Hel-lo Hanna!

Just a few days ago, our walk was spotless.

I feel like it has been forever since I have posted to the blog, but in retrospect the month interim has been a blur in real life. I relocated to Virginia, closed on the house, had two separate shipments from Japan delivered, bought a mattress set, cleaned and re-cleaned the house, welcomed Matt home from Japan, went to a week-long graduate assistant workshop, started working at Old Dominion’s Writing Tutorial Services and started back to school full time. Did I mention that I’m also writing my thesis?

Now, in what is proving to be the tradition for early-September blogs, I am reporting live from a tropical storm – Hurricane Hanna. According to the news, we should be receiving the worst of the rain, high winds and coastal flooding tonight, but the Hampton Roads area has been bracing for the storm since Friday morning with readiness lists, floodgate drills and up-to-the-minute weather reports. We haven’t seen much action other than the massive coating of pine needles, leaves and small branches on our yard, but we know that others have not been so fortunate.

While the outdoors remain tempestuous (with that thrilling sensation of momentary calm), Matt and I have taken the opportunity of the gray weather to stay indoors and work on some of the home improvement projects that have been waiting for a break in our schedules. Today was actually the first day that Matt did not have to be at the hospital since he started residency (during his first week back at the hospital, I saw him a total of 35 minutes from Monday-Thursday and only a few hours on the weekend!!) I was THRILLED to get to spend the entire day with him at home and I think we’ve certainly made the best of it.

I can’t wait to share our new home with you, as well as the things we are doing and seeing now that we are settled in Virginia. And of course, I always love to hear what you are doing, too! Until you can come visit us in real life, I hope you enjoy stopping by to visit us on Belletrist!

And he's great around the house, too! 

Zelda might have been the only member of the family unimpressed by the time inside. For her it meant no squirrels, no birds and no time in the yard. 

All Aboard!

Engine car of the New Tygart Flyer.

Looking out the dining car window as the outskirts of Elkins pass by.

Our midway point at High Falls of the Cheat River, near Bemis, WV.

View from the back of the train as I hiked back from High Falls.

Dear Diary...

Earlier this week, I came across a box of books tucked away in my bedroom. Little did I know that as I lifted the lid, I would be revisiting my childhood and once again holding several of the beloved titles that I read during my elementary and junior high years. I immediately pulled out Anne of Green Gables and set it aside (I'm rereading it for oh, the hundredth time right now), but I also was pleased to see The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Ballet Shoes, Shh! We're Writing the Constitution (yes, I was smitten with TJ even then), Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, and Caddie Woodlawn among others. The true find, and the one that has kept my mom and I entertained for the past couple of days was my first diary, from when I was seven years old. I bought it at the Philippi Elementary Book Fair and started with an entry on November 13, 1985: "It was an hour till lunch. My partner in music was Kris. He started flirting with me." The pages that followed were equally as amusing, but made me realize that there are a few chief characteristics about me that have never changed. Out of pure silliness, I've decided to share a few excerpts:

My attempts to find the good in everything: I had to clean my room but I found a doll I lost and I was happy. (Feb. 6, 1986)

The appeal of classic style: I have a lovely dress on. It is a pillgrims dress. We will dance the Virginia Reel. (Nov. 21, 1985)

Sibling conflict: My brother is snoopy, mean, bossy and a tattler. (Jan. 3, 1986)

Young love is fickle: I like Kevin Keller! (May 13, 1986) I hate Kevin Keller! Steven Lewis has a crush on me and I have a crush on him. We’re going steady. (May 15, 1986)*

Pampering is good for the soul: I got a box of choclates. They are yummy. I also got a very pretty card. I got 54 valentines at our school party. (Feb. 12, 1986)

Sometimes you make mistakes before you learn a valuable lesson: I went skiing. It was fun. I crashed 7 times. I also learned how to stop. (Feb. 10, 1986)

* The May 13 entry was crossed out with the same color pen used to write the May 15 entry.

Growing Up Gold and Blue

My visit to West Virginia this summer has given me the first true sense of homecoming I have felt in returning to my childhood home. Perhaps I was never away long enough for things to perceptibly change or distant enough for me to revisit them fondly. However, this time, I have relished in rediscovering places and things that were once familiar and dear. In trying to explain the experience of growing up in West Virginia, and truly capture its nuances, I often come to a loss of words or struggle to explain it to people who didn’t grow up in this environment. And with those who did, there will always be an instant understanding. I’ve had a complex relationship with my home state, but as anyone who was born here can tell you – it is one that you cannot deny.

Over the next week, I hope to revisit some of the places and things of my childhood and early adulthood on the blog. For now, I’m off to explore some of the unique shops and galleries in downtown Elkins and look for a special piece of West Virginia to take to my new home. My assignment to my WV readers, especially the ones that have lived away (I’m looking at you – Katie, Stephen, Justin, Tina, Laura), is to think of things that made your childhood distinctly WV. For my other readers, I’d love to hear some of the things that were particular to growing up in your native state.

Wine Country

According to tradition, married couples are supposed to save the top tier of their wedding cake to eat on their first anniversary. Since Matt and I had a rather unconventional Reine de Saba cake after our wedding, we decided to instead share a bottle of Joseph Phelps Le Mistral – our favorite wine which the chef of Cafe Europa ordered especially to accompany our wedding dinner. The bottle accompanied a decadent meal of seafood bisque, duck tortellini, lamb, and other culinary indulgences.

Ending with our favorite vintage was the perfect capstone for our anniversary by not only recalling our wedding feast, but also because sampling wine together is one of our favorite activities. Earlier in the afternoon, we had explored a couple of vineyards near Charlottesville, the heart of Virginia viniculture. Wine-making in Virginia has a history that dates back to several failed attempts by Thomas Jefferson to cultivate wine grapes imported from Europe to the 20th century when Virginian vineyards began to flourish and attract international attention.

Barboursville Vineyards

Horton Vineyards

Happy Birthday Bro-bee!

Clifton Inn: Celebrating "An Excellent Year"

The main house at Clifton Inn. Formerly owned by Thomas Mann Randolph (T.J.'s son-in-law), the main house features guest suites, a formal living room where we enjoyed afternoon tea and a restaurant on the veranda that gives sweeping views of the mountains. 

Bees in the lavender lining a walkway. We spent a lazy afternoon wandering the grounds and reading in the gazebo. It was refreshing to have some quiet time together after our busy week of house hunting. As the light breeze wafted the fragrant smell of lilies and lavender through the gazebo, I felt so content sitting with Matt and our books.

Sitting on the bed in the Martha Jefferson Room. Like the gazebo, the bed was an inviting place to read and relax. From the moment our hostess led us to our room where soothing music played to when she bid us farewell with a beribboned box of treats, it was hard not to feel at home with all of the uniquely "Clifton" moments. 

The rest of the Martha Jefferson Room. Located on the front of the main house, the room overlooked the front lawn and gardens. Although we have fond memories of the Dogwood Room at nearby Collina Farm, it was enjoyable to stay in the main house for this visit.

Matt savoring one of his Rocky Patels in the gazebo. I adore this picture and I think it really captures the moment. It may be my favorite picture of the weekend.

These were some of the lilies surrounding the gazebo. You know I couldn't resist taking a picture of my favorite flower - especially when their blooms were so splendid.

Happy Independence Day!!

“We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”        

- Thomas Jefferson

The above quote is certainly the most recognizable piece of the composition the spawned the creation of the United States of America. However, it is a sentence at the end of the piece that remains the most poignant to me: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were acutely aware that their participation in the colonies' separation from Britain and the formation of a new nation could cost them everything, including their lives. As the colonial delegates prepared to sign the document, John Hancock instructed, "There must be no pulling different ways: we must hang together" and legend has it that Benjamin Franklin wryly added " We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

A couple years ago, I received an email forward that detailed the hardships encountered by the signers of the Declaration. Though not entirely factual, it outlined sacrifices of not only specific to the signers who publicly put their names on the document, but also the contributions of all colonists that took up the patriot cause. In our lives, the wars have been fought at a distance and the burden is taken by the men and women who represent our country in the armed forces. During the fight for independence, everyday citizens sacrificed their lives, homes and fortunes. As we celebrate Independence Day, we should certainly celebrate the signers who put themselves at risk by become the figureheads of the revolution, but we should also remember the colonists whose names don't appear the faded piece of parchment. They too, through their bravery and sacrifice, created the backbone of a new nation and made the freedoms we celebrate today a reality.

Our First Anniversary

Sunday Drive to Charlottesville

Collina Farm at Clifton Inn, Charlottesville

I decided to try the auto-publish feature for the next few days because Matt and I are currently on our way to Charlottesville to celebrate our first anniversary at Clifton Inn. You might remember that the historic bed and breakfast and its adjoining farm were the scene of our engagement last year. We plan to relax and recharge after our week of house hunting and spend some quality “us time” before Matt heads back to Japan. There are a couple of great Virginia vineyards close by that we plan to visit and of course you can be sure I will wave to Monticello if we pass by. I’ll be back in a few days to share our adventures with you...

Fingers Crossed

Our last evening in Portsmouth has arrived and we feel positive that we have found a house to inhabit for the next four years. We love the neighborhood and the backyard is like a woodland retreat with lofty trees, shrubs and birds. We’ve made an offer and according to our broker, the fabulous Robin (who has bent over backwards to get the process moving along before we leave town), things are proceeding smoothly.

Yesterday morning, bright and early, we went to the property for the professional home inspection. The inspector proclaimed that the home was “built like a tank” while proffering tidbits of advice about home maintenance. As Matt followed him to some of the nether regions of the home’s interior, I sat it one of the sunroom chairs and imagined a morning in the home puttering around with my tea before heading outside to work on the flowerbeds.

It has been interesting to learn the real estate process and thankfully it has not been too nerve wrecking. Things seem to be happening at an easy to process pace without being drawn out to the point of tedium or anxiety. And we’ve had some distractions – dinner and catching up with friends and hunting for a mattress to go with our new bedroom suite when it arrives from Japan.

I have thoroughly enjoyed being back in the Portsmouth area, and reacquainting ourselves with some of the familiar places like the Daily Grind, Olde Towne Bakery and the Bier Garden. Each time we drive past the Elizabeth River on our way back to the hotel, I can’t help but exclaim “Beautiful!” as I look at the sun glistening on the water and the crisp white of sailboats dotted across its flat surface. I’m glad to be back!

House Hunting - 15 Houses, 3 Afternoons

Too Small - The first house we looked at was very close to the hospital and adorable both inside and out, but too tiny to fit the Langfords.

Too Far - This house had lots of room and a small pond at the edge of the backyard, but traffic would have been a constant battle.

Too Close - A sprawling ranch with an inground pool would have been perfect anywhere other than in front of a parking lot with rickety school buses.

Too Wrecked - Gorgeous from the outside, the interior was in bad condition from the quick departure of its owners. 

Too Busy - This home had a nice deck but was on a corner lot of a busy street.

Just Right - We put an offer on this house. For now, you only get a view of the street from the front porch......

On the Go: Charge It!

It's been three days since our return to American soil and Matt and I have been making our way to Portsmouth via visits with our families in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The journey has not been without its moments - the most luggage we've ever packed for plane travel, a cat loose on the plane, getting hit in the nose by a wayward soda can, a lost suitcase that was thankfully returned. However, all of the snafus were easily forgotten with each new smile and hug as we were reunited with our families. As we adjusted to the time change and jet lag, we spent a couple laid back days with the Langfords and then headed south to Bridgeport for dinner and brunch with my mom and Aunt Connie. We are currently at Dorsey's apartment in Charleston, and after breakfast we will head to Portsmouth where the full scale house hunt will commence.

One of my observations (which I must quickly dispatch in the interest of my brother and husband's need for IHOP stuffed french toast) is that along with living out of a suitcase and sleeping on a variety of surrendered beds, inflatable mattresses and pullout couches, there are certain dictates that guide our transient life. In the days leading up to our trip and certainly the days following, a pattern has emerged in our lives - the ability and need to recharge. Anyone who knows Matt will know he is a very gadget-savvy personage and thus, I have become gadget-savvy by proxy. On my pre-trip packing list, I counted no fewer than eleven pieces of electronic equipment and their respective chargers - laptops, iPods, digital cameras, Blackberry, portable GPS, eReader. Thus, the first thing we do at each stop on our journey is to locate all available electrical outlets and plug as many of these devices in as possible. The planning of these recharges has become a habitual conversation prior to our departure for and midway through our journey to our next location.

The irony I find in our obsession with recharging our gadgets is that not so many years ago, none of them existed. Instead of spending time plugging and unplugging, we would have been taking the time to read maps, listening to walkmans and packing cassettes or CDs and film, stopping to make calls and trying to fit as many books and magazines in our carry-on as possible. Our gadgets afford us some time and less weight, but I still feel like they own us a little bit with their need for constant monitoring and maintenance. After all, a map doesn't shut down on you when you are five hours into a long drive.

Sayonara Okinawa

Moving On Out

Our moving days have arrived after several days of sorting, organizing and prioritizing all of the worldly items we possess at Hana Mansion. If you aren’t familiar with military moves, also known as PCS, they occur in stages over the course of a number of days, not to mention the time spent attending mandatory briefings and completing scheduling paperwork. Today, movers will come and pack our express shipment, items like dishes and clothing that will arrive at our new location before the larger household goods shipment, which will be collected tomorrow.

To prepare, I’ve spent the past few days (with the help of Matt in the evenings) deciding what needs to go in each shipment, what will be packed in our suitcases for the U.S. and what needs to remain for Matt when he returns to finish up. We’ve hidden the items that don’t go with the movers in two of our closets because as we have learned from the past, they move rapidly and if you don’t pay attention they will pack everything in their path. In addition, the moving office, PSC (to throw out another confusing military acronym), gave us instructive signs in both English and Japanese to protect that which should not be wrapped and put in a box.

Moving is definitely not one of my favorite activities (I’ve done it about 10 times in the past decade), but the military movers do make it much easier. No carrying heavy boxes, no guiltily calling brothers and friends and offering bribes, no worrying about the logistics of how to get my giant purple couch through the doorway. Once the organizing is complete, I just have to sit back and sign paperwork as the professionals take half the time to do what would take me all day.

Out and ready to be wrapped and packed - Our new dishes that never had to experience the Cupboard of Doom.

Nakagusuku Castle

Okinawa is the home to the ruins of 300 castles that used to represent the various kingdoms of the Ryukyu Islands. On the tour, we visited Nakagusuku Castle, one of the largest and best-preserved castles on the island. The original castle was built in the 14th century and was extended when Gosamaru, the lord of Zakimi-jo, moved his residence to the castle in 1440. The castle served as a stronghold for Japanese forces in World War II and received much damage in the Battle of Okinawa.

Gate between the first and second enclosures of the castle. Moon viewing parties and other ceremonial events were held in this area of the structure.

Stairs leading to the northern enclosure of the castle.

View of Pacific Ocean from castle walls. Castle Hill was also the location of fighting during the Battle of Okinawa. The hill is approximately 150-160 meters above sea level.

Futenma Shrine

Tori at Futenma Shrine

After lunch in Mihama, the second stop on the “Castles, Homes and Gardens” tour was Futenma Shrine in Ginowan. Futenma is the most prominent Shinto shrine on Okinawa and its history is based on Okinawan legend. Many centuries ago, a beautiful and modest girl lived with her family in Naha, the capital of Okinawa. One day, her sister allowed a man to peek at her through a window, and frightened, she ran the distance from Naha to Ginowan and hid in a cave. When she was found, she has turned into a pure white deity, a reward for her modesty. Okinawans built the shrine above the cave to honor and venerate the beautiful deity who is said to live part of the year in a sacred part of the shrine and the other part in a smaller shrine in the cave.

At the shrine, we learned that after passing through the tori gate, worshippers ritually cleanse their hands and mouth at a small fountain of water before proceeding to the main building to pray or make an offering to the deity. To pray, the shrine visitor follows the custom of tossing a small coin into a large box and clapping two times before making their request. Shinto practitioners can visit the shrine to pray at any time, but the most popular times to make a shrine visit are New Years Day, before exams, or other important life events. We were able to watch a Shinto priest receive prayer requests, and also perform a ritual to clear the air of negative spirits. After, a priestess in training led us behind the main building and down some steps to the caves beneath the shrine.

View of the shrine from a Ginowan street. We were asked not to take pictures toward the shrine after we passed through the tori gate.

The caves beneath the shrine and home to the white deity. The caves also served as a hiding place for Okinawans in World War II. 

My Pearl Year

Time and tide wait for no man,

but time always stands still for a woman of thirty.

                                                                   -Robert Frost

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar.

-Bradley Millar

Water Lilies

Southeast Botanical Gardens

When I woke on Thursday, I was pleased to find that the rain had taken a break at least for the morning because I was headed on the “Castles, Homes and Gardens” tour offered by one of the base tour offices. Our first stop was the Southeast Botanical Gardens located in the Chibana area of central Okinawa. The garden showcases the multitude of flora that thrive on the island, many of which are in bloom year-round.

I had been to the gardens once before, for the Christmas lights, but I was excited to get a daytime view of its offerings. First, we took a tram ride around the major parts of the park and a recorded English tour that pointed out various plants and flowers and gave information about their uses in everyday products (many of which were available in the gift store ;) ). The park was unlike many traditional Japanese gardens that I have seen, but it still offered plenty of areas to meditatively stroll or sit and contemplate the beauty of natural life.

My favorite area of the gardens was the Polynesian Lake which featured a bountiful display of water lilies and lotus (Nymphaeaceae and Nelumbo) and had walkways that let me feel like I was walking through a Monet painting. Where Monet’s Water Lilies are muted and dreamy, my experience was bold and vivid – a technicolor, floral dreamscape of greens, whites, yellows and pinks. It was also a thrilling opportunity to play with our new digital camera a little bit and work on composition and lens focus. I’ll be posting some of my favorites later this afternoon.

The gardens feature over 200 species of palm trees; however, palms are not indigenous to Okinawa and have been imported from other countries. 

The park featured many ponds and scenic bridges from which to view fish, ducks and the surrounding gardens. This bridge, surrounded by bougainvillea, was one of the prettiest in the park. 

Koi gather to compete for food tossed by garden visitors. When I first saw these fish at the Christmas light display, I found their frantic thrashing and opening mouths somewhat grotesque and did not linger long. Through the lens they were fascinating.

Baby Pineapples!! I thought they grew on trees.