"Home Again"

My family celebrated our reunionwith a Thanksgiving dinner{since I missed it}inviting a few close friends.And because it was Peter's birthday, that day,we celebrated that, too.

My sweet puppy.

Some things are coming back,

like old habits.

Other things feel foreign.

Driving: old habit

English everywhere: foreign

In the few days I've been here, though,

it's been dream-like,

reuniting with my loved ones.

{♪ "Christmas This Year" ~ TobyMac feat. Leigh Nash}

"You're Home, Best Friend"

Twenty-four months ago,

the phone was pushed against my ear,

and my mama listened to me

garble, choke, sputter, garble, choke, sputter

all the words I didn't say to him.

Time passed, and I stretched my arms.

I learned to open my heart to people and life,

and when it was too much,

I'd bury my face in my little dog's fur

up in the mountains

and the sun would rise again

so I could wake up.

With the end of two beautiful years,

America is calling my best friend home.

I always thought I'd be there

to see him.

But life rarely uses your calendar.

And I am

so very curious to see

where this road takes us,

if his path

finds mine again.

I get to discover you

all over again,

best friend.

{Images via We Heart It}

"Santa Clause"

"If I had a single flower for every time I think of you, I could walk forever in my garden." -Claudia Ghandi

Santa Clause visits me every Tuesday morning.

{It used to be Monday morning, when I wasn't living in the future.}

Every morning,
I try to think of something motivating to get me going.
{Otherwise, I'd bury myself in the blankets & never come out before 9am.}

Tuesday mornings are easy-peasy.
I wake and shove on my glasses
so I can see the little present left in my inbox
with his name on the gift tag.

I was told my heart would cool and crust
after 6 months
after 12 months
after a year and a half...

But, no.
It's just as alive and raw
as the day he flew away.
Maybe even more so
since 2 years is forever long
when you've only lived 21 of them.

So, since my lad is so wonderfully busy,
getting an e-mail every Tuesday morning

brings Christmas all-year-round.

{image via here}

"For Your 21st Birthday..."

I ate a soccer ball in your honor.

And drank water

imported from England.

And though Japan is lovely,

it could do with a bit more red hair.

When your feet touch American soil

{sixty-nine days from now}

live in the moment.

And eat a real cheeseburger.

Happy birthday, my best friend. ♥

"Thinking Fluently"

Part of learning to talk like a native

is learning how to think like one

{or so my language professors & quadrilingual Pére tell me}.

So, I picked up the funnies today and read.

Here's a favorite:

「離さない！」

１０年経つと　

「話さない！」

"I'll never let you go!"

...10 years down the road...

"Never talk to me again!"

{It's funny because both

離さない and 話さない

are pronounced the same way:

hanasanai!}

I giggled with one of the teachers about it

for six minutes straight.

But, thinking realistically,

I really do hope

that 91 days from now,

when my best friend parts ways with his beautiful England

to fly home to America,

I can leave behind my

high school sweetheart shallowness

and wade in a little deeper

with him.

{Images via P.S. I love you & this is reallllll}

"100 Days of Chocolate"

"Many people miss opportunity

because it's dressed in overalls

and looks like hard work."

-Thomas Edison

We've reached the 100-day countdown.

100 days until my friend flies back to America,

100 days until he can talk to me freely,

court me, maybe,

if Skype dates aren't too laughable to him.

{But if they were, I probably wouldn't love him with so much of my heart.}

100 days, my friends.

Just 100 more.

I know I just posted about relishing each day,

and I promise to do that:

with every chocolate,

every day,

I'll look forward to knowing

he's home again

in one hundred tomorrows.

"Easy Eternal Love?"

A student asked me today,

"What is the word for 'eternal love' in English?"

{Japanese: eien no ai 永遠の愛}

"It's eternal love," I said,

but he pushed on.

"How do you declare your eternal love?"

"Uh... 'I'll love you forever'...?" I replied.

And then I was lost in contemplative thought.

In Japanese,

to pledge your eternal love,

you simply say, "eternal love".

Bryn had a similar idea, actually,

before he flew to London.

And together,

we invented our own simple word

that we use sometimes, to mean,

"I'll love you forever".

So, a question:

Is there an easier way to say,

"I'll love you forever"

in English?

Or, do you have your own little word?

{Book via Papertissue}

"I Like This Boy"

...I like him alot.

And this Christmas,

I get to see him again,

for the first time

in 819 days. ♥

"Today, I Chose a Different Train"

...and brought you in my pocket, love.

{'cuz I couldn't have you missing all the fun.}

I'm kinda sorta almost pleased to report

I've figured out Japan's bread and butter

--the local train system--

kinda sorta.

Almost.

-*-♥-*-

Life's too short to go home "the normal way"

all the time.

It helps keep life curious

when you follow your curiosity

for a minute

or two.

{Image via M.R.}

"This May Sound Crazy, But..."

When I use floss,

I remember you saying,

"Oh, you're one of those people",

meaning I use too much of it.

And I can't help but smile.

:)

When I watch the schoolboys pedal

their girlfriends around on bicycles,

I remember you picking me up on a Wednesday,

driving me to the mountains to walk my dog

and watch the sun go to sleep.

And when I have nights like last night,

when the toilet is my pillow

and stomach juices scorch my throat,

I think of you putting a washcloth on my forehead

and stroking my hair.

And it's enough to put me back to sleep,

just like that drowsy sun

when we walked my dog in the mountains together

on a Wednesday.

"A Little Letter"

Dear Bryn,

I ate a little slice of chocolate today,

as it happens to be Valentine's Day.

{♥}

I wanted you to know

that I ate it in your honor,

as it's much too difficult to send cake to you in England.

That's my excuse, anyway.

...Nothing to do with my addiction to cake.

So, I just wanted to thank you for it.

And maybe next year,

I'll share some cake with you.

...Maybe.

With love,

Ashley ♥

PS: Thanks to the lovely Kakogawa Ward Youth, I got to eat a cupcake for you, too!

"Village of the King"

"The unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates

A song that is particularly close to my heart is

"Village of the King", originally sung by Felicia Sorenson

{who is now, regrettably, a very different woman}.

It thrills me to make music with talented people.

{*ahem* Bryn *ahem*}

So, when Rob agreed to record this beautiful song with me,

I was very smiley. {*twinkle*}

Forgive us if we're out of tune,

the goal was to have fun {atleast for me}.

By the way, Bryn, we're going to record a myriad of songs

once we're both back in America.

Your talents will be utilized. {merherher.}

Image via Dalla

"He's Doing Well"

"We can uplift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude."-President Thomas S. Monson

Bryn sent a little picture package at the exact moment it was needed.

Car accidents are never happy things. {*sigh*}

It's beautiful how well our missionary is doing. I'm thankful for his strength. ♥

I'm also grateful for loving parents, both in Heaven and on this earth with me.

I know the Lord knows what's best for us,

and I know Bryn is in His hands.

"Spiders Can Bring Happiness (sometimes)"

"The woman's heart, asleep in the child, was vaguely thrilled by a dream of love."

-Sarah Orne Jewett (A White Heron)

I received a letter.

The first one since July.

And it cracked my face a little bit, I was so happy. ♥

I had chased a spider under the couch, frightened it with my vacuum...

Me, the girl who flinches from deer heads on the wall, who pales when a baby robin lays naked and dead at the foot of a tree, was ready to snuff so small a life as a spider's.

But my peripherals distracted me from the deed.

I halted, half-bent to kill, when my gaze brushed the brown of the envelope.

It blended so well into the carpet.

And if my half-starved eyes hadn't hoped to see his handwriting--fresh--every day...

I would've missed it.

But it was found; the spider led me there.

Thank you, spider.

{Photo via Flickr}

"Happy Halfway!"

"I believe in angels, something good in everything I see." -Mamma Mia!

A very happy "Halfway" to Elder Farnsie. ♥

In honor of the occasion, Aubrey, Jeanie, Corbin and I all dined at Yamatos. Mmm!

(Psst... that's where I met the boy. :D)

And then, in honor of his English mission, we watched "The Importance of Being Ernest".

I am absolutely in love with the scriptwriter. British at its best.

Only one more year left! I'm crossing my (sprained) fingers it'll be spent overseas!

"Whimsical Musical"

{Image via Emmy/B1nd1}

I thought I'd share with you the poem that inspired the name of this blog.
It was written a few years ago when I was trying to understand all the feelings someone gave me.
And he barely knew I existed. {smile} I think that's what made it so whimsical.

Whimsical Musical
© Ashley S. Harmon

On a whim
I smile
On a turn
You wink
On a breath
I sing
On a laugh
You come

Off a cloud
I jump
Off a step
You bound
Off a horse
I drop
Off a laugh
You come

In a house
I sleep
In a dream
You wave
In a class
I write
In a laugh
You come

Out a door
I soar
Out a world
You love
Out a hand
I hold
Out of laughs
You come

"Daydreaming"

"A daydream is a meal at which images are eaten. Some of us are gourmets, some gourmands, and a good many take their images precooked out of a can and swallow them down whole, absentmindedly, and with little relish." -W.H. Auden

While writing in my journal the other night, I was swept away in a Jane Austen daydream (which is saying something, because I'm not a Jane Austen sort of gal) and, well, this is the result.

As you may very well know, the original image is not from a Jane Austen movie at all. Indeed, it was taken from the 1982 film, "An Officer and a Gentleman" (which I've never actually seen).

And yes, I'm the favored candidate for the "Worst Photo Composite Ever" award this year. I know our skin tones don't match the original grayscale, the lines around our faces are badly cropped, etc. etc. I honestly just wanted to have a little fun, never mind how well it worked out.

We'll take cute - REAL - photos like this someday. Just you wait and see!

"Little Bitty Recap"

"Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available."

-Jim Beggs

I came across some old video files and laughed.

Three cheers for good memories and friends attached!

Bryn, Jeanelle, Aubrey, and Nieves (my roommate from Galicia) are shown in these clips.

Love you guys.

"True Love"

{Image via Smitten Kitchen}

"There is a peculiar burning odor in the room, like explosives. The kitchen fills with smoke and the hot, sweet, ashy smell of scorched cookies. The war has begun." -Alison Lurie

Bryn is more than okay with me being podgy.

I stay this way because I eat cookies.

And cookies are a part of joy and happiness.

And this picture is a lie, because I can't stand nuts in my cookies.
But it was such a lovely photo, I had to use it.

You're the chocolate chip to my oatmeal cookie, sweetie.

Love you. xoxo

"I'm in Love"

{Image via Robyn/Midnight-Rain}

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." -Aristotle

In contemplation of "The Five Love Languages", I've discovered that my main language is "Acts of Service".

Of course, I feel loved when someone wraps me in a warm hug and tells me how grateful they are for me as well, but it's easiest to grab my attention when you share my burden.

I may fight it sometimes, but if you push hard enough, I'll see your sincerity and allow you to be my partner in accomplishing a task.

You just have to prove your veracity first.

{Image via Dicky Hendarwan/Dodoy}

Thank you, sweetheart, for being unguarded and wholehearted time and time again.

Just being who you are opened places inside me that never saw the sunlight before.

When I cleaned my apartment for the Sabbath, you grabbed a broom and swept right beside me.

It was always wonderful to perform my music for you. You smiled every time my fingers plunked the piano. You loved to hear me sing.

Any boorish, crass, indecent word that passed through my lips left you frowning. Because, to you, I was above that.

You inadvertently showed me the amazing person I could be.

And for it, I love you.

Thank you, my best friend.