Art and I are planning for our trip to Hokkaido to see various snow and ice festivals. We haven't experienced freezing temperatures much since we left Chicago in 2008. We're older now and I hope the cold doesn't bother me too much.
Our temperature here in Hawaii was about 64 degrees F this morning and I put on a fleece jacket.
Our daughter, Tiffany and family left over a week ago so I've looked through this drawer since then to see what we have.
I never saw that note.
There were 9 notes to find all over the place in 2018.
We found 16 notes in 2019.
KC outdid that number in 2022 with 18 notes.
They were being careful near mom especially because of the COVID pandemic.
Since their visit was so short this time, I see that she must have left just 8 notes. KC is 19 years old now and it's nostalgic to see the growth and fun in her notes.
I was surprised that their last visit to Hawaii was 4 years ago. We've been with them every year either in Chicago or meeting them in Japan so I didn't realize it had been such a long time. They did use this visit to enjoy shave ice, malasadas, andagi, udon, beef jun, etc. etc. etc.
Problem now is that since KC is much older, she's also gotten smarter... sneakier? 😄 Ever since I found that note, I haven't been able to find the other 7.
But don't worry. I'll find them like I did the others.
I think.
AHHH! Love it! 64 degrees in July would feel frigid to us in WI. But I get it! When I visited the Big Island in 1965 we went to Waimea for shopping in the winter [we were on vacation and Chicago just had the blizzard of 1965]...the schools closed because the temperature was something like 60 degrees!
ReplyDeleteWe thought it was amazing and funny as kids. We were running around in shorts and the other kids had jackets on.
I would love a trip like the one you are going to take. Have a wonderful time.
I think the schools closed only once when I was teaching in Illinois. When we first moved there in 1974, I thought it was freezing with a ton of snow but everybody kept saying we should have been here in '67. But I guess they've had several and we were there for several more of them in the 35 years we lived there.
DeleteA very note-worthy post. ☺️
ReplyDeleteThanks so sweet for her to continue the notes. So, if you wrote on the back of each one where you found it, that might be a clue. (It's negative 11 wind chill here. We might get up to 9 degrees. Big snow storm tonight. How much do you need for snow ice cream or shave ice? Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful gift…notes to discover long after KC has gone home. I cant think of anything more special.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty, I can still hardly believe she's in college now.
DeleteShe is a real sweetheart..
ReplyDeleteHokkaido? Brrrr…hope you go to Otaru. Are you going with JAL? The last time we went with HA we had to transfer to domestic in HND then fly to Chitose on JAL. Prior to that, all of our flights were direct. 😩 Anyway, I hope you have a marvelous time. Stay warm!!! 🥶
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Yay! I can reply with my phone! I don’t see Otaru on the itinerary. Fingers crossed it’ll be warmer than Chicago now.
DeleteWhat a coincidence. I put on a fleece coat too this morning. It is currently -7 F outside right now!
ReplyDeleteSuch a sweet granddaughter!
ReplyDelete19! Wow, how did that happen???? Oh, yeah, the way our granddaughter turned 16 and our grandson is 14. We realized last year that we had 5 years of their "childhood" left and we better make the most of each year. We had such a lovely 2025, not realizing we would be spending most of 2026 at Stanford, in the radiology department. So, we do plan to see the kids almost each time we are here plus all the other times for their various activities and performances. It all goes in such a blur. I have no idea of Hokkaido of which you write but I gather it's some sort of ice festival, never anything on my radar. Oh, and where is your granddaughter attending college? I don't remember seeing any posts about her life after high school.
ReplyDeleteI love her tradition of leaving the secret notes. It's a lovely way for you to think about her when you read each note.
ReplyDeleteI left notes for my mother, too, since we lived many states apart. It was fun to read that your delightful granddaughter leaves notes for you to find, too.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
That was such a wonderful, loving thing you did for your mom, Barbara.
DeleteLittle notes, I love that! What a sweet granddaughter you have! I hope to have notes from my granddaughter one day too. xx
ReplyDeleteHow fun that you keep finding notes.
ReplyDeleteHi, from balmy Seattle, where our lowest temp was only 30 and with another sunny day it was up to 45. That's cold for us, but nothing compared to much of the country.
ReplyDeleteI love KD's note tradition.
What a fun cute way of your granddaughter to bring a smile to your face. 7 more to go? It is going to be tough!
ReplyDeleteI have notes collections from my daughters and granddaughters, too. So special.
ReplyDeleteI hope she keeps up with this little game.
ReplyDeletewonderful...i think i remember this. we are supposed to get at least a foot of snow this weekend. there is an ice festival (carving) we hope to go to next weekend!!
ReplyDeleteI just remembered a way to stay warm. Get a couple of those hand warmer packets. Use masking tape to put one on each of your shoulders ON TOP of your heavy clothing or shirt. Then put on your jacket or coat. That's how I stayed warm when watching my son during junior high football games. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteOMG! Thank you so much for reminding me, Linda!!! Tiffany gave me 2 pairs of those packets last year and I forgot about it. I should order more.
DeleteThat's funny. Why did I presume you'd have them in Hawaii?! We have them in most WalMart's and hardware stores here; sometimes at the grocery checkout. They make them for feet too. I tried them once, but felt too hot, whether I had them under or on top of my feet. Linda in -3.
DeleteKC started a wonderful tradition - such fun.
ReplyDeleteThis is fun! I'm going to initiate this tradition with my grandkids. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Stay warm.
Now that she’s 19, it sounds like she’s really taken her craft to the next level sneaky and clever. That makes finding the remaining notes even more of a special challenge. Even if you don’t find them all immediately, it’s heartwarming to know she was thinking of you and leaving little surprises.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a sweet tradition. You should get those notes bound in book form to give back to her one day.
ReplyDelete19? I wasn't paying attention apparently. All these kids grew up so quickly
ReplyDeleteHonestly 2020 feels like two years ago to me, not six ðŸ˜
That is so much fun!
ReplyDeleteI know there are winter festivals in Japan. There's one underway here.
ReplyDelete