terrain. It last for a week or so until the sun sets to far north.

If Only Remembering Was Enough

An 80% scale replica on the Vietnam War Memorial was set up here in Apache Junction this weekend. On the spur of the moment I and a couple of friends visited the display. I have visited the Memorial in Washington DC several times and three or four of the traveling replicas and each time I am struck by something which leaves me to ponder. This time as I paused to view each panel I began notice the "JR"s following some of the names. There are no names on this memorial that are more valuable than any other, but the "JR"s made me think of the loss to each family each and every name represents. There were other displays on the grounds with the names of others who have also lost their lives in subsequent conflicts. If remembering was enough there wouldn't be so many.