I spent a day last week composting my flower beds, and since I had a few questions about it from some of my students, I thought I'd give an explanation here. Step 1: Put your table scraps in a compost bin. Step 2: Put your grass, leaves etc. in a compost pile. Step 3: At the end of the season, mix food scraps and grass, cover with a sheet and let sit over the winter. Step 4: Move to "second compost site", cover with sheet and leave for one year. Step 5: Sift the compost to remove big clumps etc. (I use this big green basket tray). Step 6; Use compost wherever you need it.  This year I put it all around my flower beds and trees.  Last year I spread it on my grass. Step 7: Enjoy your beautiful flowers. March 29th, my first daffodil of spring.   Composting is good for the environment, good for your health, and good for your garden. Let's compost! Today's song is Let's Compost! - YouTube https://youtu.be/GND8jjwTGsw?t=32    

As most of you know by now, my mother passed away on February 25th.  Every day since then (even today) has been a rush of things to do, discuss, and finalize.  Being in Japan so far away has made it much harder.  So, I haven't updated my phrase in awhile.   As a final tribute to my mother, I will post her obituary, which she wrote herself before she passed away.  

Dorothy Ilene Jones

Obituary

DANCE AT MY DEATH

Dance at my death?

Of course,

For I am that much closer

To the stars,

Or play

Or sing--

Most anything

But weep.

I would not like

To lie beneath

Intemperate amounts

Of ill-afforded flowers

Or see my friends

Dark-robed and sad

 Instead of glad.

I go with joy!

So dress in rainbows

On that day,

Play the music

Loud and gay,

Dance 'til you

Are cut of breath,

Make joy and beauty

 Of my death!

Carol C. Ottesen

Sweet Caroline

Neil Diamond

Where it began, I can't begin to knowing But then I know it's growing strong Was in the spring Then spring became the summer Who'd have believed you'd come along Hands, touching hands Reaching out, touching me, touching you [Chorus] Sweet Caroline Good times never seemed so good I'd be inclined To believe they never would So good, so good Look at the night and it don't seem so lonely We filled it up with only two And when I hurt Hurting runs off my shoulder How can I hurt when I'm holding you One, touching one Reaching out, touching me, touching you [Chorus]

Happy Valentine's Day! When I was a child, my mother used to make a big heart shaped cookie for each of her children and my father.  Each cookie was decorated in pink and white icing, with our name on it.  The cookie was delicious. My father would buy us each our favorite candy bar and make a message out of it, something like this: As children, we would take cookies or candy to a neighbor's house, put it on the front porch, ring the doorbell and run away.  This was our "secret valentine". After many years of absence, I decided to start the tradition in my family this year again.  I haven't been able to meet my kids in a year, due to the Corona virus, so I sent valentine cookies instead. What family traditions do you have around Valentine's Day?  Or anything else?  Please tell me this week. Fiddler on the roof - Tradition ( with subtitles ) - YouTube   Part 2. I went on my first winter camp in two years.  Last year there was no snow.  For the first time we stayed in separate tents due to Corona.  With the blue sky and the beautiful scenery, it was one of my better camping experiences, so I wanted to share it with you.

Happy Setsubun! This year Setsubun falls on an irregular day, February 2nd, so I decided to celebrate in an irregular way. 恵方tacos!! I faced south by southeast, and wished for the quick end of Covid 19. Here is an interesting article on why Setsubun is on February 2nd this year: Japanese Setsubun Festival to Fall on February 2 for First Time Since 1897     Setsubun is a Japanese festival that traditionally marks the end of winter. Many Japanese people have grown up enacting scenes in which one family member wears the mask of an oni (ogre) and is driven off by the others throwing roasted soybeans. For generations, Setsubun has been on February 3, such that many Japanese have probably thought it always falls on this day. However, in 2021, it will be one day earlier, on February 2. What is the reason for this? In the traditional Japanese calendar, based on Chinese sources, the year is divided into 24 sekki. The first of these is Risshun (the beginning of spring), which often starts on February 4. As the start of the year, this is an important date, and Setsubun is set as the preceding day. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, which calculates the moment that Risshun begins, reports that in 2021 it will take place at 11:59 at night on February 3. Accordingly, this year Setsubun will be on February 2. The variation comes from the difference between the 365.242189 days in the solar year and the 365 days in the calendar year. Despite the correcting effect of leap years, a small difference remains. This is why Risshun sometimes begins on February 3 or 5, meaning the date of Setsubun also changes. The last time Setsubun was not on February 3 was in 1984, when it was celebrated on February 4. One has to go back to 1897 to find the last time that it was on February 2. It may thereby seem like a rare occurrence, but from this year, Setsubun will be on February 2 every fourth year for some decades. (Originally published in Japanese. Banner image © Pixta.)

After an almost "snowless" winter last year,  Akita got two years worth of snow in a few days last week.  We all spent a few days shoveling out from under the snow.  Personally, I don't mind shoveling snow.  It's like Zen for me.  The before and after is so easy to see and so satisfying. I woke up this morning (1/17) to a new beautiful white cover over everything.  I'm about to go out and get more Zen., but first, let's learn some idioms about snow.

1.  Snowed under  To be very busy or overwhelmed with something.  With test season coming up, I'm really snowed under at work.
2. Pure as the driven snow  Absolutely virtuous or chaste, pure.  She's just sixteen and pure as the driven snow.
3. white as snow  Extremely white or pale in color or complexion.  Now that my grandfather has stopped dying his hair, it's become as white as snow.
4. snow job  tricking someone using a lot of flattery.  Their sales technique is to always begin with a real snow job, after that, the customer is open to anything.
5. snowball into (something) To grow quickly into something bigger, more difficult, more dangerous, etc.  The situation in America with the protests at the capitol could quickly snowball into something dangerous, even a coup d'etat, if it isn't controlled quickly!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Dean Martin

A new beginning!  A new hope!  A new President, A reset! Did you have a nice New Years celebration?  I stayed home, visited my father-in-law, and went cross country skiing on the 1st.  It was a satisfying and safe new year. This year is the year of the cow, bull or ox.  here are some common idioms about bovines.

1.  A cash cow.   a product or service that makes much money                       I hope the new Subway sandwich in Itoku is a real cash cow.
2. Have a cow.  to become very angry and upset about something   When I told him we canceled our Disneyland trip, he had a cow.
3.  Holy cow.  used to express strong feelings  of pleasure or anger    HOLY COW!! We won the jumbo takarakuji lottery!
4. Until the cows come home.  until very late, for a long time                  We stayed at my Father-in-law's drinking til the cows came home.
5.  A sacred cow.  a person or thing that is never criticized or changed even if it should be                                                                                                     Public health insurance is a sacred cow in Japan.
6. A bull in a china shop.  a tactless person who  upsets plans, a very clumsy person                                                                                                  President Trump ran America like a bull in a china shop.
7.  Hit the bulls-eye.  to reach or focus on the main point of something  You really hit the bullseye about my bad lifestyle habits.
8.  Take the bull by the horns.  to take decisive and direct action          It's time for me to take the bull by the horns and look for a new job.
9. As strong as an ox.  someone who is very strong.                                     Did you watch the RIZAP matches on New Years Eve?  Those fighters are as strong as oxen!
10.  As awkward as a cow on roller skates.  Very clumsy or uncoordinated.                                                    When I first started snowshoeing, I was as awkward as a cow on roller skates. 

One of my favorite authors, Charles Dickens [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="227"] Charles Dickens (1812-1870)[/caption] wrote a book "A Tale of Two Cities" (二都物語) in 1859.  It is about the French Revolution.  It's a very good book that has been made into many movies.  Today I want to talk about the opening.  It is one of the most famous openings of any book.  Here it is in English: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. 日本語 それは最良の時代であり、それは最悪の時代であり、それは知恵の時代であり、それは愚鈍の時代であり、それは信念の時代であり、それは不信の時代であり、それは光の季節であり、それは暗闇の季節であり、それは希望の春であり、それは絶望の冬であった。我々の前には全てがあり、我々の前には何も無かった。我々は皆直接天国に至りつつあり、我々は皆直接別な道に至りつつあった・・・早い話が、その時代は現在とはとてもよく似ており、その時代の最もうるさい権威の何人かは、良かれ悪しかれ、その時代は最上級の形容詞によってのみ、受け取られるべきだと主張した。 Old　日本語　(which do you think is better?) それはすべての時世の中で最もよい時世でもあれば、すべての時世の中で最も悪い時世でもあった。叡智の時代でもあれば、痴愚の時代でもあった。信仰の時期でもあれば、懐疑の時期でもあった。光明の時節でもあれば、暗黒の時節でもあった。希望の春でもあれば、絶望の冬でもあった。人々の前にはあらゆるものがあるのでもあれば、人々の前には何一つないのでもあった。人々は皆真直に天国へ行きつつあるのでもあれば、人々は皆真直にその反対の道を行きつつあるのでもあった。――要するに、その時代は、当時の最も口やかましい権威者たちのある者が、善かれ悪しかれ最大級の比較法でのみ解さるべき時代であると主張したほど、現代と似ていたのであった。 The other day, I thought how much this fits our present situation.  In the past few days we have had great news about many vaccines being approved and vaccination has begun in many countries (not Japan unfortunately).   At the same time, the number of cases is rising rapidly in Japan, and a new strain of Corona has been found in England. 2020 has not been a very good year for any of us, but at the same time, I do have a lot of good memories from this year.  I know I will never forget this year, but I hope we can all hold on to the good memories and let the bad ones fade away. This morning (Dec. 21st), I've been making banana bread for some of my classes.  My house is filled with the delicious aroma of baking. [caption id="attachment_2024" align="alignnone" width="800"] Preparation / ingredients[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2025" align="alignnone" width="800"] Ready for the oven.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2027" align="alignnone" width="800"] Delicious banana bread![/caption] Here is my Christmas present to you.  Enjoy!

Mark's Banana Bread

Let's all have a safe, quiet and at home new year's celebration.  I'm looking forward to seeing you all next year.

Merry Christmas! and Happy New Year!

Today's BGM:  STYX, The Best of Times (1981)