Wednesday in Japan. . . Year of The Monkey

Year of the Monkey

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My first visit to Japan (many many years ago)was at Christmas  right before 

The Year of the Monkey.

Monkeys Monkeys Monkeys everywhere and the color red.

The zodiac animals are very important.

Character traits and luck good and bad, being some of the important points.

I walked into one of the terrific  Japanese Department stores 

I think it was Seibu, in Shinjuku shopping area and I found 

this wonderful surprise, the dancing  monkey and the bobble-head monkey.

I bought several for late Christmas/New Year gifts.

For several years my Son has been sending me the most wonderful

paper mache zodiac animals.

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Monkeys have an interesting role in Japanese  cultural and religion belief .

A  mischievous tricker (much like the coyote in the southwest where I live)

and also sacred mediator.

Monkeys are are "Saru" in Japanese which sounds like "go away".

So you will see slogans like "Yanakoto Saru" unhappy things go away or 

"Mayoi Saru"indecision go away everywhere this year.

  I just love the sweet face on these monkeys.

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 Here is the newest addition to my collection.

When family skyped over Christmas, son told us about this very special monkey.

It is made by a very well known artist and people come from all over to buy his art.

Of course with all the presents opening with a excited 5 year old granddaughter, I missed his 

name and will have call back and find out more about him.

 Wonderful.

 Some of my collection.

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 I need to expand the space.

 This little Tiger is not a monkey but every-time I walk past him and see his big smile/roar

I am happy. I found this small tiger/bell at the Japanese Museum of History in Los Angels.

OK here is my one takeaway for the New Year, wear red.

Lots of red this year !

The color Red is a very lucky and powerful symbol but 

in the year of the monkey this is magnified. More good luck coming your way and 

bad things like illness and indecision to go away.

Over the years in Japan and China many people are wearing red underwear for luck but this year 

more women and men will be wearing the color red. Sometimes this is the easier way.

One of my non Japanese Tucson friend swears by this. 

Besides why not, it can't hurt.

Next post will be on the New Year post card.

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Here is your mid-week pretty.

It is not red but oh so good.

Dinner last night was Sukiyaki wonderful one pot meal for a cold winter night.

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Cooked and served in a iron hot pot.

This was just perfect.

red. . . parsnip

music. . . Cloud Age Symphony,  Okino Shuntaro

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parley view parsnip. . .i thehamish is back

A few photos of the new Christmas toy that a certain gud dug received
from Santa.

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 yesh i the gud dug thehamish gots a gud squeaky

 neffummguft

 gurrup

 muuue

 yeaerruea

 nurff

i thehanish finly gots gud toy squekin'

nice tall person who feeds us told santa what i thehamish was wantin'
'cause i thehamish gud dug

When Watson was writing toy reviews we could read a concise review of
material
chew factor
squeaky
design.
Of course thehamish reviews were very interesting.
Because he doesn't have a Watson review to follow
we will have to help him.

i thehamish toy review
nuwerberr
guuuuud
guder
fabuuuurest
.
yert 

 i thehamish is very gud  dug

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Just because I can  here is your pretty to start the week.

The one decoration I bought this year was a 25 Days of Christmas hanging.
If you have little ones and what a fun way to have a 24 Days to Christmas.
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All you crafty people can sew pockets of different sizes

hang it up and add some fun trinkets, stories,  photos or tiny candies. Wrapped of course.

I just used it as a decoration and filled it with some of my small toys.

Have a restful week leading up to New Years. 

I will be sleeping most of it.

toy. . . parsnip

music. . . Holding Back The Years,  Simply Red

Wednesday in Japan and Tucson

Tiny post for busy times.

Lots of photos few words.

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 i thehamish  gots back from my herbal body wrap at nice place that washes i thehamish.

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 i thehamish is lookin' gud and regal.

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 Scotty smile.

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 i thehamish is checking out places to wait for Santa person 

who gives yummy snacks to gud dugs like i thehamish

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 i thehamish is thinkin' this is a gud place to hide and wait for Santa.

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Here is your pretty for mid week !

Best  Christmas Tree ever.

I love the upside down name.

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One of her Dad's photos will be on the "Today Show" on the 10:30 segment,
On December 24.

I have no idea why or how they found it ?

I don't watch the "Today Show"  so I have no idea what this is about.

The photo is of people lined up to get KFC in Japan for Christmas.

Christmas has no real religious meaning in Japan.

But to make a long story short....

Around 1970, a customer remarked that a land free of a turkey for a celebration dinner 

fried chicken was the next best thing.

KFC heard this and ran away with it.

"Kurisumasu ni wa kentakii" or Kentucky for Christmas. 

The popularity of American culture at that time plus a huge KFC

campaign has made this a fun tradition. 

You will see lines outside every KFC  

complete with a statue of Colonel Sanders dresses as Santa.

Colonel Santa !

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merry. . . parsnip

music. . . ll est ne le divin enfant,  Annie Lennox

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Merry Christmas, everyone.

cheers,  gayle and thehamish

Happy Birthday Monday and a Christmas card.

Today is second Sons Birthday.

He has been such a huge help to me as I try to recover.

Plus he is the best chef ever. Indian food being one of his favorites.

ummmmmm mine too.

I am so lucky to have such great son.

Let There Be Cake !

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I have no idea why these photos came out so bad ?

I shot them three times and could not get the background white color right.

This year's card in the "Arizona Twelve Days of Christmas " series

is  a Prickly Pear Cactus.

 The back of the card

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 Really this is suppose to come out white and not beige .

I always add some information about what I have drawn.

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 I also made a Christmas Watson ornament to go inside.

I printed the cards and ornament instead of going to the printers.
So I had to print, fold, glue and cut each card. Plus I ran out of paper !

Oh My Goodness.

I don't even have a card.  I need to print up a few for my portfolio. 

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And just because I can here is you pretty to start the week.
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As I was cooking dinner at the stove last night I looked up and this is what I saw.
Light, lights and lights.

happy. . . parsnip

music. . . There's Still My Joy,  Indigo Girls

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I have several favorite  Christmas music that I have posted before.

Last year I found the above song that I have added to my playlist.

It is so beautiful.

I will post one more time before Christmas if you can't drop by then,

let me wish you now a lovely and wonderful Christmas.

cheers,  gayle and thehamish

Square Dog Friday. . .helping

Best day of the week is here.

Square Dog Friday !

You know the drill so let's woof it.

i thehamish is helper gud dug 

helpin' helpin' helpin'
so much helpin'

 much hard workin' to do bring tree in my home i helpin by sitting in

right in the best place for tree. 

then is sit in the tree branches so they know where to sweep

i thehamish is such a big helper gud dug.

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 i thehamish is gud dug helper
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 i thehamish helpin' with the lights.
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 nice tall person who plays with us made all the origami birds long time ago

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 i also helpin' with the tree that has no green stuff.
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Every year I move my wooden tree, this year it is in the library.
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 mum nice tall person who feed us, put blue and white snowflakes on tree.
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 i thehamish not knowing what soy jars are but pretty with lights
dont tell mum nice tall person who feed us, but she like the little light everywhere.
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 she even puttin' them in the table
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 she puttin' them every place
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mum nice tall person who feeds us, likin lights
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These snow globes are my favorite decoration.
I have not found any nice ones for several years.

 But I found this tiny wind up Santa riding on the clouds.
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 On the credenza I put my favorite Christmas cards and tiny lights.
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 Japanese Cards that light up and play music from Japanese Son .
The blue one to the right is my oldest one and favorite.
Santa and animals looking at the blinking tree in a forest.
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 I love this card.
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 Twirling and singing Santas.
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This does not sing but it is a fold out  card of my favorite city, Osaka.
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Street ramen Santa.
Yes please.
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 Santa dancing singing with noses that light up to the music.
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Some of mine and Daughters cards

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Very simple, fast and easy for me to decorate every year.

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And of course, just because I can here is your pretty for the weekend.

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Watson and thehamish.

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thehamish is now upholding  the Watson tradition of helping  hanging the lights.

Happy Christmas.

This year card will be on Monday post.

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lights. . . parsnip

music. . . It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year,  Gonzo and Rizzo