Okinawa Karate Center Uchinaadikan

3 promotions this evening at the Okinawa Karate Center UchinaaDiKan: (l-r) Dev Singh, Ryan Awasthi and Porter Wong.

Congratulations!!!

A few promotions in our Adult class this evening: (not in order) Naaran Smith, Matthew Diviak, Trisha Mantri, Joshua Jones, Kristina Vu, Frank Benavidez ad Mary-Hollis Clarkson, flanked by our newest member, Aaliyah Perez.

Two promotions in our Jrs class: Cheruba Kurian 6th Kyu nd awarded Instructor Assistant patch and Ryan Awasthi 8th Kyu, joined by our newest member, Yugen Dudzik.

I really dislike the “fall back” time change.

Perfect day for winter maintenance on all my wooden “buki” (武器 - weapons): any hard dents and chips sanded down, polished with steel wool and light coat of linseed oil applied.

Life is making the best of what life presents you. You don’t always get to choose in what that is nor do you always have a choice in how you respond. That too is part of life.

The 5 year survival rate for Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma is 15-20%. While some might see this as worrisome, I am encouraged.

Mine journey started 12 years ago with surgery to remove a mole on my back the size of a dime and since then it has metastasized in my lung twice (chemo), removal of lymph nodes from right arm pit, brain 3 times (gamma knife radiation), removal of my left adrenal gland, growth in the adrenal bed (chemo), tumor in my left kidney (cryoablation) with the most recent radiation treatment of another tumor in my left kidney.

Being open about my journey is a big part of my mental and emotional health therapy. Someone once asked what it was like battling cancer. I replied, “Wrong word. “Battling infers there is a winner and a loser. I “manage” my cancer and all its side effects”. Some days are easier than others but it’s a day I’m alive.

Not a bad life mantra if I say so myself.

Happy Daughter’s Day to my daughter Stephanie McMains. Love you with all my heart!!♥️

New cap with my last name seal (hanko/chop).

It’s been a busy reporting year and like all tools, my bamboo chopsticks needed a bit of maintenance care (reshaping of the tips). The two larger chopsticks are maple rhythm sticks that I shaped for larger jobs.

I never envisioned that my journey into bonsai would be one of my single most effective forms of therapy against depression and anxiety. Bonsai over medication any time. Now if I can just find a way to get my insurance to cover the it.

Reposting pic from Ken Rob Cousino’s morning post.

While manning the Houston Bonsai Society tent at the Japan Fedtival I was visited by one of my former Black Belts, Jesus Valoz and his mother, who drove in from Austin. Warmed my heart to see them both.

Volunteering at the Houston Bonsai Society tents at the Houston Japan Festival. Perfect weather.