APRIL FIRST, LOST IN TRANSLATION……
TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO AWESOME MT. FUJI….
....and Sakae 'Eva' Yagino, our wonderful guide who we all fell in love with. She is so knowledgeable and poured so much information into us that I'm sure some spilled out along the way. In the background is one of the touring ships that we could see from the...
THE RYUGUDEN RYOKAN HAKONE…….
I've long heard tales of the Japanese country 'inns' but this was way beyond my wildest dreams and I found it absolutely sublime! All of our rooms overlooked the lake with majestic cedar trees and awesome Mt. Fuji appearing just as in all the woodblock prints we've...
O.K. LADIES, DROP YOUR DRAWERS………
.......and everything else for that matter. Remember high school gym? Not your favorite thing? Well, one visit to a Japanese bath....after the initial shock ....will change your mind about the whole communal thing. Here's the entrance....the red is...
A DREAM COME TRUE……
The day began at Meiji Shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. I could hardly wait to get to our Sumi-e class at Carre Moji. This is one of the most elegant galleries in Japan devoted to the most expressive Sumi painting and...
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS…….
.Tony T. is the best, best limo driver and I had a relaxed Sunday drive to LAX International. JAL gets my vote for the best, best airline and business class was never better. I watched three movies that I had been avoiding....Dallas Buyers Club and 12 Years a Slave...
DREAMS OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS…
…….it’s on to Japan!
A DAY OF INSPIRATION……
We had a 2.5 hour drive to Nikko National Park with the first stop being Toshogu Shrine with the Yomeimon Gate. Yomeimon Gate is also called Higurashino-mon or 'The Gate Where People Stop to Look'. It was evident why this is designated as a national treasure. Miss...
MOVIES, MOVIES, MOVIES……
‘Ernest & Celestine’ is quite possibly the most precious movie ever about the friendship between plucky Celestine, a little mouse, and Ernest, a grumpy bear. The story is charming and the animation is sublime! Handcrafted watercolour backgrounds and hand...
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST FEATURED LUCIA’S STUNNING HOME…….
…..and it was the cover story! We were favored with a ‘tour’ after lunch but more on that later. Lucia went to China with us and it has been a great joy to have her sweetness in my life. Sunday I was invited over for an intimate luncheon before leaving for...
WELCOME…
to my personal blog where I’ll be sharing adventures and how I determine each day to live joyfully as an Artist, Teacher, and Author. My latest book “What If… We Have the Power to Change Our Lives” an inspirational book that hopefully will empower you to live your best life! You can find me and my work at nanraestudio.com My hope is that this blog will inspire you to find joy everywhere and in everything and that is what I wish for you!