Monday Musings

~ Listening to ~

Kyu Sakamoto :: John Denver

Annie Lennox :: Thee Midnighters

Hiroshima :: John Corbett

The Doors :: James Taylor

Grand Funk Railroad :: Yoyo Ma…

soapstone hearts in my office...
3 year old Little Man + tired Mom

Spirits set free…2006

Dad + Judo Team Award ~ Martial Arts in our lifetime:: In the past, I enjoyed seeing young C.F. take Aikido with Dad. We were so proud of Dad, getting his black belt in Aikido, at age 70. He also had a black belt in Judo. He was a Sensei for both Judo & Aikido. With his insistence, I was in the first Girls’ Judo class at the SFV Japanese American Community Center, back in the ‘60’s. I’ve beamed watching all 4 of my Girls excel in Karate + Kickboxing. I’ve seen my youngest daughter break boards in a Karate exhibition. Back in the day, I helped my brother, Dr B, when he came home with a broken collar bone from Judo (twice!). Last year, he was awarded his black belt in Karate. My Grandfather was taken away by the F.B.I. on Dec.7, right after Pearl Harbor was attacked. They thought he, & my sweet 5 ft. Grandmother, were subversive, because he had a successful Kendo Dojo in Huntington Beach, & was a community leader. They were so wrong. He had the honorable strong blood of a Samurai running through his veins… not the filthy weak blood of a subversive.

b.q.

OLYMPICS, Here & There

GO TEAM USA!

Fantastic job.
Thank you all for

your tremendous effort,

and awesome accomplishments

in this great 2008 Olympics!

Gambare!

*****

Our Dad was a black belt in Judo.

In 1932,
he was proud to participate
in the Olympic Judo Exhibition,
here in Los Angeles.

This was his dojo.
We cherish

the medal of participation

he received.
It was just one of

his fascinating adventures.
We all miss him, & love him always.

b.q.

Life + Family

Fantastic Brother, Uncle, & Friend...
Back in the day, hours of piano lessons,

and a crazy making recital.

Dozens of parents & friends.

Nervous, palms sweating.

There we sat, my younger brother & I.

Our turn to play; a simple duet of GLOW WORM.

He was not a passionate piano player,

but how hard could a one hand simple melody be?

Hard enough for him to completely FORGET,

& sit on that hard piano bench motionless,

while I played my heart out, as loud as possible;

sure that the volume would hide

the fact that his part was lost.

Grand applause, as we took our bows.

Coulda drop kicked that guy right out the window!

Fast forward to 2008… that guy,

my wonderful brother is now

Dr B.} so incredibly brilliant,

with a black belt in karate, and

doing BRAIN RESEARCH at U.C.L.A.

Important work for mankind;

way, way beyond Glow Worm.

b.q.