After saying goodbye to my brother's family, Tetsu and I took to the roads again this time to travel across the width of Michigan to go visit some longtime friends, John and Marilyn!
Toodly-do. Even though Tetsu did get an international driver's license, he never did any driving on this trip... In Japan, HE does all the driving when we are together but I took over the wheel while in the States.
Driving on the opposite side of the road takes a bit of getting used to... The turn signals and the windshield wipers are opposite too. I occasionally hit the wrong lever to turn and set the wipers going... And Michigan left turns are rather confusing!
But driving wasn't as much of a problem as I'd feared.
The clouds were beautiful!
Oh dear! Keep your eyes peeled for crossing geese! This goose family just waddled across a busy road and we all screeched to a halt! Whew! They made it across the road safely!
Three and some hours later we pulled up in front of John and Marilyn's house.
The K family are friends of ours from Tetsu and my dating days in Morioka, Japan! John and Marilyn arrived as newlyweds who were just starting their missionary commitment in Japan. We studied Japanese together and they oversaw my romance with Tetsu. A couple of years into their assignment they had twin boys and was that a major event for all of Morioka! Big, blond babies where there were hardly any foreigners in the city to speak of yet. I was in and out of the house helping and watching Marilyn be motherly. And Tetsu was watching how an American husband behaved in his home... It goes without saying that this couple was a huge influence on us and our decision to get married!
Marilyn still calls me "Tani-chan", "Sweet little Tani."
We practically walked across the street to see Lake Michigan. Oh my goodness! Is that a lake? To us that is an ocean!
Have to say I got my feet wet in Lake Michigan!
Proof that we both got there.
Dinner on their deck. Rice for Tetsu! And let me add that it was very nice for Tetsu to be able to speak Japanese freely with friends again after being two weeks in the States with only me to talk with! John and Marilyn have been back in the States for more than 30 years now but they still remember their Japanese!
In the evening we walked to a lighthouse to watch the sunset.
It would be fun to visit all the lighthouses around the Great Lakes...
So happy to be together again!
The sunset was spectacular.
Tetsu took too many pictures...
A look back at the light house...
The second day Marilyn got out her box of old photos and we reminisced about long ago days...
Was this the last time we were all together? Maybe. John and Marilyn had brought their whole family to California which now included another son and their daughter. All of us barged in on our family friends who lived in San Diego. There is Mrs. H and my mother standing in the background. Me (YOUNG!!!) one of the twins, the K's family's youngest son, Tetsu (YOUNG!), Takumi maybe 7 or 8, John, Leiya, Marilyn, the K's family's daughter, Mr. H, and another twin. (I couldn't tell them apart back then, I still can't now!)
Tetsu and I got to meet John and Marilyn's extended family with all the grandchildren too! Fourteen of us gathered for dinner!
It is so good to have lifetime friends!
Oh My, long time friends are so special, and how super to look at those photos.Well done with the driving, and Tetsu, great settings for your photos, love the lighthouse framed in an archway.
ReplyDeleteLifetime friends are like gold. So glad you were able to see them in person again after all these years.
ReplyDeleteEven in Tokyo 30 years ago, foreigners were exhibit A. In those days missionaries were the greatest choice of friends and all were studying Japanese while I spent my time teaching english and never learned much. I have kept those friendships all these years too so I can imagine the joy getting together again. Lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteI grew up swimming in Lake Michigan ...... do you have any idea how many light houses are on the lake???? Google says 100 on the west side that is in Michigan.... but it sure looks like the same number on the east side - Illinois..
ReplyDeletehttps://www.wmta.org/lake-michigan-lighthouse-map-circle-tour/ you made very good use of your time in the USA.
So glad you got to visit the inland sea that we call Lake Michigan. I live just a couple of miles from the big lake, probably farther north in Michigan than where you were visiting. It is such a gift to be able to live near the beautiful lake.
ReplyDeleteI thought Tetsu was Takumi in the photo. They look a lot alike.
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