used to..

to driving on these snowy roads finally with my new car..

silent white..

so peaceful riding lifts..

collecting spring water..

in the snow..

from now on..

boarding everyday!!!

after class..

on a very very snowy christmas day...lovely ; )

to all..

am thinking of all those people i would like to meet, and feeling grateful there are so many, but sad i can't be everywhere at the same time...need to master yogic levitational time travel ... ha ha ha   this was a gift from a yoga friend...beautifully hand sewn, i love it!

giving season..

finally made a delicious (at least, i think so..) healthy vegan biscuit, the closest i can get to my favoutite shortbread.  but with pure mechanically pressed oil and maple syrup...little bit naughty on the white flour, but hey it's christmas!

Winter Solstice

What more can i say, a picture speaks a thousand words ☆

full moon..

solstice　tomorrow, in japan, a time to remember our blessings, be filled with light ☆

it's cold..

but the sight of these little boys, doing their homework sat outside a shop while waiting for their bus warmed my heart, they were so intense, such concentration on their studies...wonderful...why do we grow up?? 

here and happy..

tea time..

japanese style..

busy day..

but could see the mountains from wherever i went, tempting me..

more sweets..

christmas style..

japanese sweets, i just LOVED this one...i like stars and sparkles at the best of times, but when you can eat them!!  : D

happy cabbage...

don't know what it is but i always think these cabbages look so happy, like there arms are outstretched and shouting i'm here!  yay!!  have stopped eating meat, but sometimes it feels just as bad to eat these!  i gotta get a grip!

freshly pulled..

and eaten...so delicious.  i so appreciate all my husbands hard work..

state of the mountains...

still waiting for snow...

hot bath carved into a stone..

eating by colour...

beetroot, carrot, apple and ginger juice...yum..  am into all things red right now, mountains, juice, clothes, need to stoke my base chakra fires, and keep warm in body and spirit for winter  ; )

ahhh...

last bath here..

for this year anyway, the steep road up will be too snowy, so they close and go elsewhere til spring..

white mountains...

something about this view that makes me calm yet elated beyond words..

tea

in full autumn glory..

yamagata city...

in pink ; )

another red mountain...

peaceful forest..

ryusan no yu

aahhh...

a nice relaxing bath over looking the autumn colours..

red mountains...

think all this red and orange around is making people a bit more firy than usual!!

firey colours..

of autumn, the sun caught the leaves in a blaze of colour at the gate to this shrine...stunning..

mushroom gougere...

is what the cook book said but i've never heard of it....anyone out there know anything?  it's choux pastry with lots of emmenthal cheese and a mushrooom filling.....it was delicious!!  i was very surprised.... this vegetarian cook book is full of inspiration...really who needs meat??

enjoy a minute..

of glorious sunshine yellow under blue skies before yoga class, hopefully keeping some of that sunshine within ☆

giant vegetables...

nothing like home grown, freshly cut vegetables.....my husband seems to produce huge and vibrantly coloured vegetables, i never had such appreciation for these things before, but to taste and feel the effects of such energetic food is wonderful!  so appreciate his hard work ☆

foot spa.....

aahhh perfect after a long cycle....

first sprinking of snow...

ice cold air...love it!!

hold those hills up..

the concrete sculpted mountain sides always fascinate me.....this is driving up the japanese sea side near tsuroka...very glum gray day...in all respects..

spring water dispenser...

just on the outskirts of town, thought this would save me the 40 minute drive up the mountain to collect my water, but i guess that 40 min travel down the mountain in pipes does something to the water, doesn't taste half as good, although it is reportedly the same water........guess it just doesn't travel so well....so it's off up the mountain for me again!!

found one!!

but only one matsutaki for dinner...

orange fungi balls..

growing up the tree..

symmetry..

yamagata city...

choose the red one...

with white bean paste and a nice cuppa tea...

Japanese Sweets

Autumnal themed, great with macha, the thick green tea, so nice to have such pretty food. Which one would  you choose?

christian dior...

is the name of the rose that brightened up an otherwise incredibly dreary staff room...

happy leaf..

don't know why this caught my eye, it just looked so happy ; ) arms up and hands out..

hiking up ryu-zan...

up we went from a beautiful sunny day, into the cloud and rain at the top of the mountain......not the best for photos but a beautiful misty atmoshpere...

nami nami nami WAVES ; )))

inspiration from gandhi....

spent the first part of october reading gandhi's autobiography, what an amazing man who accomplished so much, sticking to his basic tenets of simplicity, truth and non-violence.   through his 'experiments with truth' he came to the conclusion that perfect truth can only come after the realisation of ahimsa (non-violence). to realise ahimsa one must love all as one loves oneself, but to identify with everything that lives is impossible without self-purification......    

simplify, simplify, simplify ..... to live simply, honestly and peacefully, something we could all do with methinks ; )