mondaymorningwithmona

My Favorite Local Artist

I met Kyoko Nakamoto the first week of January 2019. She is a local artist that displays her art at the boutiques on the military bases here on Okinawa, and I met her at the Marine Gift Shop back in 2019. I was immediately drawn to her art and her vibrant spirit. Over the courseContinue reading “My Favorite Local Artist”

The Nutcracker

One of the fondest holiday memories I have is the year that I got to go back to my hometown early enough in December to get to attend the ballet as my father’s date. Most years, my husband and I would roll into town a couple of days before Christmas, and “The Nutcracker” would haveContinue reading “The Nutcracker”

An Unexpected Yet Glorious Artistic Surprise

I am the kind of person that doesn’t watch trailers before starting a movie. I usually let my husband pick out our movies, or I choose them based on recommendations. I also don’t read the synopsis of a book before I check it out of the library. I rely heavily on authors I enjoy orContinue reading “An Unexpected Yet Glorious Artistic Surprise”

What Are You Reading?

(In full disclosure, when I write about the books, I am counting library books with pages that I can touch, and Audible books that I listened to.) I have recently gone through some heavy books. (They seemed heavy in my mind.) “Mao”, by Jung Chang, was a deep dive into how Mao created Communist China.Continue reading “What Are You Reading?”

Healthy Holidays

I know that I am not the only person who loves the holidays. I love them so much that I love to pack in ALL the FUN, and in that packing, I find myself overwhelmed and even a little exhausted. If you are like me, your month of December is jam-packed. It is jam-packed withContinue reading “Healthy Holidays”

Okinawa Leadership Seminar Holiday Party

This morning I had the opportunity to meet with a female Marine who is coordinating a symposium for Marines on Okinawa. I was delighted to hear that she wanted to get information about OLS, our model, and what we have done to create an impactful event. It was an honor to be able to shareContinue reading “Okinawa Leadership Seminar Holiday Party”

Bloom Café

Back in 2016, I used to see my amazingly funny friends no less than twice a week. We played kickball together, and our team had fun. We won some games. We lost some games, but it would be tough to find a team who got along as well as we did. In addition to kickball,Continue reading “Bloom Café”

Half-Way Done

For those of you who are new to the blog or have seen a couple of the blog posts lately, this recap is for you. For my mom, mother-in-law, Aunt Claudette, and a few close friends, this blog isn’t for you. You already know most of what I plan to share in this particular post,Continue reading “Half-Way Done”

Let’s Go to Starbucks

For friends and family who live in the states, this may or may not be a big deal. Some people love Starbucks. Some people just don’t get it. I would love to review a case-study on WHY people like it so much. I am sure there has been one done. Regardless of what side ofContinue reading “Let’s Go to Starbucks”

Tour of Homes

I think the first Tour of Homes that I ever attended was on Okinawa, and it was December 2019. I had heard of Tour of Homes. They have them on most of the bases, but I was never in any of the clubs that hosted them, and I never felt like I was missing out.Continue reading “Tour of Homes”