Welcome to my blog. I document my adventures in travel, style, and food. Hope you have a nice stay!
All in Family
Melody and I took our annual trip to Southern California, but this year was a little shorter than usual. Instead of staying through New Year's Day, we came home after a few nights, since I'll be going back down in a couple weeks. We still managed to do quite a bit during our stay.
We spent New Year's Day in Seattle this year, rather than in Southern California. We mixed old traditions with new ones, but the best part was our family gathered and spent time together.
The weekend is over, and I started the new week with a new daughter-in-law and lots of fond memories I'll look back on for a long time.
Another travel day. We started by visiting the Air Force Museum. After that, we escorted the guava cake to Kathy and Irland in Toledo.
The beginning of July was our last day in Indianapolis. The plan was to leave in the morning and go to the Dayton Art Institute, get in some walking, and perhaps stop by a café for a while. In the late afternoon, we were going to see Arleen and John.
It was time to say goodbye to the Mealys, then meet the Brothers at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Then a driving tour of Indianapolis, followed by dinner and dessert.
For the last day of June, the plan was to do the grounds tour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, find a place to do some walking, then spend the late afternoon/evening with the Mealys.
The Winkle Family Reunion came to a close, and we said our goodbyes. Then it was off to Indianapolis to walk around downtown a bit, after which we went to Kara's to spend the night.
The second full day at the reunion was set aside for canoeing or a covered bridge tour, some hiking, and dinner at the guest house. But even the beginning didn't go as expected.
The rough plan for Friday was to spend the day at Turkey Run State Park and do some hiking and talking. The forecast called for not only rain, but a lot of rain.
The main reason for us taking this trip was to go to the Winkle Family Reunion, and this was the first day. Our plan was to pick up a car, go to Indiana Dunes National Shoreline, then head down to Parke County.
Today we said goodbye to my Aunt Teru, the middle child of my dad's family. She passed away on February 1st, a couple months shy of her 95th birthday. Auntie lived in Norwalk for over a half century, after which she went to Ohio to be with my cousin Arleen for the past seven years.
We celebrated Noël's birthday last night, the most recent occurrence of our birthday dinner tradition. While the details change every now and then, the central idea of us getting together to share a meal on the occasion of a family member's birthday.
The only way to start a New Year is with o-zōni. Following that, we went to my cousin's house where lots of family gathered to talk, eat, and play games. The next day was when we returned to Seattle
Having had a few full days, we were ready for a less hectic one. We checked out this year's Downey entry to the Tournament of Roses Parade, then down to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. The best way to end the day was with a New Year's Eve dinner.
An uneventful morning was just fine with us, as we checked out of the hostel and went to Griffith Park. At the end of the day it was time to celebrate my dad's birthday again at Dal Rae.
Monday started with a rude awakening, but most of the rest of the day was spent in Los Angeles at LACMA and the Farmers Market
Having finished making mochi, it was time to venture to other parts of Los Angeles to give Noël a taste of the surrounding area. First on the agenda was The Getty Museum, followed by Santa Monica.
Our usual New Year's trip to the Los Angeles area had a twist this year; Kellen and his fiancé Noël went along with us. Kellen had an opportunity to meet her family about a year ago, so turnabout is fair play.
This is the year of my dad's 88th birthday, 米寿 (beiju) in Japanese. Since it's a significant year, we got together to celebrate the occasion at his favorite restaurant, Dal Rae in Pico Rivera, CA. His sisters, most of the Fujimoto cousins, and my mom's sister joined us for a memorable evening.
