Sunday, July 28, 2013

Hopechan is Coming, From Afar

Hopechan is coming soon.  She is Kibochan’s sister.

Hopechan will be sleeping in this room we had just finished painting.  It is little bit larger than the other room, so hopefully Hopechan will enjoy staying here.

This is her bed.  The bed making is already done, but it is better to spread dust cover until she comes.
















There are two big tables, one for using vanity and study purpose, and one for keeping her suitcase.







Did you see the package?  Yes, Omiyage (presents) package has already been here.  The important documents for picking up Hopechan at O’Hare on the day are in the package.
Dan-san and Hiroko missed the delivery for the package, so went to pick it up at Post Office.  They thought small package to pick up, so went to P.O. on foot.  Then, this big package was handed.  Surprise!  Postal clerk said enjoy the things inside the package.


2 Back Packs and bag, and many different kinds of Japanese foods.   There were so many enjoyable things in the package.







Thanks for the Omiyage Package.
Dan-san and Hiroko are looking forward to see Hopechan, and having fun with her for couple weeks.


Dan has been praying for Hopechan’s safe trip and her health staying here, so Hiroko asked him to pray for her health, too.  Thanks to God for the health Dan-san and Hiroko has.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Photo Diary, Life

Three things were happened in the several days during the week of July 7.  There are not too much photos but Hiroko would like to call this Photo Diary.

The first thing is.

Two big boxes like in the photo were sent to Hiroko from Japan.  Hiroko’s brother, Yoshiteru shipped these boxes on June 3, and they arrived Chicago on July 10.  Hiroko started to worry about those packages around July 7, that Post Office might throw those packages away because the smell of those dried fish.  Why did they take over a month to come to Chicago?  According to Yoshiteru’s wife, Yoshiteru became Kechi (stinginess.)  Yoshiteru’s wife sent many packages to Hiroko before, she had never sent those packages by sea mail, even though very big and heavy box.  Well, Yoshiteru explained that it was O.K.to send these packages by sea, because inside the packages are all dried foods, such as Kikurake, Katsuobushi (bonito flakes), dried fishes, many, many other things.  The mailman brought these packages said that they were very heavy packages.  It was very heavy packages.  So many different things were in those boxes.  Hiroko sent “Thank You” email to him; he said he forgot what he sent.  Even though it took almost 6 weeks by the boat and the Post Office truck, all the foods were fine.   Thanks to Yoshiteru for these dried Japanese food packages.

2nd one was held on July 13
Elsa’s late B-day dinner.  It is too hot to bake, and for Amanda too busy to bake, so Hiroko used the Japanese sweet from Yoshiteru.  All tasted the sweet, too.  Dan-san and Hiroko likes the cake tasted like Chinese moon cake.  Singing Happy Birthday to Elsa, she was thinking about her wish. 


This sweet made by the Chinese restaurant in Yokohama Chinatown. 










As usual, Hiroko forgot to take any photos of foods.  There were steak for each one of them, and sausage, and tuna and yellow-tail sashimi, and Charlie’s vegetable salad, and yogurt ice cream bar and lots of fruits for the dessert .  There weren’t too much left over for doggy bags.

Hiroko served Surume (dried squid from Yoshiteru) and everyone tasted once but they didn’t have second serve.








Rice cracker, Japanese style cooked beef can, Dashi-no-moto (Bonito seasoning), seaweed, etc. were given to Elsa, Lisa, and Amanda from Yoshiteru’s packages. 

One interesting thing happened.  Dave found the one dried fish in the package and talked about how to cook.  Dave said Italian cooked dried Cod fish the same way how Hiroko cooking.  Finding out the Japanese word "Tara” which was in the packages from Yoshiteru, it is Cod fish.  Dave/Lisa and Hiroko laughed.  Italian and Japanese cooked dried fish the same way.  It was very interesting.
Italian Pastor of Hiroko’s church wants to have the fish to try cooking his way.


3rd one happened on July 14.

This is Dan-san’s first crop of cucumber.  We laughed facing toward to east as all Japanese do when they eat any new crop.  It was very, very tasty.  It is not his usual cucumbers.  He had hard time to find the cucumber seeds and Japanese cucumber plants the year of 2013.  Until the beginning of July in 2013, the weather of Chicago was not so great for cucumber to grow.  However, it has been hot and humid the last couple of weeks.  Thanks for this hot and humid weather for the cucumber.

Which one will be next to harvest, tomato or green beans, or hot peppers.

July 18, Dan-san picked up this 19 inches cucumber.











Thanks to the Lord God for all these things happened.