San Antonio to Seattle, Wednesday 10-April
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It was time to head home. Among all of us, we went via car, plane, and train to get home, stopping over in two different cities on the way.
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San Antonio, Tuesday 9-April
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For our last full day in Texas, we went to Natural Bridge Caverns and had a quiet rest of the day. Even so, we made the most of the day.
Read MoreSan Antonio, Monday 8-April
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Eclipse day! We were watching the chance of clouds continuing to rise, but as long as it wasn’t raining, we would still try to take a look. In the afternoon, we saw the Alamo and walked a bit on the San Antonio River Walk.
Read MoreHouston, Saturday 6-April
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For our other full day in Houston, we spent the bulk of the day with Lindsay, Joe, and Noah. It started with lunch at the Farmers Market, then a walk through the Houston Arboretum, then snacks and dinner. After saying goodbye, we tried to see bats emerging at sunset.
Read MoreHouston, Friday 5-April
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After everyone got up and had breakfast, we went to Hermann Park to view the Japanese Garden, the Centennial Garden, and other parts of the grounds. After stopping by the Rothko Chapel, we went back for lunch and hung out. Lindsay and her family spent some of the afternoon and dinnertime with us, where we celebrated her and her baby's birthdays.
Read MoreSeattle to Houston, Thursday 4-April
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I’ve been thinking for quite a while about trying to see the 2024 total solar eclipse. I do have cousins in Ohio and Indiana in or near the path of totality, but it occurred to me that I also have a cousin in Texas whom I haven’t seen for several years. The fact that it could be likely that the chances of good weather seemed good, I asked the kids if they were interested. Hearing “Yes” all around, a plan started to form.
Read MoreHisa at the piano
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My grandmother, Hisa, was very accomplished at the piano. She did a lot of accompaniment for others. I found this story as written by her sister, my Aunt Eiko. I also found a copy of the program, autographed by the tenor, which is after the story. I’ve also included a picture of my grandmother and aunt at the bottom.
Read MoreRemembering Aunt Aiko
/Many things come to mind when I think about Aunt Aiko. Like many people, one of them is food. Almost 30 years ago, she contributed a couple of her prized sushi recipes to a family cookbook. I'm glad she did because both my dad and I have made her chirashi zushi several times. It may seem simple, but it's always popular. I always think of Auntie when making it. In broad strokes, this is how you make it, and why each step reminds me of her.
Read MoreLos Angeles, 11–16 Oct 2022
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After Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the second half of our trip was to Los Angeles. Melody was at a conference for the American Translators Association, so I did a combination of playing tourist and seeing family.
Read MoreMt. Rainier/Yakima/Spokane, 19–25 Sep 2022
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Melody’s sister Celeste was in town for about a week, and we took the opportunity to do a bit of travel. It was a whirlwind week, and we got a lot done. We started with a couple of nights in Packwood, WA so we could hike in Mt. Rainier National Park, then went to Yakima to visit Melody and Celeste’s mom, then to Spokane to visit their uncle.
Read MoreRemembering Mom
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My mom’s memorial service was this weekend. I have another page which contains parts of the service (a life history, a slideshow, my memories of my mom through letters, me playing her favorite piano piece, and images of the program), but I’ve included the slide show below. While I have a lot memories I could write about, there are certainly too many for here; I think the ones I shared during the service cover a good cross-section.
Read MoreRemembering Charlie
/I was in Southern California last month for my cousin Charlie's memorial service, who passed away in April. He was married to Sherry (the oldest of us first cousins), and next year would have been their 60th wedding anniversary. They have three children (and spouses) and eight grandchildren (with three spouses).
Read MoreBirthday Prelude
/It’s that time of year for me to record a piano piece for my mom’s birthday. This one is a Chopin Etude, Op. 28, No. 9 in E.
Read MoreTucson, 7–14 Nov 2021
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Melody signed up for a literary translation conference in Tucson, so I tagged along. We went a few days early so she could also play tourist for at least part of the time. Melody hadn't been to Tucson before, while it's been about 40 years since I was last in the city.
Read MoreBirthday Sonatine
/This year’s recording for my mom’s birthday is the first movement, Modéré, of Ravel’s Sonatine in f# minor.
Read MoreBirthday Brahms
/It’s my mom’s birthday again, so here’s another stab at recording my piano playing.
Read MoreRemembering Ron McKitrick
/One night last month, Melody’s mom left a message. We found that she had done the same with Melody’s brother and sister, but no one was able to reach her. Melody finally connected and found out that Jean’s husband Ron had leukemia and didn’t have long to live. He passed away not long after, with all of his kids around him.
Read MoreCologne, 12 Oct 2019
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The day started with a relaxing morning and a loop going across the Rhine. We then went to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, relaxed at a café, then went a bit out of the city to a party.
Read MoreCologne, 11 Oct 2019
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For our first full day in Cologne, we met up with Kellen and Noël to go through the Museum Ludwig, grabbed some lunch, did a short walking tour through the city, and got to chat with a friend of Noël's.
Read MoreSeattle to Cologne, 9–10 Oct 2019
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This year’s big trip is to visit Kellen and Noël who have been living in Germany for the past year and a half. After spending time with them in Cologne, we’ll head to the Alps, Munich, Salzburg, and Berlin. It’s been almost a quarter-century since Melody has been to Germany and over 40 years for me.
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