"One thing at a time"

It has been almost almost a month since I made my once in a life time decision to invest in a camera that I believed would enhance my photography experience. My new pentax has done just that and it is getting only better. I just have not had any serious photo day or an outing to just enjoy what I see.... I wished that I had the joy of knowing my grandfather who was quite a photography lover. How many men in the 1930's in Japan had his own camera to take photographs of his own kids? Not Many. He traveled to Germany in 1926 and returned two years later with his camera. I wonder what happened to it? I wonder if it is still in his office in Jiyugaoka? Just wondering. Yesterday, I had quite a visitor. I saw on the corner of my eye, a huge something fly into my deck in the back of my house. Well, if you know us, we live in the boonies. Our home stands on a 5 acre lot (one acre is 1200 tsubo) and more than half of it is wooded. My back woods is a home to many critters including armadil...

I reported our experience in Baton Rouge over the past weekend when Erik participated in the piano competition. Here is a photo of Erik and his Dad getting acquainted with Mozart who sat solemnly on the first floor of the music building at LSU listening to all the music played in the building. We made a comment about how early and young his life ended. His life was full of defeats, discouragements when it comes to musical accomplishments. He definitely had good times and more bad.... Sven had an idea of making Erik polish Mozart's shoes with a cloth but I did not have an appropriate cloth or the nerve to attempt such a thing in the middle of the hall with over hundred people standing around waiting for the judges' announcement. But one of the young men who saw Sven converse with Mozart about one of the pieces in our book as shown on the photo above approached Sir Mozart after Sven was done. The young man consulted with Mozart on his own piece while his mother snapped a few pho...

No, nothing against LSU or Mike the Tiger. We visited the LSU campus in Baton Rouge for the first time on 6-5-10 for a state piano competition that Erik participated. I may have been dreaming but I had a certain image of a small but descent size recital hall to be the place of competition. We arrived at a very large (comparing with other music building I have seen) music building. When we found the room that was designated as the room where Erik's group's competition was to be held, I was in such a shock that I could not utter a word. Friends who were with us could never know what I really felt deep in my psyche. The door was locked initially that I could not see the inside but there was a sign that said "Band room'. A "Band Room"? When the door was opened and we were allowed in, I saw a crammed room with just enough to seat maybe 25 people with a small grand sitting in the front of the room against the white writing board on the wall (like every classroom...

The left over muddy water surrounded buildings and roads. Some of the familiar landmark objects appeared just so strange to my eyes from the air. As we approached the Nashville airport, I noticed that a lady across from me was sobbing looking down to the view from the window. So, that lady made me choke up just about...... I briefly listened to the press conference where various city officials and organizational leaders, (health dept, police dept, dept of transportation, as well as private organization, school system and more) brought the updates and reports of what plans are being made and what accomplishments are to be shared. I am in awe of the community leaders of Nashville more significantly the people who believe in the community's ability and its people's responsibility for each other that generate from within. Bus service is waiving the fair now until the operational condition improves but the official was proud to share that their service is improving each day. The ...

Living in a small town could be a fun thing.. such as certain safety issues in the community or everyone knowing everyone' business..... if you consider that to be a good thing. I grew up in Nagoya, Japan, with 2.5 million population. There were probably 50 or so huge high schools, quite a few universities, (I am sure at least 30 of them), major subway system throughout the city, several museums that would each take you half a day or whole day to go through, several concert halls with something going on all the time, 16 huge libraries,,, and more. My son, Erik has much different outlook on life. Our town has one university, one or two private schools, no major downtown, no museums, no concert halls except at the university and no subway or buses. It is hard to tell which environment is suited for a human growth and development but I certainly miss a city life. I can't help it. I spent 21 years of my life in Nagoya. If you go to downtown or any grocery, it would be quit rare to ...

One thing led to another and I spent a bit of time searching for a few other pieces of the puzzle. I have already shared about my grandmother's organ which was purchased in 1930 and just made its way to my house here in Ruston about a week ago. (please refer back to the entry "music in the home".)I wrote about my grandfather and his connection to music from his time in Europe in early 20's. (The photo on the top left is my grand parents' wedding photo. And the photo on the three kids, my grandfather is the one standing behind his brother and his sister). I wanted to search about the background of my grandmother and why she knew how to read Music by the time she married my grandfather. I just knew that it was not an everyday thing to find a Japanese woman who could read music back then. Western music had already entered the Japanese culture but music education was not a part of normal or official education in Japan in the 20's. Naturally, I was curious. My moth...

Some pieces are tough and not everyone who would attempt to play would be able to learn it. Or is this my convenient excuse for not having worked quite as hard in my younger years as my son has this past year. I am the first to admit that there is much truth in "practice makes perfect" but I am also the first to recognize the gifted and the not so gifted. I was always average. My piano teacher never mentioned Liszt or Rachmaninoff even in my 12th year. I played, Chopin, Beethoven, and many other composers pieces and she challenged me appropriately. She had quite a few students who would advance to conservatory and I knew I was not one of her best at all but she adored me because I did work hard. I think she knew that I was trying my best which was not that great but she viewed it worthy of her time. Erik has been stretched, tried, and stretched more. His mom has watched and cheered and learned more. I attempted to play some of the pieces he tackled but I am ever so aware o...