May 6th 2008

Zen's doing awesomely. He's been playing for this basketball league team, West Valley, and have already flown to COlorado and Las Vegas this past month.



Even better yet, Zen's hanging SO well at school. He has never complained. It makes being here really good.


Actually Taka too. Taka finally got the raise we've kept hearing he should get! The guys he works with are all so very cool. Because of those guys he works with, Taka's chosen to not pursue architecture work, but stay with this landscaping job.



I drive a lot to get over to Grandmother's house. I take this route by the Santa Cruz Boardwalk (which Zen disses for being "nothing" compared to FUJIKYU HIGHLAND in Japan!).

One day when our car was being worked on I biked it to Grandmom's and finally got photos of this picturesque area! If only you could smell it too. The epitome of Santa Cruz. Eucalypus trees and Jasmine. Pretty much every day the smells I smell here sink deeply and make lots of nostogic memories surface. Remember I lived here from 18 until 20 going to College?





I have an old friend named Forest. He also went to Nishio Japan around '87 to visit us. His wife saw my old e-mail address on this freecycle (recycle) site I was on, and asked Forest- "Isn't this your friend from Japan?" (my old thiamaki@japan-net e-ddress!) and Forrest e-mailed me!! We could catch up again after- how many years?! This is his organic strawberry "front yard". Across the street is the ocean. They are the next town North of us.





Oh, then this last photo- with my even older friend Nalu! She's lived by San Francisco's Haight St. for as long as I have lived in Japan.


This is a photo of her two daughters (not their baby) Kaya- Sheon's age, and Ayumi, a little older than Ischin- they have Japanese- and Japanese-Korean fathers. Looking beautiful, healthy and so very well too. Nalu can smile as much as I!


Oh, and news about my sister- at least- she hangs in there. I have tickets to fly East from 5/19- to Pennsylvania (for the first time...in how many years?? Seven?). I'll go see my sister then. For a week- and see a couple of friends, stepmom Eleanor, and Mom-mom...Reading about the Meth drug scenes have made me feel... not just tired... but weary- like for Grandmom too (cause of the on going saga with her daughter too) and weary about this sort of drug life in the U.S.

So, I just give such thanks. All I have with Taka and Zen, and our home in Nishio, and you kids there in Nishio. It will feel so heavenly to be back there too again!!! xoxoxoxo