More Hanami

We celebrated more hanami this weekend with a picnic along the Sumida River with another couple on Saturday. It was a bit chilly but we had a great time. It is interesting, the whole hanami spirit in Japan...people really do "let their hair down" so to speak during the blooming of the sakura. Everyone is out, enjoying family and friends with good foods and drinks. There is a lightness in the air that is hard to put into words - everyone seems to have an extra sparkle in their face and an extra skip in their step during the blooms of the sakura. We are already starting to see the blooms fall. Today at M's yochien ceremony, it looked as if it was snowing as the sakura blooms fell to the street. I am going to pay more attention this year and see if the serious side of Tokyo comes back to life once the hanami season is over...I have a hunch it will.

We celebrated Easter this year by decorating eggs and going to church on Sunday. Sadly I did not get any pictures from Sunday...I guess I think of that more in the US with the special Easter dresses and bonnets. M had a lot of fun decorating eggs. Afterwards, she hid them all over the apartment like Lucy does in Easter Beagle Charlie Brown. After a few cracked eggs, I had to switch out the real eggs for some plastic eggs to hide. We enjoyed our church family on Sunday celebrating the Resurrection. As we were singing "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" I closed my eyes and envisioned myself at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, with our Opah singing beautifully next to me. I literally could here my American in-laws voices when we sang that song, as I love to listen to both of them sing.

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter.