SCCAL Championship Title won 2/19/11Santa Cruz High #1 in the league

It was a great day. Zen could help win Santa Cruz High's second Championship Title.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/sports/ci_17435807

It was broadcasted on community TV as well. The broadcasters even referred to Zen, reminding them of a "Little Magic Johnson" during the game

The Basketball Schedule that was for this year!

This is a pic from last year Zen,#14, representing basketball for the school team this year!

We didn't know! Last week, there was a night when parents went to the school to meet new teachers. We heard from someone (cause it was the night of a big basketball game, this was the first year we didn't go? we heard from one of Taka's Workmates, that these were hanging around the school! He tried to take one down for us, but "the teacher was watching him"! Instead the next day I talked with administration and got a bunch of posters to share around! xoxox happy camper here!!

Days together~ 1/21-2/13/2011

Sheon and Naomi came from Japan for 2 and 3 weeks respectively...My mom came for four nites too~from Pennsylvania, and for one special nite..."Senior Night"

That night, every Senior on the basketball team had their family go out on midcourt to be thanked. It was special.

The kids cut Taka's hair ahead of the special eventthey are so cool!

Naomi, trying to piggy back Zen... Zen, me and Sheon...

SASHIMI!

Naomi knows how to make it look SO pro! And then Mom getting the best service we could give her!  

     Naomi and Sheon went to walk Grandmom's dogs. Grandmom lives in a mobile home park

   
we have a neighbor's gate to go through to walk the dogs in the neighborhood park.

One meal outside home which we tried, at a vegetarian restaurant. Didn't quite "go over"

but we felt happy with all of us together anyway!

Naomi got her tattoo here... in San Fransisco

"love beauty happiness" the words were translated from

KOUFUKU BI AI and then the opposite direction

love=AI　beauty=BI       happiness=koufuku  幸福　美　愛

with Mom we went for some mexican food. TACO salad~~

And with mom, shopping...oh those girls shopping, on and on, and oooooooonnnn....

Here, below, Naomi and Sheon begin trying to pack up all the souvenirs and such~

They did get to take back all their stuff. Thanks to another friend, Akira! Akira used to play with Zen on a team called VSOG, in Nishio. Zen was an 8th grader and played together with the adult team.

Akira came to Santa Cruz two times now to see Zen. AND Akira could take an extra piece of luggage back for the girls. Nice for both of them! He got to see us all again, and the girls could pack up extra luggage!    ALSO, coming to see us...

John and his son Marley FROM HAWAII! Well, they didn't come to see us from there, they happened to be in Carmel, just a little south of us. Naomi lived with John, his darling wife, our darling friend, Eiko, their older son Jackson and Marley in Honolulu the year Zen came to California (2007). Catching up with them was GORGEOUS! Especially when thinking that maybe Zen could go to the one University which has accepted him:  Hawaii Pacific University

Speaking of CARMEL

Dear tennis playing friend Val, took us "out on the town" in Carmel!

We got to go to a musem...and nice shops...but the ocean and lunch was the best! Tho COLD!

At Grandmom's~

Four generations of us~Dad's almost 92 year old mother, my mom, me and my daughters.
Back to the beach, me and Taka~

and a "last meal"

those girls and boy loving each other, is so very special!

Candy Stores!!! and Capitola and Girls. Nice combos!

With Aria from San Fran, she came down for a couple of nights to catch up with Naomi and Sheon

Serious candy buisiness!

The girls are still playing dress up~

Aria and Naomi and a Bear surfing!!

Below is at MacKenzie's Chocolate shop

SHOES that are chocolate...seashells...and, and....on and on!

The heart shaped BOXES are chocolate!

After so much suger we need SALTY! Nothing like American pizza!! @ Pleasure Point Pizza

Naomi's work for Japan in Santa Cruz

We went to a young woman, Emily's, home near downtown Santa Cruz. Not only did she offer to teach her Vegan cooking to Naomi....she also shared her REPTILE! "Dragon"

Sheon could touch it~not Naomi

Emily had a lovely place!

And her art work was awesome...

as was her cooking! Naomi showed how she made tofu burgers and オムライス. (rice omelets)

And together Emily baked a vegan upside down blueberry cake and green tea cookies.

Naomi needs to take back organic ingredients to her work place in Japan, we compared prices and bought organic ingredients from five or six different health food markets.

This was a butcher's at Whole Foods, around the corner from our home...

      I loved   how they helped us know what time the meat had been CUT! ("ground")

Naomi...with our friend Victor's little mutt, in San Fran~

Over in Berkely we got to visit with Naomi's father's old from Japan, friend Ko-kun! He's lived in the Bay area for at least 30 years. Before Ko was in the Mission District of San Fran baking Vegan Cookies, which were sold in supermarkets around S.F.  Now in Berkeley Ko has a "new" kitchen~

Ko showed Naomi how he's making a new recipe, vegan waffles

with prunes soaked in water as leavening (could be other ingredients)

Then using a food processor...He whipped it all together and baked them.
 Freshly done and hot they were really good!

The books Ko recommended were The Tassajara Bread Book and Uprisings

Out in Ko's backyard he has freinds who come by...

one came out to eat, but the others were too shy!