Cherish Your Life

" Embrace your uniqueness.

Time is much to short

to be living someone else's life."

Kobi Yamada

Life

~ Life with food.

A little peak at yogurt.

pinkberry!

Yogurt has been a refreshing

& nutritious treat for us

this summer.

My favorite treat was a

Pinkberry Fruit Parfait

that KK treated me to one

recent hot summer evening.

The coconut frozen yogurt was

delicious with the crunchy granola

and fresh fruit. The perfect twist

for me was adding the little chunks

of chewy mochi to the mix.

A perfect East-West fusion.

Try Pinkberry soon! http://www.pinkberry.com/

One sweet yogurt treat we have loved

over the years is this baked yogurt.

The recipe was in the Green Sheet

food section years ago::

SWEET BAKED YOGURT
INGREDIENTS
2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350°
Combine the yogurt and condensed milk

in a large bowl until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a shallow ovenproof
glass or ceramic dish.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Turn off oven, leave yogurt in oven for
additional 15 minutes or until yogurt
has a soft custard like firmness.
Remove from the oven and cool.

Cover and refrigerate until cold.

Serve topped with fresh fruit, nuts,

toasted coconut, granola, if desired.
This is delicious without any toppings!

(do not freeze or microwave).

+ My brother, Dr B, has even been researching certain aspects of yogurt’s benefits to the body. Yogurt has attracted a greater amount of attention from nutrition scientists with studies surrounding a variety of potential health benefits, including regulating gastrointestinal health, protection against intestinal and vaginal infections, and overall enhancement of the immune system. Containing good protein and calcium, yogurt is popular for breakfast, snacks, and used in a wide array of recipes – everything from chilled smoothies to spicy sauces for veggies, chicken, or fish.

)))

~ Life with books.

Have you read

A Girl Named Zippy, by Haven Kimmel?

Bright Shiny Morning, by James Frye?

Summer of the Big Bachi, by Naomi Hirahara?

Explore Amazon.com for all your reading picks this Fall & Winter. Nothing like snuggling up in your happy place at home with a good book, when the chilly wind or freezing rain makes a trip to the beach impossible. When I was young, we’d go to the library every two weeks, & check out the maximum number of books. I remember reading late into the night, and becoming part of many adventures. Some in other countries, with various families or courageous groups of kids. Check our blog for our favorite reading picks for all ages. Most of the items on Amazon.com feature reviews by others, which have been very helpful in making selections. By the way, the number and variety of other products available on Amazon is endless & amazing. We have found everything from exercise equipment to almond nut butter at competitive prices. I head straight for Amazon.com every holiday season, & have never been disappointed.

)))

~ Life with family.

"The only rock I know that stays steady,

the only institution I know that works is

the family"

...Lee Iacocca

xox

A few little gems of inspiration to keep your spirits up::

"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group: there was much less competition.”

...Indira Gandhi via Charles Payne – KFI

)))

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." …Einstein

)))

“The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask, DUDE!”

)))

Seems like a storm of stress and bad news lately.

The sound of rain is usually soothing, and music is always good for the soul. Here is a happy blend for all of you to enjoy.

Perpetuum Jazzile

Close your eyes & listen to the rain...

summer solace

Fortune cookie for August::
“Where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also.”

~ Yes, school is in full swing.

academia + budget cuts= ???

"No one can make you feel inferior

without your consent."

…Eleanor Roosevelt

~ currently 103F & smoky.

Only one solution...

back to the beach!

tgif

~ last splash in the summer surf before school,

but we will be breathing in

the amazing sea air again soon... “My life is like a stroll on the beach...as near to the edge as I can go.”
...Thoreau

~ we've had a couple big guys'

skate board wipeouts

recently. maybe a trip on a

freebord - much like snowboard

maneuvering - would be

safer? maybe not.

here is a peek at

freedom on wheels...

freebording,

Freebord film produced for freebord

by Wil Tidman and Chip Rees.

Photographed by Stokes McIntyre,

Edited by Kyle Gray.

Freeborders ride the

steep streets of San Francisco.

~ a summer tradition is the Obon circuit. hot summer festivals of dancing, music, games, and good eats. Little Tokyo celebrated its 50th year of Obon dancing. through the years we have joined in for the traditional Odori dances. here is a little east-west fusion. these 2 are not only great Odori dancers; they really know how to rock Obon!

video by paulharuo. arigato!

~ everyone is back in school. a lot of new faces, routines, and adventures. as Dad believed, you never stop learning. it's not easy, & at times feels more like a sacrifice, but what a small price to pay to make your life better. give it your personal best. impress yourself. Gambare!

“Just as the wave cannot exist for itself, but is ever a part of the heaving surface of the ocean, so must I never live my life for itself, but always in the experience which is going on around me.”
...Albert Schweitzer

lifes a beach

IF YOU HAVE SUBSTANCE,

YOU CAN FLOAT THROUGH

THE SUPERFICIAL WORLD

WITHOUT BEING TAINTED BY IT

... Elijah Blue

“Successful people all have

one thing in common:

a childish streak.

They do whatever they like
with all their heart ”.

…Keiko Aoki

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

…Helen Keller

!?!

sandcastles on my mind...
a happy place for sand crabs...dancin' on the beach...
we'll be back.

pet peeves & food for thot

just a few...
+++ Pet Peeves +++
> Knowing you still can’t trust some
neighbors in the Neighborhood Watch.
> Basic English becoming extinct.
> hangnails, blisters, paper cuts
> locking car keys in the trunk
> ‘double bloodies’
> jury duty...again
> anything involving legal fees
> and the daily dose of::
..." it’s not mine…”
…“ uh…What ?”
… “ it wasn’t me…”
… “ Oh yeah, I forgot…”
… “ I didn’t have time…”
… “ You don’t understand…”
Ha!
P
Food for Thot...
"Don't walk in front of me,
I may not follow.
Don't walk behind me,
I may not lead.
Walk beside me
and be my friend."
...Albert Camus

“My religion is kindness”...Dalai Lama

SPRING!

"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb.

That's where the fruit is."

H. Jackson Browne

We welcome Spring,

as the warmth, colors,

and joy emerge.

Let us see... here

washed by the rain

in the shadows

in bloom at c.f.'s

Lupins! (for Oba-chan)

"Courage is the ladder on which
all other virtues mount" Clare Booth Luce

happy humpday

~ Congratulations JFF!

1st Place Photography
winner, in the regional

Reflections competition.

We are all so proud of you!

Great big buckets of LUCK

in the next round.

~ Heal well, KK.

Still so sore from injuries

after being hit by a

bakayaro running a red light.

Big Bachi to that driver, that's what.

~ Oh yes, Grandma was a Redman.

O'bama had an Irish great-great-great

grandfather, Falmouth Kearney,

who had a brother, William.

Say Grandma was related to

Emily Redman, born 1835 in Calais, ME

to James and Susan A. Redman.

She married a William Kearney

in Dedham, MA 1854, & perhaps

you're all related to O'bama. Ha!

http://www.oneeyedparrot.org/obama.html

~ Watch doggies gone buck wild…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At3cU20WYIM

~ Growing up, we would say, “OISHI!”

when food was delicious.

We see “umami” on the Kikkoman commercials

being promoted to mean delicious.

We’ve never heard umami used in that context.

To be accurate:: “Umami (旨味, Umami) is one of the

five basic tastes sensed by specialize receptor cells

present on the human tongue. The same taste is also

known as xiānwèi in Chinese, literally "Fresh Flavor".

Umami is a Japanese word meaning savory,

a "deliciousness" factor deriving specifically from

detection of the natural amino acid, glutamic acid,

or glutamates common in meats, cheese, broth, stock,

and other protein-heavy foods. The action of umami

receptors explains why foods treated

with (MSG) often taste "heartier".” From: Wikipedia

~ and, some legendary power::
"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.

Some come from ahead and some come from behind.

But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see.

Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"
...Dr. Seuss ...R.I.P.

b.q.

beach weather

“ When you tug at a single thing in nature,
you find it attached to the rest of the world. "

John Muir

~ as the wind blows, allergies burst into action.
Local flora must be so confused with
the sunny hot weather taking over
the winter chill.
Bloom, baby, bloom.


~ We had a friend who was a self professed landscaper.
He agreed to landscape our front yard
& install a sprinkler system,
in exchange for building an office addition
in his garage & painting his home.
He has a great office,
& his house has a beautiful paint job,
but then he changed his mind, &
never landscaped our yard.
So…we never considered him a friend again!
We had a great time creating our landscape
ourselves, & learned a valuable lesson
about the path taken
by some “friends”.
They may actually be on
a one way street,
with a blind curve,
right before the dead end.
Beware.

~ Inspiration to start the year::
The Last Lecture,
by the late Randy Pausch.
Read it soon.

~ Looking for local bargains?

Check out Julia Scott”s blog::
http://blogs.dailynews.com/bargain

~ We miss our secret cove.
~ Beach tomorrow? YES!

Life is grand.

be happy.

b.q.

it's a happy winter day...

The current full moon is the largest of the year;

at it's closest point to the earth.

Although there is no proof that a

full moon makes people crazier...?

we shall see.

P

onward...

Oh yes! A Christmas light show... my happy lava lamp...
a pretty poinsettia boosts the spirit...

warm the mood ~ morning star incense

beautiful morning + chill before the storm

" Imagination is more important than knowledge. "
Albert Einstein

and finally,

+PET PEEVES+

- punks stealing our M.A.N. made beautiful

Christmas tree of lights from the front yard.

+
- creeps stealing the donation boxes full

of change for the needy.

+
- spoiled brats not learning the difference

between “want” & “need”.

+
- every day, another layer of no rules,

no accountability in the U.S.A.

+
- dirty thieves stealing packages

as soon as they are delivered.

+
- school budgets being slashed. Genious.

+
BIG BACHI to all of ya!

+

That being said, we are fortunate,

& continue to count our blessings.

Don't let things get you down.

Persevere.

The more you do,

the more you CAN do.

Happiness lives in a circular motion.

So, in & out, & back to you!

Happy Winter.

b.q.

t.g.i.f.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. "

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

aaargh! before you sail the high seas, know your pirates!
http://www.cnbc.com/id/27844664?slide=1

FALL BRILLIANCE

"If you want to know your past – look INTO your present conditions. If you want to know your future - look into your present actions." ~Buddhist wisdom~

b.q.

t.g.i.f.~ food for thought

H As we plow through a world of chaos,
we keep on truckin'...

ON DOWN THE ROAD

Hold to the course, though the storms are about you;

Stick to the road where the banner still flies;

Fate and his legions are ready to rout you

--Give 'em both barrels--and aim for their eyes.

Life's not a rose bed, a dream or a bubble,

A living in clover beneath cloudless skies;

And Fate hates a fighter who's looking for trouble,

So give 'im both barrels--and shoot for the eyes.

Fame never comes to the loafers and sitters,

Life's full of knots in a shifting disguise;

Fate only picks on the cowards and quitters,

So give 'em both barrels--and aim for the eyes.

by: Grantland Rice

H

...and from Steve Wozniak, Apple...

"All the best things that I did at Apple came from
(a) not having money and

(b) not having done it before, ever. "

H

..lastly today, from Christopher Reeves...

"Once you choose hope, anything’s possible"

H

keep the faith!

b.q.