rainy Thursday

Today I worked as a voluntary waitress
at the community café, as I do every Thursday.

There came only 27 customer!
Was it because it rained all day?
Did the bad weather keep elderly people all at home?

But I was very glad to talk to a lady who looked
very lonely.

There were not many customers today
so she stayed at the café for three hours
talking to us two waitresses or some customers.

She was 88 years old.
Her husband passed away three months ago.

She said,
“I miss him so much. I feel so lonely.
I know but wonder why he is not here with me.
Alas, I did not want to be left alone.

I should have died before he died,
because he is younger than I by 4 years.
I don't want to go home.
I don't want to be alone.”

She said the community café was the only place
she could come and talk.

I was sorry
the lady was disappointed to know
the café will be closed until May 8.

(lily of the valley near my apartment, today)

after 42 years!

When I went back to Niigata last month,
I was invited to a lunch party at a hotel
by my dear good old friends.

They were 18 years old when we said good bye.

I was 31 years old then.

42 years have passed and now they are 60 years old!

Those high school girls have grown up to be
nice ladies!

A picture was sent to me last week.

Thank you, ladies!

The picture will be one
of my most precious things.

I put the picture in the case
with preserved flowers you gave me.

You are all very special to me, ladies.





(karin on the day of their graduation, March 1, 1974)

Cheer up, karin!

What a beautiful day!

The green leaves are rustling in the spring breeze.

How peaceful!

I'm looking at the blue sky with a heavy heart,
thinking of them, sufferers in Kyushu.

I pray devoutly that they may survive this disastrous
earthquake.

I've donated some money to Kumamoto Earthquake.

Cheer up, karin
and keep on praying for them.

Kumamoto Earthquake

Magnitude 6.5 quake hit Kumamoto, Kyushu,
at 9:30 p.m. the day before yesterday.

A number of aftershocks have been hitting Kyushu.

I am shocked to know another powerful magnitude 7.3
quake occurred early this morning at 1:25 a.m.

The earthquake has done a great deal of damage again.

Aftershocks are following one after another.

Ah, how scared people are!
How uneasy they are about their future!

Alas!
I can do nothing
but pray for them.

Showa Kinen Park in spring 2016 (3)

Then I walked on to 日本庭園, こもれびの里,
こもれびの丘 and 渓流広場.

(日本庭園)




(こもれびの里)








(ハナモモ)




I was glad to see tulips at 渓流広場.







I came back to みんなの原っぱ.
I was surprised to find poppies were in bloom.

Isn't it too early?



I enjoyed walking in Showa Kinen Park
on this lovely day.

I walked 19198 steps today.