On last Friday, when I was listening to the car radio, the radio personality said “Happy first day of monsoon.” We had cloudy and rainy days on weekends. I was happy for the cool temperature.

Today, the weather report shows nothing but sun mark with high temperature all days this week.

My old neighbors told me Monsoon has not started yet. The radio announcement was probably false alarm.

We still have two more weeks for the hot sunny days. The monsoon will start around July 4th.

On this year, my 10th year, to live on this land, I feel my body finally get used to this strong heat and high temperature.

It is interesting to think back my days in Japan. When I was in Japan, I never asked for rain. I asked for sunny days.

Now on this land, I ask for rain.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

This morning one of my family spirits visited me in my dream. He was in the human body. He likes to show himself as a young Asian Indian man. He was in his early 20s. Tall, fit, and handsome. I liked his personality. He was very wise and matured, with full of wisdom and knowledge. He was a scientist and trying to solve one formula.

I was his partner. I supported his study. I knew his study would contribute to humans on their bright future. I received some visions about the solution for the formula.

In the vision, he was in his happy thought. He did whatever he was attracted and made him happy. While doing so, he was able to find the key to solve the solution. The key word was “reunite.”

I shared my vision with him. I told him to let go of the obligation feeling on solving the solution. All he needed to do was to pay attention on what he was attracted for, and focus on the thought that makes him happy. Then, in the happy state, the necessary knowledge, timing, and human connections would be provided naturally.

He was just a thought away from an innovative finding that would be great help for all the humans.

When I shared the message and vision with him, he told me it was actually the message and vision for me.

He said he is me, and I am him. We are the family spirits. We are together. We are one. That is why the vision and message for him is for me.

I guess his point was like this.

Stay being obligation feeling free.

Enjoy every moment.

Nothing has to be on time.

Everything can be flexible.

All is well.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

Consulate-General of Japan in Los Angeles provides a visit service for Japanese residents who reside far away from their office. Today they came to my state to accept application form for passport.

The venue was the hotel where we stayed. Their service was scheduled from 8 am to 1 pm.

When I went down to the venue of the lobby floor before 8 am, there was already a slightly long waiting line. The staff member gave out the number ticket. I was number 70. There were more people behind me. Probably, they had around 200 people.   

There were three staff members who dealt with checking our application form. I felt very comfortable with their polite and quick correspondence. My application process was done by 9 am. It was quicker than I thought. I appreciate for their visit service.

***

After my pass port renewal appreciation was done, we went to IKEA. It was our first time to be there. Since my in-laws had been there several times, they were our guide to show us around the store. It was a huge building with three storied floors.  We stayed there only three hours. It was new and fun experience to explore the store. It made me exhausted about being with many other people, though.

I remember I used to work as a store clerk in this type of huge department store. I wonder how I could survive for eight hours work shift, with so many people packed.

***

Visiting a huge city is fun. But I don’t feel comfortable with so many other people. After we came back home in this small hometown, I finally could breeze normally.

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We drove to the state capital city and stayed one night there. My in-laws met us there and stayed with us for one night at the same hotel. We requested the hotel receptionist to have our hotel rooms close to each other. Our rooms are just next to each other. It made us to visit each other’s room easily, with our privacy intact. It went very well.

My daughter enjoyed spending lots of time with her grandma. I believe it is the best treat for grandparents to spend time with their grandkids.

We went to the aquarium. The aquarium here was rather small. They don’t have dolphins, whales, or penguins, which I feel them as the main stars in aquarium.

I love watching sea creatures. It is relaxing to watch them swimming peacefully. I enjoyed visiting the aquarium. It was worth driving. 

***

After visiting aquarium, we visited my husband’s sibling and his family. Even though we live only three hours’ drive away from each other, we don’t see them often. As a matter of fact, it was their first time to see my daughter in person.

While we were staying at their apartment, I felt isolated. While we were having dinner together at the restaurant, nobody had any conversation. Although my in-laws and my husband tried to have some conversation with them, nobody could successfully break the ice between us.

Since it was very awkward time, I came back to the hotel room with stiff shoulder.

I guess it was good for my husband and daughter, though. At least my husband saw them again after 10 years plus no-see.       

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I went to the mall for some chores. I was surprised to see Food court was almost empty. There are five tenant space available, but only one tenant, Subway, stays their business. They had a Chinese fast food restaurant next to Subway, but it was out of business. In the other lane, three tenants were already out of business.

In the shopping area too, you can see many businesses are out of business and closed their stores. It is not only in the mall. The same conditions can be seen everywhere in the entire city.

On this land, for some reasons, not many business can go flow. I have seen many local small businesses were closed.

If you are the residence on this land and had tried some business, you will know what I am talking about, right? If you want your business flourish, you have to get out from this land.   

My business is the same. It doesn’t go anywhere.

Today I closed my Facebook business account. I have been thinking about closing this website and my business bank account too.

I hope I will get some advice or guidance about that.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I receive ideas from my family spirits. They usually give me ideas through my dreams. Sometimes they give me ideas all of a sudden. I cannot expect when and where. The ideas came suddenly.

So, it was my habit to bring a small notebook and a pen so that I can take notes of the ideas. Unless I don’t take notes, the ideas will be forgotten. Nowadays I don’t carry about a notebook and a pen. I use my cell phone’s notebook app instead.

Recently I found out my daughter takes my old habit too. She carries a notebook and a pen whenever she can, and takes notes.

I asked her what she is taking notes. She said she takes notes of ideas about a creative story or a drawing, on whatever she receives ideas from her angels.

At the summer school, she has a favorite activity time. They have a presentation opportunity of their creative short story. On the certain day and time, the student stands in front of other students and reads their created fiction story.

My daughter created a short story of fairies and humans. Fairies calls humans as “big friends” because humans are bigger than fairies. It is a story of one fairy meets one human, a young girl. They became friends and share their ways of living and thinking.

It was a beautiful story. The other students liked my daughter’s story and gave her a big round of applause.

I didn’t know my daughter has a gift in creating stories. It is nice to know and I am happy for that. 

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

While I was chatting with my new friend, she asked about me. She was not sure what nationality I was. She was curious how long I have been in America. After a couple of questions, she asked me if I am a US citizen or not.

I answered her I am still Japanese. She suggested I should take the American citizenship as soon as possible.

She concerns about the current president. Daily news tell his sudden actions. She fears he might suddenly do something bad to immigrants.

She is around my mom’s age. I felt she suggested me that for my goodness, just like a mother suggests something to her daughter.

This question is not new to me. I have been thinking about it for recent years. It is always tough decision for me between becoming an American citizen or staying as a Japanese immigrant.    

My greencard expires in 2021. By then, I will need to think hard to which option I should take.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

For my daughter’s summer school, we used to walk to school every morning. It is a 20-minutes’ walk one way. After I drop my daughter off at the school, I would walk back home. So, I had 40 minutes in the morning every day.

While walking, I could have a good and long conversation with my daughter. It is also good for her to exercise.

Although we enjoyed this walking, neighbors might feel the different way. They might think I don’t have a car and that is why we are walking. When my neighbors drive by us, they ask us if we need a ride to school. I would thank them for the offer and politely refuse the offer.

When my neighbors drive by us, they ask us if we need a ride to school. I would thank them for the offer and politely refuse the offer.

This morning I changed my mind. I thankfully accepted the lift offer from one of my daughter’s school mates. My daughter was happy to get a ride and sit with her school mates. This boy is one year younger than my daughter. They are good friends.  

I used to greet with her, but never had a conversation with her until today. It was nice to get to know her. She is a grandma of the boy. She is slightly younger than my parents. She has a joint custody for the boy with her daughter. I never met her daughter and don’t know the details of their situation. Her daughter is lucky to have her mom to fully support on raising kids.

It is not just getting a ride. It is nice to get to know somebody and their story.

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I went to the local pharmacy store to take a photo for my passport renewing. The store clerk took my picture with a digital camera, and showed it to me in the small monitor of the camera. It looked okay. To be honest, I could not see clearly because of my age related farsighted. But I told her okay anyway.

When she transferred the digital data of my photo to a bigger screen to process it, I wanted to turn away from my face in the photo. My face in the picture looked very old. Still, I didn’t ask her to retake a picture. I was embarrassed to ask.

At the last moment when I was about to pay for the photo, my husband and daughter joined me at the cashier’s counter and took a look of my photo. They both said to me “this does not look like you. You look old in this photo. You should retake it.”  

I didn’t think the store clerk could retake for free. Since it was already printed out, she will charge for retaking a photo.

I accepted the photo as it was. I agree I looked old and tired in the photo. It is me anyway. I accept my aging. The new passport will be made with this photo. The new passport will stay for 10 years from now on.

I might like this photo after 10 years. At least at this moment, I still have black hair, not covered by gray hair. My face does not have any wrinkles.

Aging happens to everybody. I decide to accept the process of aging. I don’t mind if I look older or younger. It is up to other people, and I cannot control what other people think of me. And I don’t care what others think of me.

The most important thing for me is to be me who accepts the natural process of aging.     

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

This morning we went to the swimming pool. As soon as we started enjoying being in the pool water, big thunderstorm clouds started forming. The clear blue sky was soon taken over by gray clouds.

The life guard blew the whistle on everybody in the pool. This pool has the rule about thunder. When we hear a thunder, everybody in the pool has to come out for our safety. If we don’t hear another thunder in another 30 minutes, the pool reopens. Today the sly was already covered by grey clouds, it seemed we would have more thunder in the afternoon.

For some reason, most of this weekdays, we had rain clouds. It seemed the monsoon had started earlier than usual. Previously the monsoon stars around the day of July 4th.

According to the long term weather report, though, this week was just a bonus for us. We had cloudy days with slightly cooler temperature for this past week, but starting from tomorrow, the Arizona strong sun will come back and keeps the temperature very high as normal years.      

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪