Tea

I have recently rediscovered my love of tea.  Black tea, green tea, but mostly just any sort of loose leaf tea.  I lost my love in the hot days of summer - owing mostly to the fact that the idea of drinking something hot in 40 degrees with 100% humidity seems like the worst idea ever imagined.

But today, with the growing onset of my first winter cold setting in, the idea of some creme earl grey and a little sugar was my motivation to get out of bed.  With winter beginning to set in, getting out of bed needs that little bit of motivation.  My hardwood floors, once wonderful in their easy clean up and and clean lines have become uninsulated cold conductors, reminding me that I'm no longer in my cozy bed.  So now here I sit at my computer with a festive box of Christmas kleenex, grandma slippers, and a cup of sweetened Creme earl grey.  I may be getting sick - but I'm going to make myself as comfortable as I can while I sneeze my weekend away.

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming!  Japanese Col. Sanders says it's so!

Oraise in Fall

Back home you never really get to enjoy watching the leaves change colour before they fall.  I don't know if it just gets to cold to quickly, or if Saskatchewan trees are just defective - but I remember kicking green leaves down the street.  Here, if you drive about an hour and a half you can go where there are multicolour trees overhanging a beautiful babbling brook.  

We were maybe a week or two too late to get the full "Fall foliage" experience, but their was still enough colour to enjoy or little hike along the water.

Fall in Misawa is rather uneventful - but if you take a bit of a trip you get learn what fall is really suppose to look like.  All of the photos are from the Oraise Gorge, along side Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture.

Cool Breezes, Falling Leaves, and Quiet Contemplation

I managed to go (almost) the entirety of October without posting.  For shame!  I shall slap my own wrist and send myself to bed early.  [Oh the decadence!] 

Winter must be coming because the laundry basket now contains bunnyhugs, and sweaters.  A trip to the Cafe Mokuteki now requires more thought - do I still want that latte iced, or maybe today I should get it hot.  Showers and baths have become more fun again, no longer just a way to become clean but a relaxing and steam filled way to warm up and wind down.  Gone are the days of standing under cold water wishing for an escape from the ever oppressive humidity. 

My cards and pictures no longer crinkle in the heat, giving in to the pressures of the humid air and refusing to remain sturdy and straight.  A crochet hook and yarn now sits on the coffee table, waiting to be used.  Gone are the days that bread must be kept in the refrigerator, and blankets in the linen closet.  In a land so far north, the sun has started to set before 5:00 making evenings seem longer.

The leaves have begun to change colour and fall, people from southern States have began discussing the coming snows in earnest, always with a mixture of fear and excitement.  Will driving be safe?  Can we survive in weather below freezing?  Exactly how much snow do we need to get before they will shutdown the base and call it a snow day?

Fall for me has always been a time for quiet contemplation.  It was one year ago yesterday that I left Korea to venture forward into a relatively uncertain future.  A decision that I made in the pursuit of love and happiness - and new adventures.    I have found all three tucked away in this tiny little city so far away from where I started. 

Bring on Fall - and all the new adventures that will arrive with the cooler air and the changing leaves.