今年は、忙しかったのか、面倒だったのか、そのままになっていた年賀ハガキ〜
探し物をしていて、気がついた！！！　期限を見たら、「７月２７日」キャッ〜〜

それは２７日のことです〜〜
も判っちゃったら仕方ないからチェック〜　フーフー
調べたら・・・・　これだけ？





もって行ってもと悩む〜〜　6:00pm〜を廻った郵便局〜
ちょっと恥かしいけど〜〜　　ガメ子さんですから〜
そしたら係りの方、エェ〜今日は多いんですよぉ〜と・・・・
そうかぁ〜　　ホッ！　行くものですね(^_-)-☆
でも、その場では、取り替えられないので、後日ということで、昨日届きました〜☆

I have recently been so infatuated with Japanese art.  Partically Horimono tattoo’s or irezumi.  I am interested in getting a large scale art work done on myself.  I am worried though about the social stigma with tattoo’s.  I understand that these times are a little more forgiving than most, but I wish no bad blood.  To me Japanese art is the greatest the world has seen,  the body art is so far ahead that every nation tries to mimic this.  I would love to get this done in the old fashion with the tebori but know that given my current situation ( living in Hawaii)  that would be an improbability.  I yearn for a chance to get it done from a master.  Maybe one day I can make it happen.

Roberts Across America # 2

Visiting Ballards Locks and salmon ladder in Seattle

Greetings from Smoking Seattle!  We dragged the 100+ degree temperatures from California with us.  Yesterday it broke records in Seattle reaching 100 degrees!  Many people in this part of the country do not have air-conditioning in their homes and are regretting it, but this is considered rare weather from what the locals are telling us.

I’ll give a quick synopsis of our travels for those who love to get to the facts first and then I’ll spread it out with the pictures below.   We spent a week in Castro Valley, CA and visited relatives/friends.  We then drove up to Tahoe for a Roberts’ family reunion and passed through Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park.  After that we headed north through Oregon to Washington.  We spent only 1 night in Oregon before reaching our destination in Washington.  Now we are in Gig Harbor, WA visiting some family friends before heading to Idaho on Sunday.

While in the Bay Area we were busy visiting friends and relatives (going to hear that a lot), but I also managed to meet some key coffee contacts.  I spent 5 hours with one business owner (designs coffee roasters) and he gave me the details I was looking for.  I also visited one of the largest coffee import/exporters on the West Coast.  It was great to acquire all that information from experts in the industry.  It was important to visit these businesses before I make stops across the US looking at potential roasters to purchase in the future.

After visiting 17 of Trina’s 18 first cousins, didn’t see Pam in Los Angeles, it was time to get together with my side of the family.  My parents, brother Jeremy with his wife Esther and kids, Esther’s parents from Virginia and Esther’s sister Grace with son Jack, all spent a fun-tastic week at Lake Tahoe.  We rented a BIG house in Tahoe City and spent time rafting, swimming, catching crayfish, eating incredible meals, celebrating Jeremy/Esther’s son Ellis’ first birthday (complete with traditional Korean outfit!).   We had sunny warm weather while up there (almost too warm), but the lake and Truckee river  were cold and refreshing.

Roberts at Lake Tahoe

Cousin Lana cooked the crayfish we caught… Vietnamese style… mmmm…

After we said our goodbyes we headed up to Oregon but took the mountain roads to Mt Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Poor Miles is prone to motion sickness and those mountain roads gave him a little trouble.  The part of the park we saw was very interesting.  There were steam vents and bubbling mud, emerald lakes and EVEN SNOW!  We had a good snowball fight in July.   Then it was time to head to Washington.

Riley’s ready to throw a snowball at me!!!!

Bubbling mud pools at Lassen Nat’l Park

We visited many Hawaii friends that transplanted to the Seattle area.  We had a memorable weekend on Whidbey Island with our friends, the Lafonds, who took us clamming.  The kids dug up huge “butter clams” and even ate some raw right on the spot!  I wasn’t so adventurous, but everyone else tried it.  I preferred mine steamed.  We also went on walks and picked wild blackberries to eat with breakfast in the morning.  Our Sunday on the island included an outdoor church service at a lake with baptisms.  Then following the service there was a big picnic that included boats to tow kids around the lake on big inflatable rafts.  Miles, Trevor and Justus all hung on together for a fast ride around the lake.

Trevor’s working hard digging for them clams! 

Miles working hard eating all them clams!  :)

Overall we have been having an amazing time.  Our “miracle” van has been wonderful.  Visiting all our family and friends has been a joy and we look forward to many more visits.  We are off to Idaho this Sunday to go “rustic” and spend a few days in a cabin in the woods.  There is a coffee roaster manufacturing company 45min away from our cabin that I’ll be visiting as well, so if there isn’t a family/friends connection to our stopping points there is coffee that is taking us there.  Our next newsletter will likely come after our stops in Idaho, Banff (Canada), Glacier Nat. Park and Yellowstone.

Until next time…..
Much Love and Aloha,
Vince, Trina and the Fab Five

７月３１日の誕生花


【花言葉】誕生花アクリル画イラスト

マンション前の公園で楽しそうな太鼓の音が聞こえています。
地元のお祭りみたい。祭りっていいなぁo(^-^)o
テンションがちょびっと上がる深夜勤前のとろみどりです。

今日、もシアトルの天気は、蒸し暑いです。でも幸いにも、風が来ました、気持ちです！

昨日の顔鍼した後輩に今日学校で会ったら、向こうの方から走ってきて、

「顔が柔らかくなったんです！！」と一言。しかも最近夜動悸がして眠れなかったのが、快眠だったと。

昨日よりも顔色が明らかにいい。

嬉しかったけど、動悸に対しては考慮してなかったので、なんで効果が出たんだろ・・・

確かに、気血の流れが滞っていたので、下肢に一穴鍼を打ったのが効果あったのか・・・もう少し考察が必要です。

７月３０日の誕生花


【花言葉】誕生花アクリル画イラスト

ボイトレ行ってきました。

忙しいとは思うけど…個人練習しんさい！との先生からの愛のムチ。ぎくり。。。さすがに月2回だけのレッスンで声が出せるようになるかといったら、それは不可能なお話で。。。なかなか自分の生活の中に取り組めないとろみどりです。

祝11ヶ月。ありがとうです。

せみやら！ ジージー ヒグラシやら…　ヒヨヒヨヒヨー すごい鳴き声がウルサくて目が 覚めました。せみって 夜も鳴くんですね～　

家の前の街路樹にいるみたいなんで 起きて その怪しい木を揺らしてみたら ザワっと セミが数匹飛んで行きましたぁ。おまけに よく鳴く鳥まで 加わって～　もう。

でも一時間程すると 静かになりましたぁ！　やはり お目覚めは騒がしいのかもわかりませ～ん？