BIB for my birthday

Soooooo yummy! Being ordered to stay in bed is not what I imagined! I'm loving this. Thank you, spider bitten ankles. :)

http://facebook.com/dreammm
http://twitter.com/krystynchong

KRYS: Krys Rocks You Silly
http://dreammm.posterous.com
http://dreammm.com/

Sent from my iPhone

Pickin' pink plum blossum

I just finished trimming a pink plum blossom tree in a friend of my Grandma's front yard. My Grandma wants me to do the centerpiece arrangement for her art showing on Saturday.

Now I have to empty a car load of branches, which I didn't expect to do or else I would have prepared better. Like drive a bigger car or at least take all my clothes out of the back...

That's my Grandma. Tells me to drop of food containers that belonged to her friend but leave out the part that someone will be waiting in the front yard with 7ft sheers for me to use when choosing "the right branch, a pretty one and not old buds." I've heard that expression a million times.

My answer is always the same.

"Buds aren't old - they bloom into flowers, so just tell me to get the buds."

She always acts like she can't hear or didn't hear when I know she did because she'll come back with, "Krystyn. Don't get the ones that bloom already."

Trust me. She hear what I said to her.

But the obedient granddaughter I am, I just bite my lip and say, "OK, Grandma."

Aren't the blossoms beautiful? The photo above shows both the buds and the hana (flower) because I know you want to see the pretty pretty!

-----/

KRYS: Krys Rocks You Silly
http://dreammm.posterous.com

http://facebook.com/dreammm

Sent from my iPhone

oh so hot

Look closer. I'm sweating. Unbelievable. My rain jacket sits next to me on the passenger seat. I had it on when I left an hour ago.

It's damn sunny in the city today! Love it! I don't want to go inside... ☀

🍎 see my other blog posts and mirror shots. Click my linkage, and then some.

http://dreammm.posterous.com
http://kryspics.posterous.com

http://facebook.com/dreammm
http://twitter.com/krystynchong

http://youtube.com/user/krystynchong

Sent from my iPhone

Beautiful Afternoon in the Neighborhood

The heat radiating off the sun here at 2pm is crazy hot. I'm sweating and had to put on the air conditioner on while driving around running errands.

HOT!

Sacramento needs the vitamin D. Thank you, Sun.

It has been sooo cold and rainy lately. What a sweet and nice surprise!

☀

Have we connected on Facebook? Why not? (Shoot me a message for friend confirmation)

http://facebook.com/dreammm

http://dreammm.posterous.com

KRYS: Krys Rocks You Silly

Sent from my iPhone

Photo Studio: iPhone app

http://dreammm.com/
homepage, circa 1999

The Photo Studio iPhone app has new options since I last used it. The picture above was altered with "3D". It's somewhat morbid looking, but unlike what most photo editing apps offer in adjustment options.

It's different.

And it only takes one click to get to this point.

http://apple.com/iTunes

http://dreammm.posterous.com

Sent from my iPhone

A master in life and Ikebana, my Grandma Grace

▶This is a first in a series of stories I'll write on about my Japanese American Grandmother and her amazing life that is full of history, her stories full of sadness, joy and lots of humor.

Everything I do (writing, blogging, editing) online is from my iPhone, so please bare with me as I do the best I can with links, etc. Grammar, typos and the like will be taken care of as I'm able to.

Currently, I'm staying with my Gma, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in November 2011.

----

🌸 Every week for the past 20 years my Grandma makes my mom a japanese flower arrangement for the office. She learned while being interned in a Japanese relocation camp in Jerome, Arkansas. She is the highest rank you can be and is extremely talented in Ikebana. I'm not just bragging, she's better than professors in Japan and is well-known in Northern California. Ikebana is an art form. There are rules, different schools, and lots of people who take it. Few are good. When as gifted as she is, the arrangements will take your breath away. My Grandma was born in Walnut Grove, California. She learned to speak and write fluent Japanese by attending Japanese School. Her Mom never bothered to really learn English, but her father was a community leader who spoke both English and Japanese. He was born in Japan and was 13 years of age when he came to America.

Ikebana: Shimputai (Ikenobo)
3 materials: Pine, Plum Blossom & Bamboo (all from my Gma's yard)

This is a New Years arrangement with specific materials chosen by my 92 year old Grandma, Grace Morimoto.

The plum blossom represents courage "they even bloom in the snow"

bamboo represents straightforwardness
"like honesty, they aren't putting you on" and the pine represents longevity "because it's green all year around. Other trees change color, pine stays the same."

My Grandma makes sure that her daughters and a few others have a New Year's arrangement in their homes or offices on January 1st. "You can't just _not_ do it, Krystyn. There is meaning and good reason behind each arrangement." After a short pause she continues.

"I guess you and Jessica (my cousin) will do this again next year, I may not be strong enough still."

---

http://dreammm.posterous.com
KRYS: Krys Rocks You Silly

Sent from my iPhone

Grandma chillin at the office

I brought my 92 year old Grandma to my parents law office earlier today so she could see how they're setting up her art for the showcasing at Saturday's Open House.