I love to cook, bake, and eat and drink! I dream of a place that is open to anyone to come and cook/bake/eat/drink/live with me!

I love using everything to the fullest whether it means enjoying its existence or creating with it. This most definitely includes food, plants, living beings, space, discarded items, art, clothes, money, opportunity.

That being said, I'm not the best steward of resources, but I still try!

I love to dance, dance, dance! Most of my dancing is in my imagination though. It's hard for me to express myself this way as I am mostly surrounded by people who don't enjoy dancing and I am very shy in this way.

My family culture is very interesting to me. It has given me sensitivity, wings to be spiritually and emotionally free, feet to stay or go, roots to know I have a place in a secure relationship, support to climb, and tragedy to keep me humble and questioning.

There are so many beings who have rounded up my life considerably. I want to tell you all about them, but I really don't want to stress importance of one over another. Please ask me about someone I love anytime! I think it's important to tell our stories and the impacts others have had on us.

I think learning about the world we all live in is fascinating. There is never an end to the things I want to do or places I want to go. I also love being just where I am.

I think that everyone we meet can teach us something. I think that they can especially teach us things about ourselves if we look. My issue is that I let people define who I am at my core because I am too eager to come to agreement and be at one with them. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and it's not coming out just how I'd like it right now, but it's kind of a part of why I'm writing this note. I want to express who I am to myself just as much as to you.

Well, are you shocked?  It's been awhile since I've even gone to this website, and now I'm even updating!  When I get on my own computer maybe I'll even get a new picture up there.
I miss my calligraphy classes.  That picture kinda makes me sad b/c I think that'll be another fun skill that slowly dies like my piano skills did after I quit in 8th grade.  Except this time, I didn't want to quit.  In fact, I wish that I had a Japanese teacher to help me write some letters to my calligraphy teacher in Japan.  She doesn't speak any English, and if I write a horribly constructed letter, it would probably make her look bad because she couldn't teach me well enough to write correctly.  I don't know what  I'm really saying...this isn't getting off to a very good start.

So, my life with the jr high kiddies is so chaotically fun!  We've reached a point where they're comfortable with me and understand my quirks and go along with them.  I feel comfortable being myself with them and not so scared that they're watching my every move anymore because they have grace for me.  I wonder if people feel nervous around God when they first meet him or like they're doing something wrong every time they speak.  Mostly, I'd think they're just so grateful to be in his presence.  But, I do see the connection how relationships build slowly as people release more of themselves and their hearts into conversation and through vulnerability.

My life in Canton staying at the Tarantino's for 3 days a week is also going well.  I am building relationships with pretty much everyone who's important in Carlo's life on a weekly basis, and have found a part of myself here.  That doesn't mean I like Ohio weather any more than before though.  Grrr.  There's a family in particular that really opens my eyes to relationships in the home and how caring family is for each other.  They are so unique and individual in their personalities and giftings, but they communicate so beautifully with each other and constantly seek each other out.  I can learn a lot from them.

I learn a lot from Pam and Steve too.  They are not afraid to show affection in little ways for each other and compliment each other in the kindest ways without even meaning to do it.  They love to laugh too, and I can joke around with them and have great conversations often.  I will have to write about the church later because I could probably take several days to write that all down. 

I'm looking forward to going back to PA for Christmas, which will be a tad shorter this year than ever before.  But, I plan on spending it in relaxation without being sick too!!!!  (I hope).  I really loved being home with my family and grandparents over Thanksgiving, but I would have loved it even more if I hadn't been sick.  Hopefully, this Christmas with the family, siblings, and grandma will be a great last holiday in the house in Washington.

My parents are moving.  My dad will be flying out of the Charlotte, NC airport starting in Jan. so they get to move after over 14 years in PA.  I'm happy that I'll get to visit them in warm weather though.

Carlo and I have just started learning how to play the Chinese game "go" or "goban" in Japanese.  I wish that I would have learned it in Japan so that I could kick his butt and teach him how to play, but it's fun to learn it together.  We just wish that we had a knowledgable person watching us as we play, saying, "You have a question?  Sure, this is what you do in this situation..."  I will write about this later probably, but I feel like this game wraps up the Japanese culture in a box....an utterly complex and big picture box, but I feel like I can understand the game better because I understand the Japanese culture some.

Well, I hear a garage door.  I gotta get going.

Oh, and SARAH AND DAN ARE CRAZY MATING BUNNIES!!!!!!!!

Love you all!