Still oceans apart...

Lil and Sue are still not together, but the good news is that Sue and Irwin (Dr. Goldstein, medical consultant) have been proof reading the medical material to make sure it is both correct and state of the art for you when the book goes into production. Lil is holding down the fort at home, and has checked in recently with our publisher. We are still all systems go for the new year.

Last week the traveling duo (Sue and Irwin) were in Japan. Here are some pictures, since we know how much our readers enjoy seeing them.

We started our trip by traveling to Kyoto, sister city to Boston. Here is a young couple in traditional dress, which got them discounted admission to the golden shrine. The shrines in Japan are shinto with no images, just mats on the floor, while the temples are Buddhist, with a figure of Buddha in the center and his bisexual companions on each side.

This is a picture of the largest Buddha in the world, housed in the temple at Nara, the largest wooden structure in the world. The temple is in deer park, where 12oo deer roam freely and are protected from harm.

See what I mean? Also in Deer Park is a shrine where we got to see the 3,5,7 festival. This is a time when 3, 5 and 7 years old children are dressed in traditional clothes and brought to the shrine for a blessing. Hundreds of beautiful stone lanterns line the walkways.

We also went to the Osaka Castle. Here are the castle and a gentleman practicing traditional prayers. We were there during the chrysanthemum festival (a traditional symbol of Japanese royalty) so flowers were everywhere!