My new 6hours

My new life starts from this September !

Yes. My youngest son goest to Kindergarten.  From this year, Kindergarten is a full time school, not the half day school!

My son went to the pre-school, but it was only 2hours and 3 times a week. 2 hours goes by really quick.  After dropping him off at pre-school and by the time I finish the grocery shopping, it is time to pick him up....

Anyways, from this September, I will have an empty house for,

6 hours/day, 5 times/week

that is 30hours/week.

What do I do now? 

I have been wishing for the free time for all these years, but one it is given,
I don't know what to do !!!

The first 4 years of my family life, I was either pregnant or nursing.  Children are now 9yrs, 7yrs and 5yrs. It has been 9 years and 9 month since my oldest was born.

Somebody was always at home, 

"Mommy, I'm hungry~!" 

"Mommy, I want to do painting, can you help me to set it up~?" etc etc etc.

Especially when I am on the phone,

"Mommy! Can you read this book now~?" "My nose is bleeding!"

When I am packing the old clothes for donation, my daughter would start unpacking,

"Mommy! This is my favourite shirt! Oh, I remember this shirt when I was just a baby,,,, maybe it will fit to my stuffy bear." 

When I practice piano,

"Mommy, can you play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, instead?"

When I want to do knitting,,,, forget it.

When we do some family gatherings, I could never finish one conversation from the beginning to the end.  Usually, join the conversation half way through and trying to figure out the subject.  By the time I caught up with the converstaion,

"Mommy, my hands are sticky with ketchup~!"

By the time I wash the ketchup-hands and back to the conversation (if there is a seat),

the last subject would be finished, and next subject would be already starting. 

When I look back, I have not been able to complete one thing without any distruction 

for 9 years.

Now I am facing to the fact that I get to chose how to use the 6 hours!! 
For myself, or for others.  This is so exciting!

I even asked moms friends from school,

"Can you pleeeeease not ask me to do volunteer for the first 2 month? I have been waiting for this time so long, and I just want to enjoy the 6 hours for now. I promise to

do volunteer once I had enough of my 6 hours!"

What a selfish request !

Anyways, as a gradual start, the first day of the kindergarten was only 2 hours. The second day will be 4 hours, and the third days will be 5 hours.

From the 4th day and on, it will be 6 hours!

my son, being proud to be in a big school.

changing into inner-shoes.

find his name and hook his back pack

sit in the center space and listen 

to the teacher carefully.

There is my son isn't listening nor looking 

at the teacher at all.

He is distracted by the sea animal pictures

on the wall....

"My want to do list"

More Reiki sessions during day time and have free evenings

Yoga into my life

Practice Piano and Harp more

Start knitting again

Offer Reiki as volunteer

Edit videos and photos

try new recipes for meals

and more Reiki. did I say that?

Seems like I can fill up the 6 hours pretty quick.

Life is beautiful

Reiki at camping

I love Reiki. Both teaching and practicing.

Especially when I see the positive result from the Reiki treatment, I get so excited

and want to do more to see even better result.

But I know not everyone understand Reiki. In fact, most of the people has some 

level ofdoubt for Reiki. Until they experience the Reiki treatment themselves, 

then they understand !

I am not saying Reiki gives complete cures to the serious illness, but Reiki always gives positive result.

You can doubt, criticize, not believe, it still works.

Here is my recent story of Reiki !

We went 3 generation family camping for 4 days. Started with a big adventure.

Our poor truck broke down 1 hour after we left to the camp site. 3 hours to go, not even close to the camp site.

Here comes tow truck for a rescue. 

We almost missed the big family camping !

But everyone helped us to get there, and we finally arrive to the camp site!

But my father in law was sitting there with upset stomach. He looked pale.

Father in law on the right

Beside him, there was my niece having a headache and her mother was giving

her a Reiki treatment.

Sunshined, big rain came. But it was all fun, because we were all together!

However, my father in law still does not feel good even on the second day.

I thought,

"I wish I could do Reiki for him. I am sure he would feel better if he receive Reiki treatment....."

But I know he is not really sure about Reiki.  He does not say anything bad about Reiki, but I just know, he is not sure.

In the morning of the second day, I mentioned to him,

"If you are open for Reiki, I am more than happy to do Reiki for you. I am sure it will help to make you feel better. You can think about it !"

I did not want to push him too much, but at the same time I wanted to let him know that Reiki was available.

He was still feeling sick at the lunch time. He even said,

" If I feel like this tonight, I will not stay another night. "

Some of the family members sort of understand, or accept Reiki. In fact, my sister in law (his daughter), and my niece (his grand daughter) learned Reiki. 

They are telling him,

"Let Mari do Reiki on you!"

"O,,,,K,,,,, if you guys say so,,,,,"

I did Reiki for maybe 30minutes.  He sat on the lawn chair, and I put my both hands 

on his belly.

30minutes later, I asked him

"Are you OK? Would you like more?"

and he said

"I think I had enough." 

Am I torturing him?  

I told him

"You might want to go back to your motor home and rest for a while. Even though you don't feel any difference now, you will start feeling better later. Give some time for your body to digest the information." 

And he went back for a little rest.

Meanwhile, other family members were playing a Reiki train!

Alanah had allergy reaction, and her mother was giving her Reiki. The son came along and give his mom a pretend-Reiki on her head. Uncle came along and give his nephew a pretend-Reiki. Nephew came along and give his uncle a pretend-Reiki. Sister came along and give her brother a Reiki.

***) Only the 2nd and the 5th person on this Reiki train took Jikiden Reiki training.

But I love the way Reiki is working here!

 I even brought my massage table to a camp site to do some Reiki.

Few hours later, father in law came back.  He does not look sick, in fact, he looks just fine! 

"Where the heck is the wine that I brought?" and he started to drink his favourite red wine.

father in the middle, red jacket

I was in a kitchen and making sushi rolls by myself.

As he pour himself a glass of wine and going out the door, shyly and not looking at me, he said,

"Whatever that is, Rakay or Riki, something. I think it worked. I feel good now. Thanks!"

At the dinner time, he said to the family 

" Wine works really good to me! I feel really good now ! "

Some family members told me later

"There is no doubt that Reiki worked on him. What a big difference since few hours ago! It's not the wine!"

Look at his smile !  4th from the left

Beauty of Reiki.

no electricity

no computer

no capsule, no pill

no bottle of herb

no bandaid

does not have to be in a special room

in a house, on the ferry, in the airplane,

in the office, on the island

noisy place, hot place, cold place

learn reiki and anyone can do reiki in any place.

Reiki is intelligent.

I think.

New Year Eve

Today is New Years Eve.  Soooooo quiet around here, at least, around me.

In Japan, New Years Eve is a big day, just like a Christmas Eve for Canadian culture.


Family members come back to the home town.
Getting together with old friends who haven't met for years.


I have been in Canada for since 1999, and I am finally getting used to have a super busy, exciting, wined up, almost over whealming Christmas and quiet New Year.


But I certainly miss my Japanese New Year!!!


Watch the New Year Eve TV show, Kohaku Uta Gassen, (female popular singers as a 'Red team' VS male popular singers as a White team), get excited about each singers costumes.

Go out with friends to visit temple and line up to hit Joya-no-kane (a huge gong) at a Buddhist Temple.

Yes, lots, lots, lots of people.


Joya-no-kane starts around 11:55pm on December 31st, and continues until it hits 108times.

"108 times" comes from Buddhist teaching. By hitting 108 time, it helps to cleanse the guilt, anger and all the regrets and sorrows that happend in past year, and to be clean to be ready for the new future.

I think it is very beautiful culture...

Eat Toshi-koshi-soba, the "Buckwheat Noodle for New Years Eve" on December 31st.

Toshi-koshi-soba is to show the appreciation to be able to have a life for the upcoming new year, and wishing for the long life. (long noodle represents longevety)


After eating Toshi-koshi-soba,Stay up all night, or have a little snooze.


Get up early to find the most beautiful New Year's Sunrise.

Make a promise to the First Sun of the Year for a happiness and good health for 
the upcoming years.


Eat, O-zo-ni, mixture of vegetable and fish soup, with O-to-so, sweet rice wine, in the morning of the New Year.

Each foods in the O-zo-ni has meanings behind them.  As you eat each food in a soup, we remind ourselves to promise for happiness, success, achieve goals, good health, longevety.

Then go to the Shinto temple in the afternoon of New Years day,

 to make a wish, 

pick a reading(horoscope) of the year,

and buy a lucky charm(for good health, happiness) from Miko (spiritual medium in red & white clothes at Shinto Temple).

If you pick a bad reading, you know your year will only get better.
If you pick a good reading, you are promised a good year.


Children receives Otoshi-dama, gift of the year, from parents, relatives and sometime from neighbors (if they are rich!).  

It is money in a small envelope.  
We learn how to save money each year from our childhood.

Japanese New Years Eve and New Year day are full of customs and full of spirit in 
each actions.

I certainly miss this part.

Shinto teaching is such an equal, non judgemental, spirit based, nature based and honest teaching, in my opinion....


I think that is why I love Jikiden Reiki that truely respects 
the Japanese ancient teaching, Shinto.

Happiness does not come only from the happiness.

I think,,, happiness comes with the loneliness . 

Without knowing the feeling of loneliness, there is no happiness.

WIth knowing the feeling of loneliness, we can be kind to others.

Feeling healthy does not come only with the good health.

I think,,, feeling healthy comes with the sickness.

Without knowing the pain of the sickness, there is no feeling of healthy.

WIth knowing the pain of the sickness, we can be kind to others.

For my families, friends, all the people around me,

I wish you from the bottom of my heart for the happiness 

with a bit of bitterness, the good health with a bit of 

down days and smiles on your face no matter what.

Thank you for having me in your life.

Without any of you in a past, now and future, 

I would not be 'me'.

You are part of me, I am part of you...

Happy New Year !!!

Doll House

I love doll house.


Now the doll house is under the high bed that
my handy dandy husband has built.


Read Bunk Bed Part 2

By the way, I love doll house furnitures and goods more than doll house itself.

Tiny winsty stuffs!  I just love them so much !

However,,,

This Doll House is more amazing than these two bunk beds modification.

My handy dandy husband built this doll house !  

Yes, He BUILT it, from scratch.

It is not from a kit.

For me, it is almost scary that

a human can build this.

My brain does not work the same ways, so 

carpenters who can build houses, 

blow my mind !!!

This doll house has many rooms just like our cozy home.

It has bed rooms just like our cozy home,,,

and a bathroom...

Yes, this doll house looks just like our cozy home,
because my handy dandy husband measured our home and built
our mini cozy home  for my daughter's 3rd birthday !!!

Click here for a short video clip !!! 

Now she is 6yrs, old enough to help me to decorate the interior of the doll house,
so I am thinking to get some materials for curtain, carpet, tiles, etc...

It will be so much fun !!!

Bunk Bed Part 2 !!!

Continue from Bunk Bed and Handy man ! 

We had a plan to go to ski last weekend, but we had a heavy rain.

Skiing in a rain with three kids would not be too much fun.

I suggested my husband,

"Why don't we do the bed modification today ? "

My husband said,

"That's a good idea."

"Yes !  He said 'Yes' !!!" 

I have to keep him motivated !

OK, this is my daughter's room.

Everything is on the floor.

I clean up, but clean room does not last 2 days.

This time, he was quick to come back and get going!

Daddy holds the drill, Geoff pulls the trigger.

High bed needs a good support, otherwise it is too wobbley.

Hand drill hurts little ears.

Mayu is excited to have her high bed!

She even helps putting her bed together.

Ladder is also handmade.  Daddy's proud looking.

Ladder detail.  Each steps are snuggled into grooves.

Now she has her own space to do crafting, colouring, writing letters, etc.

Daddy even mounted a light.

Doll house is under the bed, and lots of floor space now!!!

We will see how long this clean room last !

Because the boys room is already,,,,,

"Super clean" into,

3 days later, "Super messy".

That's OK !

This is the sign of children are having fun !