2019 in rear view

It’s that time of year again. Let’s start – yikes – a new decade by looking back at the year just passed. I’d say that 2019 was a mixed bag for the Rising Family™. The first half was aces, the latter half was un-good. Come what may the Rising Family keeps chugging forward with hope in our hearts for a great new year to come.

Quotable quotes:

“All I have in my hands is sadness.” - M.

“I don’t want a boyfriend. I just wanna live my life.”  - Lady E.

Courtesy of the Todd Art Gallery, MTSU

January

January is usually a banal experience; often the hopes of a fine start to a new year slide into normal routines. Thus, January came and went as expected! Although I discovered this poster in November, it quite nicely depicts the state of my “perfectly OK” household.

February

I’ve already posted about our visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Yet ‘space’ is a recurring theme of 2019. (You’ll soon hear more about our trip to the Kennedy Space Center in December.) Today is the national holiday commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr. Now that I have lived in the U.S. for enough time, I’ve come to understand the importance of this inspiring man’s life, and the tragedy of his assassination. I hope the Rising Daughters have, too.

March

Elena graduated from her elementary school program at the Japanese supplementary school of middle Tennessee. M., also attends, of course. The program mirrors the schedule of the Japanese school system so mid-March is the usual time to end the year.

Part celebration, part “when in Rome”, we drove to Destin, Florida, then on to Tampa, for spring break. It was flavored by seafood binges for my ladies and Bud Light for me. One memory was visiting the home of the Blue Jays’ spring training in Dunedin. I couldn’t wrangle a full game, but I did get a nice memory with Marina as we strolled around the facility as I whet my appetite for the baseball season to come.

April

Elena showed her violin skills when her school orchestra played a concert for parents. Marina participated in an art exhibition after her painting of a gumball machine made the cut. Both kids are displaying more artistic inclinations than their parents. Hmm.

May

Dad a.k.a. Grampa visited us for a spell in May. His being within driving distance is a major perk of our time here in Tennessee. One memory of this particular visit is his face getting redder as he resolutely ate his Nashville hot chicken at the Party Fowl joint in Murfreesboro. For the record, pride aside he opted for “Nashville Hot” grade chicken rather than “Poultrygeist.” No amount of beer can quench that fire or stimulate purging that from your digestive tract quickly enough.

In May, we also went to a drive-thru safari. The kids also visited me at my workplace to see where the family funding comes from!

June

Back to Japan to re-charge and visit family.

July

I celebrated my birthday on the road, where I belong. I also took weekend tours to Memphis and Tallahassee while the family was away. Maximized my male bonding time with friends.

August

I delight in summer’s heat. It was steamy-perfect weather to go to the county fair and cool down at the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park in south Louisville, Ky.

I took my brother and his girlfriend on an emission-free tour of downtown Nashville and Franklin in my LEAF. We had them stay for a few days and noshed on BBQ, too.

September

As the heat and humidity abated, the family went out for lengthy outdoor activities not involving waterparks. One was to the Cheekwood Estate, a Great Gatsby-type estate where we frequently go in December to see Christmas illumination lights. This time, it was Japanese Culture Day and plenty of pumpkins. 

Sep.-Oct. is also pumpkin harvest time, so the pumpkin patches also grab our attention. 

And Sports Day never disappoints.

October

A random day trip to Atlanta embodied West meets East. How’s that? 1+2= flavorful fusion.

(1) Coca-Cola is an iconic American symbol often referred to as the world’s most recognized  brand. So hell yes we went to see the wellspring of carbonated happiness by touring the World of Coke museum near the Coca-Cola Company’s world headquarters in Atlanta. We all love a cold Coke. During our visit, Elena took advantage of a software station to create her own bottle wrap.

(2) With so much Americana guzzled there, we needed a cultural balance by eating at our favorite Japanese-style tavern in America, Shoya izakaya. The food and ambience are the real, yummy deal.

Halloween: Marina went out as Abraham Lincoln. That costume was more about the cheaper second use of a social studies project prop. Don’t read too deeply into the symbolism, people.

November

The Big Feast - Thanksgiving

Our turkey was half of Marina’s weight; God bless America!

The Publix apple pie and the double vanilla ice cream blending with the juices of my mouth conjured an endless parade of satisfied grins. Later, the feasting provoked tears of chagrin as I looked at my waistline. If you’re gonna play, you gonna pay.

Another November dreary weather escape is to head out to Chattanooga to the aquarium. The Rising Family sometimes misses the aquatic life.

December

For our last Christmas in the U.S. we opted to go south. A trip to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral was planned, followed by further movement southward to the Miami area. And that is a story for another time.