Surgery was Successful!

View from Holly's balcony -- golf course & city beyond. I feel like I'm in a treehouse . . .

I'm about a week & a half post-surgery & all is well. Checkup today confirmed everything is working perfectly -- that's really all I asked for. I just have to be patient and continue to take it easy -- for me, that's not very easy! Still resting comfortably at Holly's (thanks Baby for your patience & wonderful care!). Thanks to everyone for all your good wishes, cards & calls. I've got lots of pictures to catch up on, so watch this space . . .

Margie

Off to the US!

Well, it's early Tuesday AM in Japan and I'm leaving soon to fly back to Birmingham. I'm excited to see everyone of course, but I'm also anxious because I'm FINALLY going to get the urogynecology surgery I need. Of course, I'm taking my laptop so I'll post as time allows. To my Birmingham readers & family: See you soon!

Love, Margie

Holly is Alice in Wonderland!

Finally . . . the role Holly was born to play (at least from Mom's perspective). Sherri & David sent these pics recently when they took niece Stacie to "Alice’s (Even Bigger) Tea Party" on 5/2 at Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center: Sirote Theatre. Thanks for sharing!





Stacie with the Queen of Hearts


Alice & Stacie (in disguise).

Congratulations, Holly -- wish I could have been there!

Kudamatsu Hige Contest 5/3

We're driving to Kudamatsu today for Stan to participate in the First Annual Japanese Hige Contest. Hige means "moustache or beard" & Stan heard about it from a friend on base, who encouraged him to enter. We're heading out of Iwakuni toward Hwy 2 near the Kintai Bridge.


Oh, that sign tells us it's going to be crowded today because of holiday travel. We're hoping that applies only to the Sanyo expressway & not to Hwy 2. The usually uncrowded expressways have become more crowded lately since the government allows people with installed electronic scanners in their cars to travel anywhere for only 1000 yen every weekend.


This is a sign for Sanzoku restaurant. We'll be driving past it in a little while.


Wisteria blooming alongside the highway.



Boys' Day fish flags flying in someone's yard.
















CLICK "Older Posts" below to see more photos of this event!

Around this curve on Hwy 2, you can see how the sidewalk next to road is cantilevered out.


Oh, look at all the Boys' Day fish banners flying at Sanzoku (Chicken Shack).


Flooded rice fields as we drive through the mountains on Hwy 2.


Yep, we're still on the right road . . .

Little shrine in front of azalea along the highway.

A small car of Note . . .


After stopping to ask directions (yes, Stan will do that occasionally in Japan!) we've found the Kudamatsu mall.


It's actually named The Mall.


Riding down the elevator from the parking deck, we see a pipe organ.

Lots of food shops here on the first floor. We're a little early, but Stan is anxious to find out where he needs to go, so he takes off . . . We decided to look around a little & meet him when the contest starts.

Looking around the open shops in this mall.


Aha -- Nancy found a small 100-yen store!

This food booth features fish balls and fish cakes.

I'm guessing this place serves octopus . . .

It's just a little after 11:30 when we find the area where the contest will be held. Stan's not here, so we assume he's already checked in & joined the rest of the group for lunch. I love this 3-story clock!


Here's the small stage where this event will be held.


I love these photographs of Gaishi Nagaoka & his fabulous moustache! Check out this website for info about this famous former resident of Kudamatsu. If you like "Engrish" you're gonna LOVE this site! http://www.higesummit.net/en/


And here's his carved wood statue.

Closer view of his photo. Guess Stan has a ways to go . . .

These children's paintings caught my eye.

Oh, they're in honor of Mother's Day -- also a big celebration in Japan.

These are very good!

I'm showing the Hige (moustache) Contest area, right next to the fabulous clock stairway.

A closer view shows a disk featuring the constellations.

This clock is amazing! Around it are stars and constellations, and there's a stairway inside.


While Stan's off with the other contestants having a free lunch, Nancy, Eldon and I found the food court on the second floor of this mall, and chose a restaurant. I'm starting with corn soup with a few corn flakes on top at a garnish. That book is my "bible" here in Japan -- a picture book that has helpful words & phrases both in English and Japanese, so I can point & speak. It's a wonderful help.


The rest of my lunch set arrives -- rice, ebi furai (fried shrimp) with slaw salad. Delicious!


Eldon had a larger karubi (beef steak) set, with slaw & potato salad, bowl of rice, vegetables, pickles, green tea & miso soup. Nancy had pork (I think) but I think we were sitting too close for me to get a picture!

After lunch, we found our way back to the stage area for the contest. A crowd has begun to gather, but we're fortunate enough to find seats right up front. That's great because I want to take pictures.

Although this huge clock was a little tricky to read -- the wiggly-yellow clock hand is the hour and the smaller black one is the minute hand . . . It says it's now almost 5 minutes until 1 PM, when we think the contest is supposed to start. We're not sure because Stan took off as soon as we arrived in the mall & he has all the info . . .


Here's the sound guy. Looks like there's lots of media & sound equipment here. Guess this is a pretty big deal . . .

These cute young women were our MCs for this event. They were very personable, although I could not understand what they were talking about.

This official-looking gentleman seemed to be in charge. His name tag just says "Staff."

Cute little girls watching through plexiglass from the floor above.


Another family enjoys the festivities. I imagine one of the contestants is the children's grampa.


And finally -- out comes #1. The cute Japanese MCs asked lots of questions that I could not understand, and the men gave answers that I also could not understand! Once in a while there was a word I recognized. I figured out each was being asked where he was from, how old he was, what he did for living (or used to do -- most were probably retired since people in Japan retire at 60), how long he's had facial hair, and what product he used to groom his moustache (or beard). I heard one man answer "mascara."


#2 seemed very nervous.

#3 didn't have much facial hair at all, but nice long hair!

#4 looked great in his traditional dress.


Something about this man's expression really reminded me of my dad . . .

Stan's peeking from behind the wall.

#5