Tuesday  July 21st

It is the second day of summer vacation and the kids in this neighborhood have to gather at the local community center (kominkan) and do the national radio excercises.  Each child has a book they receive from school in which they receive stamps for each day they attend the radio excercises.  Then the students have a schedule of activities and studies that they promise to follow during the last week of the first semester (April-July).  Not many lazy summer days in Japan.

Here are a couple of flowers blooming in the garden at my mother-in-law's house this morning.  Last night was Sarah's first night out of the hospital, so she had to get us all up a few times to make sure she was really home.  At three in the moring, I finally decided that I might as well get up for good.  Sarah's just a little bud who still needs a lot of help to bloom.

Aogagi-Adams family