Happy birthday, Daughter!

42 years have passed since that day.
It was one of the happiest moments in our life.
Oh, I can still hear your first cry!

You were a very small, light, lovely baby.
We named you Yayoi because you were born in March.
We liked March because you were born in March.
Do you like your name?
I hope you'll say YES.

Your birthday is the perfect day for me to express
my deep gratitude to you.

May the year to follow bring you smiles and laughter.

Happy Birthday, Daughter!

Freesias are said to symbolize ---
Sweetness, Innocence, Friendship and Trust.
Your father liked freesias very much.

snow in Tokyo

It was cloudy in the morning.
It began to rain around noon.

Sleet began to fall in the afternoon.
The sleet　changed into snow around 4 o'clock.

koharu and I were walking to the library at that time.
koharu was excited to see snow coming down.

koharu finished her homework at 5 o'clock.
Then she went outside and scooped up snow on a car.

She made a snowman by herself.

Good job, koharu!

walking in the rain

Where has spring gone?
It has been raining all day long.
It was very cold outside.

Ms. M and I went to Ginza and had lunch there.
Then we walked to Nihonbashi-Mitsukoshi in the rain.

The wind grew stronger among high-rise buildings
and blew my umbrella inside out.

At the department store I bought 「いくらしょうゆ漬け」
「鮭茶漬け」「いか赤つくり」made by 加島屋 in Niigata.
These are my daughter's family's favorites.

These days many department stores are closing shutters.
I was glad Nihonbashi-Mitsukoshi was crowded with shoppers.

It was my first visit to Nihonbashi-Mitsukoshi.
There was a wide area with a stage inside the entrance.
There was a pipe organ on the stage.

A lady appeared on the stage and played the pipe organ.
I enjoyed listening to her 'Air on G string 「Ｇ線上のアリア」'
and 'Amazing Grace.'
I loved the rich tone of the pipe organ.

It was a cold, rainy day but I walked a lot--14742 steps.

I had a very nice day indeed.

（ Ginza's main crossroads )


( at Nihonbashi-Mitsukoshi )

yellow mimosa

Yesterday I saw mimosas in my neighborhood in full bloom.
They were so beautiful.
I like yellow mimosas very much.

Mimosas reminded me of my first tour to Southern Europe
in February in 2003. I saw many mimosas from my bus window.
I was excited to see them.

Mimosas reminded me of a cafe in a hotel in Kyoto.
The name of the cafe was 'Mimosa'.

My daughter and I had tea there.
Do you remember that day, Daughter?

I was so happy, feeling relieved.
She had passed the entrance exams for a few universities.

I've just found that the language of flowers of "yellow mimosa"
is "esteem"--a feeling of respect and admiration for someone.

koharu's "1/2 Seijin-shiki "

koharu's mother went to koharu's school.

The 1/2 Seijin-shiki　「 二分の一成人式」
was held at koharu's school.

koharu's mother went back to her work
after the ceremony.

koharu was excited and told me
how the ceremony went on.

All the 4th grade students sang a song 「旅立ちの時」.

All the 4th grade students played "Theme from Rocky"
on the piano, the organ, the accordion, the keyboard,
the recorder, the cymbal etc.

koharu played the accordion.
She liked the accordion very much, she said.

Every student wrote a letter 「未来の自分への手紙」.

Every student handed a letter of thanks「感謝の手紙」
to his/her parents.

Every student wrote a composition
as a remembrance of 「 二分の一成人式」.

All the 4th grade students wore happi coats, danced
ソーラン and enjoyed strong feelings of　solidarity.

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When I came to live in this apartment in Tokyo,
koharu was only 6-month-old baby.

koharu is now 10 years old.
Yes, koharu is growing year by year.

(koharu is my granddaughter.)