Limited Time Only!

When I hold my son's hand;
He wraps his fingers around my thumb and I wrap my fingers around his entire forearm.

Memories

Yesterday we visited the hospital for the one month checkup.
We met several of my wife's fellow inmates, also there for the one month checkup.
Oddly enough we also saw more preggies coming and going. Aukje saw one in particular waddling in, and she later said to me, "I don't think I ever waddled like that did I?"
But then I thought about the time, walking down a quiet Sunday morning street on our way to church. I suggested she practice waddling for when it became neccesary. Naturally I demonstrated, and then Aukje too gave it a try.
We looked up. And there was a 70ish years young Japanese lady piddling around in front of her house, on the street with us. Though the Japanese are known for being stoic in the face of even the most difficult of circumstances, she could not help but chuckle at us.

Around the House

A night shot of Keihan Sekime Station from the stairwell of our apartment building.

Hmmm

力 = chikara =
(n) force, strength, energy, might, power, agency, authority, influence, vigor, vigour, stress, emphasis, exertions, endeavors, endeavours, efficacy, help, support, good offices, ability, faculty, capability, attainment, means, resources, (P)

After holding and/or comforting my young son when he has difficulty sleeping I find myself to be exhausted at the end of a day. My 力 seeps away. All the things I planned to do have fallen by the wayside. I cannot figure out where my 力 went. Perhaps I am out of shape. I wonder if they have baby soothing routines or some kind of baby soothing treadmill at the local gym.
Hmmm

Yappari

Yappari = やっぱり
A fabulous Japanese word;
justasithought, inspiteof, still, also, ofcourse and absolutely all rolled into one word;
It slices and dices, it's a not-too-distant cousin of the Swiss army knife, akin to miracle tonic.
Yappari
Perhaps I have exaggerated.
But only slightly I assure you!

Poink

I have this (bad?) habit of reading books concurrently. Perhaps it is my Sesame Street attention span. Currently, one of those books is Charlie Peacock's New Way to Be Human. In it, I came across a lyric from David Wilcox's (no, not that one Anth) album Live Songs and Stories
From the song Show The Way; it struck me, got stuck in me, I had to write it down.

Look, if someone wrote a play
Just to glorify what's stronger than hate
Would they not arrange the stage
To look as if the hero came too late
As if he's almost in defeat
So it's looking like the evil side will win
So on the edge of every seat
From the moment that the whole thing begins
It is love who makes the mortar
And it's love who stacked these stones
And it's love who made the stage here
Though it looks like we're alone
In this scene set in shadows
Like the night is here to stay
There is evil cast around us
But it's love that wrote the play
So in this darkness
Love can show the way

The view from there.

This morning I boarded the Hankyu, as I tend to do on many Saturdays. I was early for this particular train, it was still eight minutes before departure and I was the first person in the train car. I made myself comfortable.
Kids, mostly boys;
Assorted parents;
Gathered at the front.
I understand why they are here, it is why I am here.
I too like to look out windows. (Here too.)
My boy is still too young, I’m not sure he can even see me yet, but I look forward with a boyish father's eagerness, to the looking out of windows together.

Today's Tidbit.

It was a baptism of sorts, Tazel got it all over me, I actually had to take a shower.