Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year's from Japan! We welcomed in the new year eight hours ago but I'm afraid I am a party pooper and didn't stay up for the count down. This is the year of the cow by Chinese calendar and one of my students gave me this cute New Year's decoration.

Tetsu and I have gotten this house looking pretty good! Anyone want to come visit? It won't stay this way very long! I washed windows, washed screens, moved furniture, cleaned out shelves and the refrigerator. Tetsu swept the yard and the forest (I don't know why) and spot cleaned the rugs. He worked on a few closets too and Choco even got a bath! My sewing room is back so that it looks like I can use it!

We did last minute grocery shopping and had revolving sushi for lunch. I made sweet bean paste for more omochi and then the two of us sat down and wrote New Year's cards! A little late. All New Year's cards are supposed to be received on January 1st (a whole stack of them just came in the mailbox as 7:30 this morning!) and so the post office guarantees January 1 delivery if you mail them by December 25. Almost every year the first few days of the new year Tetsu and I are writing cards.

As for today's schedule, Tetsu has already gone off to work. He always takes the January 1st workday because we don't have kids in the house and his foreign wife doesn't do much for New Year's anyway. I'll go to church at 10:30 and then the rest of the day is mine to do as I like. I did not get the December block of the Noah's Ark BOM done yesterday but since you all are still in 2008 I'm declaring myself on time!

"Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget none of His benefits!"

Psalm 103:2