Take that AT&T!!! They just came to the door to try to get us to sign up...Jeff came home with the phone bill and asked, "Do you want to tell me something?". There was a charge for a call to a dating service. "um, Jeff, we were on our Alaskan cruise...". AT&T refused to see if they were working on the lines...so, we cancelled...

$h!t happens...but, their Customer Service ticked me off, basically saying that I DID MAKE THE CALL, and was trying to get out of it. I even said that I would fax them my tickets...grrrrr.....still makes me mad...


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Location:Take that AT&T!!!

Braces!

Today was an exciting day for Jordan...he spent 2 1/2 hours at the orthodontist getting his second phase of braces. This time, he got both upper and lower braces...

Here is his before picture...



And his after...


Yes, he got Blue bands...big surprise. I was bummed he would let me take "during pictures"...

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Manju anyone?

This was the second day of Manju making at the church.

Kuri Manju is a Japanese pastry made with a sweet Lima bean center covered by a sweet pastry dough.

Here is a picture of the ladies cutting the pastry dough into the proper size...




After it is cut, it goes to the next set of people who form the pastry dough over balls of sweeten Lima bean mixture (sorry, everyone is on break)



Next, Jordan and Neil were promoted to helping this year, the boys brush on an egg mixture and add a beautiful dash of poppy seeds...


After baking in the oven, the Manju is transferred to wire racks and cooled prior to packaging...




After we finished the Manju...I left to go and wait for my NEW washing machine to be delivered....I waited and waited...my delivery time was between 12-4...they came at 4:50...Augh!

But, Jeff, already hooked it up! What a wonderful surprise...it is run ing the first load now! YEAH!!!!!


Doesn't he look nice next to his "brother"?



Now, if we could do something about the walls in the garage...

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Happy Birthday to Me!

Thank you for all of the birthday wishes! It was a nice relaxing day...no sudden awakenings to help clean up a leak with the water heater pipe....no appointments to deal with Mom or Dean (at least for me...Gary had an appointment with Social Security)...just a leisurely lunch with my friend Elizabeth; a side trip to the John Steinbeck House; Elizabeth had to drop off her guild dues; taking Neil to get a haircut and ice cream at Cold Stone.

Elizabeth gave me a very pretty bracelet and necklace for my birthday...my first Cookie Lee pieces...the AP club had a fundraiser at North HIgh and Elizabeth generously got me these pieces.


Neil FiNALLY got his haircut from his favorite barber..Lilly....he doesn't look very happy...oh well...he looks much more handsome now.



We made a side trip to the John Steinbeck House. Elizabeth is a guild member and had to drop off her dues...the dues allow her the "privilege" to work in the restaurant...

Tonight's dinner is at Sea Harvest Restaurant in Moss Landing...hopefully there is something for the boys to eat.

Our friends were out to greet us!



Ah...the lovely Moss Landing landscape (aka the PG&E power plant)


On the way home we stopped to see the newest member of Jeff's family...his cousin's daughter, Kalenna Ottinger...


While Jordan was putting on his shoes...he was attacked by Uncle Haku...so, he fought back...


Guess who won...



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Happy Independence Day (Weekend)

On Saturday, we had Mom's 49 Day Memorial Service...a tradition in the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist faith. Rev. Hanayama wrote a fantastic, albeit lengthly explanation of the 49 day service. Basically, when a person dies, they face "judgement" every 7 days to determine which realm a person would be reborn into. The 49th day is the final judgement. This custom started in India, travelled through to China then to Japan, where it was brought over with my Grandfather's generation to the US.

After the service, we had dinner...and then hung out at the house. Dad had ordered a birthday cake for me and Uncle Sam...but, he went to sleep, so, Dave took cake to his house.

Karen, Haku and Kalena came to the house for cake...here is Jeff with Kalena.


Much to Neil's delight, Auntie Lori Yoshida sent some fireworks with Rev. Hanayama for the boys. Jeff had told the boys and my Dad that we were NOT going to do fireworks...it was nice...Mom would have liked the boys to do some...it was the perfect amount. Even Uncle Gary got in the mood...



Please note, that these were the safe and sane fireworks....much to our shock and surprise....my father's friend's house was burnt down on the 4th by bottle rockets. Both cars and the entire house was gutted...luckily both he and his wife are safe...especially when you consider that he just turned 95 on the 2nd...yes, we share our birthday...

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City Boys...sigh

Ok, so, I have been able to ignore the boyish cries, "Mommy, a tractor...", when they were young...but, this is truly embarrassing...

We drove to my Dad's house to take care of some things for Mom and meet with people regarding my brother.

Today is the last day for harvesting lettuce...so, Tio Tony (aka "our amigo") showed Jordan and Neil, how to pick a head of lettuce...sigh....I think Tony had the box picked and filled before Jordan got his shoes on....

As usual, Neil got all into it...

Jordan on the other hand, I guess he might be a "lettuce model"....


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New necklace

I haven't beaded in quite a while...but, about a month ago, I stopped by the Bead Asylum, and was inspired...this is my version of Joanie's necklace...a green and purple Russian stitch with a crystal accent strand. I did notice that there are a lot of necklaces with a large crystal section...I love it...now, I wonder I'd I have something to wear with it....


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