Fabric Town

Overwheming.
Blew my wad.
Might try to go back at end of trip.
Too much to see.
Too many fabrics.
Wow.

That's 100 yen a meter folks.
Right when you walk into Tomato.
I saw some really good fabrics too.

100 yen equals about $1.24 or so.
I
It translates really easy - my Skyliner train cost 4700 yen round trip which is about $47.00
Or so.

The third picture shows fabrics from Finlayson in Finland  at $2600 yen a meter.
Not bad.








Patterns -mostly Japanese.  Some simplicity.
Mostly clothing.

Tomato had some purse patterns - nothing unique.

I found airplane fabrics!
Every shop girl wears a mask. The guys are too cool to wear them. Women man the register but guys hustle the rolls of fabric.

Most stores are multi-storied with narrow pathways thru the rolls and bolts.
Fire hazard? Definitely no americans with disabilities act.








Some fabric kits. Found sashiko in Tomato - all kits I've seen before in Oregon.

Stairwells are used as fabric galleries.
There is an elevator in Tomato but most stores have stairs.
Got a nice glute workout today.
(There are no stairs in canbyland).








The button store.
Just like in Goteberg, Sweden --too overwhelmed by choices to buy.




Make your own mask pattern.
Seriously overwhelmed.

Breakfast

This hotel Toyoko Inn Kuko offers a free breakfast.
Not much I could eat but amazing for coffee and people watching.

I went down just prior to 6:30 am and there was already a line that surged forward en masse immediately when it opened.

I had seen all the tables last night and thought this is bigger than any free breakfast back home.

Within minutes, all tables were full with still more people coming.

I went and got 'american' coffee and a table right off the bat - smarty pants me.
Then I stepped back into line.
The only items I could eat were plain veggies and rice.

All sorts of platters down a buffet table filled with interesting  (combined) foods labeled in japanese.

The fascinating toast maker (3rd photo) got more popular later on.

First Night in Narita

I tried to stay up until 7/8 pm tokyo time to attempt to get my Japanese days sorted out.
I think that was like 3⌚ back home.

Of course I awoke at 6am my time because of conditioning.
Having a cup of tea while I think about lying here in my surprisingly large double room.
Is it possible to go back to sleep?

I'm off to Nippori today - fabric town.

Bright Sunshiny Day

Leopards Bane: keeps leopards out of yard.

I originally borrowed this from my m&d's.
I probably need to pot some up for their new much smaller yard - to keep them safe.

Star Magnolia. Stunning small tree.

Red bud that threw itself into my cart.
It is amazingly full - it's just budding out.

My back walkway and my winter Heather (erica).

Rusty to give you an idea of my jade plant.
My husband had this sorry excuse for a houseplant  -- oh - 28 years ago.
I threw it out on our back porch. Our new puppy's golden retriever tail would 'prune' it each time she was let out.

It thrived on the abuse: lesson one.
It will bloom if it is rootbound (!) with lots of indirect light and spends the summer outside. Don't bring it in until the first frost.

I almost lost it one year by misjudging that frost. Half of it 'melted'.
Little white flowers with hint of pink will pop out in November and stay on through February.

Please forget to water it and it will thank you.

The real reason for the photos.
Sending dear son proof of his grapes  budding out.

February Mail Chicken Giveaway

The Winner of my chicken hot pad is Teresa  who won by saying she really hoped the chicken would come to her house to play.

I received over 2 inches of mail. From Australia, Sweden, Japan, and quite a few states. I even discovered a fellow Postcrossing Queen just 20 minutes north of me who has sent and received over 4000 postcards.

One of my friends replied in kind with an offer of tea.

I have not discovered a way to rotate photos with this blog app. Maybe some young thing will know how.

Was my rural mail carrier count a success?
ABSOLUTELY.
She was working on average 10- 11 hr days. In spite of all of mgmt's counting tricks, Mgmt will need to shave off two hours from her route similar to the other routes that were also counted. She will go back to working the 9 hrs she gets  paid for as soon as route adjustments can be figured out.

We are seriously overworked at the post office. Training new people is an exercise in one day futility and new people are too overwhelmed at everything there is to accomplish in a day -so they quit almost before they start.

I think I received over 40 cards and postcards in February plus several packages.

Thank you all for playing my game.
It was much appreciated.

I sent out over fifty cards myself.

I loved getting the mail because everyday there was something special inside the box.
Muchos Gracias!

Notes on the this Blogaway  app: inability to rotate photos. No hyperlink capability. Didn't want to publish heavy photo post - saved to draft eventually.

March Test Post with Blogaway App

Daffodils still blooming strong.

With Blogaway, I can write in sections , thus placing photos at head of sections.

I'm surprised the Blogger app has not been updated  --- Google owns it.
I last looked at it 3 years ago when I went to Sweden.

At the time, I  chose the Blog It app instead.  I tried downloading Blog It to my new phone but I could not upload photos at all Sunday morning.

I may have another go with it later as it at least allowed html formatting.

The joys of smarty pants phones while traveling....
I use the android system. It's my understanding that iPhone users have better apps for this blogging on the go stuff.

New fabric store in Wilsonville nearby. Wasn't open yet  - Sunday morning.

BLOGAWAY is better than Blogger app by far.
No html editing,  however, formatting stays true upon publishing.

March Test Post

New phone,  postal drama when I return, flowers blooming, weird oregon spring, allergies, need to pack, survive another week of 12-hr split shifts, east coast unfrozen = horribly busy work day tomorrow, lists for Japan trip, need to review j. info., last episode of downtown abbey tonight, old blog it app won't upload photos to blog, trying blogger sucky app. Can't insert photos where I want to.

Star magnolia

Pathway

Sucky indoor camera at night. That counter is green .

I started the draft 10 hours ago so it shows up in people's readers as to when I started the post.

I'm going to see if Blog It (app) works one more time. Stinkin' new phone.