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Deborah Grow

Jun 2, 20234 min read

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...

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Deborah Grow

Feb 26, 20215 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...

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Deborah Grow

Jan 1, 20213 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...

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How a One-Eyed Hairy Monk Can Help to Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Deborah Grow

Mar 8, 20203 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

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Deborah Grow

Jan 29, 20202 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.

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Deborah Grow

Dec 20, 20195 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.

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The Realities of Being Half (ハーフ) : Part One - Being Half American in America

Deborah Grow

Nov 18, 20198 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.

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Training of Champions! The Spartan Training of the Murao Siblings

Deborah Grow

Nov 10, 20194 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

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Question #4: Why did Sanshiro begin Judo? Was it destined to be?

Deborah Grow

Oct 27, 20195 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!

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What's in a Name - Part 2: Why did you name him Sanshiro? Did you think he would do Judo?

Deborah Grow

Oct 22, 20194 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....

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Deborah Grow

Oct 17, 20192 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?

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Question 2: Sanshiro is tall! Where did he get his height from?

Deborah Grow

Oct 12, 20193 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!

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DNA Part 3: It is not over until the strong women say so!

Deborah Grow

Oct 9, 20194 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!

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DNA Part 2: Revenge of the Murao Family!

Deborah Grow

Oct 8, 20192 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...

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Question #1: Where does Sanshiro get his amazing athletic ability? ....Is it in his DNA?

Deborah Grow

Oct 7, 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....

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Welcome to my New Blog! Judo Mom.....The Murao Story

Deborah Grow

Oct 6, 20191 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...

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