This post is linked to Sunday Post, Staking the Shelves, Sunday Salon, and #IMWAYR
September was probably one of the better months of the year for me.
Life slowed down a bit. I was no longer going to the vet every week with my rescue foster. A cat, whom I’ve had since March and has needed a lot of hands on care. Since his health finally started to improve and we got into a rhythm, I was able to relax a bit more.
September is my birthday month, so I celebrated turning 40. Gah! That is still something I’m coming to terms with. I don’t feel 40, and I definitely don’t think that I act 40. I don’t even have my crap together most days. I still feel like a teenager playing house with my boyfriend. Anyway, I would like to say I did something awesome for my birthday, but I didn’t. I went to a nearby coffee shop, and enjoyed a cup of coffee and then the Mister and I got conveyor belt sushi for dinner. I’m a real hard girl to please. Ha! Even though my actual birthday was low-key, I did decide to treat myself all month. And by that I mean I said yes to a bunch of things.
One of the women I know out here asked me to go to the beach with her and some friends. Usually groups of people I don’t know isn’t my thing, but I told myself to soak in the month. So, I said yes and got to experience a gorgeous beach that I have never been to before.
My local area put on their annual eisa festival. Eisa is an Okinawan street procession where dancers move to the booming rhythms of taiko drums and the catchy tune of the three-stringed sanshin. It’s a celebration of Okinawan culture.
I also got to attend a local sanshin institute’s first recital. Other than a couple of them taking a deep breath before their performance, you would never know that they were performing in front of people for the first time. Min-yo is Okinawa’s traditional folk music, and it is everywhere here on the island. The heart of the performance is the sanshin which is this beautiful three-string lute that has this distinct, plucky, rhythmic sound (almost like a banjo, but deeper in it’s resonance). When you pair that with the soulful, almost chanting style of Min-yo vocals, you get a super raw, and emotional performance.
I wasn’t able to get any photos of the recital since no photos were allowed. However, the photo included is the institutes founder, who is a well-known artist here in Okinawa.
I’m really trying to get out an explore so that I don’t have any regrets when we do eventually have to leave Japan.
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Happy birthday! I also feel like I’m 14 because I rarely know what I’m doing. I just go along with things and hope they work out.
How come when we were 14 all the adults looked like wise people with their shit together, but now that I’m that adult I feel like I’m playing dress up?
Sounds like it was a good month, and happy belated birthday! I understand the vet stress as I have been dealing with that for the past two months up to when I lost my sweet Dora two weeks ago. Still worried about my Argyle’s tooth issue. But have a feeling this week will be the one I have to make a decision on doing something more drastic if this round of antibiotics hasn’t finally taken care of the problem. Hope that October is good for both of us! It will be my birthday month, and Argyle’s!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/10/01/the-looooong-and-the-short-of-it-with-a-giveaway-september-2026-wrap-up-post-and-looking-forward-to-october/
I saw the post on Instagram. I was hoping things for Argyle were looking up. Does the vet say what the options are for him with the infection? For the foster cat I wound up doing an expensive test where they took samples of the bacteria (for him is was nasal secretions) and sent it to a lab to be multiplied and then they pitted it against different antibiotics to see which one worked against it. The vets were having a hard time figuring out what was actually going on with him, and this test allowed them to determine WHAT the bacteria strain was, and what antibiotics worked against it without going through weeks/months of antibiotic trials.
That beach looks amazing! I’ve been to Japan a few times, but never to Okinawa. I’m 81 and don’t always know what I’m doing! But trust in Jesus, and do my best!
Okinawa is special. It’s like Hawaii to the US. They have their own language (although they speak Japanese), they have a deep and rich history and traditions that are separate from Japan. It’s like experiencing Japanese culture plus a slice of something extra special.
Glad you are getting to explore Japan and Okinawa. The beach looks beautiful! Happy Birthday!
Happy Belated Birthday. I can’t remember 40 anymore, but even though I’m almost 70, I still feel young. How wonderful that you are living in Japan and exploring Okinawa. Enjoy it all while you can. Happy October.
Happy birthday!
How cool that you are getting to live in Japan! We visiting Okinawa last year and really enjoyed it!
Happy birthday! So glad you made time for yourself and are enjoying life in Japan. Enjoy your reading. Love You to Death sounds good.
Happy Birthday! It sounds like you had an enjoyable month. It’s wonderful that you are getting to explore Japan. My favorite book from September was Relic by Preston & Child
Belated birthday greetings. 40 really is young and enjoy those years while you have them. Looks like you have a great list of books to read.
Happy Belated Birthday! Looks like you had a good reading month in September. I hope you have a great week and a great October.
Happy birthday month! Sounds like you found lots of ways to celebrate. Your books look good too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Happy belated birthday!