My neighbor's blue hydrangeas.

With rain comes dreary, cloudy skies.  But you also get flowers and greenery.  Recently I’ve noticed I have a lot more appreciation for seasonal changes than I used to.  Yes, I’ve always noticed seasonal changes, but when I was living in the States, I didn’t really stop to appreciate them.  I don’t know if it’s because I’m older, determined to thoroughly enjoy my limited free time to the fullest, or because I’m living in a society that really appreciates the different seasons for the unique delights they have to offer.  Whatever the reason, I know that it was my neighbor’s beautiful hydrangeas that made me stop and say “I simply must take a picture of these flowers.”  And after that, “I simply must share these pictures with everyone!”

Another neighbor's purple hydrangeas.

After noticing the flowers, I noticed the lush grass growing in the field next to the apartment.  The field next to our building has been an empty field since we moved in two and a half years ago, and it feels like having a yard that we don’t have to take care of.  On the edges of the field are fruit trees and vegetable patches.  And our nearest neighbors.  It’s a very unique setup for Tokyo.  When people at work ask me in tones of shocked disbelief why I live an hour commute from the office, I just show them these pictures.

Aside from getting me to pull out the camera voluntarily, something which rarely happens, spring also inspired me to engage in other equally uncharacteristic behaviors.  I baked.  To you, that sentence may seem totally innocuous.  But to anyone who knows me they probably had to re-read it a dozen times before finally saying “no way would Miss Kaizer ever bake.”  Well, the truth is that I did bake.  And while my inner feminist wept bitter tears, I was secretly very pleased with myself.  I didn’t exactly make the dough from scratch, but I was still pretty darn proud.  I mean, I rolled out a pie crust.  Lil ‘ol me.  We don’t have a pie pan in the Kaizer Kasa, but we do have a Betty Crocker Cookbook (thanks, Mom) that provided me with the recipe I used for an apple pie on a cookie sheet.  The filling was four apples peeled, sliced, and mixed with brown sugar and a little butter.  What we got after 25 minutes in the world’s smallest oven was pure sugary heaven.  Awww, yeah!  I’m now a baking fiend!

Please forgive the darkness of the photo. It was late when I finished baking.

We each had a large piece while it was still warm.  Omnomnomnom!  It was an easy project and has given me confidence in my ability to actually bake.  I think I’m going to try Grandma’s banana bread recipe next Sunday.  I actually wanted to do that today, but we didn’t have any milk and neither of us felt like leaving the apartment.  I threw the bananas in the freezer so I can use them next week.  Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I’m actually looking forward to baking next week.  Ssshhhh!  It’s days  like this I realize how inspiring life can be.

Until next time, may life continue to inspire you.

Miss Kaizer