Index of Stories

Here is a complete list of the weekly stories, stretching back to the first one, posted in January 2006. They are grouped by 'Volumes', a new set every six months ...

  • The next story will appear on March 14, 2010
  • Everybody is welcome to leave comments on any of the stories ...
  • 'A Story A Week' books and eBooks are available at Mokuhankan!
  • If you are an iTunes user, you can subscribe to the audio version of the stories as an iTunes Podcast.

 

Volume 9 : January ~ June 2010

Story # Title
219 A Date With Data - ... a mess of cross-outs, corrections, and unreadable scribbles
218 Do not Fold ... - ... a 'labour-saving' device in my workshop
217 Take Your Turn! - .. it sometimes happens automatically!
216 No Sweat - I must have been in fantastic condition!
215 Off to Market - I didn't recognize most of the foods ...
214 Method Acting - Well, I don't really know ...
213 A Little Story about a Bee and a Fly - The environment has somehow changed ...
212 First it is Warm ... - Keeping my shame completely private!
211 A Story With a Wrinkle - I wasn't quite ready just to pull the plug ...
210 Moshi Moshi - His language was really quite strange to me ...

 

Volume 8 : July ~ December 2009

Story # Title
209 ... the Best of Times ... - ... lessons taught, and lessons learned.
208 Darwin and Me - I intend to be part of it!
207 A Little Something from Santa - She never wears the clothes that we get for her ...
206 In Hot Water - I'll be soaking ... down at the Post Office!
205 O-Furo - ... a deep rumble, and water begins to spurt into the tub
204 A Patch of Sun - The sun streams into the room ...
203 The Next Big Thing! - a present from my mother when we first started a family
202 The Sweet Smell of International Amity! - Recipe time today!
201 By the Slice - ... the conflict has been resolved.
200 Get Busy! - Which of these approaches makes more sense?
199 A Brush with Fate - Side by side they look identical, but ...
198 Join the Club - He tricked us this year ...
197 Off the Shelf - Do you think that this is an easy job?
196 Six-string Challenge - Not such a crazy idea?
195 Beauty Sleep - This weakling needs a re-charge!
194 Never! - Does this tell you how boring my life must be?
193 Birthday Suits - Look at the wimpy white guy!
192 Roving Eye - I remember her as though it were yesterday!
191 Home Sweet (?) Home - ... became the butt of shouted curses and imprecations
190 Gone With the Wind - Some of the new words that he had learned ...
189 Don't Sweat! - I've got it down pat now!
188 Carpe Momentum! - ... coming through such a 'trial by fire'
187 Take it Away, Dave! - ... a long improvised solo for the tenor sax!
186 Three's Company - ... stuffed the money into his pocket with no break in the music.
185 Ahoy there! Open your wallet! - My beard is real!
184 Multi-tasking - It's just a matter of time ...

 

Volume 7 : January ~ June 2009

Story # Title
183 George Burns and my House - He lived to be 100 ...
182 Cat Flap Redux - It would be nice to see you a bit more active ...
181 In the Dark - ... a pity we didn't learn more about manners!
180 Soundscapes - I was rewarded with beginner's luck!
179 Aches and Pains - Am I getting that old?
178 Weeds - ... while he had his back turned, up they came again.
177 One is Enough! - ... flowers on each side as far as the eye can see
176 I Spy - My fresh loaf arrived in the nick of time!
175 In Retrospect - Now my kids will believe me!
174 Smile for the Camera - ... grow up to become more confident in their behaviour
173 Birthday Girl - a better sense of how to organize and enjoy one's life ...
172 Semi Double - ... others are waiting to pounce and take over
171 Benched! - He lived alone, but had frequent visitors ...
170 Getting Coached - It's behind you!
169 Saying Goodbye - ... saying 'good-bye' to a man who I will never forget
168 Read all about it! - ... launching each one from the sidewalk.
167 Little Pleasures ... - I would never have dreamed of separating them!
166 An Open and Shut Case - This conversation has been a good lesson for me!
165 Prompt Results! - Good evening, this is woodblock printmaker David Bull ...
164 Commentary - ... that 'freewheeling' approach would not do for this program.
163 Halt! What's the Password?? - ... a real problem keeping things in memory
162 He Who Seeks, Shall Find ... Something! - ... off on a tangent ...
161 Buttermilk - ... my full, nearly untouched, glass of buttermilk ...
160 If the Jacket Fits ... - Money obviously well spent!
159 Don't Look Back! - talking and thinking about things that happened to us years ago
158 New Year Greetings - "lovingly prepared using traditional woodblock techniques"

 

Volume 6 : July ~ December 2008

Story # Title
157 Will I Make It? - Nobody but yourself can answer that ...
156 Chopin and Santa Claus - Their father would never lie to them ...
155 Walter Mitty and I - Heroic adventures!
154 Woody Friend (II) - The joyride lasted about a year ...
153 Woody Friend (I) - I picked up a few simple tools, and set to work ...
152 An International Triumvirate - ... one became 'suddenly' transformed into the other ...
151 Cat Flap - A lady never tells ...
150 A Loose Thread - Don't you have any common sense?
149 And the Winner is ... - It could be a lot worse ...
148 Final Curtain - All he had to do was direct our enthusiasm into sensible directions
147 Basket Case - I much prefer the woodblock printed colours!
146 The Jig's Up! - ... a better fate than to be hidden away in a box
145 Getting Ahead! - ... my future life was decided that afternoon in that workshop
144 Pass the Vinegar! - the wind could blow as it would, you would feel nothing!
143 A Little Bit of Bach - Fine playing, and fine company!
142 Good Enough for Jazz ... - ... firm and stable under the rain of blows from his mallet
141 A Day's Work at the Beach - "Just wasting my time here, it seems ..."
140 Now you See it ... - A moment later, she understood what she was looking at
139 Take a Number, Please! - Something to chew on, and keep my brain in shape ...
138 Pardon my French! - ... nothing more than a series of illegible scribbles
137 All Shook Up! - He felt nervous being in the place for even a few minutes
136 Like, Whatever! - ... their visit had some unintended consequences!
135 Big Feet, Light Steps ... - Nothing left in this river, anyway ...
134 Evening River - These lovers will pick up where I leave off
133 Rice Dreams - How do you think I'd look with mud between my toes?
132 Is God Green? - there he stands, silently watching them

(The matching book for this volume - or an eBook - can be ordered here.)

 

Volume 5 : January ~ June 2008

Story # Title
131 Ten Year Old Spaghetti - I will never be able to 'escape' from that work!
130 March to the Scaffold! - I could only sit there, awaiting my inevitable fate.
129 Contemporaries - Building one little room shouldn't take most of a person's life!
128 An Inside Job ... - ... a lesson that needs to be repeated ...
127 Cap and Gown - Now let's see what she goes on to make with it!
126 In Labour - .. the other people in the car thought that I was a wino!
125 Bags of Fun! - Say, I've got a little problem here ...
124 You Want a Story? - Part Two - That would be the end of this journey, and of me.
123 You Want a Story? - ... you have to be constantly vigilant to stay on the road safely.
122 Share and Share Alike! - ... these were the jobs we would all have to do.
121 A Suspicious Character! - ... an object of suspicion for some kind of criminal activity
120 Accounting for Time - He will study it ... for a few minutes
119 Thumbs Up! - ... hardly the 'life or death' situation that the gladiators faced
118 Pipe Dreams - ... the usual peaceful mood of my printmaking work
117 Out to Pasture - I've got to get busy in the workshop!
116 Greenhouse People - ...a clear analogy to our personal habits
115 Do you Dare? - It was high stakes gambling, and not for everybody
114 Boots Chimes In - It just makes me want to slide back into sleep!
113 How Far is 'Too Far'? - ... it's not just the errand that is the point
112 Forget Me Not ... - ... those who remember too much
111 Commuter Life - ... the answer is just as clear ...
110 If the Shoe Fits ... - ... pretty much everybody is barefoot ...
109 On the Support Desk - ... a problem on a computer on the other side of the world.
108 Case Study - ... his face fell in disappointment
107 Liquid Heaven - ... I had not the slightest idea what to order
106 Radio Times - ... creating images in our own minds

(The matching book for this volume - or an eBook - can be ordered here.)

 

Volume 4 : July ~ December 2007

Story # Title
105 Another turn of the wheel ... - See you next year ... next week!
104 Sleigh Ride - my very first appearance on TV ... in my pajamas!
103 Treasure Trove - ... squirm around while waiting for everybody to be ready
102 England to India in Two Months : (2) - ... we got into a typhoon ...
101 England to India in Two Months : (1) - ... danger of being torpedoed by submarines ...
100 Footsteps in the Night - Shhh ... keep quiet or they'll hear us!
99 Any Volunteers ... Please? - ... everybody else always avoided eye contact
98 Still a Child? - I missed the chance to become an adult!
97 What are they Thinking? - ... watching that African Webcam again!
96 On the Beach - ... doing a good job of keeping our environment clean?
95 A Very Special Veranda - ... providing the breakfast for the crocodile ...
94 Talkin' 'bout my Generation - I will just nod sagely ...
93 I Should Have Danced all Night - ... the woman doing most of the dipping and twirling
92 In High Gear - ... slowly plodding their way up the hill
91 Hold Tight! - ... what amazing skills those old conductors had!
90 The Man in the Brown Shoes - I had no other clothes ...
89 Don't Move! - ... quickly wrapped up and accepted for dinner.
88 A Date, with Chopin - The pool will be closing in five minutes ...
87 Quotable Quotes ... - To see her photos, I would have to become a member.
86 Alexandru ... the great? - ... the most important topic there could possibly be!
85 Who will Bell the Cat? - ... jingling with every step!
84 Thanks Elvis! - The handwriting was on the wall for the dance bands ...
83 Getting Better ... - ... every square inch of this entire planet
82 Radio Exercising - Compulsory exercising has never been my favorite
81 Wooden School - ... burnished clean until it glows
80 Don't Bug Me! - ... surprises lurk behind bathroom doors
79 Climbing up the Ladder - This plant just doesn't know when to stop!

(The matching book for this volume - or an eBook - can be ordered here.)

 

Volume 3 : January ~ June 2007

Story # Title
78 A Close Game! - ... yet another huge roar comes from the crowd!
77 Great Expectations! - ... looking forward to this all night!
76 Salad Days - ... able to finish the entire bowl?
75 Not so Super Markets ... - ... it nearly makes me cry!
74 Keeping up with the Joneses - no guards hovering at your elbow
73 Bath Time - ... you dipped your head into the tub
72 Sweetie Pie - What a perfect combination!
71 Merry Xmas! - ... to show up with a sack full of presents!
70 Rusting Away - I knew what I was getting into ...
69 The Early Bird Catches ... - ... a dollop of jam ... and a dollop of fan mail!
68 How Long Has This Been Going On? - it really could happen
67 Unbelievable! - ... Boots is curious about my beliefs ...
66 Turning the Tables - dusted off the first disc, and started it playing
65 Off the Record - an interesting analogy to my own printmaking work
64 London Debut - ... every note seemed to hang in the air
63 First Days in London - ... seeing what was around every corner
62 Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall - ... the entire course of my life changed
61 Once a Year ... - ... wade through the complicated calculations.
60 Mom's the Word! - ... leaving behind everything and everybody she knew
59 Scraping by ... - ... do something foolish to make her angry ...
58 Speaker of the House - ... unwanted at some point in the future
57 Bargain Hunting - she will remember the fun she had while buying them
56 Opening Day - the next one will be still faster and still cheaper!
55 My Short-Lived Advertising Career - Mmmmm ... Good!
54 Here we go Again! - the reason for the existence of a spider

(The matching book for this volume - or an eBook - can be ordered here.)

 

Volume 2 : July ~ December 2006

Story # Title
53 Staying in the Lines - having fun colouring my maps!
52 Insular Attitudes - ... these days, it's not so funny!
51 Hi Dad! - ... still 'only' a septuagenarian
50 Down, Down, Down ... - nobody would ever get lost again ...
49 Brickbats and Bouquets - have we done a good job or not?
48 Cross Words - serious and deep family conversations?
47 Dangerous River - setting off on their fabulous adventure
46 Where Have I Seen You Before? - an audience of millions of viewers
45 Magic Show - the little blue jet was gone in a flash
44 Too Much Volume! - part of my 'living memory'
43 Paper Trail - Just how much do I treasure this paper?
42 Really? - their 'boring' old dad ...
41 Stairway to Heaven - I could see his tiny tongue flickering
40 A Time For ... - To everything there is a season ...
39 Something on My Chest ... - the 'close' of another circle ...
38 Bring it on! - maintenance of old traditions is a giant business
37 Basket Case - Now this kind of gardening I can understand
36 Fresh Start - the world is his oyster
35 Cool of the Evening - Just another evening stroll ...
34 Prime Time - ... the 'top' of the arc of your life.
33 On my Soap Box - paying out, but receiving nothing in return!
32 Colour me Genki! - my small contribution to keeping Japan healthy
31 My Road Warrior! - ... with me for more than 15 years.
30 This Old Man - an impact on my way of thinking?
29 Musical Soiree - a comfortable place for a session of chamber music.
28 My Green Air-conditioner - by mid-summer my air-conditioner is ready
27 The Voice in my Pocket - I could trace my journey by the sounds
Bonus Level Playing Field - waste of time ... or wonderful 'brain training'?
Bonus Under Construction - building a log house in the country

(The matching book for this volume - or an eBook - can be ordered here.)

 

Volume 1 : January ~ June 2006

Story # Title
26 At the Bakery - Give me the usual, please!
25 A Plum Job - I have a ringside seat for this little drama!
24 My Turn! - I was next in line ...
23 On the Ropes - ... an insane din of drums and flutes ...
22 One Story About Four Stories! - This is me living in a factory!
21 The Collectors - ... papers and packages scattered in drifts
20 Turnabout is Fair Play! - ... I am a 'caretaker' of this knowledge ...
19 At the Movies - Next time, it's my turn to choose!
18 At Ease, Sailor! - ... the 'commander' of the SS Woodblock!
17 I Lost my Cherry! - ... enjoy what you still have ...
16 At the Bus Stop - He was so eager to join them!
15 The Grass is Always Greener ... - Which vacuum cleaner do you use?
14 Special Delivery - An extra year together!
13 Hibernation - ... 'wasting' so much time in my futon ...
12 Elevator Music - ... I was terrified ...
11 Something Fishy - ... an interesting example of how cultures differ
10 The Web - ... something a bit startling ...
9 Rescue in the Night - an adventure story?
8 Oh no! ... I Won! - Better luck next time!
7 Bookends ... - The start and finish of my day ...
6 Naturally ... - What is 'natural' for human beings?
5 I'm learning IM, I am ... - Confusing modern technology!
4 Of Course I can Speak Japanese! - More Japanese than a Japanese?
3 Peel Me a Grape! - "Aren't you going to eat the skin?"
2 Locked into a Routine ... - Am I such a boring person?
1 Introducing Boots the cat! - The 'lady' who 'lives' in my home!
Bonus At Last! - the experience every newcomer in Japan wants!
Bonus Do You Know Granola? - slow down a little!

(The matching book for this volume - or an eBook - can be ordered here.)

 

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