PURPLE?! GOTTA BE KIDDING!

There was a queer half-tadpole half-toad I saw last year. I've seen quite a few really strange ones at Step Creek in their in-between stages...but this one's head...well, would you believe me if I tell you its face was PURPLE AND WHITE?! I couldn't believe how funny-looking it was so I first took a picture of it then sketched it at home.

I read online that some toad tadpoles, still in the unfertilized egg stage, carry toxins so that predators eating these eggs die instantly.

Could some mutation have occurred at fertilization that one egg wasn't fully detoxed, resulting in the development of lavender-ish features? Poor thing! But then he wouldn't know he was abnormal; it was the next pitiful fellow who grew the strange green skin. They'd both been dull gray-brown tadpoles, after all.

"when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding."

ANOTHER TRY

It was finally a little cooler this morning, a temperature that told me it would be safe to chance a visit back to the park (it was down to 80.6 by 6 a.m.), so I snuck out for a quick walk. I told myself it would not be the former session of stand-under-the-blazing-sun-and-let-yourself-sketch, just a say-hello-to-the-critters-take-quick-photos-and-come-home before it got hot again. The forecast said high for today was 95 Farenheit.

Today I got to see my carp pal Panda, and Gamma the crow (this one was so named because he's so absolutely flat across the top of his head and to the tip of his hooked beak, his form can look like the upper case Greek letter when looking at him from the side!)

The crow drawing I did the other day didn't turn out so good, I wonder if Gamma's drawing today will put me in better...no, the crows don't get mad at me when I draw them poorly; I'm just wanting to draw them better 'cuz I want them to...I was going to say, to smile, but they don't smile, so...caw heartily? I don't know; you end the sentence. (Sorry; some of us are a little lacking upstairs  and need help finishing our own sentences.)

READING ELISABETH ELLIOT

Before going down to Okinawa, my sister gave me a book: Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, but I'd completely forgotten about it until a few weeks ago when we moved everything around in the room. THE BOOK!

Elisabeth Elliot? Those of you who grew up in the latter 1900's recognize that name. Married to Jim Elliot who was martyred by members of an Amazonian tribe, Elisabeth took her daughter, and with fellow missionary Rachel Saint, lived with these jungle people then saw them come to Christ and later became a radio host, author and conference speaker worldwide.

Chapter 9 tells of the shadow of a cross falling across the path of Jim and Elisabeth's nighttime walks when they were still dating. The space before the next chapter seemed perfect for a sketch.

The book isn't just romance and frivolity, of course. In high school, the no-nonsense Elisabeth learned: "Don't go around with a Bible under your arm if you haven't swept under your bed."

SILAS...

The other day, I decided to re-read George Eliot's Silas Marner, (it's relatively short). The main character has epilepsy too, like me.

In 2021, I sketched and named a crow Silas when I saw one guarding a discarded piece of furniture, since Silas protected an abandoned child.

Silas adopted the little girl and named her Eppy. That's short for "Hepzibah", a name found in the Bible, which means "my joy is in her".

I decided to post what my crow drawings look like now, but when I looked at what I put up, I said to myself these drawings weren't the best comparisons; I think I could pat myself on the back for my use of color 2 years ago, while my recent drawing looks rather sloppy. Oh well.

By the way, did you know George Eliot was a girl? Female authors weren't widely accepted, so that was a pen name.

SAINTS AND AGING

(Some people would say it's no big deal; all humans age, not just Christians. True; but don't you think those belonging to the Creator should have a distinct grip on reality? Anyway, this is what I came up with).

I suppose Satan uses the Ally of Age to try to strip God's warriors down. He would first wrench away APPARENT HONOR from many. We need the younger generation, voices say. Faithful old ones are made to feel no longer needed. Actually, they are not less honored by God, just given fewer places of human honor.

Then by various means he chips away at what the human creatures operates by: visible sight; he attempts to strip the soldier of APPARENT BEAUTY. Satan's arsenal seems to include add wrinkles, make appearance asymmetrical, get rid of some teeth and hair. For some, gray hair is "loss" too, altho' scripture refers to it as "silver" or "crown of glory".

One Old Saint, Dew & Rain from Heaven

The final stroke would be to take away APPARENT STRENGTH--in natural aging, there is less agility, muscular power, sensory perception; and the greatest fear is mental weakness. Have not I seen God no longer asking the seasoned saint to lead a fold, (altho' they continue, in private, to pray down the powers of Heaven), but to redeem joys of the Parent-child Bond, nurtured over a lifetime of walking with Him?

Saint of God, while young and able, be all you can be and do all you can do with all he allows to show how great He is and can do.

But saint of God, when older and finding yourself not as able, then rest and know that in so doing you can still show how loving, good, and wonderful your God is.

-And teach the younger ones to trust such God.

(Actually, I really debated posting this. Readers could easily loathe the writer for being "holier-than-thou". I'm not defending myself. I AM too proud, probably more than I realize, and only God Himself knows how much of a kick in the teeth I really deserve--but I don't think that changes the above truths, and I'd hope readers wouldn't stop considering them just because of what they see in my shortcomings.)

Heaven's Rain: God's Air Conditioner?

The Great Blue Heron! (This is an account from last year.) Just when I started sketching, it began raining, and my watercolor brush pens...well, the gesture drawing would be ruined, so I had to pack everything up.

Since then, I try to do quick outline work and do most of the coloring and details at home. See the greenheads and egret drawn in April who benefitted when drawn like this?

I benefitted from the rain. It's been unspeakably hot the past few weeks, but the precipitation made it so cool by yesterday morning (the rain had lifted), Kinya and I could walk downtown.

While we sat reading in the library to pass the time before seeing the dentist, we could hear the thunder and rain outside. But when it was time to walk across the alley to go to the office, it was just sprinkling. By the time we were done and needed to walk to the cabstand to go home, it had stopped completely and felt like the entire outdoors had been air conditioned.

I guess it had. God had done it.

YUCK!

"YUCK!" I remember thinking when a friend described it to me. It's like picking up a corpse and hugging it to yourself and saying, "No! I don't want this! I don't want this anymore!" Gross! But we do it all the time.

We say we have been crucified with Christ and are dead...yet too often see self very much alive. My friend told me well, the truth is, self really is nailed to the Cross--but too often we dash over and grab our rotting flesh, and like fools cling with all our might, perplexed we seem to still be enslaved. "Just let go," she said. "Repent, and don't pick it up so often."

Today, my husband decided to take me to the dentist. I've been having tooth nerve problems--remember I told you (April 3, '23) simple flaked tooth enamel developed into a different problem? At that time, I thought I'd surrendered all to God. But altho' it was a different dentist today, I found myself flaring up angrily when I felt threatened that what had happened before would happen again.

I am pretty embarrassed now when I think about it--the angry declaration of how I'd been wronged, how I'd jumped up ready to leave the office. Perhaps the worst part is the dentist and assistants in the room I got upset at really had nothing to do with the distressing situation I'd faced earlier so shouldn't have had to deal with my ire. After things cooled off, I apologized for my display...I think they're okay with me.

At least they put on professional courtesy. My next appointment will be next Tuesday.

JUST THIS FOR TODAY

The Japanese don't speak highly of family members, and I seem to have started to do that too...but today...would you humor me and listen? My son Keima. He bicycles to his workplace on the other side of the river, often comes home late--after dark. I posted a picture of my toddler grandson viewing fireworks a few weeks ago, but it seemed only fair to show Keima too, because... 

When we lost everything in the '11 Quake and came down to Saitama, God used the pastor's wife here to get him in a high school. My son made a dramatic turnaround from his previous despondent posture, applied himself, graduated at the top of his class.

Then he surprised all of us by discussing it with his teacher and not going on with studies or even opting for a high-paying job; but by being employed at a place nearby. The salary would be lower but dependable, and school advisors had told him his family situation desperately needed this right now. So, since his high school graduation in 2014, Keima has been helping pay our monthly living out of his monthly paycheck for a lackluster but steady work.

(To those of you who are concerned--yes, he also puts aside a little for his future family too.) 

His sister went on to university and got employment at a government post (hokenshi); it would be normal to use expressions like "accomplishment" or "achievement" here. She'd probably be more like the bursting flares up in the sky he'd gaze at from obscurity.

WELCOME BACK, KRITTER

When I came back to Iwatsuki after almost 2 months of being away, I worried about seeing the animals right away. But it was no problem (I wrote about it Feb. 27 post). The other day, I was finding myself concerned about having to stay away from the park animals so long. Would they welcome me?

When I thought back to Feb., I knew they'd welcome me back as one of their own to their flock, school, or murder..."murder"? Oh--that's a group of crows. I didn't sketch them, but they always come.

DABBLING

My first attempts, 2 yrs ago, at mixing in anything remotely removed from realistic in my drawings--I wanted to try it too--just didn't work. I tried to blame it on the serpent that posed for me by naming it Picasso. I know, I know; but I couldn't think of anything else.

I found out there's a technique called "bokeh" (Japanese for "blur"), used originally in photography; and artists and painters experimented with adapting elements into some of their works too. I tried it for a while, but I ended up opting to draw either the regular background or just fade it out.

Because when I made drawings like this--my sister, who is one of my biggest supporters, even asked me--"What are those shapes supposed to be?" No, she wasn't talking about the damselflies; she knew what they were. It was the other stuff I tried. That was kind of embarrassing.

Both of these are 2021 drawings; I just dared bring them out now and talk about them. I think anyone who does art dabbles in lots of stuff to find out what he really wants to do.

BLACK CARP

I couldn't title yesterday's photo story "Black Carp" because the following snippet had already been written...was it way back in 2017?:

BLACK CARP

Then there was the day I was standing on Main Bridge watching the carp get fed. People at the feeding landing for the carp and turtles in Quasi Pond were giving them food.

I say "feeding the turtles", but they're so slow and have such small mouths, the carp usually get food thrown in their direction before they get there.

With one exception.

When humans were tossing out food to carp, I noticed black shadows leaped off the bridge where I was and flew to intercept it!

"Hey, that was for the carp!"

"But we're just flying carp!" the crows insisted: "haven't you heard of black carp?"

With the morsels of food in between their beaks, the crows returned to the bridge, where they continued to dive repeatedly for "black carp" food.

I think some of the carp heard the crows and acted like they took them seriously.

A few days later, at Duck Pond, I saw a black carp struggling in the reeds, flapping her pectoral fins furiously, pretending, I think, like she was "trying to learn to fly." She knew full well that's for the birds.

CAN'T STAY HERE TOO LONG

PHOTO STORY TIME

1 Today's gonna be a scorcher

2 Wanna take a splash

3 Can't stay here too long tho'

4 Humans might mistake me for a black carp

unfinished (pt. 3)

The last 2 pictures posted are actually the first two on the zine. I wasn't sure about posting them because I've already shown you so many pictures of these two, but since I've shown you the other 5 critters of the zine, it didn't seem exactly fair not to show them.

COFFEE the crow is yes, my "artist friend" who has adopted the name "Ble Curie de Sans" (Black Iridescence). No, he did not make this zine; I did. Really.

The critter on the first page?

BILBO my trusty pal in the Irrigation Ditch. I hear Red Ear Sliders are popular pet turtles in the U.S. Bilbo would be elated to have an owner do something about her shell situation. A casual observer may not notice right away, but it stopped growing at a certain point while the rest of her body kept getting bigger, so in some places, it looks like she is wearing a playsuit instead of being completely hidden by armor.

I've sketched so many turtles--I counted 49 pictures the other day--they hold still so are ideal for amateur artists like me.

I hope the other critters understand I might draw them less, but I still consider them ideal friends.

--------------------------------

I have an appointment to a dentist in Shinjuku today. A temporary "cap" has come off one of my front teeth. Again, God seems to have yanked the temperature down a few degrees for me, looking at the week's forecast--thank You so much, Father!

unfinished (pt.2)

You know ALABASTER the egret. Some people associate alabaster with the soft white stone used for exquisite carvings. Others think of how Mary broke the alabaster container to anoint Jesus with the expensive spikenard perfume it contained. Still others speak of "angellic, pearl-like, alabaster skin". Me? I think of my white egret friend who follows me around the pond and listens to my stories.

The page before that is another flying critter.

I couldn't help but call her VENETIA. Black butterflies have a mystique all their own, but when you add the luminescent blue vents to her wings, well, she's a "knockout." Actually, Venetia represents all the butterflies; recently, a lot of them have been coming by and posing to be sketched--the white, yellow, orange, brown, especially the little gray fella (who's really a metallic lavender).

The critter before this one flies in the water...it's called "swimming", I think.

SLIT is probably one of the oldest of my friends at the park. I still remember when she was a spry thing shooting around in the water, loving to play games. Now she unhurriedly, easily, smoothly pours herself through the pond. "What're you doing here by yourself?" I've asked, and seem to be met with "well, you're not by yourself now, so that's good, isn't it?"

("Slit" doesn't mean She'll cut your throat. It's just that she has a scar--a slit--near her lip, from an accident a long time ago.)

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

"Don't you have unfinished business about that zine?" You told your blog readers you made one, but from yesterday's photo, they can't see its contents at all!

The weather forecast looks like I'll be staying home from the park awhile longer, so I'll introduce you to some of the friends on its pages.

The animal on the very back is the first one I'll be showing. This is DIAN, the Ao Daisho (non-poisonous tree-climber snake). I rarely see snakes now altho' they were good friends several years ago. I posted earlier what I'd seen about an Ao Daisho's maternal protection.

Onto the page before it:

Here's GOLDEN the garden spider. I think all outdoors spiders are beautiful (but I tell spiders and snakes they've got to understand I can enjoy them from a distance only--they must not get too close; I can't give you a mental explanation for my physiological desire to jump if they make contact with the skin!)

I'll add 3 more pages before it tonight, but I gotta go get ready for online fellowship, ok? Ta-ta!

CRITTER ZINE

The site that spoke of the meander book also mentioned Zines. I haven't been able to get out to the park for awhile, but I decided to go ahead and make a simple zine to introduce some of my critter friends there anyway.

At first, I was just going to draw outlines but decided to color them in. found myself shading and highlighting, adding details I hadn't planned on at the beginning.

I made myself stop when I caught myself starting to layer with color pencil for more detail, or I would never get back to blogging.

I drew my friends: Bilbo the Red Ear Slider (turtle), Coffee the Crow, Slit the Carp, Venetia the Butterfly, Alabaster the Egret, Golden the Spider, and Dian the Ao Daisho (snake). 

There are many more critter friends at the park, but mini zines are...just that: "mini". So the mallard, dragonfly, lizard, roly poly, kawasemi, frog, hornet, more will have to wait 'til later.

WORKS OF FIRE

My daughter sent me videos of her 2-yr-old son enjoying a fireworks display. It showed him at smiling at the sky, but in one thoughtful frame also showing another thought, as he whispers, "kowai" (scary). He must've been referring to the repeated bangs he heard. That's a lot of power.

During Sunday's after-worship fellowship, we talked about how some things are like fire. We can use and thank God for them, but they can lead to scary things, like explosions, violence, hurt if used wrongfully. Pray that Yusei see God gave him a mind to be used, not to create blasts to melt bones, but able to make beautiful blooms in the night sky ("FlowerFire" is the Japanese word for fireworks).

YOU SHOULD FLY, LIKE US

Friday, I had to go to the clinic again. Because my medicine requires me to stay out of summer heat, the decision was made to go by cab instead of walking for over 25 mins.

My dragonfly friends seemed to agree with me. They didn't think I should walk to the doctor's office either.

As soon as I got home, I lay down, grateful for air conditioning. Because today was not as hot as the rest of the week, I had only a low-grade fever.

And because I'd been able to ride a cab, not walked, after only a few hours' rest, my temperature came down, and I felt fine. Well enough, in fact, to draw these post illustrations.

Oh--this latter reference photo was NOT taken today. I did NOT go to the park today. You can be sure that was taken on an earlier date, when it was much cooler!

BONEHEAD ALARM

Does anybody remember when Computers were NOT folding laptops but were large white cubic things that sat atop your desk...the same went for the television: they were "blocky" things too, not the mere flat displays they are now. Clock faces were circular, with hour, minute, and second hands that moved around the dial. (The wristwatch my Mom wore for children's work had Donald Duck pointing with gloved fingers to the time.)

The younger generation seems to think digital displays are quicker and easier, but... Once you get used to "reading the dial", the mind sees the position of the arms on the clock, and you feel the general amount of time that way, don't have to think math, numbers anymore--but don't the new digital clocks make you have to think in NUMBERS?

At any rate, the boner I pulled today had nothing to do with the kind of clock it was. It was with my head.  I looked at the clock when I woke up, thinking I had overslept, and I had only a few minutes to jump up, dress, get ready to leave for my doctor's appointment. Rats. I was going to shower, look calm and collected. But after talking with Kinya, I realized I had only woken up from taking a nap. I still had way over 12 hours to go. Oops.

No wonder the alarm didn't go off.