As March ends and April begins . . .

It’s Sakura season – cherry blossom time – so Japan’s going to be even more spectacular than usual! We’re in high gear for Holly & Michael’s upcoming visit April 8 - 19! Can’t wait to see them and to show them how beautiful and delightful Japan is. Iwakuni is the third most popular destination for cherry blossoms in Japan. We’ve already spotted a few trees beginning to bloom as we drive past the lotus fields in town. We’re planning to travel to Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, and then back here for sightseeing in Iwakuni, Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, and other places closer to home. Check back for upcoming pictures of Holly & Michael’s visit.

We’ve recently adopted a beautiful white cat who really needed a home. She joins a short line of kitties over the years who, although we never seek them out, somehow seem to find us. So she has found the right home with us – she will be an “only kitty” and we are lavishing her with our love & a safe home. (Baby was too old to make the trip over, hates to travel, and has found a loving home with Holly & Michael. Those of you who know her, know she was always looking for a “better offer” anyway. Thanks, H&M!) She’s very smart – if we pull a string around the house, she just goes around the other way to meet us. She’s adjusted quite well in the week we’ve had her, and she’s decided that Stan is the one who plays with her and I’m the one who feeds her & brushes her. She takes turns sleeping on our legs at night, so as not to play favorites. She’s definitely Japanese and speaks very little (pretty much only when spoken to) but in a decidedly Asian accent – kind of a Siamese voice – deep and loud. Although, she seems small compared to Baby and Ozzy, she weighed in at 10-1/2 pounds at the vet, so she’s not as dainty as we thought! While trying to decide what to name her, we looked up names on a “Japanese Cat Names” website (really!) and then we polled our kids, who came up with some really creative and thoughtful names, but Sachi (pronounced Sah-chee) just seemed to stick. It means “happiness; wish; fortune,” so that really seems to fit her. She’s fortunate & she’s bringing us happiness.

Herrrrrrres Sachi 

My Bed 

What? 

Sachi contemplates Stan's jeans.