Where, Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?

Where in the world have I been, you ask? Absolutely nowhere! And it was brilliant!

In less than one week, I have company coming that will pretty much span the course of the month. To prepare for their visit, I have been subbing every little hour the schools will dole out. Which is pretty much all of them! See – I need cold hard cash to frivolously spend while my guests are in town. For things like daily dinners eaten out… train fare to every nook and cranny we can make it to… flippant souvenir purchases… you know, basically anything I haven’t been spending on. There is only one way to get it. As much as I don’t like it, I’m doing it anyway.

These past weekends have been lovely. Spring is definitely here and with it… warm days filled with light breezes that inspired the trees to bloom amazing shades of blossoms, perhaps much earlier than Japan would have maybe liked. You would think that with the gorgeousness of those weekends, we would have taken the opportunity to go do something new and interesting and fun. Nope! I’ll be doing enough somethings soon enough.

Instead, I occasionally took walks around my little town. There were multiple hours where I simply parked my rump in a cushy chair and shoved my nose in a good book.

Yes, these have been perfect, if not highly boring to speak of, days. Hence… the gaping whole that has happened with my updates.

In other news, I can tell you that I have accepted a Board position with the Ikebana International Kamakura Chapter and will begin my duties this summer. In some crazy happenstance, I was actually approached for the position and was honored to accept it.

If you were wondering what happened with my actually doing Ikebana arrangements, well I have been looking towards studying a different school. Possibly the Ikenobu School. To do so, I have been looking for another sensei, one that hopefully lives closer to me. Once I am fully involved with the Board, the opportunities to find that instructor will increase twofold. For now I have been continuing with practice at home. I would not dare share these online though and call them real Ikebana as there is no instructor standing over me confirming I am arranging correctly or not.

Now after all this drivel, aren’t you glad I haven’t been writing? Only one week from now, I will resume my usual sharing of tidbits from Japan. Till then… I hope the trees in bloom where you are and brightening your day!