Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and food. Hope you have a nice stay!
All in Family
It was time for our annual trip to Southern California to join my family in making mochi for the New Year. Because Kellen, Brady, Tynor, and Mallory joined us, we also stayed to celebrate New Year's Day with my family. In between the two, we packed in a lot of activity.
Melody’s sister Celeste made her almost annual trip here from New York, and one of the things we always do is a road trip to visit their family. This trip was no exception.
Weddings are more than a ceremony or even the beginning of a new part of a couple’s life. It’s a way for a couple to express themselves to family and friends through parts of the whole event. In that way, the weekend was a perfect expression of Tynor and Mallory.
The Japanese American National Museum has had an exhibit open for the past couple of years, Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration which includes three elements: a website (Ireizō), light sculptures (Ireihi), and a book of names (Ireichō). Tynor, Mallory, and I were in Southern California before Melody, Kellen, and Noël before my dad’s memorial service, so we took the opportunity to go to the JANM to stamp names in the Ireichō.
This past weekend, we held a memorial service for my dad, who passed away at the age of 97. Of all the stories told at the service and shared among people at the reception, the conversation always came back to family. Being one of eight children, he and his siblings always made sure that the whole family never lost touch with each other, and we, the next generation, work to maintain that.
It was time to head home. Among all of us, we went via car, plane, and train to get home, stopping over in two different cities on the way.
For our last full day in Texas, we went to Natural Bridge Caverns and had a quiet rest of the day. Even so, we made the most of the day.
Eclipse day! We were watching the chance of clouds continuing to rise, but as long as it wasn’t raining, we would still try to take a look. In the afternoon, we saw the Alamo and walked a bit on the San Antonio River Walk.
This was a travel day, driving from Houston to San Antonio. Before we hit the road, we spent time at the Houston Space Center. And on the road, we stopped by Buc-ee's to fill up to see why it's so popular.
For our other full day in Houston, we spent the bulk of the day with Lindsay, Joe, and Noah. It started with lunch at the Farmers Market, then a walk through the Houston Arboretum, then snacks and dinner. After saying goodbye, we tried to see bats emerging at sunset.
After everyone got up and had breakfast, we went to Hermann Park to view the Japanese Garden, the Centennial Garden, and other parts of the grounds. After stopping by the Rothko Chapel, we went back for lunch and hung out. Lindsay and her family spent some of the afternoon and dinnertime with us, where we celebrated her and her baby's birthdays.
I’ve been thinking for quite a while about trying to see the 2024 total solar eclipse. I do have cousins in Ohio and Indiana in or near the path of totality, but it occurred to me that I also have a cousin in Texas whom I haven’t seen for several years. The fact that it could be likely that the chances of good weather seemed good, I asked the kids if they were interested. Hearing “Yes” all around, a plan started to form.
My grandmother, Hisa, was very accomplished at the piano. She did a lot of accompaniment for others. I found this story as written by her sister, my Aunt Eiko. I also found a copy of the program, autographed by the tenor, which is after the story. I’ve also included a picture of my grandmother and aunt at the bottom.
Many things come to mind when I think about Aunt Aiko. Like many people, one of them is food. Almost 30 years ago, she contributed a couple of her prized sushi recipes to a family cookbook. I'm glad she did because both my dad and I have made her chirashi zushi several times. It may seem simple, but it's always popular. I always think of Auntie when making it. In broad strokes, this is how you make it, and why each step reminds me of her.
After Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the second half of our trip was to Los Angeles. Melody was at a conference for the American Translators Association, so I did a combination of playing tourist and seeing family.
Melody’s sister Celeste was in town for about a week, and we took the opportunity to do a bit of travel. It was a whirlwind week, and we got a lot done. We started with a couple of nights in Packwood, WA so we could hike in Mt. Rainier National Park, then went to Yakima to visit Melody and Celeste’s mom, then to Spokane to visit their uncle.
My mom’s memorial service was this weekend. I have another page which contains parts of the service (a life history, a slideshow, my memories of my mom through letters, me playing her favorite piano piece, and images of the program), but I’ve included the slide show below. While I have a lot memories I could write about, there are certainly too many for here; I think the ones I shared during the service cover a good cross-section.
I was in Southern California last month for my cousin Charlie's memorial service, who passed away in April. He was married to Sherry (the oldest of us first cousins), and next year would have been their 60th wedding anniversary. They have three children (and spouses) and eight grandchildren (with three spouses).
It’s that time of year for me to record a piano piece for my mom’s birthday. This one is a Chopin Etude, Op. 28, No. 9 in E.
Melody signed up for a literary translation conference in Tucson, so I tagged along. We went a few days early so she could also play tourist for at least part of the time. Melody hadn't been to Tucson before, while it's been about 40 years since I was last in the city.
