no bun!

Yata! we made it home- we are smiling and warm and full of special pink valentines day cake- oh to be loved to be loved! 

the last few days in Japan were spent at a vineyard in yamanashi (with our new homey Ogihara-san) clearing fields of wormy peach trees and grape stems, painting grape vines, making bonfires, and baking potatoes... it was a very nice way to wind down the trip. We had a chance to catch up with Kae and her family a little bit more and the boys from Uramichi (jeff's most favorite band that he ever set up a tour for)- now we are snuggling between layers of pink fluffy cake and recovering from jet lag.....

Big ups to the Ho familia for there generosity! We would have been on the street or eating dog food or something worse if it weren't for them. And Kako was so nice to let us sleep in his room the entire time! We are hopeful we can return the favor sometime, maybe in NY we can even go to Kmart and watch Nicholas Cage movies---

-jeff

We showed the trip pictures to my mom and she said there were too many food pictures... but it was such a big part of the experience! we disagree.

I was really sad to leave Japan, not because of all the yummy food and fast trains, but because I will miss my friends and family-- I didn't have a chance to get in touch with everyone-- but hopefully I will be able to go back someday soon! maybe I will be better at going into public baths and ordering things I don't know how to read by then.... and maybe I'll be able to discover even more new ways to create and sustain a good happy sustainable lifestyle :) with or without giant plastic tubs full of pickles!

-misa

p.s. we will post a photo album when kae sends us the missing pieces-- link to follow!

p.p.s - the hero of our trip was far and away our Auntie Kae, without her we would not have the big bellies full of shortcake we have now! Second hero was Misa for being adventurous and reading me things and keeping my tummy free from meat!