Tawny
Japan Toilets - Part 2
Sunday, March 28 2010
Isn’t this the cutest thing ever?
Kudos to the Japanese mall that considered the little ones in training.
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Yokohama Silk Museum
Saturday, February 13 2010
Fuji San
Wednesday, October 28 2009
Ryan woke me up at 6:00 in the morning, with excitement in his voice. “Tawn, come out to the balcony. You have to see this! I wasn’t real enthused to get out of bed, but it was totally worth it. After being here for two months, we were finally graced by the sight of Mount Fuji. It really is as beautiful as everyone says. We got here too late in the season to actually climb it, but we’ve seen the bamboo walking sticks that climbers receive, complete with a branding at each checkpoint. Very cool stuff. Maybe someday we’ll have our own sticks to show off.
Commodore Perry Museum & Monument
Sunday, October 18 2009
So Ryan wasn’t really excited about this little outing, mostly because he’s not that into history. He calls this kind of blog post a “book report.” So I apologize if anyone else feels that way, too. However, in 1853, right where we're living (Kurihama, a suburb of Yokosuka), Commodore Matthew C. Perry showed up with a letter from President Millard Fillmore, demanding Japan open its doors to trade with the United States. He came with an entourage of four steam ships, something the Japanese had never seen before. Here is a fascinating account by one of the sailors, who describes how Japanese people responded to the new gadgets brought to Japan. So whether Ryan cares or not, this spot is extremely significant in Japan's history!
Yokosuka Disaster Prevention Center
Thursday, October 01 2009
Ryan had the day off, so we wanted to get out and do something. But it was rainy outside. Still, we ventured out into town and ate the best crepes ever. We each had two! On the way back home, we ducked into the Yokosuka Disaster Prevention Center to see what it was all about. In the disaster simulation zone, we watched a video on what we should do in case of an earthquake and/or fire. Then, we were put into a mock home where we felt a magnitude 7 earthquake. We laughed the entire time because we barely fit under the Japanese-sized table.
Afterward, we were supposed to check the oven to make sure it was off. Ryan accidentally opened the fish grill since he couldn’t read the Japanese knobs. In his best, albeit panicked, Japanese he told our tour guide there was no fish. She laughed and showed him what to do. Then, we darted to the living room where the curtains were aflame. We used fire extinguishers to take care of that, then entered an intricate hallway system brimming with real smoke. We covered our mouths and noses, crouched down and made our way out safely. Although it felt a bit silly at the time, we both learned quite a bit. And with natural disasters occurring more and more, we thought we would share this link to some helpful tips.
Afterward, we were supposed to check the oven to make sure it was off. Ryan accidentally opened the fish grill since he couldn’t read the Japanese knobs. In his best, albeit panicked, Japanese he told our tour guide there was no fish. She laughed and showed him what to do. Then, we darted to the living room where the curtains were aflame. We used fire extinguishers to take care of that, then entered an intricate hallway system brimming with real smoke. We covered our mouths and noses, crouched down and made our way out safely. Although it felt a bit silly at the time, we both learned quite a bit. And with natural disasters occurring more and more, we thought we would share this link to some helpful tips.
Déjà vu
Saturday, August 29 2009
Berry Pickers
Monday, August 25 2008
In Tacoma, there is an abandoned blueberry farm that the parks and recreation department has made available to the public for free. They restore blueberry bushes one section at a time, making a wonderful outing destination for families. If you live nearby and think you want to go in the next month or two, check out more information here. My mom, sisters, nieces, nephews and I had a great time!
A Midsummer's Day in Seattle
Tuesday, July 15 2008
Although the ocean’s waves, floor, and fish are a different color and temperature than in Hawaii, we still absolutely love living in the Northwest. I mean, come on. We’ve got trees everywhere, ferries, the Mariners, the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, two rain-free months out of the year, lakes galore, our nation’s favorite bird, and our own Christmas song. (There’s a good chance you’ve never heard it, so we found this recording/video for you. Even though it is quite cheesy, we have grown up loving this song.)
(Click on a picture to see its enlargement.)
It's a Small World After All
Tuesday, June 03 2008
A world of tears
It's a world of hopes
And a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all.
There is just one moon
And one golden sun
And a smile means
Friendship to ev'ryone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all.”
We have miraculously run into people we know five times in the six weeks we have been in Hawaii. It’s just too uncanny. We had to share these experiences with you.
1) While attending a church fireside with a friend, one girl came up to Ryan and mentioned how familiar he looked. They chatted for a little bit, then figured out they were classmates in college. It was a good thing she approached him, because Ryan is pretty bad at remembering names and faces.
2) While driving down the road near BYU Hawaii, we recognized a pedestrian and pulled over. He was the younger brother of one of our good friends back home in Washington. Unfortunately, there was a car behind us and we had to drive off before we could really chat. We hate when that happens!
3) While visiting the temple in Laie, we ran into the father-in-law of Tawny’s mission trainer (her very first companion). His son looks just like him!
4) During church a few weeks ago, we passed a girl who looked so familiar that Tawny stopped her. We stared at each other for a few seconds and then asked her if she was related to Esther, one of Tawny’s bridesmaids. She is her sister, and in fact, we all used to hang out together down at BYU! Esther’s whole family attends that same ward and we didn’t even know it. What a pleasant surprise!
5) On Sunday we slept in and missed our usual 8:00 a.m. church meeting. So, we went to the Honolulu Tabernacle for the 11:00 a.m. meeting. Ryan redeemed himself by recognizing someone correctly (possibly for the first time ever). It was our upstairs neighbors from Utah. For those of you who knew them, it was the Olsens. They look great and have three little boys now! It was so fun catching up with them.
Since these were all just coincidences, we’re beginning to wonder how many other friends/acquaintences of ours are here in Hawaii!
A Day In the Life
Sunday, April 27 2008
Once upon a time, two American girls lived together in Japan. Although they were only companions for about a month, they experienced a lot. Their adventures included (but are not limited to): jogging at 5:30 in the morning, exercising in the stairwell during a typhoon, passing out while doing yoga, eating raw Spam, riding bikes up vertical hills, carrying bikes up a massive staircase to avoid the hills, and a serious, bloody bike crash. The epitome of their escapades was getting a phone call in the middle of the night, explaining that our beloved USA was under attack. They shared an apartment, meals, friends, and tears. Today, these girls live on opposite ends of the country. To recreate their experiences would be impossible. However, they can share a small part of their individual lives. Amelia: this one's for you.
4:50 a.m. Ryan gets ready for work, being careful not to wake me until he comes upstairs for morning prayer. What a sweetheart!
6:30 a.m. I eat breakfast. (Only not so daintily as this squirrel, who is one of over 10 who regularly congregate outside our apartment each morning for their sustenance.) I usually run out of time for a sit-down meal, so I shove whatever I can in my mouth on the way out the door.
6:55 a.m. This is the high school where I will be working today. Yes, it's slightly intimidating, but I tell myself I'm only responsible for one classroom.
7:00 a.m. Here is my classroom for the day. I'm not sure why there is an innocent teddy bear hanging from the overhead screen. I was afraid to ask anyone in case it was a message they would do the same to me if I didn't comply with their demands.
7:30 a.m. First period. Here I am explaining what will happen to the students if I see their cell phones. It isn't pretty, but I have to be firm with the kids so they know I mean business. If they behave, I can relax a bit later on.
2:00 p.m. Finally, the halls clear out and the roar dies down to humming lights and teachers' sighs.
2: 30 p.m. Phew! I survived another chaotic, slightly torturous day as a substitute teacher.
2:45 p.m. After getting home, I check my email and play a game or two of Tetris to unwind. Afterward, I read or listen to a chapter from the New Testament online, thanks to readthescriptures.com.
4:00 p.m. I pick up Ryan at the ferry dock.
4:05 p.m. Home. Isn't Ryan so cute? That smile means dinner is soon.
After a long day, I fulfill my civic duty by reading the newspaper. When I'm done, it becomes great fuel for our evening fire.
Ryan has a gift for making great fires. Although not pictured here, I occasionally (okay frequently) enjoy roasting marshmallows in the comfort of my own home. I can't stand letting a fire go to waste!
4:50 a.m. Ryan gets ready for work, being careful not to wake me until he comes upstairs for morning prayer. What a sweetheart!
6:30 a.m. I eat breakfast. (Only not so daintily as this squirrel, who is one of over 10 who regularly congregate outside our apartment each morning for their sustenance.) I usually run out of time for a sit-down meal, so I shove whatever I can in my mouth on the way out the door.
6:55 a.m. This is the high school where I will be working today. Yes, it's slightly intimidating, but I tell myself I'm only responsible for one classroom.
7:00 a.m. Here is my classroom for the day. I'm not sure why there is an innocent teddy bear hanging from the overhead screen. I was afraid to ask anyone in case it was a message they would do the same to me if I didn't comply with their demands.
7:30 a.m. First period. Here I am explaining what will happen to the students if I see their cell phones. It isn't pretty, but I have to be firm with the kids so they know I mean business. If they behave, I can relax a bit later on.
2:00 p.m. Finally, the halls clear out and the roar dies down to humming lights and teachers' sighs.
2: 30 p.m. Phew! I survived another chaotic, slightly torturous day as a substitute teacher.
2:45 p.m. After getting home, I check my email and play a game or two of Tetris to unwind. Afterward, I read or listen to a chapter from the New Testament online, thanks to readthescriptures.com.
4:00 p.m. I pick up Ryan at the ferry dock.
4:05 p.m. Home. Isn't Ryan so cute? That smile means dinner is soon.
After a long day, I fulfill my civic duty by reading the newspaper. When I'm done, it becomes great fuel for our evening fire.
Ryan has a gift for making great fires. Although not pictured here, I occasionally (okay frequently) enjoy roasting marshmallows in the comfort of my own home. I can't stand letting a fire go to waste!
Living with Arthritis
Wednesday, March 26 2008
This month is the two-year anniversary of the return of my rheumatoid arthritis (RA). I am pleased to report that my condition has vastly improved. While the pain comes and goes, I am so grateful for what remains constant: my superstar rheumatologist and amazing medication. In the past, people have asked me various questions about RA, and I haven't always been able to answer to the degree I would like. Because of that, I have compiled some information I hope you will find helpful. The illustration below shows how my symptoms differ from normal wear and tear arthritis.
This is certainly not great poetry, but it sufficiently describes how I have felt in the past:
I walk clumsily,
As though I were Frankenstein;
Each step sends pain
Shooting up my spine.
I’m only twenty-six
And have rheumatoid arthritis
I am utterly alone—
Don’t know how to survive this.
Neck, knuckles, knees
Hips, shoulders, wrists . . .
Shouldn’t I be writing
More promising lists?
Of baby names, job opportunities,
Books to read, and time to kill.
Instead, I tread on my bones
And swallow ineffective pills.
Other helpful facts about my condition:
• RA is an autoimmune disease that can cause chronic inflammation of the joints and other areas of the body.
• RA can affect persons of all ages.
• The cause of RA is not known.
• RA is a chronic disease, characterized by periods of disease flares and remissions.
• In RA, multiple joints are usually, but not always, affected in a symmetrical pattern.
• Chronic inflammation of RA can cause permanent joint destruction and deformity.
• Damage to joints can occur early and does not correlate with symptoms.
• The "rheumatoid factor" is an antibody blood test that can be found in 80% of patients with RA.
• There is no known cure for RA.
• The treatment of RA optimally involves a combination of patient education, rest and exercise, joint protection, medications, and occasionally surgery.
• Early treatment of RA results in better outcomes.
A New Take on an Old Tradition
Sunday, March 23 2008
These eggs have been decorated Pysanka style. I only did a few of them; the rest were done by other Young Women leaders. We gave each egg to one girl in our ward, and the colors correspond to the girls' character traits. Although the whole process took some time and tried my patience, the outcome was well worth it. The list below contains the meaning of the colors. What three colors would your egg be?
White: purity, light, rejoicing
Yellow: harvest, warmth, perpetuation of the family
Gold: spirituality, wisdom
Orange: endurance, ambition
Red: happiness, hope, passion
Blue: good health, truth, fidelity
Green: hope, freshness, wealth
Pink: success, contentment
Purple: royalty, faith, trust, patience
Brown: earth, generosity
Black: eternity, absolute
A Forgotten Valentine
Friday, February 15 2008
Ryan's mom recently went to visit the school where she used to work. She ran into a friend, who invited her to come into her classroom to see something. She pointed out a Valentine on the wall with a photo in the middle and asked, "Do you know who that is?" Ryan's mom took a moment and realized it was me. The teacher (Ms. K.) explained that she saved Valentines that were made with care and love, then hung them on the classroom wall each year as an example for her students. After hearing this story, the thing that struck me the most is that she saved that rudimentary card for over 20 years. Ms. K. was my first grade teacher. For all of you who thought I was crazy for going into teaching: now do you understand? How could I not want to follow in such loving, influential, encouraging footprints? With so much hardship in my life, this experience has lifted me up in a remarkable way; it reminds me that God works through those who make themselves available to Him. Thanks, Ms. K. for the impact your teaching has had on me again and again.
I'm It
Thursday, January 17 2008
My friend Amelia tagged me with this survey. WARNING: the following may contain more information than you want or need to know about me.
5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
- Dating Ryan
- Acting as co-president of the high school band
- Homeschooling part time
- Working as my father's office manager
- Graduating from high school
- Go swimming
- Open a savings account
- Play a game with Keeli
- Write thank-you cards for Christmas (I'm not too late, am I?)
- Read from Anna Karenina
- All Pastries
- All Fruit (especially Asian pears, dried mango, persimmons, and kumquats)
- Cotton Candy
- Onigiri
- Hawaiian Shave Ice
- Open affordable private schools and libraries.
- Adopt Japanese babies.
- Travel the world.
- Take piano and voice lessons from the pros.
- Buy Hearst Castle for my family to live in.
- Oversleeping
- Amassing publications (books, magazines, newspaper articles)
- Can't say no
- Obituary writer
- Answering service operator
- Perfume salesperson
- Collections person
- Pill counter
- I like everything in miniature.
- When I was a child, my poltergeist was the man dressed in black in the movie Amadeus.
- I have a bizarre OCD: randomly throughout the day, I silently spell out words that I hear while tapping one finger per letter on a nearby surface. I realize it is weird while I am doing it, but I cannot stop myself without finishing the word(s). Oops, I just did it.
- I began writing to my future husband in a journal when I was 16 years old. I gave it to Ryan on our honeymoon.
- I can't stand wasting anything. I get upset if Ryan throws something away that still has a trace of food on it. Whenever the TV is on, I feel like I MUST watch it. I look at every single newspaper page, and clip out anything that is of interest to me. The only time I ever threw away edible food was when it smelled and tasted so incredibly bad that I threw it outside over the porch. Unfortunately, the noodles got caught in the trees and dangled there for over a week, punishing me for my hypocrisy.
Our favorite up and coming artist
Tuesday, January 08 2008
There was a time when Ryan strictly listened to jazz music. I helped him out of that stage, but when I hear a song like this I think he might have been on to something.
Thanks, Jaymi, for introducing us to Adele!
You might be related to Tawny's family if:
Tuesday, January 08 2008
- You prefer using the word “scour” instead of “clean.”
- You are religious about recycling.
- You cannot stand to waste anything, including food and toilet paper.
- Your belly button smells like butt.
- You cannot seem to rid yourself of clutter.
- When you say you will be somewhere at noon, you really mean 1:00 p.m.
- You are used to people asking, “How do you spell your name?”
- You could win a sleeping contest.
- You can quote Disney movies verbatim.
- When you see someone with Down’s Syndrome, you feel like they are family.
I invite and encourage my family members to add to this list anything I have forgotten.
The Sounds of Puget Sound
Sunday, December 30 2007
Clock Tower: Every morning at 8:00 a.m., we hear "The Star-Spangled Banner" trumpeted up the hill from the city offices. At 5:00 p.m., they play a medley of songs from The Sound of Music, including "These are a Few of My Favorite Things." You have to love a town that promotes patriotism and gratitude all in the same day.
Fog Horns: Each time the fog rolls in (which is not uncommon in the northwest), the ferries must sound their fog horns at regular intervals to avoid a collision with another vessel. Last night the horns were blasted clear until midnight, and I loved every minute of it. For some inexplicable reason I find the sound romantic.
Squirrels: Our neighbor throws out peanuts for the squirrels who live in the woods right behind us. It is fun to see the critters jump from tree to tree on their way to the clearing. Sometimes it seems like we live next to a squirrel highway. They are pretty skittish and very vocal, so we get to hear their chirping quite often. They provide hours of viewing pleasure.
Coyotes: Ryan took our nephews on a trail into the woods and down a ravine to play in a small river. A few days later, we were laying in bed and heard a cacophony of coyote howls coming from the ravine. Needless to say, Ryan hasn't taken any more children down there. It is strange how their howling can be so eerie and so cool at the same time.
Seals: I am not sure if they just come out at night, or if the city doesn't quiet down enough for us to hear their barking until the evening. Whatever the case, each night I hear them I picture a seal clapping its hands and playing with a beach ball. Then I think, "Strike that. This is much better." I never get tired of hearing them.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard: The famous PSNS whistle can be heard practically all across the county. We know when work starts, when they have lunch break, and when it is quitting time. It is a fitting reminder of the hard work that goes into maintaining submarines and carriers.
I feel proud to be a Navy captain's daughter, and lucky to share both the land and the sea with God's amazing creatures. I love living in this area!
Fog Horns: Each time the fog rolls in (which is not uncommon in the northwest), the ferries must sound their fog horns at regular intervals to avoid a collision with another vessel. Last night the horns were blasted clear until midnight, and I loved every minute of it. For some inexplicable reason I find the sound romantic.
Squirrels: Our neighbor throws out peanuts for the squirrels who live in the woods right behind us. It is fun to see the critters jump from tree to tree on their way to the clearing. Sometimes it seems like we live next to a squirrel highway. They are pretty skittish and very vocal, so we get to hear their chirping quite often. They provide hours of viewing pleasure.
Coyotes: Ryan took our nephews on a trail into the woods and down a ravine to play in a small river. A few days later, we were laying in bed and heard a cacophony of coyote howls coming from the ravine. Needless to say, Ryan hasn't taken any more children down there. It is strange how their howling can be so eerie and so cool at the same time.
Seals: I am not sure if they just come out at night, or if the city doesn't quiet down enough for us to hear their barking until the evening. Whatever the case, each night I hear them I picture a seal clapping its hands and playing with a beach ball. Then I think, "Strike that. This is much better." I never get tired of hearing them.
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard: The famous PSNS whistle can be heard practically all across the county. We know when work starts, when they have lunch break, and when it is quitting time. It is a fitting reminder of the hard work that goes into maintaining submarines and carriers.
I feel proud to be a Navy captain's daughter, and lucky to share both the land and the sea with God's amazing creatures. I love living in this area!
Keelisms: An Introduction
Saturday, December 22 2007
Keeli is Tawny’s youngest sister. She has Down’s Syndrome and has taught us many profound things about life (but most of the time she just makes us laugh). Although she is 24 years old, Keeli adores anything having to do with Disney and the Three Stooges. Her past loves have been 'NSync, Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees. Her current flame is Elijah Wood. Keeli comes to visit us each month for about a week at a time. We hope she enjoys it as much as we do. These entries are dedicated to her.
Mom was going to bring Keeli over to our apartment one day. To save her the 30-minute drive, I said I would pick her up the following morning because I was headed that direction anyway. When mom told Keeli the news, Keeli began to cry and said, “I hate that word.” Mom asked, “What word?” Her response was: “Tomorrow.”
