Grandma's Birthday!

This weekend was our VFW Tournament and also Grandma's Birthday! She is now 71, and so Tori and I took her to lunch at Gladstones...in Long Beach, near the Aquarium of the Pacific...

We had a nice lunch with LSC pasta (Lobster, Shrimp, Crab) and Tori had a spicy Jerk pasta bow tie with Lobster..since they were doing a Lobster fest type special for October!...

We had a nice lunch and this was after losing every game this weekend at our own tournament...but it was close games....we lost by 4 points total in all 3 games...so it was close..but it was fun.....

well, maybe we'll do better next year..!!!

Memorial for Gussie Leis

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

LEIS, Augusta F. "Gussie" was born Dec., 11, 1930 in New York and passed away Aug. 24, 2007 at home in Mission Viejo, CA. She was 76. Gussie is survived by her husband, Ken Leis; daughter, Carol Leis; sons, James Stoudt, John Stoudt, Joseph Stoudt, Michael Leis and 14 grandchildren. Gussie was preceded in death by her son, Daniel Leis; parents, Thomas McTiernan and Mollie Mullane; her brother, Tommy and her sister, Mary.

http://www.legacy.com/LATimes/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=93696297

Brenda, Tori and Ellen

Great Grandma

This is my Great Grandma...one of her voyages from Japan...they came to Long Beach, and picked her up at the Ship.... Can you believe this is how they used to travel? It must have taken a week or longer to travel overseas...kinda makes you think of the Titanic...ok, sorry, that was longer ago, than this photo was taken, but.....it still makes you think of how much progress has taken us...we now can talk to each other via the internet, and back then, they probably barely had telephones in each house!!! lol From what age my grandma is, I would guess this is still in the 1959-1960 time.... She passed away soon after in 1960. Vince and I were the only 2 great grandchildren to see her.

1945-1950?

This is my Grandma, holding Alice, my dad's cousin, and Teruko, who is pregnant, with Dennis (Tosh) and my uncle Bob, and Uncle Yosh..he looks so cute in a 'suit'..!!

Well, I have no idea when this was taken, but I believe my dad told me it was taken in Long Beach. The pier was there before they tore it down.

As a kid, I remember going to Long Beach, for Memorial Day and 4th of July. We had all the Furuyama Family there (there were about 40-50 family members++) and played all day at the beach. It was fun.

But, this has my Uncle, Grandma, my Dad, Auntie Teruko,

Uncle Yosh, (can't remember who this is, but my dad knows) and Uncle Bob.

Woodley Avenue, approx 1946-1947

I am not sure when these photos were taken of Grandma, but, I think this is when they lived on Woodley Avenue, in the San Fernando Valley, approximately in 1946. My Grandpa and Grandma are both in the other photo, along with my dad, my Uncle Kinjiro, Uncle Yosh and Uncle Bob (the youngest)

Grandma

I really wanted to put this in a family spot, but I realized, that I didn't have a family blog...

So, the dilemma was WHERE to put family photos?

so, this is where this is going to go...

This was taken around 1936. The little boy is my dad. He's probably around 2. The picture is as follows from the left where my dad is.

My grandpa, Rokuro Watanabe, my grandmother, Katsuye, my dad's uncle on Pierce, Jukichi (sitting) and then Tomio. (standing) I can't remember the other uncle's name (except, I think he's the one that lived on Pierce St in Sylmar)...geesh..see, why you need to write down names? All except my dad are gone now. Tomio-san, passed away last year in August. My dad started writing down his biography, and I can see why he has started. The memories are all we have left now...

This is my grandparents, My dad is next to my Grandpa, and My uncle Kinjiro is next to Grandma. Grandma is holding Uncle Bob, and Uncle Yosh is standing in front of my grandpa. Uncle Takeshi passed away in camp, so this must have been taken after they got out of the Internment camps at Manzanar.

Las Vegas August 10-11-12

I forgot to put anything about this trip!

We went to Las Vegas, and drove a PRIUS to the sin city in the desert. We stayed at South Pointe hotel, which is the first casino you get to after you go over the hill.

It was fun. They had bowling and gambling and a movie theater..(12 screens, I think)

Tori had a tournament at a high school and it was hot in the gym...in fact they wouldn't let the girls drink any water inside....

But the rooms were nice and clean, and spacious!

Of course, you can't get away from the reason why they call VEGAS "sin city"......we saw this at a store as we were stopped for a traffic light...Tori took the photo out the window....

Los Angeles Tofu Festival August 18-19

Welcome to the LA 2007 Tofu Festival!

It was a hot day in Downtown LA, and it was crowded...I did hear complaints, but, I hope it was good overall.

Uncle Yosh said it might be the last year that they will have it.

The Lot that they were having it in, was being torn up for a high rise rental/condo/apartment complex and the businesses were not happy that the streets surrounding their businesses were block from traffic. (it is a pain to drive around there anyways, but I didn't see it as a problem!)

It was hot, and no where to sit down and relax this time like in previous years. It also helps that the Nisei week is around the same time, and that tonight is the parade...next week is Nisei week celebrations.....

http://www.niseiweek.org/

I hope the Tofu Festival goes on next year..... http://www.tofufest.org/

If you are interested, write to them and tell them you want it to continue!

Entertaining.....Taiko

This year, because of the location..in the street, they did not have much entertainment. But, I was pleased to see the taiko drummers and musicians on the street..... There was even a white guy HAKUJIN playing the japanese guitar instrument....shamisen (http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/instrument.shtml) which is a 3 string guitar like instrument. He was pretty good, but I didn't take a photo of him...

I took this photo of the t shirt that one booth was selling. It seems that the Japanese war flag is getting more popularity....It was popular when I was growing up....

Journey to Los Angeles...Sushi Maker

So, here we are at the TOFU festival in downtown Los Angeles........It was hot (about 95 degrees or MORE!) and just direct sun beating down on us.....

The crowds were there, and even with the parking at 15.00, and the entrance fee lowered, it was still expensive. I think that it was pretty good. This lady was making SUSHI Nori Maki

http://www.makisushiki.com/

This tool was making Sushi rolls using this plastic object that forms the rice into a long roll, and then you use the top part to make a divot in the rice, to place the cucumber, or other vegetables or sashimi inside. Then you roll the Nori over the rice and Voila! you have a sushi!

Cow-a-bunga- dude!

Well, today we were at the OC Fairground! And the first thing we see is SAND ART! wow...is someone talented or WHAT!!!

Drag Racing in Bixby Knolls, Long Beach CA

DRAG Racing in Bixby Knolls?

Getting ready to start up the engines....!!!

This was a day they blocked off Atlantic Avenue, and placed all these dragsters from the 1960's and 1970's..classic cars, roadsters, and fast cars....

1965 Corvette

It is so loud you can't hear anything but engines roaring... we saw Dina and Deandra Jay, who was taking pictures of the cars...and the event...

1935 Fire Truck Long Beach Fire Dept Museum

Boston Day 2

We went first to eat, and then to the FREEDOM TRAIL...to..the Old North Church...
It was a building that....if you didn't know, or look at signs, you would think it was just down an alley and to some old buildings!
We had a guide, who we picked up along the way..it was funny, to just stop the bus and pick up a guy, but he was really cool. He told us all about the Night that was made famous, about Paul Revere, and the church, and the lanterns. We had church service inside since it was Sunday, and it was filled up. The Preacher was on a pulpit above us, and we sat in these little booths, that had old heaters inside. They said that the church was not 'heated' and so families would gather up and sit inside their family booths and warm up..

Tori with her teacher, Diane Golden. Some of the OLD architecture...and part of Erica's head.

Then we went to Bunker hill, which actually isn't Bunker Hill, but it had an obelisk, which I only went up about 1/2 way. It was too steep and winding, and by the time I got 1/2 way, the kids were alreay coming down. There is only 1 way up and 1 way down, and it is very narrow....and dark. There are small holes up along the way, and pidgeons are nesting inside too.

The CLASS......

Hooray to Paul Revere!

8th Grade Trip 2006 - First Day Boston

This is early in the morning April 29th...going to BOSTON! We're off on a 6 day trip to Boston, NY, Philadelphia and Washington DC. We're at the Long Beach airport.

Tony R, Emma, Meghan, Myself, and Sean all ready 'bright eyed' and ready to go! We got up so early to get to the airport and were almost the last ones there! Sigh..oh well. It is no biggie.

We made it and anxious to get on the plane!

After getting to Boston, we were joined by Sheila our guide that we had the last time we were in the East Coast, met us there, and took us on the bus to the Pizza place and then on to the IMAX and the Aquarium. However, our bus driver was lost, and we ended up driving all over the place in BOSTON.....we were tired, and by the time we got to the IMAX, it was about 15 minutes before the show was to begin!