Finally!!! We can go back to our house in Santa Cruz!

We hadn't left Santa Cruz County~ but had to leave our house since the end of February.

Our housemate had planned to move by April 1st~ but four months hadn't been enough time to for him to get everything done. So for the month of March, Sheon, Taka and I moved all of our things into our one bedroom at our rental and "got out of the way" so his moving his things would be easier.

One of the worst parts was that Sheon had just begun this one English Class at the College down the road, and I felt so sorry to not be able to have her settled so she could concentrate on the one- very expensive- class. 

But now~ with a new lease, and some house cleaning and repairs, we're slowly but surely making a freshly, cozy home!

We stayed at hotels for the month too, and even camped out a few nights. For the most part Sheon, and sometimes Zen, were able to stay at the loft behind Uncle Lynn's and Lorraine's. Talk about feeling fortunate!

It really reminded us of Japan!!! Squeezing into the small space. Sheon and I could stand up upstairs~ But Zen really needed to crawl!

I did get to get some of my lettuces out of our garden over the month. Even some little carrots, and sweat peas are growing a few at a time~









For the most part we ate out though. We tried a number of different sushi restaurants so that Sheon could get an idea about kinds of restaurants she might like to work at.

Below is outside Pink Godzilla~ I love this picnic table of cacti in front of the shop.

We made dinner at Grandmom's a couple of nights. Zen visited us a few times from Monterey too.

Sheon's driving our purple Subaru now!
It took me a little bit of time to get used to her driving, I had to remind myself she's TWENTY TWO years old and she's BEEN driving. She is great great!

Taka and I got to plant lots of seeds, and leave them in a greenhouse at Uncle Lynn's yard SHUNGIKU, SHISO, BASIL, SPINACH....and more.

It's been raining a lot the month of March~and it's been cold~~

Where ever we are, Sheon's got to find her smoking areas outside, rain or shine.

Taka and I were at Whole Foods to do internet one day, sitting outside, this sign was there. 

Funny~ when Japanese read this sign- Taka told me he and Sheon were talking about it...that it sounds to Japanese that it's free to smoke here!

 

Sheon and I on another of our days out shopping, she found these Pockys from Japan...she laughed, seeing the ingredients all in English "Weird" she says.

And then I kept finding this "NISHO-MARK" around Santa Cruz...and the type...japanesey, and Sheon asks "Why do Americans like it so much?"

Speaking of Japan, at our school in Japan, Anita was having an Easter egg decorating party I got to skype for an hour with the class and the event from our hotel room~ I wish I had better pictures!

So~

 as I wrote at the start of this blog entry, lots of repairs are being made at our rental. The hole in the kitchen floor is finally getting filled! Walls and cabinets painted...

And the day we went to see some sofas in San Jose that were for sale (we bought them) That day we got to see this fantastic rainbow~ BOTH ends of it ! The place we went to see the sofa was somewhere right there under the middle of the rainbow! What a nice sign, wasn't it?!

Spring is coming with the rains, 

and jasmine is about to bloom outside our kitchen window.

Here's to hoping your days are good too!

Mid March~ midway with some news!

We set up this tent for friends who were going to visit...believe us- it's COMFY!!! 

Zen and his 'mate Adam also got to sleep in it one night! Guests WELCOME!

 Naomi...left with Taka for Japan...Feb. 26th~ (Taka's returned March 9th...)

 Funny how Americans can love the Japanese style~ type~ of "art" "printing" like this!

An old photo a friend posted! Jayne Ueda~ a mentor of mine...whose English school in Shizuoka she still runs~ she does the commuting back and forth from Australia~
This photo...Zen must have been 4 years old...Sheon 7...Naomi 9? 16 years ago...1996 or 1997!

March~ and so much "in the air"

The girls got here from Japan. Within days they got CA. Ids...but also

  surprise surprise

The SELECTIVE SERVICE writes to Sheon telling her to register for the draft. "Welcome to America, we want to send you away to make you fight foreign lands and foreign people for us, die for America-well 'die for freedom' "

(what happened to the freedom of that 

choice of whether to kill or not?)

 Sheon actually doesn't have to register. Being female.  I always said to my sons, "Please, rather go to jail than go kill others... that killing of people will torment your souls and your life will forever be...ruined I'm afraid"









Well, there are very cool things here in the States too, very very cool. Like protecting these fish in their acquarioum at a local coffee shop! The note says to not use mobile phones (k-tais) when sitting by the fish cause the fish are sensitive!

Speaking of ENERGY

I really really love this: a knife sharpening man at the health food store New Leaf near Grandmom's.

He's using SOLAR ENERGY to sharpen the tools. I've seen him at different farmer's markets. I love, lOVE this! I think one day when I have extra bucks I must take our knives to him.   

And then back at home... OSHIRUKO!!! Mochi with sweetened adzuki beans in Japan we could cook mochi on top of our stove...but here we can only use the toaster- still- it kind of worked!

                                        
Naomi cut it up into little pieces, and made...bowls...of the traditional winter DELICACY!
                  

The mochi was hot!!

But it made everyone HAPPY!

On February 26th Taka and Naomi headed back to Japan. Sheon stayed with me. Naomi has a full time job she really cares about. Taka's returned to check in on his father, and do taxes.

("EASTside" is the look!?!)

Sheon has begun classes at Cabrillo College....Spring is in the air, 

veggies are growing for our salads, and we look forward to Taka's return.

Life is changing here~ growing and learning in many ways. 

I give the greatest thanks that Sheon never speaks of regrets about being here. For her to make this amazing move away from the country she was born and raised in, is very strong of her. Sheon is considered to be an "out of state" student so paying for her classes is about 10 x more expensive than residents of California. 

And then also there have been some other unexpected expenses...

We anticipate a happy "ending"!

So do come back to hear our continuing saga! xoxoxox

Sunday in the Woods

Naomi and Sheon~ all over Zen~he loves it~ THEY love it!

Out in this gorgeous fresh air...the girls can't help but have to smoke...

Zen's their chauffeur~ happy boy! And happy girls!!

Last night we had some friends over, and lots of food~Aria-tachi from San Francisco..her friend to her left below, and Nahshon!

 Nahshon's mama Ana~dear

Also to join us was Aria's PAPA VICTOR all the way down from San Fran, along with wifey-poo EIKO!!!! Also there, childhood friend to our children: Kamaria, and with Taka's workmate Kenny,
YES, Eiko made it out of the city for some fun! Eiko, with the wine below, in the hot tub with some of the girls.


Then there was Free and Karl come for the GIRLS! Nah, the food, the air, for all of us~ they came to "reunite" with their partying buddies!

 

And Taka's cousin Yota and family, Marina, Noah, and Luke from Los Gatos.

How many more times can we do this? Wishing for MANY more times!!!

We just need our missing child, ISCHIN!!!

"ISCHIN  PLEASE COME SOON!!!!!!"

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