Random Sweet Fun Things Happening!

Naomi-chan made this for me for my birthday~ recently! Look! I can post it here, you can watch and hear it too! SO cute!!!

[ They said "Happy Birthday Mama.... I love you" as they hopped up and down!]

Recently it was Ischin's 28th birthday too. He's in Japan~ but at least we got to send him some wine he could celebrate from us with. His darling girlfriend made his birthday dinner for him too.

In January Mom went to Haiti with her Church group, to work and help the community they have been keeping in touch with and sending aid to since their devastations from awhile back. I saw her group on line during a conference call I listened in on. Good ol' Mom, off in foreign countries helping people TOO!  (Mom's all the way to the right in front) 

Taka and I met our great friend Misa up in the Bay area,

where she introduced us to her friends~ also from Japan! We had a gorgeously fun evening out with Len, his wife Naomi and Misa. I love going out!!!! (Sorry Taka, I know home's so comfy)

Recently I saw this light shining on the wall in our kitchen...I was trying to figure out where it was coming from. The next day again, it was shining in about 11am....(see a little bit on the door, and reflecting by the round cutting board?)THEN I looked up from the other direction through the windows and I SEE, a LITTLE bit of the SUN shining through the corner of the kitchen windows through the trees!!! I SEE! The sun is coming in at a different angle as spring comes. This is our first Spring here.

Over from the other direction of the yard, the Sun shines from high above!

The Plum Tree, the BLOSSOMS have been blooming for about ten days now. All around town...it's so early! Not even mid-February yet.

The sweet peas I planted back in the beginning if October are reaching to the top of the fence Taka built. And are BLOOMING too! Even I've seen two sweet peas grown (tho a sad color~ not looking edible)

January 29th, Taka and I were some of the people who got tickets soon enough to enjoy 

Chris Rene from the X FACTOR at the "Homecoming" for him at the Civic in Santa Cruz for the VERY cool young man!   Ahhhh, speaking of COOL~ DJ GINA and David there making the concert even BETTER! xoxoxo

News from Taka about Basketball and Zen

２月にはいったばかりなのに　桜も咲く春模様　　　　

さて今週は厳しい　アウェーの戦いが２試合つずきました　全はスターターとして出場し、　チームも見事にかちつずけてます。

特に昨夜の　ゲームは　今シーズン　ベストなインパクトでしたね

センターの子も　ボックスエリア外のミドルシュートの精度があがりオフェンスの幅が広がり　チームもパスまわし合って

スリーを沈めて行き。

全も　ディフェンスをみて　切り込んで　ジァンプシュートを沈め　　前半１５点差を保ち　後半へ

オフェンスチァージも毎試合１回平均で取るかんじで　手首もテービングはしてるものの　ほぼいいでしょう。

センターが　ダブル　にきて、相手ディフェンスの目が中にきをひかれた瞬間　切り込んで　パスをうけとり　レイアップ。

２０点差を行ったり来たりして　残り５分は控えに交代　良い形で　残り３試合。

最終戦の　トップチーム　ライバル　カブリオに　paybackするおぜんだては　ちかずいてきてる。

８点、５、６アシスト　３、４リバンド　２．３スティール　３タンノーバー　２６、７分てなとこでしょうか。

Zeneral time

Zen Maki January 2012 for MPC

Here is a little highlights video Taka and I made for Zen! Of a little of Zen's basketball playing this first half of the regular season with MPC. ENJOY!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lectFYNs3T0

Here's some of Zen's BASKETBALL playing!!! Taka did the most work to make this for YouTube!

Here is a little highlights video Taka and I made for Zen! Of a little of Zen's basketball playing this first half of the regular season with MPC. ENJOY!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lectFYNs3T0

January at home~ in Aptos

We got some mochi going- again!!!

 Maybe it was the brand of mochi...it didn't cook so well.
It wasn't like the mochi we've had in Japan~ or the cooking method was the problem?!

I love this stuff~ YAMAIMO! Slimy potatoes...it's what I was holding, and then after cutting it into bite size pieces, with SHOYU and KATSUOBOSHI (shaved bonita)~ QUITE the appetizer! Margi and Tim visited from Oregon, and got to try it, and I got their thumbs up on it AND NATTO!!!

Yes, we got to hang out for the first time since 1982 Margi figures! That was when she came through Santa Cruz and met up with me last- since our '80 HS graduation.

Margi and her man Tim were on their way south to LA, and had two nights sleep, some good food (I must admit) and GREAT catching up! 

It's our first winter in our house on Porter Gulch. The sun never shines on the yard now. It's constantly wet. But, these sweet peas are still growing! And FLOWERING!

    

I keep helping them grow UP the poles. I keep winding twine up the "fencing". Yes, I still hang laundry outside. After two days it does get dry! I do what Japanese would never do, leave it hanging outside all night long! For NightS!!! 

Daikon grows! 

I don't know how much underground it's grown...

MISUNA...that skinny leaf isn't growing well. And I think it's slugs that like it. So I'm trying beer~ they like beer and drown in it I've heard. Most of what's drowned tho are black bugs...I don't know if they have been eating my pitiful veggies...Mushrooms are growing everywhere

I don't know what mushrooms are edible, no idea, and am not interested in experimenting with them

Taka got our first cold frame built! 

Soon I will plant seeds in little pots.

I hope the cold frame will help keep seedlings a little warmer...not sure it can/will~ we'll see.

Maybe the sun will shine again, more and more in our yard and on our home, come...March? Not until April? It was shining in our kitchen windows last May when we moved in~~

Zen's MPC Lobos team vs. San Jose January 11, 2012

Zen hasn't gotten to play recently because of a kind of tendonitis in his wrist. But after a few weeks off, he's back playing. The team lost this game, but Zen played well.

Below are some photos I got~~

 I love this photo~ #32 and #23 

 ~these boys sitting all squished together~ don't seem to mind.

Their head Coach sitting to the far left: Blake Spiering.

 Above, #40 Andrew Young~ is being sought after big time~ http://www.montereyherald.com/sports/ci_19726489

Below, Shayne Perryman, who played with Zen for 3 or 4 years, on a summer league team.

2011 has gone, 2012 is here!

YEAR OF THE DRAGON 2012

really from January 23rd, since this is the Chinese calendar we're talking about

Since May, when we moved onto Porter Gulch, we have driven past this deer warning sign. I looked forward to Christmas to share this picture! I also posted this pic on Facebook and someone commented "Reindeer Crossing"! 

For my 50th
birthday

Zen and Taka really surprised me with flowers and a cake.
No, I didn't do anything big for myself. I would have partied at a party for me if others had started one, but...nah~ make it big and it would feel big. So many people don't want to really think about being 50 years old. I think about it a little...well, maybe a little more than a little!

For Christmas season I brought this toilet paper back from Japan!!!

Christmas morning Zen and I visited Grandmom and her doggies. Lynn was there cooking Christmas dinner too.

Ahhh, over  Zen's winter break he surprised me by agreeing to play Scrabble with me~ then he went and beat me!!! I'm impressed~ happy for him~ sad for me! He says he's regularly playing "words with friends" on his phone. It does appear to help.

With my birthday money, I splurged on the recently for sale again- Japanese Dot shirts! Taka and I had missed getting one of these a few years ago. They were sold out. Now they are being printed again!

AND a special treat~ see Taka and me in the little corner picture of a picture below? With Eiko and John in Hawaii, we got to skype-talk!!!

That was mostly what the "holy-day" season was about this year! Hoping for a wonderful 2012 to all!