TIME: 9:00 PM
PLACE: Sushi Tatsu
SUBJECT: Hanging on front door
Stella and I did some shopping at the mall to pick out a dress for her to wear to the 8th grade dance next Friday.
Then we had dinner.
She tried some Uni (sea urchin) this time – she has determined that she is not a fan of that particular item.
“Cookery is a wholly unselfish art: All good cooks, like all great artists, must have an audience worth cooking for.”
– Andre Simon
TIME: 6:18 PM
PLACE: Shogun Japanese Steakhouse
SUBJECT: Teppanyaki Chef
DramaQueen worked last night, so we waited until tonight to go out as a family for Stella’s birthday dinner.
As per tradition, the birthday girl chose the restaurant.
She wanted to go to a place where they cooked at the table.
So we did.
She loved it.
A bargain ain't a bargain unless it's something you need.
Sidney Carroll (American, film and television screenwriter, 1913-1988)
TIME: 9:55 PM
PLACE: Living room
SUBJECT: Thrifted JAPAN ornament
I like to collect vintage “Japan” ornaments. I NEED them (yeah, right). One of the little things that makes me happy, is discovering one of these ornaments in a thrift shop. What makes it even better is only paying $0.20 for said ornament. I know, I know, I live a sad and pathetic little life. I admit it. I found this little guy on Wednesday. I had a small window of opportunity (under 30 minutes) to visit one of my favorite thrift shops after work and before I had to pick up StellaDella from school (DramaQueen & MonkeyBoy had an after school function). I whizzed through the store, and found this guy and another similar gal hanging on the shop Christmas tree right before my time ran out. Forty cents for both? Yeah, I think that’s in my budget. Score!
There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning.
Thornton Wilder (American, Playwright & Novelist, 1897-1975)
TIME: 10:03 AM
PLACE: Missouri Botanical Garden - The Japanese Garden
SUBJECT: Yatsuhashi - "eight bridges"
We embarked on our first "field trip"of the summer this morning. We met up with my sister, her two children and her mother-in-law at the Missouri Botanical Garden or "Shaw's Garden" in St. Louis, Missouri. We arrived when they opened at 9am and went to the Climatron first. We then made our way to the Japanese Garden. This zig-zag bridge is located in the southwest lakeshore of the Japanese Garden. The Missouri Botanical Garden website states that it is "...called Yatsuhashi, a name meaning “eight bridges” and referring to a place in Mikiwa Province, Japan, where in the 10th century a single river branched into eight channels. Each channel was crossed by a bridge around which grew masses of irises. This ideal is emulated in Seiwa-en by soil-filled iris planters placed on both sides of the bridge." My sister and I both remarked that the irises were just beautiful. The sister then observed that we sounded just like two little old ladies.
Just around the bend from this bridge is another bridge were for a mere 25 cents, you could feed the Koi. This I believe, was the highlight of the trip for the 5 children. I spent about $2.50 in quarters feeding the fish. We wandered a little more, then went to the Children's Garden so the kids could play for awhile. We left a little after noon. About 3 hours is all they can handle. I'm thinking that I need to come back sans children and with my tripod, in order to get some really good flower shots.
