Grand Tea Parties

Last Sunday, seven chanoyu schools held their gatherings at Sankeien Garden in Yokohama. I spotted this young beauty wearing an exquisite kimono. Most women refuse to be taken photos, but she agreed. I liked her and her kimono. She is a Urasenke Chanoyu student.

I had a ticket to attend each, but I just visited only two. I hope to show you more photos later on when I get enough time.




In olden days or today, it has never been two roads.

Dennises and Basketball

He said, "My best side is left." So, this isn't his best side.




If you’re a basketball fan, you probably know him. I live next to the former basketball star Dennis Johnson’s sister’s house. He passed away a few years ago. Her husband is a retired police officer, and his name is also Dennis. He’s been helping me out in my jungle yard.

Until a month ago, I didn’t know my neighbor is a sister of Dennis Johnson. She showed me his pictures and said,

“He had visited me here a few times.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I said. And I said it again.

She looked at my nose. She has cute freckles like his brother.
Dennis coaches a basketball team, but he said he has to stop it next season because he wants to see his son play. Little Dennis will be a member in a college basketball team. I thought Dennis got his priority straight.

Contemporary Literary Horizon

My rest from blogging has brought me luck. It was a good thing, so I’ll continue to rest time to time. But I want to let you know that out of my resting-from-blogging period, I clicked the place I probably never would have clicked. It was my near dead former blog site below.
http://keiko-booksandtalksfromlosangeles.blogspot.com/

A new message was left there for more than seven months. It was from Daniel Dragomirescu of Contemporary Literary Horizon. To make a story short, I’m excited to tell you that my poem and story will appear in the next CHMagazine. I don’t know how it will all work out because it is just happening now, but Daniel is talking about translating my work into Romanian and Spanish.

Wow! Is Daniel talking about not just publishing my pieces in his magazine, but in three languages?! I write stories in Japanese also, but I don’t even translate my own English work into Japanese. It takes much effort to translate even one small poem. How can I express my excitement?

I appreciate this place. I appreciate you very much for reading this.