Awww, the precious food!

Sometimes the food in Japan is just so cute I have to take a picture of it. It is very common for these huge peaches to be packaged like this. At sometimes $3 apiece, you might want that kind of packaging. Each peach is sooo delicious, it really makes a dessert. You want to savor each one. After all, you paid through the nose for it. Here in Japan, we find ourselves eating the food we buy. Yes, it is more expensive to buy fresh produce sometimes, however, it is fresh and good. Back home I used to buy a bag of peaches and later, end up tossing the ones that rotted in the refrigerator. That goes for all kinds of cheap, flavorless veggies that would end up in the back of the fridge.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this Hello Kitty bun, before we brought it to the neighbor girl. Some things are just so cute I have to get them, even though the boys refused to eat them.

Woke up this morning...

I woke up this morning and my ears were just like this....Ever have one of those mornings??

Potato Mows the Lawn

Tonight, Naters did the job of mowing the lawns. When I say he did it, I mean Nate checked the mowers in the self help shed for gas and oil and found one that had the most gas in it. Then, I pushed it up the hill to our yard, and we tried to start it, unsuccessfully. Then we pushed it back and found another one that looked as if it has a whiff of gas left in it. Pushing it back was a bit painful because we had to explain things to Miss Peabody who sits in a chair out in the courtyard. Why is this dishevelled woman pushing mowers back and forth and grumbling at the preteen son? And why does this boy have such long shaggy hair?

Anywhoo, "we" got it started, but it died soon thereafter: not enough gas! I drove to the minimart as the sun was setting and bought their one remaining gas can, filled it up and returned home, pausing only long enough to explain to Miss Peabody who was now quite demanding to know what we were up to. :)

After this, Nate was in business. He had learned the important parts of mowing from a wonderful neighbor of ours who was home resting this summer following major surgery, and was restless and helpful with our boys. It was very sweet of him to take Nate and his buddy under his wing and teach them the basics of mowing a lawn: just when they were missing their own Daddies. :)

So, Nate mowed our lawn, Yuri's lawn, and another neighbor who faced a sunnier area and had more actual grass than the rest of us. But, less mystery clumps.

In return for my sweat and angst, Yuri fed us some of her delicious chicken paprikash.

If you look carefully, you can see Natsumi's little face peeking out from behind the sliding door. Cricket is there too, but he is harder to see, being mostly black.

The last picture is the view from our backyard, of the thick wall of forest facing our house. It is here that stray cats roam, snakes slither, and mysterious humming and clicking beetles rule the night.

Here's to a little less mystery in our backyard. Thanks Taters!

more etsy lurve

Ok, I should stop going on etsy.co, since every time I do, I fall in love with something else. Mincing Mockingbird painted these adorable birdies. I have a thing for birds. Anyway, the largest one is the one I had to have, for the kitchen. I'm sure Jose would agree, if we were reading my blog, which he probably isn't. Love ya honey!

recycle shop findings

So I posed a few of the things I got while thrift shopping with some Oakleaf friends. Artful, no? No? Oh, well.

Darlene, Clement (a stay at home navy Dad spouse) and Jen and I went to Tanemura Antique shop in Yokosuka, another small recycle shop I don't know the name of, and a place called Hard Off, which I looove.

Everyone found something, and we had fun, and had lunch as well. the watercolors here were 20 yen apiece, or roughly a quarter. I found the kimono purse for around $3 at Hard Off, and the blue scarf also. Things we really needed, which life would not be complete without, of course.

Alright, whooo chewed up the paper?

Here is yet another picture of big girl and Cricket. I love Natsumi's sweet little face - it looks like a heart shape, with a stem on top. She is now taller than Cricket and weighs about the same. she can whup his A%$ at tug of war and steal his food when he is not looking. He has become a bit food protective, and I'm sure he'd prefer to be an only dog. But you know, I would have liked to be an only child and I ended up with 5 siblings. Boo hoo!

Boyz

Well, yesterday we went to a pool party that the base had at the Ikego swimming pool. They had food and drinks there, so I was all over the idea of getting the kids out for some fun and at the same time, eliminating my need to cook. Because when I cook, there are always dishes.

Anyway, while we were there Frankie got the courage up to try the "swim test". The swim test is for kids who would like to go to the pool without the supervision of their parents, only the several young lifeguards who are always there. You must swim 50 yards and then tread water for one minute. Frankie has been thinking about this all summer, and gearing up for it. Yesterday he had several buddies at the pool and wanted to get that special green wristband just like the rest of them. Well, he passed! Whooo! He was grinning and sitting with a table of buddies when Nate and I left him.

Nate didn't take the test and was a bit jealous and moody. But like I told him, swimming lessons have done him a world of good this summer. this was a young fellow who was afraid to put his head under, who is now doing cannonballs and having a blast with his little buddies. He doesn't tread water and he doesn't really float well, but he does alot of other things in the water and really is coming along.

Later we went home and played with the dogs, worked on video games (ha) and cross stitch. My buddy Yuri was out back on her patio smoking when I let the dogs out and said, "What's for supper?" Actually our houses are connected and we are often outside in our backyards at the same time. Because of our magnificent canna lilies, often the only clue she is outside as well would be the wafting second hand smoke that follows her. :) Anyway, I had put some carrot soup in the crock pot, but not in the mood to eat it. I am the only one who likes my carrot soup. Jose, love him, does not really like it either.

Carrot soup:

2 cups carrots

one onion, diced

2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp curry

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper

1 potato, diced

1 splash of hot sauce

Put all of the above in the crock pot and when you get home, the house will smell like curry. When the veggies are good and soft, blend them up and add:

1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp peanut butter

You are done.

But anyway, I am the only one who likes it.

So last night the boys and I and Yuri, her husband, their daughter and Pam went to a great Indian place in Kamakura. That place has the most awesome truly wonderful Indian food ever. Ever! I ordered a huge piece of naan bread and the chicken curry in mild gravy. The chicken curry is soooo good it will bring a tear to your eye. The naan, they make behind a window so you can watch. It is truly food porn.
This place faces the ocean and we were able to sit outside and soak up the view, in the setting sun. Frankie ordered this seafood curry with a green coconut sauce and prawns, scallop, some things with shells, some crab claws, and one thing inside of a shell edged in bright blue that was actually sort of pretty. He go the mango lassi which he likes, a sweet yogurt drink. Nate ordered the naan and a coke, like he did last time we were there.

This place is very easy to get to from where we live, I'm afraid. Too easy. To get there, we get on to 134 and its right off of there, through 2 tunnels. On the way we past the Cantina which is a great Italian place which the boys would love. And a buffet place which I have also promised to take them to.

If I play my cards right I may not have to cook all year.