Search Bloguru posts

gotohealth's Blog

https://en.bloguru.com/gotohealth

Story About Mayor of Seattle's Heritage

thread
Mayor Bruce Harrel's grandm... Mayor Bruce Harrel's grandmother and Cherryland Florist
One of the stories featured at the OMOIDE STORIES AT THE REP last Sunday was written by Nancy Iishi Martos. Nancy wrote about her Grandmother Tameno creating Cherryland Florist in Seattle on Jackson Street. Rose was one of the youngest of 11, living in the back and helping with the business. Rose's son is Bruce Harrell. Mayor Harrell and his wife Joanne joined us for the Seattle REP theater event.

People Who Wowed This Post

OMOIDE AT THE SEATTLE REP THEATER

thread
Excited to be sharing Japanes... Excited to be sharing Japanese Heritage Values with OMOIDE stories! Granddaughter Kirin closing th... Granddaughter Kirin closing the evening at the Seattle REP Theater
Bringing "WINGS OF SOUND" to our OMOIDE stories
Here's what I basically said:

This is exciting! Thank you Nabra for this opportunity to share our OMOIDE (memories) stories. Why is the OMOIDE writing program important to me? Why do I want the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington and our Japanese Heritage values to impact our community for the next 100 years? 

When our first daughter was born, we stared at the miracle of birth day and night whether she was asleep or awake. It occurred to me, “I may one day see great grandchildren?” I thought, “What can I think, do and say that will help our daughter see grand children that are Self Reliant, Responsible, Kind and Joyous contributors to their community?”

My second daughter and her two teenage daughters now live with me. My job has been to drive the girls to school and their activities. Therefore, I have them alone in the car with me many times. My mentors suggest the best way to parent teens is to tell stories. I feel good and I expect to live to see great grandchildren so I want to help them be part of a community of good parenting. 

I want to thank each of you here tonight and I also trust you will help us carry on this project, as we move forward.  Chuck Kato, Margaret Yasuda, Del Uchida, look what we started 30 years go with the discussions around my kitchen table!

Thank you to our coach, Janine. As we meet on the third Saturday of each month she reminds us, “Just put your thoughts and words down on the bloody paper!” 

We direct our stories to the fifth grade and keep it simple. We are looking to publish OMOIDE VI this next year. Nabra has arranged a table outside and you are welcome to purchase our books. Also, because of Raku’s story about Onigiris, Koichi on our JCCCW board, organized and will pass out the treat during the intermission. 

Thank you Paul for your composition and the credit you give to OMOIDE for your inspiration. Thank you actors and musicians for putting “wings of sound” to our OMOIDE stories.

Waking up at night and asking “Why” has been fruitful. I have 5 grandchildren. It is thrilling and fulfilling to see them contributing in various events of their choosing. Thank you Kirin for agreeing to participate tonight. With stories and good learning together, let’s make AMERICA A GOOD HOME!

People Who Wowed This Post

WOW ZAC YOU DID IT!!

thread
It's a big deal to be on the Sa... It's a big deal to be on
the Santa Barbara team as a freshman
When Zachary's mother, our first born arrived, we stared at the miracle saying, "Last year she was nothing." 

I often thought, "There is a good chance I will see great grandchildren. What can I think, do and say that will help influence them to be self-reliant, responsible, kind and joyfully contribute to their community?"

My mentors suggest the best way to parent teens is to tell stories. I have five grandchildren and three of them are teenagers. I feel good and expect to see some of my great grandchildren.

I will share this story of that first daughter, who has parented Zac to be responsible for consistent practice all these years. And it's a joy to be able to celebrate his part in taking the Santa Barbara swim team to a national championship.

People Who Wowed This Post

VALENTINES 2000

thread
“I love you” Gr... “I love you”
Growing up, we never heard
Showing our love
With simple caring actions was preferred.

Valentine Love
Always brought a Disney figurine
Decorating a box of Godiva Chocolates
for his queen.

It was 9am, Sam walked up the three flights of stairs, down the corridor west to his 423 office at the corner, as he had the previous thirty years with out ever missing - just as he never missed a day of school. He hung up his jacket and as he was putting on his white lab coat, he crossed the room to look out the window, turning on his radio on the way. 423 Goto Dental Lab was on the corner of the building looking down on Westlake Avenue and northwest to the front door of the Westin Hotel. The Westin was where a lot of celebrities visiting Seattle stayed, including Presidential Candidates and he wrote about them in his book 58 YEARS IN THE MEDICAL DENTAL BULDING.

Around noon, he took his self-made bento from his office fridge, warmed it up in his microwave and sat at his desk in the foyer of his one-unit dental lab. He always kept his door ajar with a brick and was never short of visitors who popped in for a chat or a patient who was sent to him for a tooth shade. He always came home with a story or two like meeting James Washington the famous sculptor; Ralph Monroe, Secretary of State or Chihuly, the glass artist.

Lunch break gave him a chance to think of the fact that this day was Valentine’s Day. Finishing his last bites of brown rice and last night’s leftover Oxtail soup, he took off his white lab jacket, put on his Jacket with all the pockets, headed downstairs, out the front of the building, turned left and around the block to the Bartell Drug Store door on 5th Avenue. He picked up his usual small box of Godiva chocolates, added a 4inch caricature of Charlie Brown and went to the card section to find a funny card.


At home on Mercer Island’s Allen Street, Dee, remembering that this day was Valentine’s, finished sweeping the kitchen and hand vacuuming the entry stairs. She put on her Peruvian heavy & warm brownish coat and got in their new white Infinity sedan bonus car from their nutrition & counseling business. Heading across the Lacey V. Murrow floating bridge, south on Rainier Avenue, she came to the Mutual Fish Market thinking, “Spending fifty dollars on fresh frozen crab and fresh raw tuna is our food budget for our whole week, but this is Valentine’s.” Harry Yoshimura, the owner, was in his office and Dee stopped to have a short conversation. On the way home, she stopped at Island Books for a card and had another fun conversation with its owner Richard.

About 6pm, Dee could hear the ’64 Mustang roaring up the steep hill and parking in the carport in front of Sam’s green ’49 Chevrolet Pickup from off his Brother’s Quincy, Washington farm. The white pedestal round table, one of their first furniture purchases from KCW Furniture, was set, with the set of special Japanese style blue flowered, rice bowl, variety of small dishes for condiments and chop sticks holder, from cousin Miyo. It was placed on the bluish placemat bought when they once entertained the Mayor of Mercer Island, Aubrey Davis and his wife Henrietta, who was daughter Kelly’s 3rd & 4th grade teacher.  

Sam came in the door saying, “Hi Mandie” He was greeted at the door by the Lhasa apso and Dee at the top of the stairs. Taking off his Jacket and hanging it up in the hall closet, feeding Mandie was first before sitting down at the table. 

As Sam quietly raved about the satisfying bites of dinner, “Ahh Uhmmmmmmm”,  he got up and went back to the hall closet. He got a paper bag, handing it to Dee, saying, “Here’s a little nothing.” They exchanged cards, smiled and celebrated another fun Valentine in their lives. 



While “love” is an ultimate ideal to reach for with words and events; keeping it simple and casual as well as finding love in the daily actions made life meaningful and fulfilling. The victory is that there were strong wills and major differences involved, needing discussions and the “purpose in life” of passing on a legacy, of heritage values, to future generations.  It worked for 56 years!!


People Who Wowed This Post

STORIES AT THE PANAMA #9

thread
STORIES AT THE PANAMA #9

Yesterday, we had another fun session of story telling at the Panama Tea and Coffee. About 15 individuals joined us for conversation on our 9th session since we started last May 2022. It’s particularly interesting to find the Panama Hotel an INTERSECTION and crossroads of people from all around the USA and the world.



Avery grew up in Ohio and is part of a family interested in history. She finds Japanese Kimono and things Japanese of particular interest and has come to stay at the Panama and help Jan Johnson, owner of the hotel. Avery is most impressed with how Jan has created vintage decor in several of the rooms: The Writer’s Room, Ladies Room, Hairdo Room, Chickadee Room, Bamboo Room.


Khulan shared about coming to the USA from Mongolia, sandwiched between Russia and China. She met her husband Jason here and they have traveled the US, but find Seattle the most comfortable saying, “I feel like my own person and not an Asian that looks different.” She brought some of her Mongolian friends and says there is a count of around 3000 who live with us here in the greater Seattle area. 

Of particular interest was her comments about the Mongolian history of Russia protecting them from Japanese and making everyone equal with the Russian philosophy of government control of all their possessions and equal redistribution. The Mongolian People were also no longer able to practice their own ancient religions and philosophy of life. Khulan adds, “I have both good and bad feelings about Russia at this time.” We all shuttered as Khulan shared that it was 32 degrees below zero this day in Mongolia - the coldest capital in the world.

Gary shared about his Nisei friend, Shigeo Iwamura, who was a flight instuctor for Kamikazi Pilots (human bombs idea started in the Phillipines) in Japan. Shigeo’s family had moved back to Japan in 1932.  It’s speculated that Shigeo was determined to fit in and was caught up in national piety.

There was a healthy discussion of the term “Kokutai” - loyalty to the country of Japan and the emperor (representing the unbroken lineage from the Goddess Amaterasu) during WWII in Japan. Michi talked about women’s group and children in school, during the war, who practiced with wooden swords, and bamboo spears, who were trained to defeat American soldiers. Most of the younger Japanese don’t even know about such efforts as these stories were stricken from all literature. Currently, “Kokutai” only refers to national sports events. 

Raku shared how she, as a toddler, was buried under rubble on August 5th, 1945, when her house in Kyushu was bombed. She was coincidentally at a University of WA social event years later and may have met the pilot of the plane that dropped the bomb. 

Nothing like stories from different perspectives that help us learn for a better tomorrow.


People Who Wowed This Post

OMOIDE STORIES AT THE SEATTLE REP THEATER

thread
OMOIDE STORIES AT THE SEA... OMOIDE a project of the JAPA... OMOIDE a project of the JAPANESE CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY CENTER OF WASHINGTON
OMOIDE writing program stories at the JCCCW are being featured in a program at the SEATTLE REP theater as part of their outreach program.

One of the stories will highlight the history of one of our Seattle community Leaders.

Come and join us and help us continue to celebrate our 30 years of sharing OMOIDE stories at the "J".

People Who Wowed This Post

MAKING NEW YEAR "MOCHI" AT ONTARIO MARKET

thread
Grandpa Kay stood near the b... Grandpa Kay stood near the bowl and turned the rice in between poundings and was never injured.
“Agatta! Agatta!” (Went up!) Grandpa Kay shouted into the brisk December morning air, the week before Christmas. That meant, the steam had risen to the top of the stack of five wooden boxes holding water soaked “mochi rice” on bamboo mats, above a concrete and metal firebox. Each box was 15 inch squares, 6 inches high.

At least two young men - Uncle Frank, friend George, or cousin Joe, who were in the basement kitchen of our ONTARIO MARKET grocery store having coffee and smoking after a 7am breakfast, ran up the concrete stairs, out to the back yard, lifted the top four boxes while grandpa took out the bottom box with the hot steamed, ready to pound, mochi rice.

Grandpa Kay then dumped the 4 or 5 cups of mochi rice into the water soaked “bowl”, dug out of an almost table-high 20 inch tree stump. The same young men grabbed home-made, hatchet sized, wooden mallets. They began a rhythm of taking turns pounding and smashing the rice as Grandpa reached in between strokes and turned the mass for evenness. Some of the elders, standing around, often broke into song, “Yo, Yo” to keep the pace even. As the mass of rice became a sticky ball, the older ladies prepared a long table covered with dry rice powder, in the room next to the kitchen. Grandpa ran in and dumped the big ball of mochi on to the head of the table.

Grandma Tanaka or Grandma Kobayashi, with nice calloused farmer hands, stood at the head of the table and squeezed off cookie sized pieces of hot-hot-sticky rice. Four or five young women, my mom’s age with aprons, took the balls, flattened each ball, gathering in the edges so there was a nice rounded attractive appearance and set them on trays. There was lots of gossip and talking going on, “Alice, when it comes time, just take deep breaths and push real hard at the end.” “Did you hear that Tom and Betty are getting married?” “Tosh is captain and the Notus High School basketball team is going to state in Boise.”

It was then, us young kid’s turn to take these pieces of mochi and lay them on shelves of long wooden 2 by 4s, on the far side of the room, to dry. Four or five-year-old cousin Don got the most praise, “See how Donald is arranging them so neatly? Donald, you’re going to be successful when you grow up!”

At the end of the day, some of the mochi pieces were wrapped around sweetened, smashed Azuki bean balls and given to us kids as a treat. But the best treat, the next few days, was Mochi heated so it puffed up. Then we dipped these puff balls into sugar and soy sauce, ummmm!

The week before New Years was the busiest time for the ONTARIO MARKET and mochi was one of the most important items. Us kids, growing up in the ‘40s, ‘50s & ‘60s, helped put the dried mochi pieces into bags for sale. My dad was part of the grocery delivery to the outlying farmers, the dozens of Japanese farmers in our Treasure Valley community on the border of Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon. A bag of mochi was part of each order.

“Mochi” means “to hold”; holding on to prosperity is symbolized with ‘OZONI” (boiled), mochi with vegetables soup. It is important to have an odd number of ingredients and never four, which means death. Most of us with Japanese Heritage, who maintain some of the traditions, never miss having mochi on New Years Eve or New Years Day.

People Who Wowed This Post

84TH BIRTHDAY AT 84 YESLER RESTAURANT

thread
CUISINE WITHOUT BORDERS CUISINE WITHOUT BORDERS
As I blogged yesterday, 1939 was another year that January had a Friday the 13th and my being born on January 14th seemed like another synchronicity for Sam and my being together. Today is my 84th birthday and it is again a year of the rabbit like the year I was born. It is said that I might be associated with luck, longevity, peace and prosperity.

Last week Kelly asked, “Where do you want to go to celebrate your birthday?”

I remembered that our friend, Sam Takahashi, had announced the opening of his new restaurant when we met at garden party, last summer, held by the Japanese Consul General. I emailed him to ask the name of his place and he wrote back: “84 Yesler at 84 Yesler Way.”

I explained to the girls that my Sam and I have known Sam and his wife Kitty (Katsuko) for 50 years. We have a “Kintsugi plate” (gold repaired antique dish) displayed on our living room shelf that we bought from him when he managed the Mariko Tada Japanese Antique store on Fifth Avenue Seattle between Pike and Union. We had gone to their wedding in West Seattle.

This morning started at 6:50am. I drove Kirin, in the darkness and rain, to catch a ride to her high school Drill Team competition in Redmond, WA today. The Mercer Island High School Drill Team planned to go to the Red Robin Restaurant for dinner, but Mom Kelly said, “Grandma’s birthday is special,” and talked Kirin into joining us instead.

By daylight time, it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day. So Mom, Kaori and Grandma decided a birthday breakfast and a walk on Alki beach with dog Suki was the best way to begin our celebration of someone born in the lucky year of the rabbit. Then we hurried to get to Redmond, WA to watch the various schools in the greater Seattle area perform their routines. The ceremony and Drill Down lasted longer than we expected so we didn’t have time to go home and dress up for our evening reservation. Kirin was in her drill team outfit and had dramatic make-up. Kaori was in a Christmas decorated gray sweat shirt and I was in pants and a t-shirt. We decided it was more important to get to our reservation on time.

Getting to the restaurant in the Pioneer District of Seattle, we were surprised to be greeted at the door rather dramatically by Michael, the Maitre D, “Welcome, we were expecting you, I understand it’s your birthday.” We were being treated like VIP?

Mom Kelly was somewhat vocal in expressing our embarrassment in dress, but exchanged comments about how we knew the owner and had gone to his wedding. As we began to look at the impressive menu and ordering, it all of a sudden occurred to us that we were at 84 Yesler and this was my 84th birthday.

Shortly, we were further surprised by Sam and Kitty with an unexpected personal appearance with flowers and a letter with the picture of their wedding with Sam and me in the background - confirming that we had been to their August 4, 1973, wedding in their friend’s West Seattle back yard with a view of Puget Sound.

It’s bedtime now and raining again, but what a memorable and beautiful day it has been. We are commenting, "There is no other restaurant we would be able to duplicate what Chef Christina creates." Our fifteen-yr-old is happy she chose to came to celebrate Grandma’s birthday instead of a Red Robin hamburger with her friends; but those of you who live with teenagers know that turning down friend activities for a family dinner is not a simple choice. The food choiceS were unique and delicious!

People Who Wowed This Post

TODAY IS FRIDAY THE 13TH

thread
CELEBRATING THIS SPECIAL DAY CELEBRATING THIS SPECIAL DAY
These are the years "Friday the 13th" fall in the month of January: 1905, 1911, 1922, 1928, 1933, 1939, 1950, 1956, 1961, 1967, 1978, 1984, 1989, 1995;
21st-century: 2006, 2012, 2017, 2023, 2034, 2040, 2045, 2051, 2062, 2068, 2073, 2079, 2090, 2096

Is it just a coincidence that Sam Goto was born on a "Friday the 13th" in 1933 and the next time "Friday the 13th" occurring in January was the year Dee Goto was born on January 14th, 1939??

The year Sam and I started dating, the Seattle phone book had calendars dating back several years. This one evening in 1960, I was studying for an exam for a U of WA Public Health Nursing degree. I was with Sam at his dental lab in the Seattle Medical Dental Building. He said, "I was born on a 'Friday the 13th', so I looked up the possible Friday the 13th birthdates.

Of course, that convinced us that we were meant to be together and celebrated in 1961 when "Friday the 13th" fell again in January of that year and my birthday was next to his on January 14th.

Sam left us five years ago, but here we are in 2023 when the January combination has occurred again. This evidently happens every year that starts on a Sunday.

I'm having lunch with friend Elaine. I have chosen to celebrate by meeting her at the Original House of Pancake that moved to the Town Center in Redmond. Sam and I used to go there often for Dutch Baby Pancakes when it was in Kirkland.

Tomorrow is my 84th birthday. Kelly has made reservations at 84 Yesler. Sam Takahashi's newest endeavor is this new place "with no cultural borders" in Seattle's pioneer district. Sam Goto first met Sam Takahashi when he ran the Mariko Tada antique store in the Medical Dental building years ago. We attended Sam and Katsuko's wedding in West Seattle.

A lot of history and a lot of fun memories to celebrate!!

People Who Wowed This Post

GET OUT OF MY LIFE - BUT FIRST DRIVE ME TO THE MALL

thread
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023 - A K... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023 - A KAORI WATERCOLOR
Our household holds a 13-yr-old and a 15-year-old this New Year’s Eve, going into NEW YEAR 2023. The girls are at the mall and ice skating. I’m listening to a Wayne Dyer video and he gave me the idea for the title because the girls were struggling with cleaning their room and daily chores before they left.

Dyer is one of my favorite lecturers and today he is talking again about describing the REAL SELF inside each of us. He says, “I am the same me that I remember as a teenager and now with a bald head, I am the same me.” Funny, because I went to the bathroom, combed my hair, and the comb is full of hair!

I went to fill my thermo cup with some more tea and someone left a note on the fridge: THE BAD NEWS IS TIME FLIES; THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE ARE THE PILOT! I’m using people like Dyer to teach me to confirm that I know how to fly, and continue to learn more.

Dyer goes on to suggest the thinking of our life like a clock - Twelve is our real self. As one’s clock moves to six, We move away from self. Some of us stay here and die. The key is to move forward, back to twelve and enlightenment - with loving, accepting, moving toward a no limit life. The clock doesn’t tic backwards. Dyer explains his five secrets of the universe and getting back to twelve:

1.Quality rather than appearances - get to not needing approval - success is “being busy being myself”. Busy following my dreams, to not notice if anyone approves.
2.Ethics rather than rules - seeking the truth - seeing things as they are not as I want them to be.
3. Knowledge rather than Achievement - knowledge rather than awards and goals - trusting my inner sense and living in the present. He says JFK just did, each day, what made the most sense. What a relief to not make any more New Year resolutions.
4. Personal Authority rather than being an Authoritarian - never needing to dominate someone else - listening to what other people have to say. Know myself. When someone treats me badly, that’s their Karma. How I react is my Karma.
5. Serenity instead of Acquisitions - serenity comes from the way I think - living in the light - learning forgiveness and being love.

Suki, our Berniedoodle, “lives in the present”: wants to be be fed, let out to pee, poop, exercise, and cuddled with love! Her mission in life is to let us know when strangers come up our driveway. She doesn’t bark with the garbage truck, the Fed-Ex truck or the UPS trucks. But if the UPS just delivers to our neighbor across the street, she barks to see if he will come over and bring her his usual treat. She just jumped up beside me to cuddle because she is worried about the New Year celebration noises.

THERE IS NO WAY TO HAPPINESS: HAPPINESS IS THE WAY TO HAPPY 2023!

People Who Wowed This Post

  • If you are a bloguru member, please login.
    Login
  • If you are not a bloguru member, you may request a free account here:
    Request Account
Happy
Sad
Surprise