People complain a lot about the rain. But a friend's brother from Anchorage, Alaska, came to visit and said, he is so happy to be in the rain, to be away from the snow that piles as high as to his roof every where.

We took a step of faith this weekend to have the snow tires taken off the car while it was due for oil change.
Daffodiles are up couple of inches in our shaddy yard, and even half a foot at other peoples' sunny places. Saw the first robin on the way home driving. While I stopped at a nursery to pick up some moss for my new orchid and some gardening equipment - a soil PH meter and a water measuring meter (what luxury!), I saw a beautiful bush with delicate pink blossom outside the place. Upon inquiring, the lady told me it is a type of Viburnum, which flowers from October till April. Well, she may be exaggerating the length of flowering time. but it's sure is a beautiful sight this time of the year when everything look so drap. Reminds me of people who blossom beautifully in the most unexpected environment.

This coming week will be dry, can't wait to go out in the yard to mug around. It is always fun to see what are poking their heads out of the ground first. I buried some leaves in the veggi garden to-day. Yes, it is a bit late, because I didn't read my new gardening book until last week. Hope the worms will cooperate to put in some extra effort.

Ops, meteologist changed the forcast to rainny days for the whole week. It must be hard to be in that profession to hear the complain again.

It is a matter of perspective - After resisting to replace our 15 years old TV, we finally yielded to get a flat screen. I have a feeling the cable company has a deal with the TV outlets. They send their men out to instore new features in the cable system for no charge. Well, we figure we did not want to pay them to come out again if the old TV dies, so we had better to get a new one.

It must cost the cable company an arm and a leg to instore whatever they need to in our new TV, after 3 times, it is still not working quite right. I have to say, I dislike the new TV so much. It takes so long for the picture to show up after one presses the button. One has to use a different remote to change the channel. When one presses the wrong remote, then there are more buttons to press to make the correction. I never had this problem before. The last TV responded like an old faithful. I also think the flatscreen is so ridiculous to look at. People are flattened and widen. They all seem to need some work on diets.

By and by, I spend less time watching TV. The only program I absolutely do not want to miss is the News. I end up having more time on books or helping others to read. Not a bad trade off.

I was going to sit down and blogg on a different story, but couldn't resist anymore to open this video on youtube after the second encounter with it. http://youtube.com/watch_popup?v=SS-sWdAQsYg&vq=medium
It is made by the Japanese people in Tohoku to thank the international community who had gone over to help them in the aftermath of sunami 2011.

The video lasts only 8 minutes, there is no technical fanfare involved, just a very simple, heartfelt message, but a very important one. It gives closure to the tragedy (though 3,800 people are still unaccounted for), it acknowledges the common bond of humanity - its frailty and the need of one another.

The rise of Japan after WW2 was an unprecedented phenomenal. After the humiliating defeat by the atomic bomb, it sets its goal to be a world class super power again through economy. Within 10 years, they built the largest department store in HK, (a small island which population was so battered by the Japanese Imperial Army.
Thousands of Canadian soldiers died there defending it.) We never heard a word of apology. Even when China demands an apology from Japan recently for the Naking massacre of millions of people about 70 years ago, Japan was tight lips about it. In Japan's history book for the classroom, it's global invasion was never mentioned. It is a very proud nation, determines to move on without looking back. Even though many countries had forgiven its brutality and open their markets to Japan which it only took for granted.

USA poured millions of dollars to helped rebuild Japan, they sent them missionaries too. They took the former but rejected the latter. They worship instead their tight knit culture and their own strength, they have no room for a God who died for them, and it is the same God who sent them help. But after the tsunami, they are given another opportunity to do it right.

May we, as individuals, not to by pass the opportunities of expressing gratitude to those who have helped us, making apology to those whom we have offended - they are no small things in life. In fact, they are Life.