why do you go to the basketball?

Is it for the giant characters of wasabi and soba?

No? What about seeing the two samurai have a fake battle?

Or posing with the samurai?

Having your picture taken with the cheerleaders- holding their pompoms-  and getting their trading cards?

Watching the halftime unicycle dance performance?

Having your photo taken with the unicycle dancers maybe?

There eas so much going on at the basketball match I'm surprised there was time for basketball.

Then again the basketball was so bad I think there as a reason they had so many other attractions for the fans!

We went to watch the Shinshu Brave Warriors play the Iwate Big Bulls.

Both teams relied heavily on their import players to the extent that Amy asked if Japan was playing.

Ahhh well.

the annual cherry blossom portraits

This post's for mum.

I know she needs her annual fix of Meg and Amy in the cherry blossom.

This year Meg was really into posing:

Amy was really into riding her scooter and at first wouldn't take off her helmet:

But was convinced eventually....

 And one more to show mum that they just keep getting bigger- they should appreciate how much effort goes into sewing those dresses and try to keep the same size for at least two years hey?

April 21- Yeah, I'm over hearing about it too.

Freaking snow that is.

Not happy.

I accept that if you live in snow country you get a rotten cold winter.

But April 21st is no longer winter!

This snow has been really bad for the local farmers. Asparagus and cabbage crops wiped out, apple blossom frozen and infertile along with persimmon, plum and apricot and all the other plantings pushed back due to the cold.

Gonna be a lean year this year.

poor postman...

Turn lights off.

Check coffee machine is off.

Grab a last cup of coffee in travel mug.

Add milk.

Return milk to fridge.

Grab work bag.

Grab bag.

Go find phone and put in bag.

Find keys.

Check hair in hall mirror and realise it looks a fright.

Find hairbrush.

Brush hair.

Grab bags again from where I left them.

Manhandle front door open trying to balance everything without dropping or banging anything.

Put travel mug on very conveniently located ledge by door to lock door.

Go to work.

..........

I don't think my postman likes coffee as he must move the flask to put the mail in the slot and yet he never assumes it was a present but rather carefully replaces it where I left it.

What a tease though huh?

Poor postman.

Poor caffeine deprived me.

Artsy April Azusagawa

Ahhh blue skies, white mountains, pink blossoms, green grass.

I was trying to choose a picture.

I couldn't.

So you get them all!

Thanks Sis.

There are some things I like to eat but don't like to cook.

Fish and chips- LOVE it but all that oil and batter and the mess?  No thanks.

Devilled eggs and those fancy flooded icing cookies?  Love them but way too complicated and fiddly for me.

Lasagna.

All those different sauces you need.

All that faffing around layering it.

Then you have to wait another 30 minutes while it bakes.

It's really yummy though.

And if I had easy access to lasagna sheets I'm sure I would make it every now and again.

But I don't so I don't.

And then we were skyping my sister and she mentioned she had made a lasagna.

What's lasagna?

You know, lasagna. Pasta. Doesn't mummy make it for you?

No.

You should ask her to make it for tea tonight!

Gee thanks sis.

I should mention it was about 11 am at the time.

But, can't admit defeat to my sister so, challenge accepted!

Drove to three supermarkets and finally found a pack of lasagna sheets.

Grabbed the reddest, least fatty looking mince there was. (Not easy in this fatty meat loving country!)

Came home and after only a couple of hours of faffing with my lovely and ever over-helpful assistant Amy we came up with this:

Not perfect.  A little overcooked.  But considering my 'oven' is a microwave with a convection facility this was pretty good I reckon.

And the girls were THRILLED.

Lasagna is DELICIOUS!

Auntie L is a GENIUS.

Auntie L????

What about Mummy who did all the freaking work???

Thanks Sis!

April 11. Spring?

Pretty sure Spring is not supposed to look like this:

Brrrrr. So much for global warming.

This Spring has been really cold.

Yuck.

Do flowers have feelings?

I say yes. If there's ever been a dejected looking flower, a flower disappointed with the weather, with the environment, with life in general this has got to be it, right?

If flowers could shrug their shoulders in despair I would say that's what this one would be doing.

And I have to say I share those sentiments!