Porch Garden 6

Making the decision to collect the seeds of cucumber and shishito (Japanese pepper) this year, Hiroko found the big and long cucumber. It could be the seed cucumber, but Hiroko should wait to pick until the seed cucumber to be yellow and soft.

Day by day, the seed cucumber is getting bigger and longer, and seems to fall.

This is the seed cucumer grown at the outside porch rail.
It was swinging left and right with the wind. Dan-san and neighbors were worried that it might fall. The weather forcast announced it would be strong wind that night, so Hiroko finally said, that it would be better to pick the cucumber. Dan-san started to clean the porch garden, right after Hiroko commented to pick the cucumber.

All those dead leaves were cleaned, and picked the big and long seed cucumer.

This is the seed cucumber. Isn’t it big? However, it is still firm. Hiroko Hoped the healthy good seeds can be collected from this cucumber. Well, Hiroko has to wait for the cucumber to be soft for collecting the seeds.
 
Sishito Tree

It still has flowers and very green, so let’s keep it as it is for a little while. Hopefully the weather gets a little bit warmer. To collect the seeds from shishito, Hiroko have to wait for the shishito pepper to be red.

No dead leaves in the porch garden.

Dan-san cleaned those dead leaves, and found another fat and funny shape yellow cucumber. It can wait to be pick until it’s get soft. Do you think good seeds can be colleted from this fat and funny shaped cucumber? All those plants do not need as much water as cucumber. Kibochan watered the plants twice a day.
---------------------------------------------------
As the plants need water and sun to bear the fruits, the Christian have to read and study the word of God (Bible) and communicate with the Lord God through the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit in the Christian life.

In Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of Spirit is mentioned; that is one fruit, “Love, Joy, Peace, Patient, Goodness, Faithfulness, Meakness, Self-Control.”
For the completion of the Christian life, all Chritians need to live with this fruit.

No one can live with this fruit, but with the help from the Lord Jesus, everyone can live with this fruit.

Journal, Dave's B-Day Dinner

Everyone asked Hiroko to make Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and curry. They couldn’t forget such tasty food eaten at the Renga-tei Restaurant named “Katsu-Curry” Well, Hiroko was little nervous to make that.


Here are 36 pieces of Tonkatsu and one big pot of curry.
“It is very tasty.”
“The curry is very good. Did you use instant curry seasoning?”
“No. Making brown sauce with butter and flower, and seasoned the sauce.”
“Hmmmm! Very good!”
Well, Hiroko has little secrets: special seasoning from Indian friend, and another one. There are two more secrets. Hiroko thinks these secrets has been lucky to make the curry tasty.


Pot Roast – Hiroko always makes pot roast before making curry (see Hiroko’s curry recipe in her blog dated May 2009)


Hawaiian style sesame seed green beans, and zucchini with miso and parmesan cheese

Cucumber and tomatoes from Dan-san’s garden

Drinks:

It was suitable to have Japanese warm sake for the cold season and Japanese style foreign foods. There was also a bottle of red wine.

People who came to the party

Lisa and Dave. Dave was looking for his presents of Lot’s numbers. He won $3.

Dan-san was sitting at the head table

Steven and Elsa

Amanda couldn’t come because she was very tired after working all day on Saturday.

Elsa had very bad pain on her tooth, so the tooth was taken out two days ago. Hiroko wondered if it is O.K. for Elsa to eat the curry katsu.
-------------------------------------------------------
“How old did you become, Dave?”
“I don’t know. After 40 years old I have sopped counting my age.”
Steven and Lisa said that they have been taking one age out at their B-Day.

40th and 50th age, people have a shock to add another age.
60th and 70th age, people have a shock to realize the body is changing; having pain or unmovable knee, back, neck, etc., and holding the rail to walk on stairway.
80th age, people have a real shock

The Bible said that white hair is a crown on the head, and the Lord God carry those who can’t walk or move. Reading Psalm 71 and 72 written by the old age King David, it is not bad to be getting old with the Lord God.

Tablecloth - Handmade

Hiroko had been recuperating from Directing of Devon Church Vacation Bible School held August 10-14, and entertaining Kibochan for two weeks. The day, September 7th (1st Wednesday every month) is the 15% of Sr. discount day at Hancock Fabric store, so Hiroko went to the store and bought the yarns for the baby boy blanket and the fabric for tablecloth. Hiroko gained her energy back to do and to think many things with these crafts goods.



This is the tablecloth, Hiroko made.
It seems the fashion to place the runners sideway on the table right now. Hiroko spent many hours for embroidery of the maple leaves and other leaves. This tablecloth would be used on Dave’s B-Day dinner day. The color combinations of the maple leaves were not done well.

Now, she remembered the watering for the house plants.

One of the house plants called the mother-in-law’s tongue placed on the Hiroko’s bedroom window bloomed flowers. It is said that this plants produce lots of oxygen, so it is better to keep this plants in the bedroom.

Can you see the flowers? Hiroko heard it is very rare to bloom flowers on this plants
“Thanks!” for blooming the flowers without water.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Thanks!” – Hiroko heard the word “Thanks” is very important in our daily life, especially for the Christian at the last Sunday sermon. God would not be good to those who didn’t have the appreciating heart.

Have you ever seen the movie called “The Ten Commandments”? God showed and did the miracles and signs to the Egyptians to save the Israel (Jewish) Nation from the status of slaves at Egypt, and to make them free. Instead of saying “Thanks!” after they were free, they complained and grumbled to the Lord God at the time of hardships; such as seeing Egyptian Amy, and no path to escape, Israel said, “Did you bring us here to die? It is better to go back to Egypt.” Israel grumbled for the bread, so God provided the Manna (bread), and now, Israel complained that there is no meat. The result of all these complains and grudges, the Lord God let them to wander around the wildness for 40 years, instead of 11 days to reach the destination.

Hiroko’s complains and murmurs were much less after reading the Exodus, and learned from Israel Nation, how much they were complaining and murmuring.

It leads us no appreciation of heart to be proud of what we have (wealth, things, beauty, status, etc.). It takes further more to complain and to bear grudge to the Lord God what we don’t have.

Hiroko prayed that may the word of “Thanks!” to the Lord God and others always be on her lips