Monday, June 23, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Obon Season is coming!
Obon Schedule for 2008
Want a cultural event, Japanese Style?
go visit the OBON. It is Japanese culture at it's best in America.
Obon is Japanese style dancing. Anyone can try it. They have practices for each one which start up about a month or so before the actual Obon. It is great exercise, without being very strenuous, and you will have fun with others learning Japanese style dancing.
At the Obon, you can get dressed up in a Kimono or wear a Hapi coat and dance in the street or in the parking lot of the temple. You can, afterwards, enjoy Japanese style foods like Chicken Teriyaki or Shish-kabob sticks of beef or chicken, or sushi, sushi rice (no fish), and veggies.
For a more cultured event, you can also visit the exhibits. Many Obons have flower arranging, and bonsai exhibits as well as art displayed. They might have Origami exhibits! Some also have vintage Kimonos on display.
For those of you who don't know about Kimonos, wearing a Kimono is a very traditional style of dress in Japan. Many contemporary people in Japan have never worn the traditional Kimonos, which can take at least an hour or more to get dressed. The colorful Kimonos, (the pretty ones) are for the young unmarried girls, and the more drab two tones Kimonos (usually navy and white) are for the married, older women. (like the flowers attracting the bees...hint hint)...
The Obi is a stiff belt or sash that is worn around the waist area, and is usually colorful for the young women, and navy or black for the older, married women. I still have my Obi from my grandmother when she bought it for me in Japan.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Lakers at CDA
Well, today, we saw LAKERS.....
well, I did at least! It was fun to go to CDA but most of all, it is always entertaining to see who is at CDA and signing Basketballs, footballs etc... (CDA=California Dental Association)
And............JERRY WEST!!!
How cool is that!!!!
well, I did at least! It was fun to go to CDA but most of all, it is always entertaining to see who is at CDA and signing Basketballs, footballs etc... (CDA=California Dental Association)
This year, we had......
RICK FOX !!!
RICK FOX !!!
And............JERRY WEST!!!How cool is that!!!!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Bembridge House - Going back to 1943
We got to see the BEMBRIDGE House. It is a QUEEN ANNE style house that was built around the turn of the Century, across from Drake Park. The park was originally called Knoll Park. It is still in the original condition after the last remodel around the 1930's. Dorothy Rankin-Bembridge lived in this house until her death in 1999. She was 89 years old.
http://www.lbheritage.org/Bembridge%20Homesite/history_bembridge.htm
We stopped by the house, and saw the Westfall's. (below) They told us that they almost bought the house after it was given to BIOLA University, who didn't really know what do to with it. The house was almost destroyed because people wanted to build other homes there, or to incorporate it into the park...glad they saved the beautiful house. Its a tribute to days gone by, and to an era where homes reflected character....We sat on the veranda as we waited our turn for the tour.
This is in the entrance way, and all the furniture is from Dorothy's family. The pieces were all left in her house as it was when she lived there. Apparently, she was murdered in 1999 by a homeless man that she had given odd jobs to....sad story, but still the house is beautiful!
The Carriage house was build just behind the house, and used to house the carriage and horses. There is a victory garden to the left and behind the Carriage house. They served tart lemonade and apple cider as there was a sugar ration in 1943 during the War....(WWII)
http://www.lbheritage.org/Bembridge%20Homesite/history_bembridge.htmWe stopped by the house, and saw the Westfall's. (below) They told us that they almost bought the house after it was given to BIOLA University, who didn't really know what do to with it. The house was almost destroyed because people wanted to build other homes there, or to incorporate it into the park...glad they saved the beautiful house. Its a tribute to days gone by, and to an era where homes reflected character....We sat on the veranda as we waited our turn for the tour.
This is in the entrance way, and all the furniture is from Dorothy's family. The pieces were all left in her house as it was when she lived there. Apparently, she was murdered in 1999 by a homeless man that she had given odd jobs to....sad story, but still the house is beautiful!
The Carriage house was build just behind the house, and used to house the carriage and horses. There is a victory garden to the left and behind the Carriage house. They served tart lemonade and apple cider as there was a sugar ration in 1943 during the War....(WWII)Book Fair Spring into May (May Day)
Drake Park in Long Beach, had a Spring into May Event....they had a health fair, HOT dogs (free) from the Long Beach Fire Department, and FREE books for children! It was a VERY HOT day....did I say HOT??? it was mucho caliente!
We had a short time setting up in the shade but as the sun moved, we got hotter and hotter in the full sun!
Still setting up the books. These girls go to Cabrillo HS and local middle school, helping us set up the tables for Ms Jana, and friends!
Each child was able to take home 5 FREE books! All donated by people..(including us!) and retired teachers cleaning out their stash of books!
I kept trying to get one child after another to take this book since it was about MY FAVORITE dog.....I would've taken it home but..thought, it needs to go to a nice home and to a child who will love and read it.....
Happy with his New Book!
Monday, March 24, 2008
A Day at the Science Center...BODY WORLD 3!
Today, we went to the Science Center to see Body World 3.
What an exhibit! Tori went to see this 2 years ago, Body world 2...but this was amazing. The focus was the heart, but they showed everything...did I say..everything???? They told us how they did it, but it is absolutely amazing. They put the bodies in shapes, like athletes, doing Olympic type events, and they are frozen this way in Plasticine.
This was a chair representing cigarette smoking for a lifetime and being a couch cigarette...lol
A beautiful day to see the Rose Garden...too bad not all the roses were in bloom, but it was really nice to see the ones that were blooming..or almost all bloomed out!
after looking through the garden, we went back to the museum to see a few other exhibits....
the Human Heart...
What an exhibit! Tori went to see this 2 years ago, Body world 2...but this was amazing. The focus was the heart, but they showed everything...did I say..everything???? They told us how they did it, but it is absolutely amazing. They put the bodies in shapes, like athletes, doing Olympic type events, and they are frozen this way in Plasticine.
This was a chair representing cigarette smoking for a lifetime and being a couch cigarette...lolA beautiful day to see the Rose Garden...too bad not all the roses were in bloom, but it was really nice to see the ones that were blooming..or almost all bloomed out!
after looking through the garden, we went back to the museum to see a few other exhibits....
the Human Heart...
Saturday, February 9, 2008
The rest is just SAND!
The rest is just SAND!
This is a great story to put everything into perspective
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups ofcoffee
.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areasbetween the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if thejar was full.
The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table andpoured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the emptyspace between the sand.
The students laughed."Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are theimportant things---God, your family, your children, your health, yourfriends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost andonly they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand intothe jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things thatare important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18 There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
"One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked."The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Please share this with someone you care about.. I JUST DID
This is a great story to put everything into perspective
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups ofcoffee
.A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areasbetween the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if thejar was full.
The students responded with an unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table andpoured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the emptyspace between the sand.
The students laughed."Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided,
"I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are theimportant things---God, your family, your children, your health, yourfriends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost andonly they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand intothe jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things thatare important to you.
"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18 There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
"One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked."The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem,there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
Please share this with someone you care about.. I JUST DID
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