It was Mom’s 90th birthday yesterday. I think she had a good one. I surprised her by asking a couple of aunties, uncles, and cousins if they could stop by to wish her a “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”. It worked out great because everyone showed up at different times and kept her busy all day. She also go calls from my sister, niece, nephew, uncle from the mainland, good family friend, and video from my cousin and girls in NYC.
I say her day was filled with happy birthday surprises. Here a few pictures from the day.
Birthday Gifts
You only turn 90 once so I decide to make her two birthday desserts–Mixed Berry pie and Chocolate cake. Share with all her visitors.
Mixed Berry pie recipe adapted from Midwest Made’s Big Bold Blueberry pie; Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake Recipe
On top of being quarantine, I’m now furloughed till July. No work, stuck inside with my folks, I need to do something to keep me busy.
I’m a little sad but I think I’m okay. Be handling big changes in my life for the past 3 years and I think this one is small by comparison. But this has been my biggest worry as I get older to get laid off. Especially now that I moved my home base and my connection are all on the east cost.
Disqualified
04.29.20
It’s 3 weeks into my furlough and just receive a disqualified claim. I’m feeling sick to my stomach at the moment as I’m on hold with UI.
I’m trying to be positive but this feels so hard. I’m trying to be creative and productive but some days all I want to do is lie on my bed and watch bad Youtube about dumpster diving. I’m sure there are thousands of people out there in the same position as I am and are being productive. And I wish that it will come my way.
In the meantime, I decided to take Thursday off to go food/necessities shopping. When to Costco and used my new senior status to for kupuna (senior) hours
The sea of silver
Progress?
05.01.20
I’m on hold again. When I got through last time, they told me I had to file in NJ. Then I email my HR person and she said no, HI and gave me an insurance number. So I wait 226 calls to the same number. Then a friend reached out to with 2 new numbers and I go in on the second number. I wanted to cry.
Now I sit and wait and test my patience being on hold.
Got through and spoke to Craig, a volunteer who was calm and reassuring. He took my information that I got from HR and said he thought this would help. He took my number just in case they needed to call back for more information. He said to check my status on Monday if everything is good then it will show a change. If not, UI will be calling me back.
They didn’t call me back. I emailed them the same information I gave Craig and I guess I’m stuck on the phone with UI tomorrow.
Projects to keep me sane
Patchwork quilt
So with this good news, I thought I’d stop whine about unemployment and shows what on my plate for a new project. I’m putting out there that I’d like to finish it by the end of my furlough (2 months and 9 days).
I think these are local Hawaiian fishestesting half triangle pattern
Arne and Carlos Quarantine Knit-a-long
I started this at the beginning of this project at the beginning of the quarantine. It’s the Arne and Carlos Quarantine Knit-a-long. Arne and Carlos are Norwegian knitwear designers that have a podcast. It’s a project color work project of different square designs.
I’m not that great at color work. But these have gotten me to have better tension and my floats (on the back side of the work) are looking much better, not a jumble of string.
Totes, Project Bags, Box Pouches . . .
Since my machine has come out of hibernation, I start putting together totes with the scraps I have and fabric I’ve been thrifting. Most of it’s prototypes to find a tote shape that I like, has items that I think it needs–pockets, and made up mostly with up cycled material. Here’s a few that I’ve started with.
The morning start to the day for Mom (Cora) and Dad (Joe) beginnings with coffee, toast, and papaya most days. The seeds and skins of papaya have been breakfast for the birds for many years. This relationship with my parent and the birds breakfast has brought them several papaya trees to their yard.
Their current tree is in a bit of an odd place, in the crack of the backyard walk area. You wouldn’t think this would be a good place for it but it seems to be doing well.
brought to us by mom’s bird friends
The homegrown papayas take a bit longer to ripen that the store bought ones. She supplements with one on sale when they are still sweetening up.
Papaya on the left from our tree, ones on the right from CostcoPicked this on Monday, still ripening. Maybe next Monday
Sizes of the fruit varies on the tree, little ones without seeds to giant ones. Those giant ones are on the top of the tree. This giant one (left) is 2lbs, the one on the right is 1lb. There are even bigger ones on the tree.
Mom came out of surgery after 4 hours. All the bad things that could have happened didn’t happen. Phew!
Mom was greeted by her two sisters and was so happy to see them. She actually was in such a great mood. Telling everyone she loved them included her ICU nurse. He was so sweet and patient with her. Mom’s care at Queen’s Hospital was great. All her ICU nurses were male and treated her so well and you know she was getting better as she flirted with all of them.
I stayed with mom for about an hour after she got out of surgery. I needed to pick up my dad from my cousin’s house. I figure she was tired and needed to sleep to get better. I also needed to get the house ready for my sister who was arriving the next day.
The Crazy Japanese Lady story
A cloud break before my crazy Japanese Lady story
The crazy Japanese lady (me) drove home after a very hard 24 hours. Running very low on steam with only 3 hours of sleep over the last 48, plus a medical emergency with an ambulance trip to the ER and a transfer to the Trauma Center for emergency surgery. All I wanted to do is sleep.
As I gets closer to her house, there’s a lot of cars parked at the next door neighbor’s carport. “Hmm, I thought they moved out,” she thought. But some about it made me look towards my house and see a car blocking part of my and the other neighbor’s driveway and her mailbox.
“Crap!” I explode. “They having a party again! On a SUNDAY!”
I needed to get my dad from my cousin and get him feed by then I started relaxing and feeling sleepy. The noise wasn’t too bad and I decided only call the police if they wake her up from sleep.
Then it happened, I heard yelling, not party yelling but fighting yelling. I looks out of her window to see her neighbor (the one that the car is blocking their driveway) with three guys up in his face. Like the Incredible Hulk, I suddenly felt incredible rage and threw down what was in my hand and ran outside right into the ruckus.
“LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!!’ I screamed at the top of her lungs, with no fear.
I’ve put up for last two years of awful karaoke that they amplified throughout the neighborhood. Then to have them gang up on my young neighbor, three against one. Real tough guys! What a joke and I was having none of it.
The fight was all about parking and saving parking with their rubbish can. Yes, that’s illegal but everyone on the street does it and respects it. Not these people. Between the illegally park car that was blocking our driveways and another car taking their space, my neighbor tapped the car as he was trying to get into the carport. The tough guys had to get into to it with them instead of doing normal way with exchange insurance information.
Then the crazy Japanese lady found her opening. One of the partygoers said “. . .we are not blocking your driveway”. . . .
“BUT YOU ARE BLOCKING MY DRIVEWAY. YOU BLOCK OUR DRIVEWAY ALL THE TIME. AND ON TOP OF THAT, YOU ARE THE MOST INCONSIDERATE NEIGHBORS. ALWAYS MAKING SO LOUD NOISE THAT WE CAN’T HEAR OUT TV. LATE INTO THE NIGHT. I’M GOING TO CALL THE POLICE!!!! EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS, I’M GOING TO CALL THE POLICE!!!’
Bing! Lightbulb moment. I turned around and ran into the house. I found my phone in the pile of stuff I threw down before running into the fight and ran outside to take a picture of the car blocking the driveway. By then the driver was in the car, he must have got my craziness. I jumped in front of the car to take a picture of the license plate but speeds away past me.
blurry result as he speeds away
Lesson Learned
Don’t push a crazy Japanese menopausal lady. You never know when she had no sleep and a medical trauma happen the night before. She may turn into the Incredible Screaming Hulk. Haha.
Yes, I know I shouldn’t have done what I did. And apologies to my neighbor for getting involved. But something just went off at the moment when I saw it was him and it was an unfair fight. I really don’t know what I could have done but I like to think my craziness distracted the situation and made them back off.
And yes, I will call the police on them and whoever blocks my driveway. If they weren’t so inconsiderate to all of the neighbors maybe the situation would be different, but this is years of being inconsiderate.
Made my mom laugh
My thoughts on my role as caregiving. I think my role is to help them do what they need to do and keep them comfortable and happy. I was successful at keeping mom happy as I told her the story. She laughed as scolded me to be careful with those people. My life as caregiver continues.
Geshia Kokeshi from a collection over 70 years old
Shots from my doll cleaning days for doll sale fundraiser. This collection is from a 103 year old lady that started the collection about 70 years ago. There were several types of dolls and ceramics but the kokeshi were fabulous.
This a video describing the history and different types of kokeshi dolls.
The collection of kokeshi are so cute with so much personality and the details on their kimono, hairpins, and other accessories were so good. The hairpin in on this doll above could be taken off and her head wobbles.
Samurai with a removable sword
What a handsome samurai he is. Love the his facial expression
the buckets on their head are so cute
I love their indigo yukatas with their apron with the writing on it.
minis
more minis
wobbly heads
cute hair style
beautiful and simple
I’m now truly kokeshi crazy. I hope I can find some on my next trip to Japan.
Princess Hot Flash 