At UCSB three day tournament

This gymnasium is HUGE! SIX courts!!!
This particular court in the photo is above the others, see the guys looking over the railing down on the four at the other courts? And across the way is another 2nd floor court.

Zen's playing so well, but it's the WHOLE TEAM, Santa Cruz High School team...
And they're even missing at least three other good players! But ten boys here (4 1/2 hours south of Santa Cruz.
Today is Sunday morning, two games Friday, and three on Saturday, they won all five.

Sunday...11 am, a win puts the winner in the final....

so for now~ as we head out to see them go at it again~ 2 B Continued....

Reminiscing

These plates I made, well, the kids made and I

HAD made as presents, were at Mom's house. I love seeing these at different places. Now we have some in California, some are at Megumi house in Japan (my school-house), and Parlor Shine...I did well, huh? Got them around. Four kids, over a number of years. They were awesome artists so~

made gorgeous presents!!!

Zen@ 2007 and almost two, and three years later~

Zen, playing for the All-Japan Jr.NBA in Japan

January 2007

And then for the Santa Cruz Cardinals almost two, then three years later.

We watched a number of fellow players mess up their ankles. Finally we invested in these braces that Zen pretty much always laces, and straps on all of the time before playing now.

Got to do all we can for those powerful legs of this boy. I was remembering about ten years ago when one old friend, Eneida~ YOU!! who used to teach for me in Japan. She was walking behind Zen and exclaimed over his legs THEN! How she'd never seen such muscular legs on a boy as young as Zen. About 7 years old then. That's when HE noticed them too! ; )

Hey, here's a self portrait of the son's caretakers! Me and Taka~honey~

Family living too far away~apan

Oh my girls!! At least we got to see them via Skype the other day (see Taka and me in the corner of the pic when we were talking with them?! For FREE! For those of you who don't know~ FREEEEEEE via computer)

I'm not in Japan for my girls and oldest boy, and I'm not usually able to go to PA to see Mom, Carl and stepdad Frank...I'm so grateful for airplanes, computer, TECHNOLOGY!!!!

Awww Mom!!!!

Having to leave PA back to CA

Below, the "morning after" with Carl, Mom and Frank...Saturday May 15th on our way to the airport, both Carl and I were leaving PA

Check it out... my suitcase wasn't staying locked shut. I had EXACTLY 50 pounds, the limit. I ended up taping it shut. Guess it's gotten over used by about now.

But here we were the night before!!! Dwayne's birthday and all the friends we got together to celebrate with!!! At Whiptain Tavern

It was such a great trip, I don't remember taking a trip away from Taka and NOT being ready to get back to him SOONER. But this trip...I was having so much fun...I could have stayed longer. There's NOTHING like finding you're still friends with your oldest of acquaintances~and there's nothing like reminiscing together! Special beyond belief!!

At Amie Scott's new home in Collegeville, PA.

Amie awes me~

this is her front yard!

My friend from grade school....

but she and my younger sister became best of friends, tho now she and I have more in common~

Well, "in common" hmmmmmm~
She has managed to buy a home, a FARM really~
she brought home these chicks the day we visited! AND two chickens!

She's got the kind of life now so many of us dream of! True, her girls (shoot, I missed getting pics of the two beauties) are younger than mine, I am glad to be ahead of her there!

But look at this home sweet home! And CHECK OUT the COOL ORBS, those positive spirits that live with them in this gorgeous home!!! (her daughter says they are usually in her photos in the house too!)

Mom, Frank and I went a'visiting on this day~ Amie's moved in only since last Fall~
and we got to have dinner together with

another old buddy, Denise Zumpano Naylor, and on my left is their good friend Barbra, and Amie there with her woofer~

This was another of the highlights of my Pennsylvania trips!

In PA. and visiting~ family, friends~~

Dwayne Holmes and John Hickey!!! There used to hang out when they were LITTLE, they told me it had been years since they'd met. John had been taking me on a tour of the town I grew up in, around Ambler. And we got to stop by our old High School Wissahickon and met Dwayne there.

Nancy and Carlos Thillet, Nancy, she told me that when she met me on the first day of 4th grade, the very first thing I said to her was "My parents are getting divorced". I guess it's been just IN me to be OUT there with pretty much everything.

At my sister's home- GEESE, pretty, scary GEESE!

Mom and I went to my sister Janet's place. I thought this decoration outside was a plan, but then realized it was honestly a holder for BBQ utensils.

We noticed this gorgeous photo of my sister Janet from her younger, younger years. I wondered what guy she was making that look at. But no, it was "just" her girlfriend Amie.

I visited at my stepmom's, in Morrisville PA. Overnight, a gorgeous dinner and lazy time.
At Mom and Frank's, Carl came from Nashville to hang out for a few days. My little brother is now 41!!!

And then the best "babysitter" we ever had, Dennie Green (Buchanan) came for dinner~ Mom and Frank make the "handsomest" spreads!

...then by the fireplace since Pennsylvania had become so COLD! And it was May 12th!!!

Next day, beautiful, warm and out for a walk around Mom's.

Mom and Rosco