06-21 Belated Dan-san’s B-day (6-6) and Father’s Day Celebration

Thank you to Lisa for preparing this Arlington Horse Race outing for this celebration.

This was the view from the booth rented.  

The two booths were reserved for 12 people. The finished line was in front of those booths.

This was the first race winning horse.  No one said anything.  It means no one won this race.

Right after the fanfare, all those horses were out to walking toward the starting line.

This was the longest race in the day.  The starting line and the finish line were almost same place.  All horses were smoothly in to the starting gates.

Horse race fashion - Hiroko didn’t know who all these two groups people were, but they were very fashionable for the horse race.  They were willing to pose for Hiroko to take photos.

Our group’s fashionable persons were Amanda and Steven.  They were very good looking.

Elsa tried to be fashionable with Amanda’s hat.

Happy Father’s Day to Dave’s father!

Happy Father’s Day to Dave/Dan-san, and Steven/Richard

Happy Birthday to Dan-san with Lisa

Dave’s mother and Lisa

Richard’s children

Elsa and Lisa

Hiroko forgot to take any food and drinks.  They ordered lots of drinks; can’s and bottle’s beer, many different kind of cocktails, and food; pop corn, turkey sandwich, hot dog, fried sweet potato, and many others.  Dan-san didn’t have any alcohols but Hiroko ordered a cup of gin tonic that was strong and delicious.

At the beginning of the 9^th race the sky was suddenly filled with black clouds, and started the rain pouring down.  No one can set outside, and also the race was temporarily stopped. 

Spending sometime inside the building, Lisa’s group who came to Arlington by a train was the time to catch the train.  Everyone changed the tickets and the voucher to cash, and departed from the Arlington.

Dan-san has not ever said any opinion at any parties until the day.  He said he had very good time.  One of the reason for the good time is he won little bit on his betting.  Well, it was very fine weather, and the company was very good, so everyone had a very good time.

Give thanks to Amanda and Steven for providing this very fun outing and having good time.

Isn’t it very hard to get together with one mind and good hearted people?  If we can live what the Bible said in Matthew chapter 5, 6 and 7, then, there are no problems to occur between family, friends, countries.  This is very famous preaching by Jesus, called “The Sermon of the Mountain.”

Here are the several teachings.

Matthew 5: ²¹“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

Matthew 5: ³⁸“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴²Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

⁴³“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 6: ¹⁴For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 7: ¹“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Christian should be living with these words, but it is very difficult rules to live with.  These are the highest and authentic rules for human being to live with.  Anyone, not only Christian would be living with this rules, there will be the peace on earth.

Please read all those chapters in Matthew in the New Testaments..

2014 The Christmas Present, Handmade

Lisa had been receiving knitted dish cloths from Dave Grand-ma every Christmas until a couple of years ago.  She loved them and said it was very useful dish cloth.

Hiroko has always been thinking about making this dish cloth.  Can you see half of the dish cloth at the back of the photo?  Hiroko made it as a sample and has been using it since last Christmas.  Two clothes in front of the photo were made recently as a sample.  Hiroko couldn’t find the suitable thread for this cloth. The cotton thread Hiroko used for making samples are not real thread.  Hiroko searched at the Amazon market, and found them.  It was called “Kitchen Cotton.”

Hiroko ordered them, and it came.  It was very tightly twisted, thin thread.  The pictures of the dish cloth, wash cloth, animals, and bags are on the wrapping paper.  It means this thread is good for making these things, Hiroko thought.

There are so many different stitches for the knitted dish clothes in the internet.  Hiroko looked at the images of the Japanese internet for the dish clothes, because no dish cloth was used when Hiroko was in Japan.  Hiroko didn’t know how to say “dish cloth” in Japanese. 

There are so many dish clothes - knitted ones, sponge ones, even gloves dish cloths.

Hiroko realized that American and Japanese wash cloths are different.

Two Japanese wash clothes (left) and one American wash cloth; about 6 inch square

Japanese wash cloths are very long; the photo one was hold in half.  Many Americans who went to Japan said this long wash cloth is useful to wash the back.  Dan-san loves to use the extra long wash cloth made with nylon.

About this wash cloth, Dan-san and Hiroko had problem in Paris.

Any hotels in the United State, there are always bath towel, hand towel, and wash cloth, but not at the hotel in Paris.  There weren’t any wash cloth.  So Dan-san and Hiroko went to a market and tried to tell them we needed the wash cloth.  The store clerk showed them a small towel bag, half the size of an American wash cloth.  They hesitated to buy the bag, and then the clerk put his hand in the bag and showed them how to wash.  Hiroko remembered she couldn’t use it very well. 

Blue towel bag is the similar to Paris’ wash cloth.

From this sample, Hiroko made wash cloth glove.  This orange/light blue glove is sample wash cloth.

There is an opening for the thumb in this glove wash cloth.  It will be very easy to use.  Hiroko will make it for herself to try, because this will be one of Hiroko’s Christmas Presents.  As for the present, it has to have two different color gloves for the right and left hand.

6-10 - Dan-san’s Garden has been Filled, Christian Thoughts

Arboretum-san sent Hiroko various vegetable plants, so Hiroko was very happy to plant them.  It was raining so hard the night before, that it was very good day to put all those vegetable plants in the ground. 

This year, Hiroko didn’t make the porch garden.

Empty Porch Garden - 2 pots on the porch, Dan-san has been trying to raise big Japanese tomatoes using the seeds.

Taking the photos of the porch, the cute baby boy next door was smiling at Hiroko.   Hiroko couldn’t to pass this cute face.  Isn’t he sosooooooooooooo cute?

Ohya-san’s (Land Lady) porch garden - Her son told her not to raise any vegetable plants on the ground anymore, because she can’t take care of them by herself.  Her Grand-son bought her tomato plants in the special box for the porch, so she has been raising several plants on her porch.

This is whole back yard.  The building you see here is a three cars garage.  The east (left) side and the west side of the garden were filled with vegetable plants by Dan-san and Hiroko. 

The next three plants came from Arboretum-san

Nira ( leek)                               

Tomato (this belongs to Dan-san), and Shishi-to (Japanese pepper)

Akai Shiso (red perilla)

Midori Shiso (green perilla) - Only one Midori Shiso came out from the ground.  Where are all those midori shiso that were grown last year?  Hiroko needs the midori shiso!!

Green onion

These plants mentioned above are under the Hiroko’s care.

Dan-san takes care of all these plants mentioned below.

One jalapeño pepper and two sweet pepper plants on the east side garden

This is west side garden

Dan-san is watering the plants.

Red big tomato

Dan-san has been trying to raise the cherry tomato from seeds brought from Japan.

Cucumber – so many Japanese cucumbers came out from the seeds.

Three buds of green beans – this was also raised from seeds.

Hiroko can’t wait for the harvest day of all those vegetables.  Chicago is still cold, around 55 at night and 65 during the day time.  The Lake Michigan’s water temperature is only 56 degree, so it is cooler near the lake.  Hopefully the weather will be getting warmer for the sake of these vegetable plants.

Hiroko loves foods, so she has been thinking about what kind of food will be served at the banquet party in the heaven.   It should be lots of delicious and rare food.  She can’t wait for the day to have the party in heaven.

Hiroko has always remembered that the word said by many people about the Heaven..

He might have some thoughts in his mind the morning.  Seeing Hiroko, he said, “I want to go to heaven.  Hiroko, you are surely going to the Heaven, because you are very good person.  But me?!  I don’t know.”  It was so sudden, that Hiroko couldn’t say anything, but going to the heaven is not about being a good person.  In the word of God, the Bible, a person who goes to the heaven  is not about if a person is good or not, but whether if the person believes Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior or not.  Believing Jesus as the Lord Savior, the Lord God leads the person to Heaven.  ^“8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9

Eating the lunch with this lady around the Easter, she said, “All my friends are in the hell, so I don’t mind to go to hell.”  Hiroko remembers the famous Japanese authors who said that.  Do they really think they don’t mind to go to the hell?  Hiroko grew up with these words from her mother.  If you tell a lie, Hiroko’s mother said to Hiroko, “the Judge of Hell (Enma-sama) will pull your tongue out.”  If you steal, then, “The Judge of Hell will chase you to the mountain of needles.”  If you say ill things to others, rumors, fighting, not listening or respecting the elders, acting bad, then, “The Judge of Hell will put you in the boiling oil pan.”  Hiroko thought in her young age, how she could get to the heaven/gokuraku, instead of hell.  Even now, Hiroko can’t live without sins, but thanks for the grace of God, Jesus as the Lord God and Savior.  Hell is a scarily and lonesome place where is no love.  “¹⁰And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  Revelation 20:10