Inspiration For Longevity

      Please see below for the Japanese translation!   This is always rush hour for me because I need to get my photos organized for my yearly family gifts. I give my brother and two sisters photo calendars or prints for Christmas and for their birthdays. Given that I now live in Japan, the printing and mailing are no walk in the park!   These nature pictures are from a recent ride I did to Shiroyama Park. What a lovely view! The clock picture is from a nearby school. I have walked by that school many times. I finally got the shot I wanted!   Today, I would like to talk about an amazing article. This Dangerous Habit Keeps You Unhappy, According to  Blaise Pascal, by Thomas Oppong. What a great article!   Oppong quotes Pascal.  “The only thing which consoles us for our miseries is diversion, and yet this is the greatest of our miseries. For it is this which principally hinders us from reflecting upon ourselves, and which makes us insensib...

  Please see the Japanese translation below! These are some of the best pictures from my October trips. The sunset shot is from the Kashima Jingu Torii. I did that trip on my bike.  The water shots are from the Oritsu and Oarai beaches. Those beaches are gorgeous! I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to explore, digest, and appreciate the literary gifts that just keep on coming. The latest treasures include Untamed, by Glennon Doyle, and Supercommunicators, by Charles Duhigg. Good stuff!  Untamed is one of three autobiographical books written by Glennon Doyle.  Her story is fascinating! She talks about her journey from food, alcohol, and drug addictions to her current state of contentment and happiness.   Her life changed dramatically in 2016. I will let her tell the story. In the following scene, Glennon has just shown up for a book launch event in Chicago. She is there to promote the second book in her three part autobiography, Love Warrior.  ...

  Please see the Japanese translation below! This was my second water lilly adventure at the Jindai Botanical Garden.   Amazingly enough, these photos were taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max.  That camera allows me to zoom in well beyond the camera's maximum zoom 5x setting. I love the effects I was able to get!   For the most part, life has been great in Kashima.  Setsuko has come for several visits. We have been able to do some exploring, as well several trips to our favorite store, Costco! I also took two trips to Fuchu, which gave me a good opportunity to catch up with some of my friends.    The weather has truly been something else! Kashima normally gets around 8.5 inches of rain for the month of September. However, this year was quite the exception, as it rained virtually every day, for a total of close to 25 inches for the month! In addition, several typhoons hit. I thought I was going to end up in the land of Oz!  One of my greatest joys...

  Please see the Japanese translation below! These are some of my favorite shots from my first photography session at Lake Kitaura,  It is a beautiful lake! What a joy it was to enjoy my bike while enjoying the scenery. This ride was faster than my previous rides due to the fact that there was no wind. I was cruising!  The amazing red figure is the Kashima Jingu Torii.  It is Japan’s largest water torii gate! Unfortunately, they are currently doing some construction, so it was difficult to get good photos, but I managed a few. More to come!   I am slowly but surely discovering the photo gems in the area. The good news is that I will share those with you as the adventures unfold! A quick update on the reading front. I am currently reading "Supercommunicators", by Charles Duhigg. A fascinating book that looks at the types of conversations we have. #1: What's This Really About? Problem solving and rational (hopefully!) discussion. #2: How Do We Feel? Emotions,...