Friday May 1

Those of you who know me, know that even after all these years, May 1 (and the week or so leading up to it) is still a difficult time for me. So my good friends took me to lunch at L Style (always a great Japanese lunch), shopping (where I bought souvenir goodies to take with me on my upcoming trip back to the US) and then we stopped for tea time at Ruman Pastry Shop. What a great day, and just the lift I needed.


I loved this beautiful fragrant shrub blooming outside, and got a closer look.


I think it's a type of jasmine -- it's blooming all over Iwakuni now. However, I'm apparently allergic to it because (although I take 2 allergy meds!) my throat has been burning ever since! Now, when I pass by one on my bicycle, I just hold my breath . . .


Inside, we found a cute little boy looking wistfully into the pastry case . . .