Yesterday we met up with Roger, one of AJ’s friends from school when went to Waseda and did a semi-tour of the school.  Turns out we are here on a three-day weekend, and the school was closed.  

We then headed Euno Park for a “festival”, but the it was starting to rain….Not much happening at the festival.  So, we went to the zoo.

After the zoo, we met up with another of AJ’s friends from school, Ernesto, for dinner.  Mexican food in Shibuya….I don’t recommend it.  We were in Shibuya hoping to see some Halloween costumes but the city had shut down the festivities.  Shibuya used to be a wild place evidently for Halloween, but not this year. It was pouring rain and police were everywhere with whistles…. Very loud and wet. We went soaked to the skin, and I was the only one with boots on.  Due to a miscommunication, instead of going somewhere else to watch the Halloween fun, we tromped a mile or so in the rain. We end up at the station instead of the park, so we called it a night.  Walking the streets of Shibuya in the rain with umbrellas everywhere was an experience 

And “the boys”:

A little over 30,000 steps yesterday, and off to Kyoto today.

Yesterday was Gotokuji Temple and Meiji shrine in the morning, then to sunshine city for lunch and shopping.

Gotokuji Temple was a wonderful place to wander around, feeling the antiquity of the area. The  beckoning cat is a sign of prosperity and good fortune, especially if you keep the figure in your bedroom or Work/study area.  And yes, one followed me home.

Yesterday we did Team Lab -Planet, which was way cool!!  It’s an interactive, art museum, where you get to play with the exhibits. 

The first exhibit, was walking up the hallway with water, running down it, waiting ankle deep in the water. The walls were black with lighting at the bottom, super cool.!

You also got to wade in the water that had Koi swimming around you, the Koi were projections of light.  The water was deep up close to your knees.

My phone app wasn’t working, but if you could get the app to work, you could help direct would be exhibit was doing. My favorite was the crystals which was a room of lights on strings and rooms full of mirrors with a coordinated light display. Pictures don’t do it justice!  

Another favorite exhibit had Extinctanimals shown on the wall, moving around, and, once again if your app is working, you could capture the animal and then the flood would display information about the animal, and then you could release it

There was also a room that had orchids and other flowers being raised and lowered that you could wander around in between.

Some more random pictures from my first full day in Tokyo.  After we went to the imperial palace gardens, we went back to the hotel for a bit. Our room was being cleaned, so we went to the relaxation room of the hotel, which is on the third floor. It was definitely relaxing.

After relaxing, we went to Alex‘s host families place, met with them, and then went out to dinner with the family. Here’s one of the streets we walked down.

First full day in Tokyo!  AJ and I met up with one of his friends and toured the Imperial Palace Gardens.  I  can only imagine how beautiful it is in the spring!  I think we a lre a bit early for the fall foliage, but the history is there regardless.  

We are meeting his host family for dinner tonight.

What happens when you run out to Costco to just pick up a couple of things and when you come out it’s pouring? You end up looking like a drowned rat…..

I was completely soaked by the time I got to the car because, of course, I had to park in the back 40 to even get a parking spot at Costco.  It’s a good thing I don’t melt in the rain.

I flew to Portland Wednesday for a manager’s meeting, and of course to go north to Portland, I have to first go south to San Francisco. As we flew north, I did get a nice picture of Shasta in the clouds.

After spending most of my Saturday frogging (ripping out - a take on a frog's "ribbit") the quilting I did, I didn't get much quilting done.  I finished my last block for the Season Sparkler - the center tree. One more special block to do, and four filler blocks and it will be ready to piece together. 

 Cooper was taking a nap - he looks so comfy!!

And it's done!  I love how this one turned out. 

I then spent about 45 minutes quilting the Summer Block Party, and then spent close to 3 hours ripping out everything I had just done.  I was trying out some new advice for quilting, and, let's just say that it didn't work for me. The fabric slipped, and I have to start all over....if it weren't for the "learning" part, it was pretty much a wasted afternoon with nothing to show for it.

Fall colors are here - AJ and I took the dogs out after work for a walk, and the leaves are beginning to turn. 

 

I didn't really do any sewing for this quilt recently, but because the Aloha quilt was on my design board (and I didn't want to shuffle the blocks around) I wasn't able to show the progress on it.  Only a few more blocks needed!

 

 

The very first quilt I started to quilt (of my 5 waiting to be quilted) caught my attention after I got on the quilting frame.  I had this up on the design board, took pictures of it, showed it off to friends, crawled all over it on my hands and knees to get it sandwiched for quilting, etc., and right before I started quilting, I found an error.  Why couldn't I have seen this before I got to this point???  Can you see it? 

Look closer:

This block should be turned 90 degrees, so the points all line up.  Sigh....

After all getting it fixed, I decided to straight-line quilt it anyway.  At least getting it on the quilting frame showed me the error and I could fix it without ripping out a bunch of quilting too!

The quilt top is done for the Aloha Mystery quilt!  All I had to do was add the black border to it, but that still took me all week to do.  I wasn't finding much time for sewing in my normal day, but Friday I got sent home early from work, so was able to get it finished!  Woohoo!  Now....that means I have 5 quilt tops waiting to be quilted.  I know what I'm doing this long weekend (Monday is a bank holiday).

 

One step forwards, two steps back.....I was working on the Aloha quilt, and heard a crash..... 

 "Someone" knocked my pin container off the ironing board - lots of pins everywhere!

I got the blocks put together for the Aloha Mystery quilt.  Now all it needs are the borders added and it's ready to be quilted (after I get some backing fabric that is).  That will leave me with 5 quilts to quilt!  I need to quilt a few of those before I start another project!

 

 

I finished up a couple of the gifts I'm taking to Wakana later this month (I can't believe we are getting so close to the trip!!) These are the quilted bowl covers I made for Wakana and her sister. I'm starting to stress over the little details now, before it was just the big ones - plane tickets, hotels, etc.  Now I'm on to packing....what to take, what not to take, etc.  I have my list of things to see in Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagasaki - the three main places we are going.  I also hope to get in a trip to Osaka.  

Some of the plant life on the trail to Kings Creek Falls.  We were a bit early to catch any autumn foliage, but still plenty of things to take a picture of (not that I can't find "something" for a picture...)!