Sad News

I received an email this afternoon from a Kailua High School classmate saying that Mr. Shigero Hotoke passed away on Saturday, February 20th.

Mr. Hotoke was the choir director at Kailua High School for many years. I believe he started the choir program when the school first opened in 1954. I was privileged to be in his Acappella Choir, a class of 30 or so students, during my senior year of high school.

My family moved from Honolulu to Kailua during the summer between my junior and senior year. My younger sister and I continued going to school at Kaimuki for the first month or so of that particular school year. It was a long commute getting from Kailua into Honolulu on a taxi. We then had to catch a city bus to get to school. After school we would go to Waikiki where my mom and one of her cousins had a dressmaking shop. It was such a long day that Mom wanted us to transfer to Kailua.

I was really upset that we had to transfer schools. I had attended school with a lot of my classmates at Kaimuki from the 7th grade. I discovered that I only needed classes in English, History and Math in order to have enough credits to graduate. That left me with three periods to fill. The counselor asked me if I could sing or liked to sing. I told her I did. There was an opening in Mr. Hotoke's 5th period which was the Acappella class.

My first day of class, Mr. Hotoke had me do the scales a couple of times and then told me "to take a seat". I sat in the 3rd seat in the soprano section. Mr. Hotoke was an excellent teacher, he made each student feel special. He was a firm believer in that everyone could sing if they just tried. He was dearly loved by all of his students. There was a total of 300 students in the entire choir.

In the spring of 1960, he took 100 students to the island of Kauai for 2 concerts. We stayed with different families from the school where we gave an evening concert. My roommate and I stayed with a Japanese family.

Mr. Hotoke was very active in the community and sang with several different groups which he continued after his retirement. The Acappella Choir became known as the Madrigals and each year he took a group somewhere to perform. I believe they traveled to Japan as one of their trips.

In 2004, Kailua High celebrated their 50th anniversary. A Christmas concert was presented the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend featuring alumni from the choirs of the school's 50 year history. I heard about it through classmate emails and knew I wanted to participate when I read that Mr. Hotoke would be directing. I don't think I will forget the experience and the thrill to be able to sing again under Mr. Hotoke's direction. My husband and I still talk about that trip.

I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Hotoke after the concert telling him how much it meant to me to have been in one of his classes. I think I would have dropped out of high school because of the family move my senior year. Being in his class convinced me to stay in school and complete my senior year. After I shared my story he gave me a big hug and we both had tears in his eyes.

I don't remember a lot of my teachers during my 12 years of school, however I do remember Mr. Hotoke and the impact he made on my last year of high school. I have no doubt that the many students who were privileged to be one of his students would probably have the same things to say about him.

He will be greatly missed by those who had the privilege of crossing paths with him.

Me ke aloha pumehana, Mr. Shigero Hotoke.

It's Raining, It's Raining

Well, the weather service was correct, for once. It started raining about noon or so and it has been constant. It is 10:23 pm now (according to my laptop) and it may have stopped. The wind is blowing pretty hard too.

Yesterday I told Gerry we needed to go to Costco today. So this morning I said to him that I wanted to go before it started to rain. We left the house about 11 am. After we got our shopping done, we stopped to have a hot dog and cold drink. For $1.50, can't beat that for lunch. While we were sitting having our hot dog, we saw a friend of ours. She and her husband had just gotten to Costco and were going to eat first before they shopped. Gerry walked over to talk to Bob who was already seated and then I went over to join them. Donna brought their lunch and we visited for a while. We got up to leave and it was raining. Donna said it was sprinkling when they walked into Costco.

Gerry has known Bob and Donna since they were in high school at Folsom High. They were sophmores and Gerry was a senior. Bob & Donna were part of the youth group at Community Bible Church in Folsom where Gerry's dad pastored. They were married after they graduated. Donna found Gerry through Classmates.com. Right after they made contact, we met them for lunch over in Old Folsom. They eat at the Japanese restaurant I eat at on a weekly basis. I see them in there once in awhile. They are a neat couple and have come to enjoy visiting with them. Bob had a brain tumor removed several years ago and is unable to use his right arm and hand. All things considered, he does quite well.

The van needed some new windshield wipers so Gerry went back into the store to get some while I waited outside. He wanted to go to Trader Joe's so we drove over there. By then it was raining pretty hard. We finally got home after 3 pm.

I hadn't taken anything out for dinner so I fixed some Portuguese sausage with rice for dinner. It was quick and easy. Jason called and said he was coming over to bring Gerry a cable cutter that Jason had gotten for him. We were eating when he got here. He stayed for about an hour or so and visited. By the time he left, it was raining really hard and he didn't have a jacket with him. It is always good to see him.

The rain is suppose to continue into tomorrow so Gerry may not be able to ride. He was going to have to drive to the ride start in West Sacramento and then they were riding over to Davis and beyond. Thursday is suppose to be clear and then more rain Friday.

So not a very exciting day today. Tomorrow I really need to be at my craft table. I am doing a shoebox card swap on Saturday, am making a Mother's Day card and Easter card. Then I need to make kits of the two cards for 10 people. Plus I need to figure out a salad of some kind and a main dish for the potluck. I'll have the card samples I make over on my Elegant Reflections blog soon as I get them made.

Lunch Today On The River After Church

After church this morning and in the van ready to leave, Gerry asked his usual question "where do you want to eat?". I couldn't think of any place which is my usual response. :)) He mentioned wanting to go to Chevy's and asked if it was alright to do Mexican today. It was fine with me.

He got on the freeway and headed towards Sacramento. I couldn't figure out which one he was going to until he took the exit for I-5 towards downtown Sacramento. I realized he was going to the Chevy's on Garden Highway which is on the Sacramento River. I don't think we've ever been to this particular one.A bowl of Chevy's salsa. Gerry stuck a tortilla chip in the salsa before I took the picture. Jalna, is this called "staging"? LOL!!

Gerry had his head down and didn't know I was going to take this picture. I had my camera ready (yes, I remembered to put my camera in my purse before we left for church). As soon as he looked up, I snapped and got this. I didn't realize I was so close. :)) He told me it wasn't nice to get him stuffing his mouth. He finished off 3 bowls of the salsa. I can't eat spicy/hot stuff so I am happy to let him enjoy it all.

They make the guacamole right at the table.

Here is Gerry's dinner. We forgot what this is called and we couldn't find it on Chevy's menu online. It was two chicken enchiladas with a green cream sauce on it. It was served with rice, vegetables and a sweet corn tamalito. (I'll share Chevy's recipe for these that I found online later).

Here is my dinner, 2 cheese enchiladas with tomatillo sauce (green vegetarian sauce). Tomatillo are small, look like green tomatoes with a brown jacket on. The waiter assured me that the sauce was not spicy, however there was a little bit of a hick to it. (I found a recipe online for this too.) I had an extra serving of rice instead of beans which I can't eat either and a sweet corn tamalito. I love these!! They are quite tasty.

This is a shot looking across the river to downtown Sacramento. The odd shaped building on the right of the picture is actually in Yolo County which is on the other side of the river. It was built several years ago by The Money Store. It has a name for the shape of it, however, I can't remember what it is called. One of Gerry's daughters and her husband use to work in the building. The buildings on the left of the picture are in downtown Sacramento.

A view of the Sacramento River with Yolo County on the other side. The Sacramento River and the American River are the main two rivers that run through Sacramento. The American River flows into the Sacramento River at Discovery Park. The Sacramento River then flows through the Sacramento Delta out to San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Gerry rides his bicycle on the American River Parkway that goes along the American River.

Crawdad's, a restaurant that is right on the river. It actually is situated on a floating pier. I meant to get a picture of that and then forgot to do it. I had lunch here back in the late '90's with some friends that I worked with at the Sacramento County District Attorney's office. We sat on the deck and had our lunch. I can't remember if it was Crawdad's then or if it was called something else.

* Correction: This pole actually goes into the ground, I think its called a "piling". It is one of several which holds the floating pier from floating down the river. So when the river rises and falls, the pier slides up or down on this pole. The markings on the pole show how high the river has gotten. This is a tall pole situated on the deck of Crawdad's. The markings on the pole show how high the river got in those particular years. Enlarge the picture so it can be seen more clearly. Look at the very top one. Absolutely amazing!! That white door to the right is an elevator to get down to the restaurant and the marina. Where I am standing taking this picture are steps to walk down to the restaurant and the marina.

* Correction: This houseboat is actually tied to the pier. A houseboat that is moored in a slip to the left of the restaurant. It sure was nice with a nice deck on the top.

This is looking down the river with some of the boats moored at the marina.

This is looking up the river. Notice the empty slips, a sign of the times.

The backside of another restaurant. It would be nice to sit out here and enjoy a meal.

Office space available. How cool would it be to have an office right on the river. The sign above it is for a law office.

I am not sure, this may be the backside of Chevy's. We parked on the top/street level and then drove down to the parking on the bottom. Gerry's wasn't sure if the van would be too tall to drive it into the bottom level. It is pretty low down there. It was fine.

After we left Chevy's we drove along Garden Highway towards Sutter County. The river is right beside the highway. There are some beautiful huge homes along the river, the river on one side and farmland on the other side. We drove under I-5 and Highway 99. After we got into Sutter County a ways, the highway turns away from the river and heads inland. We drove through the town of Nicholas which has a post office and tavern as the only businesses we saw. One house we drove by had a huge orange tree in the front yard which was heavily laden with fruit.

* Correction: We actually took the onramp for Highway 70. Highway 70 merges into Highway 99 a little past where we got on the freeway. We came up on Highway 99 again and took the onramp to head back to Sacramento. These are rice fields off in the distance perhaps newly planted.

More rice fields with rice actually growing. Note: To those of you that purchase and eat rice on a regular basis - if the package says: "grown or produced in West Sacramento, Colusa, Arbuckle to name a few towns, that is rice from the Sacramento Valley.

We took the Elkhorn cutoff to head towards home. These dark clouds greeted us. It was raining a little bit. Gerry did turn on the windshield wipers for just a little bit. It was sprinkling when we got home.

I really enjoy our Sunday drives.

Chevy's Fresh Mex Sweet Corn Tomalito

5 tablespoons margarine, softened

1/4 cup Masa Harina

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed, divided

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk

In a small mixing bowl, mix the margarine, masa and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.In a blender container, blend half the corn kernels with the water until smooth.

Combine this mixture with the margarine mixture, stirring well. Add the remaining corn kernels, corn meal, baking powder, salt and milk and mix well.

Pour the corn mixture into an 8-inch square baking pan.

Tightly cover with plastic wrap and steam by setting atop a medium saucepan of water on top of the stove.

Bring water to a boil and steam corn mixture for 50 minutes to one hour (check to see whether you might need to add more water), until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Tomalito should have a smooth, moist texture.

NOTE: The pan must be tightly wrapped at all times.Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Source: Chevy's Fresh Mex Restaurant

Tomatillo Sauce

Tomatillos are those little things that have begun to appear in supermarket produce sections that resemble green tomatoes wrapped in brown paper. This unique and versatile sauce can be prepared with either canned or fresh tomatillos.

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 14-ounce can tomatillos, drained, OR 1½ cups fresh tomatillos, husks removed, chopped
1 7-ounce can chopped green chiles
1 fresh jalapeño, seeded, stem and veins removed, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
1 tablespoon water
1 medium green tomato (optional)

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is clear. Add the tomatillos, chiles, jalapeño, and green tomato (if using), and pour the entire mixture into a blender or food processor. Pulse to make a coarse purée. Return mixture to pan. Add the sugar and salt, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until sauce is thick. Makes about 2 cups. Stores well in the refrigerator.

Lunch With The Girls

I got an email from Sherri, whom I use to work with, couple of weeks ago about getting together for lunch.

So today we met at Mimi's Cafe in Sacramento for lunch. Sherri, Rhonda P. and Alena from my old unit came along with Darlene, our former supervisor and Rhonda D. who is a court clerk. Darlene retired a year ago and Rhonda P. started working at the courthouse after I retired. We met at 1:00 pm and didn't get up to leave until 3:30 pm. We stood outside and talked some more before we finally walked to our cars.

We had a great time yakking and catching up. Of course I failed to take my camera again. There's been a lot of changes going on with a new Presiding Judge the first of the year and on Monday, my old unit gets a new supervisor. They've been without one since Darlene retired.

Three of us had omelets and the other three had sandwiches. It was suggested that maybe we'd get together again in a couple of months.

I sure enjoyed seeing everyone and sure do miss them. I don't miss the job or the commute on Watt Avenue.

It was 4 pm by the time I got home. Gerry had gone on a bike ride and he had just gotten in too. He wanted to go to Roseville to our friends, Pete and Diana. Pete had a shovel and wheelbarrel that belonged to Gerry and he wanted to get it. So after he had a shower, we headed over that way. We stopped and had some dinner then went over to our friends. We ended up staying for a little bit and visited. They hadn't had their dinner yet so I finally got Gerry to leave so they could eat. We finally got home about 8:30 pm. I headed straight for the shower and finally got my PJ's on.

I think I am headed to bed now. I've read my email, checked Facebook, so I'm ready to head down the hall.

Oh, our weather has turned ugly again. Well, we did have a little bit of sun today. It was suppose to rain last night and/or today, however that didn't happen. Rain is expected tomorrow so we'll see if it happens. :))

Crack Seed Center - Honolulu

I ordered some goodies from Crack Seed Center in Honolulu last week. Here's what I ordered: Li Hing Mui Apricots - 1/2 lb.

Sweet and Sour Apricots - 1/2 lb.

Sweet Whole Seeds - 1/4 lb.

They sent me three samples. This was Seedless Li Hing Peach. There were 4 pieces. I thought it was very good.

Sweet and Sour Shredded Mango with Li Hing Mui. I ate this today and liked it too.

Chun Pui Mui, 2 pieces. This is plums which the website says has a lightly sweet flavor with a hint of orange zest.

I really enjoy these goodies. When I was a kid this was the kind of "candy" we ate. Crack Seed Center carries all kinds of varieties. The service is excellent. My order was shipped the same day I placed my order. They ship everything USPS 2nd day mail so shipping is rather expensive. It is worth it to order some every once in a while. :))

Spring Is Coming

Gerry and I went out to do some errands today. As we pulled out of our carport, we both said "oh, look", "when did that happen"? Our tree is blooming. The picture doesn't do it justice, however it is filled with flowers.

When we got home, I went outside to take some pictures. Daffodils are blooming in the yard of the mobile across from us so I took pictures of them too. I love daffodils, they mean spring is coming!!

This particular mobile is for sale for $4,000.00. It is a small 2 bedroom, 1 bath. The guy that lived here bought a larger mobile in the park. The skirting from the mobile next to this one can be seen in the background. It is also for sale for $30,000.00. It is a small 2 bedroom, 2 bath. A mobile home realty has it listed so that's why the high price. We have no idea what the inside is like, the outside is a wreck. We will be real glad when the residents in this one move. They are a huge problem!!

Since I was outside, I thought I'd take a picture of the back of Gerry's van. He said they washed the back window when they gassed up in Boise. You'd never know that looking at it. LOL!!

Gerry borrowed an infant car seat to use for Pam & Steve's baby. Pam is a cousin of Gerry's kids and she has a 9 month old little girl. They were on the ski trip and the car seat was used picking them up at the Boise airport and then when they left to fly back to California. The seat belongs to Andrew and Michelle Williams so we took it back to them today.

We then drove downtown and stopped at the Buckhorn Grill to eat lunch. We tried to do this one Saturday night a few weeks ago. Their speciality is charbroiled tri tip. We both had a sandwich which was very good.

From there we drove to Oto's Marketplace, I needed to get rice and was just about out of Aloha Shoyu. We got some bento boxes for dinner too.

Our last stop was Trader Joe's so Gerry could get some granola and plain yogurt. This is what he eats for breakfast every morning.

The weather was fantastic today, in the high 60's. We need to enjoy it while we can, I saw in the newspaper this morning that rain is expected on Friday. If it does rain, the flowers on our tree will be gone.

One of the projects I wanted to do while Gerry was gone was to clean out my closet. Well, I did not get to it. Yesterday I decided I'd start on it. It will take me a while to get it all cleaned up and organized again. I tried on a bunch of clothes to see what didn't fit anymore. I have one large trash bag full and am working on a second one. I am sure I will have a few more bags by the time I get done.

I did a little too much yesterday and really paid for it last night. I have a bulging disc at the base of my spine and now have arthritis in the same spot. I have constant pain and last night it was excruciating. I went to bed about 8:30 pm last night after I took some Tylenol and plastered myself with Ben Gay. Of course I was doing laundry too. So that is why I say it will take me a while to finish the closet. I did find some jeans I've been looking for and another robe. A lot of my clothes I've hung on to thinking I'll get into them later and the later never comes so they are going to Goodwill. The shoes and purses are another story. LOL!!

Have you been watching the Olympics? Gerry watched some of it last night and said he got so frustrated because they kept jumping around to different events. I think I saw that Men's Figure Skating is on tonight. We do enjoy the skating events.

My Sister's Obituary

Nalani, Eke's oldest granddaughter sent a link today via Facebook for the obituary/guest book that their local newspaper published for my sister.

This is the link for the Guest Book:
http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookid=6326626570497


View/Sign Guest Book
Ethelwynne Alo Chung-Hoon Rycroft Rogers
1924 - 2010

1926 - 2010
Also, affectionately known as 'Eke', peacefully passed away in her daughter's home surrounded by her family on Feb. 8, 2010 at the age of 83.

She was the fifth child of the late Ernest Haakua Chung-Hoon and Kaui Kanakaole. She was born on Dec. 5, 1926 on Kapapala Ranch in Ka'u , Hawaii.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, John Keith Rycroft, her second husband, Edward Emanuel Rogers, and her son, William John Rycroft.

She is survived by four of her five children, Thomas Keith Ioane Rycroft, Patty Jean Rycroft, Robert Samuel Rycroft (Kathy) and Sandra Ann Bland (Bob), her twelve grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.

She was the Matriarch to four generations. Ethelwynne gracefully battled cancer for nine years. She was cared for by an amazing staff of loving people at her Oncology Doctor's office in Simi Valley as well as by her son Robert and her daughter Sandra. With their care she remained brave, beautiful and strong through her last moment here on earth.

Eke forged many life-time friendships during her many active years as a member of the Simi Valley Sweet Adelines and the Channel Islands Channelaire Chorus. She was an exceptional seamstress and visionary designer of many memorable celebrations. She enjoyed music, dance, reading, football and above all spending time with her family that respected, admired and loved her very much.

A Memorial celebration of her life will be held from 12noon until 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 14, 2010 at the Rancho Simi Community Park, 1765 Royal Ave. Simi Valley.

Arrangements were entrusted to the care of the Rose Family Funeral Home 581-3800.