dis and dat

~ sweet rain nurtures nature...

con funghi


a new "volunteer" palm thriving

between the block wall & fireplace


our water conserving Bottle Tree,

reaching for the sky


~ would you Ha-ra-ju-ku?

~ racial profiling::

+ NEWBO New Black Overclass +

~ Yakuza tat...
Shoko Tendo - daughter of Yakuza boss, Hiroyasu Tendo,

shows her tattoos, including a large one on her

left shoulder of Jigoku Dayu, a famous courtesan

from the Muromachi era. Shoko is the author of

“Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster’s Daughter”.

She describes the tattoo as her way of bidding farewell

to her past life, and starting a new one as a writer, and

now as a mother.
Guardian News

Photo: Reuters

~ Sakura :: Cherry Blossoms ::

Sakura represents Spring, & is an

omen of good fortune, and is also a

symbol of love, affection.

Cherry blossoms are an

enduring metaphor

or the fleeting nature of life,
In Japan, cherry blossoms are thought

to exemplify the transient nature of life,

because of their short blooming times.

Cherry blossoms blooming en masse,

resemble clouds; besides being an enduring

metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life.
The extreme beauty and quick death of

cherry blossoms, has often been

associated with mortality.

b.q.

A General Contractor deserves a few Happy Perks

SPLASH!

First off, My M.A.N. is an amazing General Contractor.

All his jobs are by referral,

or new jobs for previous customers.

We haven't had to advertise since 1994; the year of the big Northridge earthquake. Every now & then, the Family gets surprise perks from the jobs.

Such as, a brand new jacuzzi!

A young professional couple in a high-end beach house

decided that they didn't want this jacuzzi,

as we completed their home renovation.

Why? They didn't have time to use it.

So, if M.A.N. could get it out of their yard,

he could have it.

Oh... OK, he thought he could work something out.

Meanwhile, at home, why was he taking up his weekend to pour a concrete slab in our backyard? What is that big truck doing unloading a huge THING in our driveway? Wow, is that a jacuzzi? NO WAY! Electrician? Pool guy? What...it's already hooked up? Bubble, bubble, bubble. Heat. Light.

GRANDKIDS.

SPLASH! Ahhhhhh. Life is Great.

We love you, my M.A.N. Arigato.

b.q.

Life + Hope

Struggling to get ready to face the new week,
I reflect on this sunset of January 1, 2008.
I decided New Year’s evening,

that I would believe in this:

A GREAT '08.

This was the vision from our back yard,
as the very first day of the year

became a memory...
and why there is always HOPE.

b.q.