Cleaning house in Japan~ after 25 years. In two weeks and two days!

Taka and I knew we needed to make this storage room of ours empty~

Ischin wanted to refloor it.
Taka was in Japan the end of September for two weeks and he went from this:

to this:

Taka did take some things to his old house where his father lives in Okazaki, 45 mintues away.

But also he brought back MANY negatives and photographs to the States.

So, I went to Japan October 12th for two weeks and two days, and finished cleaning...this room ( the "finally empty room" above with the carpet).

I did it while also preparing for a 25 year party for the English school downstairs- It also was in perfect timing for two sets of house guests visiting (Haruna and Natsumi for the 25 yr english school party and then Yuya and Armando, on the way from Yuya's moving from Tokyo to Kyoto).

Downstairs was where I had this space I used as my dressing room:
And I knew since I'm not there most of the time now, it should be emptied so it can be used. Therefore I moved out all of these clothes and things:

and THEN...I needed to move everything I was keeping into this one room- the "futon" room upstairs.This futon room, these photos show what it looks like now, stuffed with our stuff!

Ahhh, the epitome of Japan! Small quarters for LOTS of stuff!

In the far left corner (the third photo) are six plastic drawer boxes for my clothes. Behind the pink/red bag of futons on the floor, are 25 photos albums. HEAVY photo albums!

There are way too many futons saved, even though I did give away a few blankets...next trip we'll sift through the rest. In the futon room, when Taka and I go in April, we'll be able to squeeze in and sleep there. It's comfy, and our memorable are there. It's still "home"!

New Age Connection Celebrates 25 years Oct. 22nd 2011

There are so many people to thank!!!

We celebrated with only a few of the many we wish could have come. At Dunas in Nishio

Especially thanking...Anita, Jennifer, Hiromi, Hiroaki, Ischin,

Taka, Julie, Prabhu (who were here in spirit!)...Kato-san, Sayoko, Motohiko...on and on we can go, Aya, Chiharu, Akiko, Murakami's...watch for the 30th reunion! Plans are already in the making!!

A couple days after our celebration, the High School around the corner from us, Kakujogaoka, met with Anita and me (discussing English classes to be held)...they presented us with these gifts too! These are AROMASKS!!! Aroma scented face masks (masks have been common to wear for as long as I've known Japanese!!! more than 25 years!)

AND they made special deodorizers which read "25th" in beads in them!!!!

THANK you Kakujaoka High School Students and Teachers Tsuruta-san and Yukiko-san!!!

Zen's team at Monterey Penninsula College

Their first game is in less than 3 weeks, November 7th!

Japan's so much about friends...food!!!!

Ohhh, OLD friends, friends from way back were in town!!!!

In this photo- on the left, Sayoko is the friend from way back who's restaurant is where Ischin and Naomi work at...and where Yoshie, next to her, came to give a live performance Sunday the 16th. Yoshie came to our english school back in like 1987. The rest is "history". Yoshie also lived in San Fran for a while. In the middle is Kaoriko....who moved to Nishio after the Kobe earthquake with her husband and child, who's birth I was at. Kaoriko and her first husband who are sundancers used to run sweat lodges where we had a tipi set up...there's me...and Julie from Australia, who was in California about three weeks ago visiting us in Santa Cruz and, and...on and on...what everyone is doing!!!!

At Parlor shine the next day, Yoshie went back to see Parlor Shine and Naomi and Sheon. Parlor Shine was the coffee shop she went to when she was in High School, and where I taught english classes for 11 years. Oh, it was so cute, Naomi and Sheon were both blow drying their hair, Yoshie worked for a Beauty Salon, when we first met.

One day last week I cooked for Taka's father....(and others)

From our little old dingy looking kitchen, good food comes out~

I don't have many dishes to share, but this is one...

lasagna in the works...japanese little mushrooms and slim eggplant, pork lasagna (with cottage cheese- no ricotto cheese outside of big cities in Japan)...

I made oatmeal cookies and poppy seed cake. In Japan, poppy seeds are ridiculously expensive and are only in small packages of about 2 Tablespoons for perhaps $3.50.

Oh, and this little oven...THIS is what I get to bake in in Japan. We used to make about ten or twelve pizza crusts, then everyone (four kids and usually 5 or 6 adults) would "decorate" their own pizzas, baking them two at a time.

I can only make six muffins at a time...and cookies can take awhile. That's why sometimes I just put a pan-full of cookie dough onto the pan and make like "squares"

OKONOMIYAKI!!!! MAKI~ style!

Ischin-kun's making great okonomiyai!!!

And now, these days, with mochi, THIN mochi on top. It looks a little messy~but totally yummy.

Taka's back from Japan, but now I'll fly off for there from Tuesday, October 11th

Santa Cruz County...

October. Got "Indian Summer" and then a buncha rain. But now...PUMPKINS!!everywhere (thank you for the photos Julie!!!)

Everywhere except where I thought we had so many growing. There are these big green squash of sorts~ yes, I planted seeds from a sugar pumpkin a friend had grown last year, and this is what we got!

They do seem to be fine when treated/cooked like zucchini. Before the seeds get too big, get them before this big, for sure!

Julie and I walked down the road a ways, hunting for some wild periwinkle I'd dug up a little of one day bike riding. The tree and sunshine were wonders all around and along the road.

Miya and Yuya stayed one night on their way from L.A. to San Fran, and got to see Zen for an hour! After years...well, January 2007 to be exact. In New Jersey Yuya and Miya and family went to see Zen play for the Jr. NBA!!! four and a half years ago! Now Yuya has gone on to Japan, and Miya is back in Boston, and where we will meet next~ who knows~ but hopefully back here in Aptos... oh at least mama Lena?!

So, I was packing for another trip to Japan. And one certain spot to shop for our Japanese family and friends is, where else other than: TRADER JOE'S ! They open, as they were here, at 8 am~ after I'd dropped Taka off at work

But how about these, guys!

BRUSSEL SPROUTS! SO many STALKS of them!!!

And for only $2.99!!! I bought a stalk, it's taking a little while to eat all the brussel sprouts...but also I just planted some in our garden. I have no idea how they will grow, but...this big?! Nah~

From TJ's tho...this trip, just a few of the things: organic mayo, chocolate covered potato chips, apricots, capers, dried tomatos...and FLOUR! Whole Wheat Flour!! Yes, this time I'm taking ten pounds of flour in my carry on to Japan! Easier than going and having to order and wait from a company far away in Japan to send it to me~ oh, and cheaper.

But the other day I bought these potatoes from TJ's! They have great notes on their labels and it helped me know that THESE were the potatoes I needed for MASHED potatos!

(can you read what's on the bag? CUTE!)

Here, is a cup from a new-to-me "mexican" restaurant...I have to check the name of it again~ like the SUBWAY shops where you tell them how you want what you want and they throw it together for you in front of you. But this cup of theirs was cool! "H2O WATER AGUI" (agui's spanish for water)

and this pan just made me think of me....I didn't buy it~ under the price tag is says "cook"

DON'T LOOK FURTHER

IF YOU DON't want to see

how a nail falls off~

I have had to record this tho~ it's been a "first" for me/us to see the process of

a smashed finger losing it's nail.

Yes, it's mine....

and back about the middle of August, when I was about to slam shut the car door-

I tried to stop it, and my thumb got in the way~~

This on the left was when the nail started lifting off the skin, it seemed for sure that it was going to be-one of those- "losing nail" things. If you look closely enough, you can see about 1/4 of the nail on the right side is still fine and growing normally.

THEN, one day, the blood came out! OHHHH that's what the darkness was before!

So...October 1st I took this pic using a rubber band to hold my nail on. Cause when I was dishes (we don't have a dish washer) band aids and taping just get wet and I've been going through LOTS of band aids and tape. Then I tried using the rubber band and it worked!

Under the nail I can see-it's ugly. So, though I could cut it off, I'd still need to keep it covered.

I will have to post another pic one day soon- at the end of this...the nail has felt like cardboard almost. Strange sensations! Amazing how the body is working this!!!