while i wait to see which way things are going...
peach scones...


a new bag, simple and roomy...

the possibility

(do you see that little bird, sitting above the signal? these birds really like sitting on traffic lights so look carefully next time you stop and you'll probably see one.)
there is a possibility that we might be back in japan as soon as april. i have already had a telephone interview which ended in the interviewer inviting me to stay with her in her house in new york. rather positive i think. now i am just waiting to be approved by the staff at the preschool. i am feeling really open and optimistic about this prospect. the school is not in kyoto or even the kansai region, which were earlier criteria for us. the position is in the goto islands off the coast of nagasaki. i'd never heard of the place prior to the interview but after several days of exhaustive research, let me tell you, the place looks like heaven.


also look here and here and here. these images make my heart pound.

hopefully i'll hear back this week so i can report the news. even if this doesn't happen, i know that i will have to visit the goto islands when we do make it back to japan. they look too lovely to miss.

hope you are all well. take care.
xo

still here

we've been scheming and playing and reading and working. yesterday we took two trips to the beach, one early in the morning before a big storm with a thermos full of coffee and then later that afternoon after the rain had cleansed the sky. nico was fearless, running straight at the sea while sebastian happily dug tunnels for his animals. he practiced writing his name in the sand then we made a large sand sea turtle. a nice day.
today, haircuts and cleaning. a batch of (gf) maple pecan scones was made and consumed. sebastian is making some thumbprint drawings via this book we found at the library. the library remains our constant weekly adventure, especially now that sebastian owns his very own library card (thus we can check out 10 dvds instead of 5). i'm making vocabulary flash cards, feeling like a lazy lump since i have not seriously studied since i left japan and i might actually need it soon. very soon. but more on that later...
anyway, i just wanted to pop in here and say hello. we're good though ready to prepare ourselves for the next step in our journey. hope everyone is doing well. take care.
xo

excellence

i wanted to share some of my favorite blogs, blogs that i check regularly to regain perspective and feel better about the world knowing that such lovely people are out there living the good life.

first, i want to toss the excellence award back to cyndi and give yet another one to momo. i met both of these ladies in nara and have enjoyed being connected to their journeys through their blogs. both are now expats, crafting a simple and beautiful life for their boys in their adopted homelands.

next, i must mention kayla as she is such a wonderful and talented person both online and in person. in this past year or so, she has come to terms with the diverse elements of herself, embracing her profession as well as her strong artsty-craftsty side by opening up an etsy shop.

i love amisha's words. she seems so grounded but utterly open and strong. i admire and respect her for all the positive energy she puts into every aspect of her life.

i relate to melissa very much and have really enjoyed watching her recent move from new zealand to norway, both places that i wish to see someday. i like her honesty about herself, it makes her blog very accessible. as much as i do like the dreamy blogs where there seems to be no shortage of motherly patience and virtue, i truly savor blogs where the author admits to sneaking chocolates and having moments of frustration.

which brings me to nina, who i can always rely on for a laugh and a good dose of wisdom gleamed from the frontlines of parenting. she presents such a balanced glimspe of her enthusiastically lived life, always embracing the yin and the yang.

i could go on but i'll have to be satisfied recommending my link list as a jumping off point. there are just so many incredible blogs out there. i feel lucky that their authors decided to allow others to witness the beauty of their daily existence.
xo

clean sweep = fabric giveaway

hi there. still without a working camera so i have to rely on my archived photos for a bit longer. with the six month deadline looming, i feel anxious to begin working on the move. today we're submitting all the necessary paperwork for nico's passport. you should see his photo, his cute confused expression. i lost his birth certificate somehow in the move and going through our stuff in search of it, i felt as if i were sifting through another family's possessions. i just feel no attachment for our material goods now that i feel more confident that we'll be leaving the country again. so books will go to the used book shop, housewares to friends and family that need them, and excess clothes to the thrift shop.
it's an act of faith, this lightening.
i have a lot of fabric and between homeschooling the boys, work, and studying japanese, i will not use it and probably won't have an opportunity in the near future. it would make me *so* happy to know it was in the hands of those who would appreciate it. if you would like some free fabric, please email me or leave a comment. tell me what colors you like, if you are in need of floral designs, etc., and i will send you a little package no matter where you are.
hope you are all well. take care.
xo