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| "Geisha $8"of the Geisha series: junk collage, acrylics, digital. |
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Click: Tevin Campbell, I'm Ready.
2GN2S
I am trying to decide how to share, in words, a very long Sunday for a very tired octogenarian? My Indiana cousin, Michelle, mentioned my being an octogenarian in an email, and I immediately pictured a very large spider, eight legs with my face and knew I would try to draw it? I am so easily distracted?
I got up at 7am Sunday morning, moving a slow pace even for a sloth, showered, dressed and packed for the day, gi ready for my 10 am class. 104' in Redlands today. The dojo really lovely and is air-conditioned. A bigger group, and a few returned from yesterday. Great people. Kevin Suzuki, 7th dan Karate instructor and co-founder of Redland's Japanese Cultural Center, was our host, helper and "bad guy".
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| photographs by Michelle Suzuki |
After class, some of us went to class, many already had plans, so it was just six of us.
We went to Rui's Shanghai Bistro, a huge, beautiful restaurant in Redlands.
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| Front: Kevin, BacK: me, Julie Donna, Cheryl and Michelle. |
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| photographs by Kevin Suzuki |
Second daughter, Cheryl came to Redlands to pick me up and take me home to Tustin. She, her brother Kevin and his lovely wife, Michelle took such good care of me, I am so blessed to have them in my life.
Cheryl and I left Redlands around 2PM, had some heavy traffic but never a stand still or stop and go, so we were lucky and got to Tustin at about 3:45. As I unlocked my front door I mentioned that I had once left my key in the door overnight, so I was careful to take my key out!
(I try not to make the same mistake twice, but I keep finding new mistakes to make.) What I didn't realize was that when turning the key to take it out, I had mistakenly turned the lock. So when Cheryl and I went out to get my suitcase, we returned to a locked door. We just stood there looking at each other. My keys, purse, phone were locked inside. Most of the locksmiths that we ended up calling were closed on Sunday. The man that we did hire, came in thirty minutes, around 4:15 pm. We sat in Cheryls great car with a/c until he came (Tustin was 100'). He, and we thought it was a quick job, pick the lock and let us in? Seems I have a special secure lock that he could not open. I had locked all my windows and doors before I left Saturday. He suggested the sliding door, he tried, but it is old and stubborn and did not cooperate. Next he tried my office window, and after about 10 minutes he had it open and went through to open the front door. He spent another 10 minutes repairing and replacing screens and sweeping up the planter that got broken. You're getting the idea? The poor man is sweating profusely in the 100' heat, but so diligent trying. Cheryl translated for me, and oversaw the clean-up operations. I felt near exhaustion from the heat, but decided I had better unpack etc and keep moving. He made three extra keys for me and I gave him ice water, a check (his preference) and my fortune cookie from lunch which seemed to please him so much, he hadn't seen one before. What and afternoon right? After Cheryl and I said our goodbye's, I got a cold water bottle and actually went to bed at 5pm. I must have fallen asleep on contact and woke up at 9 pm with a blog to do. I put in a load of laundry and here I am about to finish this marathon of a day. I predict a very lazy day tomorrow?
Florida had a problem with leftover oyster shells. Restaurants were throwing them away by the truckload. So scientists came up with an idea. Put them back in the water.
Starting in 2007, recycling programmes began collecting shells from seafood restaurants and processing plants, cleaning them, and dropping them into the Gulf of Mexico. The shells gave baby oysters something to latch onto, and once those oysters started growing, everything around them changed.
The oysters filtered the water. Algae blooms that had been choking marine life started to shrink. Cleaner water meant more sunlight reaching the seabed. Fish came back. Then turtles. Then dolphins. Some populations recovered to levels not seen in over 25 years.
The shell reefs also act as natural breakwaters, absorbing the impact of storms and protecting the coastline from erosion. All from recycled food waste.
The programme grew over the years, with similar projects launching in Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and the Carolinas. Hundreds of thousands of shells that would have ended up in landfill were turned into thriving underwater ecosystems instead.
Scientists scraped them off restaurant plates, dropped them into the Gulf, and accidentally rebuilt an ecosystem that had been declining for decades
Hoping you see all the good things in your day.
5 comments:
I love reading your blog, but what's much better is hearing your stories in person! Lunch was fun & delicious. Everyone I've met through the Redland's Japanese Culture Center has been so kind. It's been nice hearing so many people express to Kevin how grateful they are to him. & everyone that got to experience your class is so lucky! You have a great way of teaching while making things fun! I hope your bruises heal quickly. You said you sometimes can hear Sensei talking to you. I bet he would be saying something about you being like a peach. or a geranium ; )
It turned out to be a long drive but nice to have extra 1-on-1 time with you. You always have great stories to tell. Now you have another story on how your "old school" front door lock, that some say should have been replaced with a high tech keypad & operated remotely, was too secure to open by a locksmith. Now we know a burglar will have a tough time breaking in to your home. hehe.
Jacki, you're an inspiration to me!
💖Beatriz
Jacki, you are amazing and a role model for all. Loved reading about your class.
Great story Jacki. And I thought I was alone doing mindless things but this goes to the top of the list for a 100 deg day!!
Wow what a day! Still despite the door lock problem you got to spend the day doing what you love and spending it with people you love! BTW, I loved Theo and have given copies to friends and family. Thank you Jacki
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