Kanji hasn’t really improved since last year, but my rankings among the 3 kyu skews a little to the top. I’m going to try to test up in February. Until then, I plod along with the following, which means think a thousand (times), ponder ten thousand. Which is kind of saying the same thing twice, but I figure that’s part of thinking a thousand times, no?. 
Kana hasn’t moved much either, still 1 kyu, but my Sensei told me today that nobody would know by looking that the below was written by a foreigner. I take that as about the highest praise that she could give. I’ll take a level up test for this in February, too. First dan is still out of reach, but maybe this will set me up for next year?
はなもみなちりぬるやどはゆくはるの
ふるさととこそなりぬべらなれ
or
花も皆散ちりぬる宿は行春の故鄉とこそ成ぬべらなれ
It is a Waka poem by a guy called Kino Tsurayuki (紀貫之).
Kind of hard to translate, mostly because of my lack of skill, but it’s about scattered flowers and the spring.
B.S. Donovan 
Looking good, man.
LikeLike
Thanks eh. Like I said, kanji plods, but Kana feels good. You been writing lately? I’ve been bad about checking your blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since the move I haven’t really had a chance to do anything significant. We’re living with my parents until I find work and – sadly – my Mom’s obsessive compulsive disorder (the actual kind, not just the daily usage of the word) has gotten so bad I couldn’t get away with doing something so potentially messy without it being the end of the world. Hopefully once I get employed and we move and get our own place I can get back on track. In the meantime it’s ペン字 I guess.
LikeLike
Sounds rough. I gave up on penji a while back. What prefecture are you in?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Texas prefecture lol
LikeLike
Whoah! That would make it hard to find work in Japan 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
It would indeed. Thank goodness I’m looking for work in the States 🤔
LikeLike