Scott and I had a p-day today after a long (and yet not long enough) three weeks in Utah for a wedding (photos later), General Conference, mom's surgery, saying 'good-bye' to four daughters and two grandchildren, sisters, and on and on. Everyone is there now except us and Joe of course. So, we spoiled ourselves with a little outing to Mt. Nokogiri in Chiba. I think you will agree, it was fabulous! This first picture is of a bas relief of the goddess Kannon, carved into the side of the mountain. She is 100 ft. tall and completely amazing!
The view over into Tokyo Bay was gorgeous. It felt good to get out into the countryside.
Mt. Nokogiri consists of a temple, the Kannon rock sculpture, 1500 arhats located along a walking path and a daibutsu, or Giant Buddha (pictures below). I decided to play a game and find the arhats that best fit our children's personalities.
Camille is any one of the arhats up against the wall. The pathway was on the edge of the mountain and she is our skittish one when it comes to heights. Take your pick, Camille, I just want to know what you are holding.
This is Joe's face, but since the arhat's eyes are closed, you can't see the eye roll that Joe is famous for.
Below are either the newlyweds, Abby and Casey because they are having so much fun together, or Gracie and Sam, our little grand babies because they make each other laugh.
Or maybe the headless one is Abby, she almost forgot her wedding dress and the marriage license..and her make up and …on her wedding day. It could be Camille or Emma front and center with the face palm looking at Abby in frustration over her forgetfulness.
The one below is Kate as she is the most serene of our children, we'll call her Goddess Divine. She has such patience with her little ones. Notice how she is standing on a dog dragon (Lucy)? Ammon, her husband really wants a dog, but Kate says she has her hands full. Maybe the dog would test her patience. She takes after her father.
This is Emma when you ask her to do something like wake up.
This totally could be my face when I get stressed out. See the different eye colors? Yup.
This looks to me a little like Grandpa Ed.
Here are the other grandmas and grandpa--always patiently waiting for us to come.
Standing is my husband--always moving, always reading, studying. The sitting arhat right front could be Ammon and Casey, our beloved sons-in-law who study so hard to make careers for their darling families. Thank you both!
This is a stone Daibutsu completed in 1783. It stands 102 ft. tall. And although Kamakura bronze statue is still my favorite, this one was incredible.
These are little Jizo for children who died in infancy. The story goes that they must stack rocks on a riverbed until they can climb out of Hell. These little Jizo were for sale at a nearby stand and I am assuming parents place them at the foot of a statue to remind them of lost children.
There was a huge pile of discarded ones whose little red hats and bibs had worn off.
A silly side note, this was a display at Narita airport of the many flavors of Kit Kats here in Japan. From left to right, top to bottom, Strawberry Cheesecake in a Mt. Fuji box, green tea, cherry blossom, strawberry, dark chocolate, regular, wasabi (I bought a box and they were delicious), rum raisin, cheesecake and I don't know what flavor.
Here is a link to find out the weirdest Kit Kat flavors in Japan:
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/03/18/japans-strangest-kit-kat-flavors/
I personally have seen pumpkin and corn and I have heard there is soon to be a Kit Kat museum completed in Tokyo, although I cannot verify it.
Lastly, I loved spending time with family. I got to go to The General Women's meeting with my mother, my mother-in-law, one of my sisters and two of my daughters. Beauties, all. These (and Emma and Abby and our son-in-laws and all family) are why the three weeks weren't long enough.
