clouds...

clouds..., a photo by angryparsnip on Flickr.

A quick sketch of some monsoon cumulonimbus clouds

drawing. . . parsnip
music. . . Rain, Ryuichi Sakamoto

Wednesday In Japan...

Wednesday In Japan..., a photo by angryparsnip on Flickr.

My Wednesday post about my life in Japan.

The Special House Ramen...

dried seaweed... nori
green onions...negi
roasted pork... chaashuu
egg...tamago
noodles... men
house made pickled cabbage... kimchee
in a miso soup... suupu

The day was hot, too hot for me but this ramen was a super quick
wonderful lunch.
Plus what can I say lunch with my wonderful daughter-in-law and
darling granddaughter is always perfect.

Now if I can only come up with a better word than daughter-in law. Yes
she is married to my son, but she is more, she is family and how nice
that I am now part of her family !

Be sure to check out photo of the restaurant on post #2

happy. . . parsnip
music. . . One Summers Day, Joe Hisaishi

ramen #2

ramen #2, a photo by angryparsnip on Flickr.

Local Ramen restaurant just across the square from the family home in
Nishinomiya.

parley view parsnip

parley view parsnip, a photo by angryparsnip on Flickr.

My Monday post on what is going on around my home.

Today it is really about my home..... A work in progress.

This is a mosaic I am working on for the back wall on my small wall
fountain. All made from broken tiles from some of my past project.
It will be floated on top of the sliced rock wall to hopefully look
like leafs and flowers floating down stream.

When I lived in Laguna Beach I use to have my own kiln and made
speciality tiles, wall planters and chess boards
I always save the pieces that didn't come out quite right , were
cracked, broken and I break them up and used in my mosaics.

On my recent move to Tucson, I am sure the movers where wondering why
this crazy lady was moving boxes of broken tiles carefully marked
"Broken Tiles, Studio, Do Not Drop"

ceramics. . . parsnip
music. . . Hollywood, Michael Buble

space.....

space....., a photo by angryparsnip on Flickr.

On July 21, Space Shuttle Atlantis touched down for the last time.
The Space Shuttle program is ending after thirty years and I am quite
sad.

I am 64 years old and I grew up with the hope and excitement of the
future before all of us. It was right before us and all we had to do
is dream, work hard and reach for it. The world and space was ours.
I think the Space Program was a spark that inspired a generation of
people and children.

I think we have no dreams today, not on the magnitude of those early
years.
Today we have no one thing sparks or inspires us to achieve like we
had at the start of the space program. Excitement to achieve.

When I was a little girl growing up in Chicago, one of the best
weekend afternoon treats was a trip to the airport.
Not to get on a plane and fly away somewhere but to park on the street
at the end of the runway , with lots of other families, and watch the
airplanes takeoff or land. If we timed it right the Good Humor Ice
Cream truck would be there and we got eat ice cream and watch the
airplanes.
So amazing so exciting and so much fun.
Ones imagination took flight with those airplanes of the 1950's.

Then the Space program started, "The Right Stuff" rides circling the
earth, trips to the stars, landing on the Moon, colonies on Mars,
missions to other Galaxies.
It was exciting to be young in the 1950's the world was before us. We
were all so young and full of promise.

I think I was very lucky to be growing up durning the 1950's. I know
there were lots of problems but what I remember was the ability to
look forward, to be able to be inspired and run with it.

wistful . . . parsnip
music. . . Back In The High Life Again, Steve Winwood

Wednesday In Japan

Food-08.03Trip-7, a photo by sleepytako on Flickr.

My Wednesday post about my life in Japan

Ekiben

Train station bento
eki = station ben from bento.

I have posted before about my love of train station food in Japan.
On longer rides you can buy food at the station especially made for the train trip. What is wonderful is each area has take out lunches featuring the food of that region.

This was a lunch my Japanese son bought on the local train from Toyama to Kanazawa.
Masuzushi
masu = a type of sea trout.
or it can be called masu no sushi = shushi of trout.
The #2 post today shows the food and the fabulous container it come in.

Fabulous packaging, wonderful presentation, terrific food, plus a wonderful train ride and if you get to add some crazy family.... nothing could be better.

Thank you sleeptako for the use of the photo and great memories !

hungry. . . parsnip
music. . . Bright Lighst Bigger City, Cee Lo Green

masuzushi #2

Food-08.03Trip-8, a photo by sleepytako on Flickr.

What the food looks like inside the beautiful wooden box.
Trout placed over sushi rice, wrapped in bamboo leaves and fit into a shallow ceder cylindrical container. Then it is weighted down for a set time.
This was my Japanese sons lunch on the local train from Toyama to Kanazawa.
I have the lovely ocean view paper wrapping framed and hanging in my pantry.

I have eaten the special Oshizushi (pressed sushi) covered with Persimmon leaves from Nara.
Fabulous !