Saranap Diary

Japan Trip October 2011

2011-12-31T11:11:00.000-08:00

This year is almost over, but the biggest events took place in Japan in October. DH1, Goerge, and DS1, Rudy, and I spent 2 weeks in various parts of Japan to bury my mother May's ashes in her family grave sites at Hakusanji in Yamagata and Sojiji in Chiba. May's Kikuchi family members are all buried in Yamagata, but her husband Gen Asano was buried in Sojiji near Tokyo. We did not know where May wished to be so we decided to bury her at both sites. During the visit we met our old friends and relatives, attended buddhist ceremonies called "Hoji", feasted on beautifully presented food, visited memories lanes of my late mother. All in all it gave me a sense of closure to carry out my mother's wishes. DD1, Hanako, was able to join us from England, courtesy of her brother Rudy. Her visit was short (5 days), but this was the first time in 20+ years that my immediate family of four got to travel together. It took my mother's death to do this. Thank you, Mother May!

Alaska Cruise Aug. 2011

2011-09-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

We went on a cruise to Alaska this summer. It was our first cruise ever. I was not sure how my opinionated husband will like the cruise, but lo and behold, he seemed to like it. The Alaskan scenery was beautiful indeed, but the experience aboard the ship, the Regatta by Oceana, was even more beautiful.
We were treated like king and queen. We had a butler waiting on us in our penthouse cabin. The food was almost too elegant. I was certainly not used to this kind of treatment, but I got used to it very quickly.

The cruise started and ended in Vancouver. We drove back to Saranap leisurely by stopping and visiting our good old friends in Vancouver, Lopez Island WA, Portland OR, and Redbluff CA.

It was a very memorable experience.

HAKONE GARDEN Saratoga, CA

2011-09-11T20:40:00.000-07:00

We took our granddaughters, Elizabeth (6) and Helen (5) to Hakone Garden in Saratoga last Saturday.
They had fun strolling the Japanese garden, feeding the Koi fish in the pond, eating picnic lunch, etc. Elizabeth was lucky enough to have her picture taken with a beautiful bride having a photo session in the garden. Helen was too shy to join.
On the way back to Piedmont, the girls taught us the song about Percy the pale faced polar bear. It was a very good day overall.

Zzzzzzz, Purrrrrrr, Zzzzzzz, Purrrrrrr, Zzzzzzz, Purrrrrrrr and so on

2011-05-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

Nap time in the spring at Hilton House.

Grandma May's Memorial Party

2011-05-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

On April 22, 2011 we held a memorial party in honor of Grandma May at Hilton House. Most of her grandchildren showed up dressed nicely, and the food was amaing. I am sure May would have approved.

2011 FILOLI Flower Show

2011-05-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

My friend, Sumiko, invited me to the annual Mothers' Day weekend Flower Show and High Tea at FILOLI GARENES in Woodside yesterday. Everything was beautiful and I was compeletly inspired to make my garden more beautiful. The flower arrangements were also very interesting. I am posting my most favorite arrangements/

May was a Party Animal

2011-03-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

I am slowly getting ready for my mother's memorial service. Dear friend, Reiko, has been helping with the photo presentation. I found these pictures. The top was taken in 1964, the year of Tokyo Olympics. The next was taken on our 25th anniversary around 1985. The bottom was taken in Ixtapa, Mexico around 1988? We were all so young!!! It looks like my mother May was a party animal. Time goes by quickly when you are having fun.

May H. Kikuchi Celebration of Life

2011-03-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

May Haru Kikuchi
April 16, 1915-February 1, 2011

Celebration of Life Service and Party

Date & Time: Friday April 22, 2011 2:30 PM
Place of Service: Small Chapel(top of the hill) at Oakmont Memorial Park
2099 Reliez Valley Road, Lafayette, CA 94549
Party to Follow: 772 Hilton Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94595

MAY H. KIKUCHI April 16, 1915 - Feb. 1, 2011

2011-02-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

My mother, May H. Kikuchi aka Grandma May, passed away on Feb. 1. She was 2.5 month short of 96 years old. She lived through a rather turbulent life before, during and after the World War II in Japan. She also lost her father and husband at relatively young age. However, in the end she died in her sleep very peacefully.

She was different from a typical Japanese woman of her age because she was a college graduate and career woman until her retirement. She worked as Japanese English interpretor for the US Armed forces in the post war Japan.

She loved beautiful jewelries, nice clothes, and good food. Her hobby was playing golf. Also for some reason she loved moving around from one place to another even though moving was expensive. She loved spending money and she was quite generous to us daughters.

May was quite a remarkable lady. I miss having lunch with her at restaurants.

Baby Jesus and Angels

2010-12-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

We don't go to church very often. But we could not miss the Christmas pageant at St. Clement's Episcopal Church in Berkeley on Christmas eve. Our 3 grandchildren had very important parts.....Baby John as Baby Jesus, Elizabeth and Helen as angels. Baby John did not cry or fuss at all when he was on the stage as. Elizabeth and Helen looked beautiful as little angels. It was indeed an amazing Christmas eve.

Grandchildren helping with Christmas Tree

2010-12-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

Grand kids, Elizabeth, Helen and Baby John came to help us decorate the tree. E and H did a great job. Their brother John was either asleep or cheering.
It was a wonderful afternoon and the house is now filled with holiday spirits.

Pre Thanksgiving Dinner at Hisako's

2010-11-20T20:10:00.000-08:00

Grandma May was able to attend a dinner party hosted by Aunt Hisako. Aunt Kazuko and Richard, who happened to be visiting the Bay Area, were able to join, too. The shabu shabu dinner was elegant and delicious. May enjoyed the food very much.

The pictures were taken by my new iphone4.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last night was Halloween eve. As usual Piedmont Winnackers came with their kids (3 kids this year). Some friends and neighbors showed up, too. Also S.F. Giants won against Texas. This was the 3rd win in the World Series. Overall it was a fun evening.

Taiko Lessons in Orinda

2010-10-29T14:38:00.001-07:00

I have been taking Taiko lessons at Orinda Community Center since September. I have finished the first session, and the second session just started. Taiko is a lot harder than I thought. It is very physical. I took up Taiko mainly to firm up my upper body, particularly arms, but Taiko takes whole body movement. Hopefully it will improve my golf games. The instructor can make incredible sound. It is a lot of fun.

Grandma May's Lafayette House has new roof

2010-10-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Grandma May's Lafayette house now has new tenant and new house. The tenants are very nice and the roof looks very good.

Grandma May's Lafayette House

2010-09-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Grandma May's house in Lafayette became vacant after 7 years. The house was quite messy after the tenant moved out. I finally got it cleaned up (thanks to Brad's help) and it is available for rent. After I posted the house on Craigslist, I must have gotten 15 responses within 48 hours.....the first inquiry came within 5 minutes of posting. It has been shown to 10 groups already. I need to make a decision by this weekend. The house is looking good.

Helen & John at Hilton House

2010-09-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

While big sister E is having a hand surgery Helen & John waited at Hilton House. Helen was very nice to Baby John who slept most of the time. Helen watched "The wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss" video 3 times.

August 8, 2010 Batismal Day for Grandchildren

2010-08-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

All three Piedmont grandchildren got baptised at St Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Livermore recently. There were 5 kids(babies) who got baptised at the same time. Three of them Elizabeth (5), Helen (almost 4) and John(newborn) are our grand kids. Elizabeth was excited and couldn't keep still. Helen behaved perfectly. John was quiet and did not seem to know what was going on. It turned out, by serendipity, the church building was designed by Grandpa George many years ago.
We celebrated the occasion by going out for SUSHI in Montclair.

The Night before HCW's 4th Birthday

2010-08-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

HCW, who is almost 4, learned to enjoy Chu-Chu noodles. Her sister, EKW, 5, learned to use chopsticks to eat her favorite TAMAGO.

Lettuce Trees July 2010

2010-07-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

This year I planted dozen lettuce seedlings. They grew and grew, and of course, we could never catch up eating them. We are no rabbits. Anyway, lettuce seedlings grow up to be tree like creatures if left alone. Some of them are even growing yellow flowers on top. Interesting!

Saranap Farm Lettuce bushes July 2010

2010-07-30T19:30:00.000-07:00

I planted a dozen lettuce seedlings this year. They grew and grew, and of course, we could never eat enough lettuce leaves ourselves. Now some of them are growing tall enough to become lettuce tree like creatures. I noticed some of them have yellow flowers growing on top. Interesting!

Our Newest Grandchild

2010-06-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

John S W is the newest grandbaby of Hilton House. He came to visit today with his parents, and sisters, E&H. He is only 2 days old but quite handsome already. Sisters E and H stayed at Hilton house when he was born.
Very happy occasion indeed.

Fun in Foothills

2010-06-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

We recently spent 3 days in the Foothills Area with Setsuko and daughter Ayako from Japan. The first day was spent in Yosemite with Ahwhanee Hotel lunch. The next day was wine tasting and Mercer Cavern visit in the Murphys area. The third day was spent attending the 150th year anniversary celebration of the town of Copperopolis. The Japanese ladies were very impressed. These areas are not listed on the tour manual for the Japanese tourists.

Saranap Farm

2010-04-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

This year my farm is doing well due to higher than usual rain fall. So far I've planted pumpkin, sweet peas, tomatoes, Japanese cucumber, Japanese egg plants, squash, zucchini, and two kinds of lettuce. Hopefully we will save on grocery costs. Also the strawberries are doing great. You cannot buy the kind of juicy strawberries like mine in any store.....not even Whole Foods carries the strawberries as good as mine.

Quiet House feels strange

2010-04-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

Hanako and the boys left yesterday. Luckily the cherry trees started to blossom before they left.

It is strange to wake up and the house is quiet. We miss them already. we discovered at the farewell dinner that the young George is a sushi eater. Henry also ate raw white fish without hesitation, but he did not like the hot wasabi horseradish. Exciting!

Cousins' in California

2010-03-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

George (4) and Henry (2) met their American cousins this week. They met Yuna (1) at Sushi Party in Walnut Creek. They, then, met their other cousins & second cousings at an egg hunt party in Piedmont. The cousins ranged in ages between 2-4. They were all civilized. There was not fight.

Hanako and boys ready to leave for Sacramento

2010-03-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hanako, Mark, George 4, and Henry (aka Enrique) are ready to sightsee Sacramento. The weather is perfect. The boys got adjusted to the time change by now. They sleep well at night.

Visitors from UK

2010-03-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

Our grandchildren along with their parents, Hanako and Mark, have been visiting Hilton House. George, 4 and Henry (aka Enrique), 2, are ABC (adorable, beautiful, and cute) and H (handful). The house is filled with energy when they are around. Our cats hide when they see the boys.

Luckily all the cherry trees are blooming. We are enjoying the UK relatives.

Peaceful Coexistence on Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T19:53:00.000-08:00

Self professed cat hater George and human hater Chipper were found peacefully napping on the same bed on Valentine's day. They are so cute together!

George's Birthday Card from Spoiled Cats

2010-02-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

Today is Husband George's Birthday (Don't ask how old). He does not want to do anything special.....certainly no parties. However Chipper and Mo2 remembered the day. They left a nice card and a box of chocolate for their one and only Pop.

2010-01-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

It's been a month since Mo2 jointed us here at Hilton House. He has energized us all. Chipper is particularly happy to have him around. Chipper is very nice to Mo and lets him sleep on "his" chair. Have you ever seen anything cuter than these?

Chipper and Mo2

2010-01-09T13:17:00.000-08:00

The arrival of Chipper's playmate, Mo2, just before the past Christmas was a blessing for all of us. Normally shy and withdrawn, Chipper seems to be happier and more outgoing nowadays. He is spending more time inside, rather than his old ways of come in, eat and run outside routine. Chipper communicates with Mo2 with a very special "myrrr" sound. When Mo2 hears this he comes dashing out from wherever he is and greets Chipper.

Last night Mo2 invaded Chipper's chair by sleeping on it. Chipper did not get upset. He simply jumped on the chair himself and snoozed next to Mo2. After a while Mo2 could not stand Chipper's weight (about 15 lbs) and jumped off and slept under the coffee table.

The cats are cute together.

Morris 2 in the New Year

2010-01-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

Morris 2, aka Mo2, has been with us only a little over 2 weeks. He has adjusted so well it feels like he's been with us for a long time. Our other cat, Chipper, seems to be a lot happier with Mo2. Chipper has been showing Mo2 around. Today Mo2 learned to go outside on his own. He watched me take down the Christmas lights. He is curious about everything, and he seems to be extremely happy. He also learned to come home through the cat door. The only thing left for him to learn is to go outside instead of coming home to use his litter box. Perhaps Chipper can show him the right way.

All the guest who visited us during the past holiday season adored Mo2. Even my sister from Albuquerque, who does not care for cats loved him. Mo2 is indeed the vision of ABC, i.e. Adorable, Beautiful, and Cutie full of charms. He made our holiday season extra happy.

Morris2 arrived

2009-12-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I got myself a Christmas present. It is an one-year old orange tabby I adopted from Tony LaRousa's ARF in Walnut Creek (ARF stands for animal rescue foundation). Anyway, the kitty reminded me of my old Morris (god bless his soul), so I named it Morris2.

Morris2 is an outgoing cat and is adjusting well in our household. I introduced him to Chipper. At first I was fearful of a huge cat fight, but there was none of that.
They seem to enjoy having playmates. Even though Morris2 is younger than Chipper he seems to be more dominant than shy Chipper. Interesting.

Hilton House Wine Tasting

2009-12-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

We hosted a wine tasting for our group at our house in November. We tasted 6 Spanish wines, all Tempranillos. Most of the old timers showed up along with Rudy, Betty and the girls. Dinner menu was mushroom & spinach lasagna, meat balls, Spanish olives, giant capers, green beans, chocolate cake and fudge.

Chipper and Friend ???

2009-12-05T15:44:00.001-08:00

Chipper has been with us since this spring. He has mellowed quite a bit, though, he still does not want to sit on my lap. He seems to prefer George. He loves to be scratched by George. Recently a black cat has been eyeing Chipper. Hopefully they will become friends.

Another Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

This was taken in 2007
Another Halloween has come and gone. Our granddaughters, Elizabeth (4) and Helen (3) came over again from Piedmont. The trick-o-treat loot is better here, I suppose. First they participated in the annual Freeman Rd Halloween March. Then, they attended the Sufi party on Boulevard Way. What fun it was! The grown-ups sat in our garage eating Japanese food and drinking wine. The Hoyes from the neighborhood stopped by.
There is also a very exciting news from the Piedmont Winnackers, Another baby is on the way! The top 2 pictures were taken in 2007. The bottom one was taken in 2009. See the difference!

Gold Country Cat Lover

2009-10-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

Recently we spent a few days in the Gold County, sipping wine, playing golf with Vick and Koichi. When we were at Ironstone Winery in Murphys a curious event took place. George was sitting at the entrance waiting for the rest of us to finish our tour. A fat cat jumpted up on his lap and snuggled up as if he met his soul mate. George alwasy said that he hated cats. However, the cat would not leave Big George. Our driver, Dave, finally got him off. I have a feeling that Big G is a secret cat lover.

HANAKO'S VISIT SEPT. 2009

2009-09-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

Daughter Hanako came from England for a short visit before leaving for Colorado for cousin Robin's wedding. While in the Bay Area Hanako managed to enjoy the blue sky, shopping and most of her favorite ethnic food (Sushi, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mexican food).

DRIVING ACROSS NOTHERN STATES July 2009

2009-09-21T15:59:00.000-07:00

After my retirement from Better Homes Lafayette's Owner/Broker position, George and I flew to Chicago, rented a 7-passenger car, and drove back to the Bay Area. We first drove up to Door County, Wisconsin, visited George's relatives, and met up with son, Rudy and his "girls", Betty, Elizabeth, and Helen. After that we drove through Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California. Sisters Kazuko and Hisako joined us in South Dakota to Washington to sight see some well known tourist spots such as Mt Rushmore, yellow Stone, Grand Teton, and Lopez Island. Everything went as planned and it was a great experience! (I might add that there was no fight among us!)

Survivor winner from Walnut Creek

2009-06-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Our friend, Reiko called to tell us that Yul Kwon, one of the million dollar winners on Survivor reality show was in Walnut Creek. So we went to his newly opened Yogurt Store, Red Mango, to see him. Walnut Creek Mayor was there, too. Anyway, we enjoyed the yogurt and had a picture taken with Yul.

Meet Chipper New Hilton House Member

2009-04-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

Chipper came from Sacramento. He is 19 month old. He weighs 14 pounds. He is a bit obese. At the moment he is shy and quiet. Hanako thinks he will be ruling the house in time. I agree.

View from the Window

2009-04-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

I do stretch exercise on our bedroom floor in the morning. This is the view I see from the floor level of our back yard. I kind of like the mellow tree silhouette. My back is getting better.

2009-04-04T13:19:00.001-07:00

Morris Winnacker R.I.P.

2009-04-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

My beloved cat, Morris aka Morriko, went to heaven this morning. His estimated age was 16-18 years old. He was adopted by us in 1994 from a cat foster care home in Berkeley. He was a very clean and mellow cat. He entertained us with his "stretch" exercise. He had a good life. His death happened on my birthday. We miss him.

New Baby Girl arrives on Girls Day 2009

2009-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Cousin Jue and her husband Satoshi had a new baby girl called Yuna on March 3. As you know March 3 is the Girls Day in Japan. We had a little family celebration at Hilton House for Yuna. It was a wonderful family evening.

Kona, Hawaii Feb. 2009

2009-03-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sister, Kazuko, her boyfriend, Richard, and I had a quick 5-day visit in Kona. My dear friends, Vicki and Koichi, were our hosts. We got to stay in their vacation house in Waikoloa Village, right on a golf course. We attended salsa dancing party, played couple rounds of golf, visited local farmers market, bought a lot of designer clothes in Honoka'a boutique, and went to famous Tex's diner. Kona, Hawaii is my most favorite Hawaiian location.

2009-03-19T21:39:00.000-07:00

Morris coexists peacefully with George nowadays.

Morris seems to be happy and doing well in spite of his diabetes. He gets vetsulin shots twice a day. He also takes vitamin supplements. He is very loud when he wants food (he demands food whenever he sees me.) He is supposed to be almost 100 years old in human age. He is still alert and he can still jump up to my lap. He watches all reality shows. However, he does not catch birds anymore.

Spring has arrived early in Saranap 2009

2009-02-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

It is still early February, but my daffodils are already blooming in the circle.

2009-01-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

So far the new year is starting out well. On Jan. 1, we had a great Japanese New Year's feast at Rudy and Betty's in Piedmont. They cooked up very elaborate traditional Osechi Ryori consisting of a lot of root dishes. We also had some fancy sashimi and also black beans which will keep us busy and healthy during the year. Grandma, May, who will be 94 this year loved Rudy's Tamago so much so that she had 7 servings! She is the one who taught him how to make this Tamago dish. As usual she ate like a horse.

Yesterday we played golf with Rudy and Sunil at Diablo Hills Golf Course. The sun was shining and the day was crisp.

It's Christmas Time Again

2008-12-24T14:49:00.000-08:00

The room is all set for Kikuchi party tomorrow

The dining table is set with newly acquired chargers

These beautiful roses came from my front yard.......no kidding.....the roses are blooming!

Whew! Time goes by fast when you are having fun. It is Christmas time again in Saranap. Since we hosted my Better Homes Lafayette office party we decorated our house more than usual, and consequently, we have had numerous visitors young and old this season. Tomorrow is Christmas Day and the Kikuchi relatives will be here. Aunt Hisako will do her roast beef. Yum! Grandma May will enjoy eating a lot as usual. The house is ready for yet another party.

Old Man Winter 2008

2008-12-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is what our backyard looks like this morning.....all covered with frost. What a difference compared to 2 weeks ago! This is a typical Saranap winter scene.

2008-11-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Mission Fig Tree near the guest room

Chinese Pistche on the left side.

Recently we planted 2 additional trees in our yard. One is a Chinese Pistache which replaced the sick Pistache tree we planted 3 years ago. This is my garden guru Bob Tanem's favorite tree. It is supposed to be very colorful in the fall. The other one is a Mission Fig we planted near the guest bedroom. I always wanted to have a fig tree ever since we visited the Vulcan region in Germany last fall. Hopefully we'll get a good crop of fig next year.

Elizabeth & Helen's First Trick'O'Treat

2008-11-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

Pay attention to Grandpa George's left ear. Grandma and Elizabeth have matching hair color.

This year we ate in the garage so that we can catch the nieghborhood kids while eating sushi.

Halloween in Saranap is fun. It is a safe neighborhood full of children. Our granddaughters from Piedmont came over to experience their first trick-O-treating. At first 2-yr old Helen was a bit scared. But after she saw what her sister, 3-yr old Elizabeth, got Helen got the idea very quickly. They both had so much fun. In fact Elizabeth did not want to go home.

Wine Tasting Group in the Foothills, Calirornia 2008

2008-10-24T13:38:00.000-07:00

A year ago we went to Germany for wine tasting. This year our German tasting members, Bernhard and Annamarie came to California. So we took them to the Foothills area for our version of wine tasting tour. We visited 4 wineries in Murphys area. Picnic lunch at Steevnot, tour of the beautiful gardens at Ironstone, twisted tasting at Twisted Oak, and drinking at Irish Winery were some of the highlights of the trip.

Filoli Garden Visit

2008-10-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Mary Baxter, Christine Robinson, Shiela Keppel and I visited Filoli Garden in Woodside for Mary's pending big birthday. The weather was perfect, and the gardens looked gorgeous in the late summer/early fall scenery. This is my favorite spot in the Bay Area. I visit Filoli at least a couple time each year.

Hanako's Visit 2008

2008-09-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hanako and Mark infront of Hilton House.

Hanako and her boys are visiting since August 30. Her boys are husband Mark (30 something), son George (2.7 years) and Henry (9 months). They all have red hair (Hanako says Henry is strawberry blond). We are having fun, exciting and busy days. We even had an informal wine tasting last Friday with our usual wine tasting group. The tasting was successful, and the group was all very happy to see Hanako again.

Hilton Farm Produce

2008-08-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

While we were gone to Hawaii our cucumbers and zucchinis have grown like crazy. Before we left they were just flowers. Now 7 days later they look like monster sea snails. Things grow fast in Saranap.

Morris is examining the monster veggies.

2008-08-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

We just returned from one week vacation in Kona. We stayed at the Hayashis' time share. I played 4 rounds of golf game, and George did only 2 rounds. Anyway it was a wonderful time.

Kabochas are coming

2008-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

It's been 4 months since I planted a single kabocha seedling. It now covers about 25 sq. ft. of ground. For the past 3 weeks I have tried every cooking recipe for kabocha.....creamy kabocha soup, miso soup, baked sliced kabocha, boiled Japanese style kabocha, sliced and sauteed with butter and sugar, tempura style, etc. I have not made kabocha pie or mushed kabocha yet. If any of the readers have more recipes I would appreciate your suggestion.

Summer in Saranap

2008-07-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Summer in Saranap is really nice. The weather has been rather cool this year. We are having visitors every weekend. The latest visitors are none other than Piedmont Winnackers.

We had French cheese and Japanese temaki (make-your-own) sushi for din-din.

Peaches are coming

2008-06-30T22:53:00.000-07:00

Can you see thousands of peaches on this tree? The tree must like this location.

The Hayashi's peach tree in my garden is producing fruits again. We planted this tree a little over 2 years ago. Last year was good, but this year's crop is even better. They are the sweetest and juiciest peaches I have ever tasted. Yum, yum! What should we do with all these wonderful peaches?

Joining Twitter

2008-06-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Morris & I decided to sign up for Twitter today in honor of Rudy Winnacker joining the company, twitter.com.
George took this picture for our twitter publication, but unfortunately Morris did not smile.

Wine Tasting in Loire Valley, France

2008-06-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Our spectacular wine tasting vacation started here at le Chateau du Portail on May 26, 2008.

This is our group at our chateau in France

Le Chateau du Portail, our vacation home in Loire Valley

Hot air balloon ride

Wine tasting in a local winery. A 49-yr old white!

Wine tasting at our chateau. Interesting looking bottle.

Dessert as work of art at Domaine des Hauts de Loire.

White asparagus in season, yum!

Typical dining room scene

A typical main course at our chateau dining room (among other lovely dishes)

Our host and chateau owner Claud (also a great Chef)

Aerial photo of "our" Le Chateau du Portai I took from the hot air balloon, it was a beautiful spread!

Just returned from a week of dining, wining, and having a good time in Loire Valley. George missed out on this totally awesome trip. My sister Kazuko from Albuquerque and I, however, indulged in "la dolce vita" (pardon my French or Italian). It is OK to experience this kind of life once in a while, n'est ce pas?

We rented an entire chateau (Le Chateau du Portail) owned by Christine Robinson's friend, Claud. A typical day started with breakfast in the dining room at 9. Then we 'd go out for sightseeing various historical buildings, chateaus, cathedrals, wineries, markets, and museums. Then we stop for a 2 hour lunch with a few bottles of wine. This was OK since we were taken everywhere by a chauffeur driven van.

In the evening we were treated to multi course gourmet dinner complete with several bottles of wine at home , other fancy restaurants, etc. What a memorable week!

Too bad George did not want to join us.

Strawberry Season 2008

2008-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

My strawberries are doing well this year. Look at these beauties! They are also sweet and juicy. You are all welcome to my strawberry field to pick as much as you want! Yum!

Sam is back

2008-04-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sam, my pet egret, is back. I hadn't seen him for a couple of months, and I was really worried. However, he was wading in his favorite spot in Las Trampas Creek today. He looked happy and healthy surrounded by other water birds. What a relief!

Daffodil Hill, Amador County

2008-03-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

Since we got an inside information that daffodils are at full bloom in the foothills we decided to visit Daffodil Hills in Amador County. Our GPS was rather flaky and directed us to a rather roundabout way to get there. We driove through the town of Plymouth, village of Fiddletown, and other ungodly places. However we made it to the hill after a couple of hours of driving.
Reiko and Will came with us. Will kept asking "Are we there yet?" Reiko was nice and quiet.
The Daffodils were beautiful.
We enjoyed the nice and peaceful scenery.
We went to Toscano Winery in Plymouth for lunch before heading back down to the Bay Area.
By the way, there is no hot lunch served in the wineries in Amador County. It has something to do with the county regulations. They don't want tour buses, we guess!!! In any case the area was beautiful.

Happy Girls Day aka Peach Festival

2008-03-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

3/3 or March 3rd is the Girls' Day, also known as Momo no Sekku (Peach Festival) or Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) in Japan. So, girls (young and old), stop by our house to view the beautiful doll displays and blooming peach tree and a cup of amazake (sweet sake).

These exquisit standing dolls were gift from Grandma May and Auntie Hisako when daughter Hanako was born.

I got the large set of sitting dolls (Ohina-sama) in Honolulu, Hawaii where daughter Hanako was born.

Babysitting in Piedmont

2008-02-24T11:53:00.000-08:00

It was an exciting night in our old Piedmont house babysitting Elizabeth (almost 3) and Helen(1.5 yr old).

Grandpa George in his old seat in kitchen. Elizabeth trying out Mommy's slippers. Helen trying out Daddy's shoes.

Spring is here

2008-02-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

Since my last post 2 weeks ago we have been enjoying the usual beautiful spring season here in Saranap.

Rainy Day at Hilton House

2008-02-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

It's been raining for the past couple of weeks. I can't wait to go out and play in the yard.

Today I accompanied Betty and the girls (Elizabeth 2.5 and Helen 1.5) to Sakura Gakuen, a Japanese Language School in Dublin. The idea was for Betty and Elizabeth to see if they like the school. It worked out pretty well overall.

After the school, Betty treated us to a take out sushi lunch at our Hilton House. George and Morris joined us for Tamago, Maguro, Hamachi, and California Rolls. We compared the length (height) of Elizabeth and Morris. Morris used to be longer, but alas, not any more. Elizabeth is bigger! Helen is almost as big as Elizabeth.

New Year's Visitor from Atlanta

2008-01-12T00:20:00.000-08:00

Our old friend, Minh Han, stayed with us for several days this week. Minh used to live with us (4 years) in Honolulu, Hawaii when our kids were toddlers (this means almost 35 years ago). She remembers a lot about our Maunalani Circle house and Rudy and Hana. We talked and reminisced about the good old days in Hawaii. Minh was a cute Vietnamese freshman at University of Hawaii then. But now she is a very successful business woman in Atlanta.

We were invited to Rudy and Betty's house for make-your-own sushi dinner. It was a lot of fun. 2-yr old Elizabeth and 1-yr old Helen are already sushi eaters. Pretty soon they will be making their own sushi. Minh now knows how to do the make-your-own sushi party for her family in Atlanta.

POST HOLIDAY DIETING

2008-01-04T19:02:00.000-08:00

My new year's resolution. Lose at least 5 pounds quick. I simply ate too much during the recent holiday season. I weigh myself everyday with my cat Morris. So I know immediately when both or one of us needs dieting. The following is the proven diet recipe I follow. I got this from my mother, May, 35 years ago. She got it when she was working for the U.S. Air Force in Japan, thus we call it the Air Force Diet:

SUPER DIET-MUST BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY

You can lose 10 pounds in 3 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Day Breakfast---1/2 Grapefruit. 1 slice Toast. 2 Tbs Peanut Butter. Coffee or Tea.

Lunch-------1/2 C. Tuna. 1 slice Toast. Coffee or Tea.

Dinner------2 slices of any type meat (approx. 3oz). 1 C. String Beans.

1 C.Beets. 1 small Apple. 1 C. Vanilla Ice Cream.

Second Day Breakfast---1 Egg. 1 slice Toast. 1/2 Banana.

Lunch-------1 C. Cottage Cheese. 5 Saltine Crackers.

Dinner------2 Hot Dogs. 1 C. Broccoli. 1/2 C. Carrots. 1/2 Banana.

1/2 C. Vanilla Ice Cream.

Third Day Breakfast---5 Saltine Crackers. 1 slice Cheddar Cheese. 1 small Apple.

Lunch------1 Hard boiled Egg. 1 slice Toast.

Dinner------1 C. Tuna. 1 C. Beans. 1 C. Cauliflower. 1/2 Banana. Cantaloupe.

1/2 C. Vanilla Ice Cream.

THIS DIET WORKS ON CHEMICAL BREAKDOWN AND PROVEN. DO NOT VARY OR SUBSTITUTE ANY OF THE ABOVE FOODS. SALT AND PEPPER MAY BE USED BUT NO OTHER SEASONING. WHERE NO QUANTITY IS GIVEN, THERE ARE NO RESTRICTIONS--OTHER THAN COMMON SENSE. THIS DIET IS TO BE USED 3 DAYS AT A TIME!!!

In three days you can lose 10 pounds. After 3 days of dieting, you can eat your normal foods, but do not over do it!!! After 4 days of normal eating, start back on the 3 day diet. You can lose up to 40 pounds in a month if you stick to this diet. It is a safe diet.

Remember: Do not "pick" and do not "substitute".

Drink plenty of water.

You may drink diet cola, etc.......

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY NEW 2008 Akemashite Omedetou

2008-01-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

Normally we have special Japanese new year's food at my sister's place in Walnut Creek. But since she is out of town this year, our son Rudy and daughter-in-law Betty tried cooking the osechi ryori, i.e. the new year's food.

It was a great feast. Even my mother, May, who is almost 93 years old, thought the food was "unbelievably good".

Rudy and Betty, under my guidance. spent half day preparing various roots, fish, fish roe, and vegetables. Most of the cooking was done yesterday so we could enjoy the leisurely brunch with sake and champagne. This is a wonderful way to start a new year! I know this will be a great year.

2007/2008 Getting Ready for New Year's Food

2007-12-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

There is a little over a day left in 2007. Our Hilton House was finished in December 2004. That means we've lived here in Saranap 3 years. It feels longer than that. Probably it is because we have settled down comfortably.

I promised to teach Daughter-in-law Betty how to prepare our traditional Japanese (Kikuchi Family) New Year's food. We eat rice cakes, roots, fish, roe and other delicacies on New Years Day brunch. I started gathering supplies yesterday. Tomorrow we will get some perishable supplies and start cooking in Betty's kitchen. Meanwhile husband George and Morris are guarding the supply.

Merry Chrstmas from Saranap

2007-12-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is such a glorious Christmas morning. The sun is shining and the sky is blue (as you can see).

Morris has been out already checking on our patio fountain. Yes, it is not frozen. Some of the roses are still blooming in the front. Our family had a lovely Christmas eve dinner last night, and lo and behold, we did not fight.

Merry Christmas and Peace on Earth, everyone!

Sam

2007-11-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

Sam is an egret who lives in the nearby Las Trampas Creek (aka Rio Jorge). Usually in the morning he is wading in the water looking for fish. He has been there ever since I can remember. I saw him fly only a couple of times, but he is large and magnificent when he flies. Every morning I stop on the bridge to look for him. If I don't see him for a few days I worry. I consider him my second favorite pet (after Morris, the cat, of course).

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We are going to Sister Hisako's place for turkey dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

DRIVE ACROSS THE U.S.A. Oct.-Nov. 2007

2007-11-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a drive across the US trip. We (my husband George, my childhood friend Akiko and her husband Kaoru from Tokyo) started from New York City in a rental car. We then drove to Chevy Chase, Maryland (where Gorge grew up), Washington DC, Winston Salem, North Carolina, Atlanta, Georgia, Memphis, Tennessee, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, Lake Tahoe, California and back to home in Saranap. It was an eye opening experience. The Hayashis and I did not get into any fights.

This is such a great country. We drove almost 4200 miles in 2 weeks.

We stayed in all kinda of accommodations.......Harvard Club in NY, Hay-Adams Hotel in DC, 120+year old B&B in Winston Salem, Vietnamese friend, Minh's house in Atlanta, etc. etc. They were all very interesting and memorable.

I am ready to drive across the country again. We need to do more states. This is such a big country.

When we came home, our cat Morris was waiting for us. He was sooooo happy to see us. He would not leave us alone as usual. It is nice to be back at Hilton House in Saranap.

Saranap Pumpkin

2007-10-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last year I planted 3 pumpkin plants. They produced more than 20 pumpkins of all sizes. This year I planted only 1 plant, but I got 3 huge pumpkins. I don't know how much they weigh, and I don't plan to harvest them myself. My 2 year-old granddaughter, Elizabeth, thinks it is fun to sit on the giant pumpkin.

Morris My Cat

2007-10-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Morris was adopted by us in 1994 from a cat foster home in Berkeley. At that time he said he was 2 years old, but he may be cheating by a couple of years. I don't care. He was supposedly left by a family who moved away from Elmwood District. He must have been well trained by somebody. He is a fastidious cat. He has been extremely clingy since our 3 week vacation.

Saranap is My Home

2007-10-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

"Hilton House" My castle in Saranap

I just came back from a fabulous vacation in Europe. But I am glad to be back in Saranap.
Saranap does not have medieval castles, fortresses nor elegant old mansions. But I feel safe, peaceful, and satisfied to be back in this simple little community. It feels home.

My cat Morris was so happy to see us after being home alone for almost 3 weeks (even though neighbor, Johnny fed him daily). Morris is now very clingy. He follows me everywhere. I cannot even go to the bathroom at night without him following. My husband George cannot even take a nap without him jumping on top of him. There is no privacy! It is good to be home with such a loving pet.