Japan Relief Fund

This is my mother in law navigating the subway map during her visit.

Have you seen the quilt Oh Fransson! is giving away to get people to donate to the Red Cross Relief Fund for Japan? Go check it out and help out to enter. Her Tokyo subway quilt is a dream.

Reminds me of the first time I was trying to navigate the Tokyo Subway,alone of course, and I didn't realize the other side of the map was in English! I felt like a total dunce! (if you remember my little story about almost peeing my pants on the train and barely making the last shinkansen home... it was the same trip)

a costume parade in Misawa (Aomori Prefecture)

Please go help if you can. I lived in Northern Japan for 4 years, and I have to say, even if you have been to Tokyo you have to understand Northern Japan is totally different. These are people that are kind and live simple lives. Hard working folks. They don't live in modern big city digs like the people in Tokyo. These are farmers, and fishermen. And just the kindest people you would ever encounter. Really.