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Language of Flowers 2 Mimosa

I have been interested meaning of flowers (plants & trees) since I was a child. I talked to them as I grow some of them and I was so connected with them. I was so fascinated when I found out that there was the language of Flowers and I could learn what each flower meant. I read many books and sent flowers as gifts according to the language of flowers since I was in high school.

I picked Mimosa (Acacia dealbata) as my second *Language of Flowers because it is a February flower in Japan. Although it is not February anymore, I am sorry!

I wanted to write about Mimosa in February, but sometimes things do not go as I plan. My website was down and it took a while for me to bring it back. Then more things happened and I was not able to focus to post it till now.

* If you do not know what is Language of Flowers then please read what I wrote on Language of Flowers 1: https://sanaesuzuki.com/2021/01/31/language-of-flowers-1-japaese-ume-plum/

Mimosa is one of my favorite flowers in early spring. The blight yellow color warms my eyes and heart. The mimosa flowers absolutely shine and naturally represent the sun.

As I checked Language of flowers on https://hananokotoba.com/hanakotoba-ichiran/

Mimosa showed the Language of flowers in Japan,

「secret love 秘密の恋」, and 「friendship 友情」

and in the West,

「(the nature of) secret love」,「sign of joy」「sensitivity 感受性、思いやり」and「safety」

They are similar, but not exactly the same.

The mimosa flower is a genus of roughly 400 different shrubs and herbs. The name is derived from the Greek “mimos,” which means an “actor” or “mime,” while the suffix means “resembling.” This is likely because the leaves are said to mimic conscious life.

Sauce from https://florgeous.com/mimosa-flower-meaning/

It also says: She is my only love. Likewise, she is the flower of reunification. Symbol of gold and sun, mimosa is also the image of the triumphant life because of the hardness of the wood and the victory over the forces of evil.

Sauce from https://www.italyrivieralps.com/

I think this could be a unique Valentine flower gift with a note of the meaning of Mimosa Flower Languages, which is very romantic. Whoever receiving the flower understand your profound importance why you choose Mimosa flowers instead of red rose to her or him.

Love,

Sanae❤️

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 3

Nalu and Kai’s puppies enjoyed their weaning food, and the weaning stage went very successfully. As they ate weaning food, I could see they grew much more and started to show their dognality (personality) a lot.

If you missed Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 1 and Part 2 here are the links:

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 1

Raising Healthy Happy Puppies Part 2

They played with each other, also with Nalu mama and Kai papa and continue played with Eric (my husband) and me very often. They had fun with many different toys and cat’s tunnel.

They became more active, so Nalu mama’s job is mostly done feeding and cleaning. My turn to take care of puppies has come into the spotlight. I needed to spend more time cleaning them up, feeding homemade puppy food, play and take care of them carefully with love.
As much as I spent my time and committed to puppies, I felt that this was essential work and my favorite time.

I think Eric had so much fun in their whelping box and play-pen.

Photo: Eric and puppies playing in the whelping box.

Photo: Eric and puppies playing in the pen.

This is a sample schedule that I and Eric did for puppies every day.

I did not write here, but we sang, danced and slept together also.

6 am: When puppies got up, they did poo and pee right away, so I cleaned up them and whelping box. Hugged each puppy and told “good morning” and “I love you so much!” and played with them, and they also played with each other while I was preparing homemade food for them. Fed them and made sure they had enough food. If they were not eating enough, they were just licking and wandering around. If they ate enough, they did poo and pee again (of course, I had to clean up again), and they played and fell asleep again.

Meantime, of course, I had to take care of their parents, Nalu, Kai and two aunties and one uncle with their homemade food and took them out to the yard. Also, fed cats’ family and cleaned their litters.

This whole thing took about 2 hours.

8 am: Ate my breakfast and rest a little bit and take care of other things.

9 am: Set up the play-pen in the living room or if the weather was suitable then set up the play-pan outside.

10 am Puppies got up, cleaned up again, moved puppies to the play pan, gave snack and played again.

This time, when I cleaned their body (fur), I rub/massaged with an organic cloth (cotton or hemp), dip in a loquat leaves warm water. They loved this body(fur) rub a lot. Loquat leaves are very medicinal. Read my blog ” Loquat Leaves Body Acrub/Rub”

Loquat Leaves Body Scrub/Rub

Photo: Lani is receiving Loquat leaves rub and animal reiki.

I comb them also then massaged their paw as they need and they fell asleep. I took some of the dogs out for a walk.

12:30 am: When lunchtime came, they got up so I cleaned up again and fed lunch and cleaned up another time and played and slept. Then I ate my lunch. Take other dogs out for a walk.

3 pm: As they were getting up, I cleaned up again, gave snack and played also, and I gave Animal Reiki this time, and they went back to sleep right away.

5 pm: They got up, I cleaned up, fed dinner, and played again and they just stayed around me in the living room and played each other while I was preparing my dinner or watched Netflix or news or Japanese show.

7 pm: Ate my dinner and checked puppies how they were doing.

9 pm: They got up, I cleaned up and played and moved them to whelping box to sleep.

Additionally, they love to play and talk with us.

They also really enjoyed holistic modalities (animal massage, animal reiki, etc.) and gentle touch.

It is so privileged for me to be their human mom and to take care of them and choose what good for them.

I wish I could keep them all, but physically I can’t take care of all of them as they grow bigger, so one of the necessary commitments for me to do is finding a trusted people to be their guardians.

I have met wonderful people through this process, and also some of my friends, students, and clients became my dog family.

Once in a while, some people would say what I want to hear, and they did not keep their words to raise puppies holistically or mindfully or blame me when something happened. So finding suitable guardians are not easy and have created my heartache and sadness. But I believe they came into my life to teach something, and wherever they go, they would teach everyone there too.

No matter where these puppies have gone to live in a new home, I continue to communicate with them and send metta to them because they are my dog’s grandchildren.

The puppies are leaving home usually around 8 weeks old. I need to get ready for puppies to leave home completed the weaning stage, giving the first puppy vaccination a few days before they leave home, and deworm them the next day.

Conventional veterinarians would give the first puppy vaccination 6 weeks or sometimes even younger, but we wait till close to 8 weeks and also giving them only necessary vaccinations, which Distemper-parve only/puppy DPV and deworming separating date.

Unfortunately, most conventional veterinarians give maximum vaccinations of 5 combinations at once and give deworm on the same day which is very harsh for puppies. I thought that I had to give all these 5 combination vaccinations, but it is not true. I found out the truth after I met a holistic veterinarian and studied myself about vaccinations.

I appreciate holistic veterinarian doctor Sally Lane who wrote Healthy Happy Pooch book forward to have taught me so much about vaccinations and other holistic approaches.

Here are photos of puppies getting check up to be ready for their first vaccination by holistic veterinarian doctor Sally Lane before they left the home. The number of puppies are the order of birth.

Photo: puppy #1 blue – Cheddar

Photo: Puppy #2 orange – Umi Banana

Photo: Puppy #3 brown – Wylie

Photo: Puppy #4 pink – Lulu

Photo: Puppy #5 green – Vasco

Photo: Puppy #6 sky blue – Lani

Getting vaccination from a holistic veterinarian doctor is important so you are not giving them vaccination at too young age and only unnecessary vaccination it means give only necessary vaccination to puppies and not maximum vaccination and no mercury and unhealthy preservative vaccinations. The better and safer vaccines have limited antigens.

Photo: Eric and Lani

Love,

Sanae ❤️

花言葉１梅

花言葉、知ってますか？

日本、ヨーロッパ、アジア、アフリカでよく使われていて知られていますがこのアメリカではあまり知られていません。

花言葉を英語で何と言うか調べたらLanguage of flowersと出ていていました。

ちょっとピンときませんが小さい時から花言葉に馴染んでいるので
ぜひこれから花言葉をご紹介していきたいと思います。

花言葉をご存知でない方には調べてみるとこんな風に書いてありました。
象徴的な意味を持たせるため植物に与えられる言葉で、一般に「バラの花言葉は愛情」のように植物と単語の組み合わせで示される。
日本では、主に西欧起源のものを核として様々なバリエーションがあり、
花をつけるものだけでなく、草や樹木、キノコにも花言葉が考えられている。
花詞とも表記される。
ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）参照　https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8A%B1%E8%A8%80%E8%91%89

私は８歳くらいの時に初めて自分一人でお花を育てた頃に花言葉の事を知りました。
初めは興味心で調べていたのですが
一つ一つの花や植物に意味があるとわかってとっても感動しました。
それから花言葉を知っているとガーデンニングでお花や植物を育てたりする時に調べたり、
お花をギフトで贈る時に私にはとっても役立っています。
お花を送った相手の方が花言葉を知らなくても
なぜこの花を選んだかカードに書いて贈ると喜んでもらえてます。

そんな花言葉をこれから少しずつ紹介していきたいと思います。

まず一番初めにご紹介したい花は梅。

丁度1月の花とも日本では言われています。（もう1月の終わりでギリギリ間に合いました！）

日本での花言葉は「高潔」「忠実」「忍耐」。

西洋では「約束を守る」「忠実」「美と長寿」。

https://hananokotoba.com/hanakotoba-ichiran/
日本と西洋の花言葉が少し違うのも調べるのが楽しみです。

私の父親が育てていた梅は花梅で実はならなかったのですが赤い綺麗な花（下記）でした。

写真：赤花梅

私のご紹介する梅の花は実をつける花（淡いピンク色）。

写真：今年の南高梅花

この実は日本でよく知られている梅干しにする実です。

梅干しは薬用にも使われている日本の漬物。

私も毎年自家製のオーガニックカリフォルニアの梅で梅干しを漬けています。

昨年は梅干しで有名な南高梅で梅干し、酵素ジュース、ジャム、ソースも作りました。北カリフォルニアに住んでいる友人の数子さんの１０年ものの梅干しと私の梅干しをインターネットで売っています。

カリフォルニア・オーガニック梅干し (1 lb/16oz)

梅干しは使い方、食べ方を知っていると長寿の秘訣になります。西洋の花言葉の一つに長寿とあって驚きました。

今年は梅の木を育てたいと思っていますのでいつか花が咲く事を願っています。

写真：南高梅の木（白梅花）

Love,
Sanae ❤️

Language of flowers 1 Japanese Ume Plum

Have you heard Language of flowers?

If you never heard of it, you are not alone.

It is known as “Hana Kotoba” in Japan, the direct translation is “flower word”.
I never heard anybody talk Hana Kotoba in English so I had to check and it shows Language of flowers and Wikipedia said Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers.　https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_flowers

Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.

I heard “Hana Kotoba” when I was around 8 years old when I started to have interested grown my own flowers. I was curious that each flower has meaning and I have thought of it whenever I grow flowers and plants and felt connections with them.
As I grew up I have started to use Language of flowers meaning when I send flowers to family, friends or people and let them know why I chose this flower for them. I believe that people who received flowers appreciate more than just receiving the flowers and I feel joy using Language of flowers too.

It is wonderful for me to share Language of flowers with you!

My first language of flowers that I picked is Japanese Ume Plum Flower.

I chose it because it is also a January flower in Japan (now I looked at the date and it is the end of January, but I made it！).

As I checked Language of flowers on https://hananokotoba.com/hanakotoba-ichiran/

Japanese Ume Plum Flower showed Language of flowers in Japan,

「nobility」, 「faithfulness」, and 「patience」

and in the West,

「Keep your promise」,「fidelity」and「beauty and longevity」

I did not realize there were different meanings, but I thought that is understanding too.

Photo: Red Plum Flowers

My father had a Japanese Ume tree in the garden which was just a flowering ume tree so no plums and it was a beautiful reddish color.

The one I shared here is the Japanese Ume Plum Flower that produces plums.
You might hear that Japanese Ume pickles (Umeboshi).
It is a medicinal and traditional pickle of salty and sour in Japan.

Photo: Nankou Ume Plum flowers in 2021

I have been making my own Japanese Ume plum pickles every year with organic California Ume plums. Last year I made famous Japanese “Nankou” Ume Plum pickles, Enzyme juice, Jam, and Sauce.
My friend, Kazuko used to make her Umeboshi plum of organic Northern California so I also offer aged Umeboshi plums that she made and my Umeboshi plums if you are interested.

https://sanaesuzuki.com/product/california-organic-umeboshi-plums/

If you know how to use/eat Umeboshi plums then they will help for longevity just like one of Language of flowers meanings so whoever made this language of flowers meaning knew that Japanese Ume plum can be medicinal.

This year I am trying to grow my Japanese Ume plum tree so I hope to see the flowers someday in January.

Photo: Nankou Ume Plum flowers white

Love,
Sanae ❤️

初日の出と初日の入りの願い事

日本で生まれて育ちその後アメリカにもう長年在住していますが、
アメリカでも日本の伝統的な事を時々して楽しむ生活の中、特に初日の出を見に行くのは心から大切だと感じていて大好きです。

初日の出はあまりアメリカでは知られてないけど、
調べて見ると神道と仏教で年神と呼ばれている神様、
先祖の霊の神様、収穫の神様が元旦にやって来ると言われている。
年神は大年神（オオトシノカミ）と呼ばれる日本神話、神道の神で、須佐之男命（スサノオノミコト）と神大市比売（カムオオイチヒメ）の間に生まれたとされ、多くの神の父ともいわれています。
現在でも残る門松や鏡餅といった正月飾りは、年神を家に招き入れるためのもの。
「年」は稲の実りを意味する漢字であることから、年神自身も穀物・農耕の神様として崇められてきました。
農耕民族であった日本人にとっては非常に重要な神様の一人であると言えます。
年のはじめに一年の豊作を願って年神を祀ることがお正月行事の中心的な役割となっています。
日本人の総氏神とされる「天照大神（アマテラスオオミカミ）」は太陽を司る神として有名です。
それ以外にも世界各地には「太陽神」と呼ばれる神が神話の中に度々登場しています。
太陽は世界を明るく照らし、作物などの実りを与える存在。古代の人にとっての太陽は、目に見える形での神様そのものだったと言えます。
一年の始まりに昇ってくる初日の出はとりわけ特別なものだったのではないでしょうか。
資料：https://engimonolist.com/sun/#i-3

私には初日の出を見る２つ夢があって一つは龍ヶ岳からの「ダイアモンド富士山の初日の出」を見る事ともう一つは富士山に登って見る初日の出。

写真: 龍ヶ岳から見えるダイアモンド富士山の初日の出 (source from Gaijinpot.com)

写真: 富士山から見る初日の出 (source from bing.gifposter.com)

過去２７年間に怪我や病気をしてきたので肉体的には無理かもなので、これはただの夢だけで終わってしまうかもしれませんがサンタモニカ山から初日の出を毎年主人、エリックと犬家族と一緒に見に行く事はあ歩けなくって車椅子でも行っていたのでずっと続けて行きたいと願ってます。

毎年元旦の朝はどんなに遅く寝ても朝５時に起き、家を５時半に出発。初日の出の時間は大体いつも７時前ですが気候は毎年違い、ある元旦は霧がいっぱいで何も見えないと思っていたら初日の出が昇ってくる少し前に霧はいっせいに消えて神秘的な初日の出を見ることが出来感動。

日の出が昇って来る前の黒い空が藍色になる空が大好きで少し早めに丘に登って行くと赤橙色がゆっくりにじみ出てくるのを見ると新年の神様がやってくる前の神聖な瞬間、一番無言な時。

この時、無意識に平成な喜びの涙が頬を濡らす体験は貴重。

この２０２１年の元旦はとても風が強い朝でサンタモニカの山について丘に上がって行く時に風で吹き飛ばされそうになってしっかりしなくてはいけないと確信。風が吹いて遠くまで見晴らしが良く初日の出は素晴らしく光輝いていた。

写真: サンタモニカ山から藍色の空が赤橙色に染まる初日の出を待つ

写真：風が強かったのでロスのダウンタウンも見える初日の出。

写真: 初日の出はみんなにスマイルをもたらしてくれる。

写真: ラニちゃん（まだ４ヶ月）の初日の出。

写真: エリック、ラニちゃん、ルミちゃん、カイちゃん

２０２０年は世界中がコロナウィルスで激動。

悲しい寂しい年。

個人的には３年半前にステージ４のリンパ腫のガンで慎重に毎日を過ごして新しい生き方”ソーシャルディスタンス”をもうしていたのでそんなに酷い変化はなかったかも、でも悲しく寂しい気持ちを無視出来ない。

エリックと私はほとんどの友達に会わないと状態がもうすぐ１年。友達の何人かがコロナウィルスに感染して苦しんでいると知って無力を感じました。

初日の出の願い：

「世界中のみんなが安全で健康、平和、癒しの２０２１年になりますように！

病にかかっている人たち（私たちのお友達も含めて）が1日も早く回復できますように。」

日本の伝統に初日の入りに願う事は言われていないのですが
今年は昨年からのコロナウィルスの事もあるので初日の入りに願う事をすると素晴らしい精神の始まりにつながるような気がして
初日の入りにもサンタモニカビーチに見に行きました。

写真: サンタモニカビーチの豪華な初日の入り

写真: エリックとナルちゃん

写真: 私とラニちゃん

日の出と日の入りを見て太陽に感謝する気持ちでいっぱいになり、
太陽がどんな事があっても
一生懸命に私たちのため、
地球のため、
世界の自然のために輝いてくれている事をあらためて感動。

日の出には光で希望と力を見せてくれて
日の入りには明日への確信と信頼を約束してくれている。
正に太陽は私たちの神様。

初日の入りを見ていたらある歌が頭に浮かんで歌い始めました。

Sunrise, Sunset!

ミュージカル「屋根の上のバイオリン弾き」で歌われている
サンライズサンセットを知ってますか？
私の好き歌の一つでこんな詩です。。。

日が昇り　日が沈む

瞬く間に流れ去る　日々は

巻かれた種は一夜のようにして向日葵となる

まさに　私たちが見つめるうちに花開く

日が昇り　日が沈む

瞬く間に飛び去る　歳月は

季節からまた季節へと巡る

幸せと涙を積み重ね

人生は日が昇り日が沈む、陰陽、光影、

全てが変わり、変わり続けて無常。

自然界はいつも私たち人間に教えてくれてる。

暗闇にも光がある事に気がつけるようになり、

この今、この瞬間を楽しめるように生きていきましょう。

Love,

Sanae ❤️

New Year Sunrise and Sunset Wish

I was born and raised in Japan, but I have been living in the U.S. for many years.

I feel fortunate to keep some of the Japanese traditions, especially I have been keeping “Hatsuhinode” Japanese tradition for many years here in America.

“Hatsuhinode” is viewing the first sunrise of the New Year.

According to both Shinto belief and Buddhist tradition, “Toshigami”—the god of the new year, harvests, and the spirits of ancestors—arrives when the sun rises on New Year’s Day. If you stand outside and make a wish during the sunrise, you will be blessed by Toshigami and your wish will come true during the year to come.

I have two dreams of “Hatsuhinode”. One is to view the New Year sunrise from Mt. Ryugatake to see “Diamond Fuji” and the other one is to climb up to Mt. Fuji to view the New Year sunrise.

Photo: Diamond Fuji sunrise from Mt. Ryugatake (source from Gaijinpot.com)

Photo: New Year sunrise from Mt. Fuji (source from bing.gifposter.com)

Because I have had physical challenges both mechanical parts and internal organs past 27 years so these are probably just dreams, but I enjoyed viewing “Hatsuhinode” from Santa Monica mountain every year with my husband, Eric, and the dogs’ family. I remembered that I even went to see New Year sunrise when I was in a wheelchair so I will continue to view it for a long time.

My New Year sunrise routine is no matter what time I go to bed at new years’ even night, I get up about 5 am and leave home around 5:30 am.
New Year’s sunrise time is usually just before 7 am, but every new year’s morning has different weather.
I remember one new year it was so foggy and could not see anything, but just before new year’s sunrise came up it got cleared up.
It was the mysterious new year’s sunrises I ever saw.

I love to be on the hill when it is still dark and the sky is indigo blue and slowly reddish-orange light is oose out.
I believe this is the quietest moment of the year and I am able to feel the silence before the god of the new year coming.

I have experienced unconsciously the peaceful joy of tears wet my cheek which is very precious.

This year of 2021, it was very windy.
When I hiked up the mountain wind blow so strong I was almost blown away.
The wind blew off and bought New Year’s sunrise clear and blighter.

Photo: Before sunrise

Photo: Clear and blighter sunrise…can you see downtown, Los Angeles?

Photo: New Year’s Sunrise gives us big smiles every year!

Photo: Lani’s first New Year’s sunrise

Photo: Eric and Lani (4 months) Lumi (10 years old) and Kai (2 years old)

Since 2020 was a very upheaval and challenging year of Corona Covid-19 various pandemic for the whole world.

It was a sad and difficult time.

Because of stage IV lymphoma cancer that I had three years and a half ago, I have been taking care of myself carefully. I started “a new me” life and have been practicing social distance before the pandemic came, so I am kind of used to it, but of course, I feel lonely to not see a few frineds that I was seeing and spend time going out for lunch and dinner.

My husband, Eric and I do our best to be kind to each other more than ever and practice self-empathy.

We found out some of our friends got Covid-19 various after Thanksgiving and flighting right now so my wish for this 2021 New Year sunrise…

“Wishing us and everyone in the world a safe, healthy, peaceful, and healing new year!
And full recovery for people in the world including our friends to heal soon.”

There is no Japanese tradition to go to New Year sunset and make a wish, but I thought making another wish or more wish with gorgeous New Year sunset might give us a more excellent spirit start so we also went to see the New Year sunset at Santa Monica beach.

Photo: Santa Monica beach New Year’s sunset was gorgeous!

Photo: Eric and Nalu with New Year’s sunset

Photo: Me and Lani with New Year’s sunset

We watched sunrise and sunset on New Year’s day; we appreciate “Sun” so much. Sun’s hard work for us, earth, and nature.
No matter what, the sunrise shows blight light, which I feel hope and strength, and the sunset promises us faith and trust for the next day.
Sun is truly god for us!

Sunrise, Sunset!

Do you know the musical “The Fiddler on the Roof”?

There is a song called “Sunrise, Sunset”. Do you know?

I love this song; here are some lyrics…

Sunrise, sunset

Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as they gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

Life is sunrise and sunset like yin and yang and like light and shadow, everything changes, keep changing, and nothing stays the same.
Nature always teaching us, humans.
Let’s notice the blight side over dark shadow and enjoy this moment!

Love,

Sanae ❤️