Shopping for Spiders Anyone?

A couple days ago I decided that I needed to go buy some vegetables in one of our small grocery stores. It is a very busy store and has great sales on fresh vegetables, so it seemed to be the best place to go.


As I strolled through the small aisles of vegetables and different kinds of fruits, I approached a cooler case that held special vegetables. My mind was so relaxed and enjoying walking among the other shoppers.


The next cooler case was lunch meats, wieners, etc. Between them were glass walls and advertisements. To my surprise, there was an intruder or perhaps I should say a specimen.


To be honest, I could not believe that it was real. I gently tapped a man's shoulder and he was very surprised that this foreign woman had dared to touch his shoulder. Smile!!! As I motioned my hand towards it, I said, "Excuse me. Is this real???" He looked at it, and then his eyes got big and he politely said, "Yes, it is real." I thanked him. I considered asking for the manager, but being the ONLY foreign woman in the store, I decided that perhaps sight would excite someone else. On the other hand, so much in life here is to emphasis nature, so that was simply an example of "nature". Smile!!!


Are you interested in seeing what I saw while shopping? Keep in mind, from the tip of the top leg to the tip of the lower one was a span of at least 8 inches. I just want to make sure you get the "real picture" of what I saw while shopping in one of, if not the most modern nation in the world. SMILE!!!

Wild Ride

For many, many years I have traveled and ridden in and on almost every imaginable type of vehicle in various nations. Being in modern Japan in the middle of Nara and Osaka, you would think that the roads would be nice highways or at least two lanes.

Recently my friend Ruth Ann and I flew to Osaka and then took an express train near to a place between Nara and Osaka. We were met by a couple who would be our host family for that first night. We loaded our small bags into their trunk and then got acquainted. As far as we knew, we were going to be staying in a suburb of the big city Osaka. Don't you love it when you get surprised and everything is opposite of what you think? Smile!

They began to tell us about the area where we had arrived and where we were going. We noticed the incline seemed to get steeper and steeper. As it seemed we were leaving civilization, I rushed in my mind to make sure I had brought everything I might need for that first night stay.

Amazingly enough, we finally arrived at their house near the top of a very high mountain. They told us that Nara was on one side of this mountain and Osaka was on the other side. You couldn't have proven it by us because we could see nothing but trees and weeds. Smile!!!

We had a very nice visit and nice rest, sleeping on the floor on top of the Japanese futons. I did forget to take a picture of their bathroom, where you take your bath or shower. One wall is only window, so that you can be 'one with nature'(which was some weeds out in the yard), while bathing. I certainly didn't concentrate on the weeds or nature, but hurriedly showered in the morning, while I could see and make sure no one else was "seeing me". Smile!!! Perhaps I am just "old fashion" but I am what I am. SMILE!!!

I felt that no one in the whole wide world would believe me if I tried to explain what the road was like where they lived, so I sat in the front seat of the car the morning we left for the women's meetings and attempted to take a video. Hope you enjoy the ride - Wild Ride Video

Beauty All Around!

Each day is filled with beauty of God's creation. Whether mountains, rivers, sky, clouds, oceans, flowers, animals, or even people, there is beauty to behold.


While stateside I was standing in a friend's backyard attempting to take pictures of individual flowers. I find that there is great beauty in a single flower. Yes, arrangements are beautiful. As I studied and took classes to learn the Ikebana (Japanese) flower arranging many years ago, each individual flower held its own beauty and place in the arrangement.


While I traveled the past four decades in various countries and states, I've learned to see the special beauty in individuals. He or she may look terrible, but God does not focus on what I see. He looks on their heart, which is sometimes very soft and tender, while they are being the meanest person on the outside. Their cover up is to protect themselves because they have only lived lives full of pain and hurt.


What does God see when He looks at you? How do you see yourself? Where is the real beauty in you? Do you know? Can you see it or do you have it completely buried and covered up?

My First Blog

Blogs! Blogs! Blogs!

It seems that is all you hear people talk about are blogs, but what is a blog???

Do you suppose that Blogs has a special meaning???

Being lively over goofy subjects!

Hopefully my blogs will have a different and more positive meaning.