A chatty hello
We're in the swing of summer now. Harvesting veggies every day-zucchini especially of course:), tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, as well as the always available assortment of greens and lettuces, although some of the lettuce got a little bitter in this last bit without rain. (Of course, bit without rain means a week or two, not TWO MONTHS like mom says it's almost been at home.) The winter wheat got harvested the other day and we raked the straw and threw it in the back of the farm truck to mulch the peppers, eggplants and cucumber houses that are struggling with an onslaught of aphids. Maybe the straw mulch will keep more aphids from finding their way onboard Ray thinks. That was a beautiful day, blue skies and hot. Sage is on summer vacation and all the kids were in bliss riding in the truck on top of the straw back and forth to the houses. And the adults were just as jubilant, jumping and laying on top of the hugely piled up straw bed. Those greenhouses were HOT in the blaring sun and the plants scratchy, but it was rather simple and satisfying work, especially with the excited kids running around and handing us bundles of straw.
The boys love the cucumbers, often going to harvest one for a snack. These are long skinny Asian cucumbers, pretty green all the way thru, and not too many seeds. Lucas will wander around munching on one until he finishes it off and the other boys have been known to eat more than one in a day.
....and then there are the raspberries and mulberries too. Neither of which I've eaten much of in my life, maybe never for mulberries. Mmm, too small to spend time picking enough for doing anything more than just eating right there, but sweet and yummy nevertheless.
The kids won't eat much of the raspberries I pick, but if they are out playing and pick them, somehow they are sweeter Sage says:). Oh the joy of food from plant to mouth!
Our bedroom and big closet is finished! Oh, heaven to put away the clutter that had no home, do some of you understand this???:) Much thanks to Hiroshi, Kenji's dad, who has been coming almost every week for about half of the week, and working hard every time on this project. He succeeded in finishing before our first overseas guests arrived....
Crystal and Steve Rogers who we knew well from church and care group in Columbia had been planning a trip to Japan this summer for a few years, starting when they hosted a Japanese student in the summer and found that the World Fair would be held in her city this year. When we talked of coming here they said they would arrange their trip to see us too...a bigger task than it seems, it's expensive to travel in Japan and Hokkaido is far from Nagoya, but they did it, and fit in a trip to some of their S.S. students from Korea too! We had an awesome time visiting with them and doing fun stuff together, it was great timing with them coming the day of our festival and then Sage getting out of school for the last few days of their visit. The boys were as excited as we were to have them here. thanks guys, we love you!
Sage has a month of summer vacation, he says there are so many thing he wants to do he can't remember them all! I have the same feeling. He did great in school and we celebrated by going out for icecream his last day with Crystal and Steve. He needs to do a project or craft and a short report before he returns as well as a little take home work. He wants to build a simple fan, so he's working on the plan right now. We are hoping to work on his Japanese reading skills too. Kai is thrilled to have him home to play with every day. They both went with Kenji to deliver veggies today. I had a quiet day with Lucas, weeding flower beds and spending the rainy early afternoon writing a few letters and emails. Then the boys and I read and looked up the space shuttle launch on the internet. Pretty cool pics, the boys are amazed at all the smoke at launch, and want to see it live someday.
We started reading the Chronicles of Narnia tonight, we're all excited about them, the first chapter had plenty of suspense to get us hooked. We just finished Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass. We laughed and laughed at the White Knight and his inventions, and to the point of tears at his falling off his horse in all directions continually,to repeated cries of "plenty of practice!, plenty of practice!" I loved the letter from Lewis Carroll at the end-to children at Easter. I didn't know, or at least remember, that he was a Christian and was touched by his tender words. The first book had a letter also, at Christmas. I read them to the boys too. Lovely is the word that comes to mind. The editions of the books our library has are beautiful, an anniversary edition with colored pictures, so Kai enjoyed them too.
Our days hold many bugs and creatures, bright green tree frogs hopping among the veggies, butterflies, many dragonflies, moths, many spiders, too many flies(groan!), and the neverending search for the big beatles with pincers that are popular pets here. Kenji searched for the biggest ones as a child and our boys are happy to continue the tradition. The day of the festival a HUGE, and I do not exaggerate when I use that term, like maybe two inch long killer bee came around us all, probably attracted to the snacks that were out. There were a few tense moments as people froze as it buzzed around them, finally heading into the woods. These are the only poisonous creatures here that I'm aware of, but that's enough!
Kenji borrowed the book "The New Organic Grower" by Eliot Coleman from Ray. This is the book he read 4 or 5 times before he began organic farming he said. Akiko says the first years he said many times..."Eliot Coleman suggests...."
Well, I'll quit with the chatter, you must have work to do and I've got a book to read. Kenji's still at the Plum House where we had a guest who is talking to everyone about some aspect of organic farming. I stayed at home to put the boys to bed.
The boys love the cucumbers, often going to harvest one for a snack. These are long skinny Asian cucumbers, pretty green all the way thru, and not too many seeds. Lucas will wander around munching on one until he finishes it off and the other boys have been known to eat more than one in a day.
....and then there are the raspberries and mulberries too. Neither of which I've eaten much of in my life, maybe never for mulberries. Mmm, too small to spend time picking enough for doing anything more than just eating right there, but sweet and yummy nevertheless.
The kids won't eat much of the raspberries I pick, but if they are out playing and pick them, somehow they are sweeter Sage says:). Oh the joy of food from plant to mouth!
Our bedroom and big closet is finished! Oh, heaven to put away the clutter that had no home, do some of you understand this???:) Much thanks to Hiroshi, Kenji's dad, who has been coming almost every week for about half of the week, and working hard every time on this project. He succeeded in finishing before our first overseas guests arrived....
Crystal and Steve Rogers who we knew well from church and care group in Columbia had been planning a trip to Japan this summer for a few years, starting when they hosted a Japanese student in the summer and found that the World Fair would be held in her city this year. When we talked of coming here they said they would arrange their trip to see us too...a bigger task than it seems, it's expensive to travel in Japan and Hokkaido is far from Nagoya, but they did it, and fit in a trip to some of their S.S. students from Korea too! We had an awesome time visiting with them and doing fun stuff together, it was great timing with them coming the day of our festival and then Sage getting out of school for the last few days of their visit. The boys were as excited as we were to have them here. thanks guys, we love you!
Sage has a month of summer vacation, he says there are so many thing he wants to do he can't remember them all! I have the same feeling. He did great in school and we celebrated by going out for icecream his last day with Crystal and Steve. He needs to do a project or craft and a short report before he returns as well as a little take home work. He wants to build a simple fan, so he's working on the plan right now. We are hoping to work on his Japanese reading skills too. Kai is thrilled to have him home to play with every day. They both went with Kenji to deliver veggies today. I had a quiet day with Lucas, weeding flower beds and spending the rainy early afternoon writing a few letters and emails. Then the boys and I read and looked up the space shuttle launch on the internet. Pretty cool pics, the boys are amazed at all the smoke at launch, and want to see it live someday.
We started reading the Chronicles of Narnia tonight, we're all excited about them, the first chapter had plenty of suspense to get us hooked. We just finished Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass. We laughed and laughed at the White Knight and his inventions, and to the point of tears at his falling off his horse in all directions continually,to repeated cries of "plenty of practice!, plenty of practice!" I loved the letter from Lewis Carroll at the end-to children at Easter. I didn't know, or at least remember, that he was a Christian and was touched by his tender words. The first book had a letter also, at Christmas. I read them to the boys too. Lovely is the word that comes to mind. The editions of the books our library has are beautiful, an anniversary edition with colored pictures, so Kai enjoyed them too.
Our days hold many bugs and creatures, bright green tree frogs hopping among the veggies, butterflies, many dragonflies, moths, many spiders, too many flies(groan!), and the neverending search for the big beatles with pincers that are popular pets here. Kenji searched for the biggest ones as a child and our boys are happy to continue the tradition. The day of the festival a HUGE, and I do not exaggerate when I use that term, like maybe two inch long killer bee came around us all, probably attracted to the snacks that were out. There were a few tense moments as people froze as it buzzed around them, finally heading into the woods. These are the only poisonous creatures here that I'm aware of, but that's enough!
Kenji borrowed the book "The New Organic Grower" by Eliot Coleman from Ray. This is the book he read 4 or 5 times before he began organic farming he said. Akiko says the first years he said many times..."Eliot Coleman suggests...."
Well, I'll quit with the chatter, you must have work to do and I've got a book to read. Kenji's still at the Plum House where we had a guest who is talking to everyone about some aspect of organic farming. I stayed at home to put the boys to bed.
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2:57 PM
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