Beautiful day

My birthday began with classical music. I lied in bed for a while playing with sleep, feeling deeply into that place where dreams and waking life mix.

Then, I got up, did my some yoga, and then finished cleaning my house for the party later that night.

I took the city bus to Elementary school, and walking through the farmland from the bus stop was unbelievably beautiful. I felt like I was on drugs. A dome of soft florescent cloud-light evenly bathed everything in glow. See how the wood on the houses are burned and charred to be a beautiful black and brown? I love that.







At school I of course told all the kids (I taught the third and fifth grade classes) that it was my birthday and danced around the room as they sang me happy birthday, (putting in some harmony at the end.)

I had a great day with the kids. I taught the fifth graders a 12 months song I made up, and they sang it beautifully.

That night I had a birthday party. About 25-30 people showed up. I came face to face with the horror of leaving people out. I didn't invite everyone, expecting word to get around and that people would just show up, but some friends need more time to prepare, and some need a direct invitation…to all that I did not invite that think they should have been, I'm sorry. You should have been, and I was spacey and only called the first few people I thought of, and I don't think of people in any particular order, and I’m sorry.

The party was great. My apartment was stuffed with some of the most beautiful people I have ever seen in my life.

I put up a picture of a kid’s drawing to remind you that Japanese children draw the sun red, as apposed to our occidental orange or yellow. (So much is a product of our culture. More about that soon. Very soon.) Also pictured is Ishizuchi Mountain seen from my front door, and a collage I made at one of my schools. and also a snowstorm from the first fall this winter. im not joking, the snowflakes were the biggest i have ever seen; they were the size of kitten paws.






the morning after the party i woke up next to two friends who slept over, lucky me, made coffee, and checked my email. My mailbox was full of Facebook messages. that sentence would have been strange 20 years ago.