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DEBORAH GROW
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My Not-so-Green Thumb
Grandma Whirley, The Orignal Whirley Bird My Grandma Whirley had such a green thumb that she kept a fern alive for 75 years. I remember...
Deborah Grow
Jun 2, 20234 min read
Growing Up Baptist
Being good Southern Baptists, we went to church up to three times a week, twice on Sundays and once on Wednesdays just for extra heavenly...
Deborah Grow
Feb 26, 20215 min read
The Year of the Gypsy
When I was a young actress living in New York City, my first apartment was an unrenovated one-bedroom apartment in a fourth-floor walk-up...
Deborah Grow
Jan 1, 20213 min read
How a One-Eyed Hairy Monk Can Help to Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
Here in Japan, there is a unique way to set a New Year’s goal and to maintain focus until it is achieved. It is the not-so-friendly Daruma
Deborah Grow
Mar 8, 20203 min read
Celebrating the New Year Japanese Style
“Go to a party on New Year’s Eve? I have to finish my house cleaning!”
Now, I too spend New Year’s Eve cleaning my house.
Deborah Grow
Jan 30, 20202 min read
Half Japanese: Part 1 The Big Move
Being half is hard whichever side of the ocean you end up on. September 30, 2001, we landed on the Japanese side of the Pacific at Narita.
Deborah Grow
Dec 20, 20195 min read
The Realities of Being Half (ハーフ) : Part One - Being Half American in America
When I married a non-American, I actually did not carefully think of the repercussions, like if my future children would fit in society.
Deborah Grow
Nov 18, 20198 min read
Training of Champions! The Spartan Training of the Murao Siblings
There are probably many answers to this question and all of them might be valid if the result is a champion. I can only comment on how my c
Deborah Grow
Nov 11, 20194 min read
Question #4: Why did Sanshiro begin Judo? Was it destined to be?
Big brothers and sisters have a big influence over us and Sanshiro was no exception. At age 1, he would pretend to be on the soccer team!
Deborah Grow
Oct 27, 20195 min read
What's in a Name - Part 2: Why did you name him Sanshiro? Did you think he would do Judo?
One afternoon, Hidetoshi announced, "His name is Sanshiro!" "Sanshiro?" I pictured myself calling out this traditional Japanese name....
Deborah Grow
Oct 22, 20194 min read
Question #3: What's In a Name? Part 1
What is in a name? Why were you given the name that you were? Do you know?
Deborah Grow
Oct 17, 20192 min read
Question 2: Sanshiro is tall! Where did he get his height from?
But I just dug up an ancestor (not literally) on the Grow side, who was not only tall but quite interesting as well. Speaker of the House!
Deborah Grow
Oct 12, 20193 min read
DNA Part 3: It is not over until the strong women say so!
Finally, we stuck Athletic GOLD!! On the Murao Side...the maternal grandmother, Eiko Murao!
Deborah Grow
Oct 9, 20194 min read
DNA Part 2: Revenge of the Murao Family!
So now part two of the question: Where did Sanshiro get his athletic ability? I have clearly made a case for the Grow Family (not being a...
Deborah Grow
Oct 8, 20192 min read
Question #1: Where does Sanshiro get his amazing athletic ability? ....Is it in his DNA?
Is Sanshiro's athletic ability in his DNA? Let's jump in the gene pool and find out....
Deborah Grow
Oct 7, 20192 min read
Welcome to my New Blog! Judo Mom.....The Murao Story
Recently, I was featured in an article in the Japan Times Newspaper, "It takes a Village to Raise an Olympic Hopeful". Since then, there...
Deborah Grow
Oct 6, 20191 min read
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