As a writer, I contemplate the power of words, a lot. In recent months, I've heard too many stories of careless words hurting someone to the core. It makes me wonder - why do certain people feel the need to use their words like knives? Even in anger, I try to think before saying something that the other person may remember long after I've forgotten what I said. "I hate you" can fester in the soul.

With the advent of the internet and social networking sites, perhaps strangers start to feel like friends, or at least acquaintances. Perhaps strangers, because they follow a person's blog/FB/Twitter, feel like they really know that person. Still. Why lash out with hurtful words? I'm not talking about professional book reviews or even thoughtfully written rebuttals. I'm talking about those venom-infused words that spew from a place of hate or insecurity or jealousy.

I suspect it's all about power - the power to hurt, the power to maim, the power to make someone else feel very small. To all of you who have been hurt by such venom, I send you hugs. It's so much easier to focus on the negative than the positive, but hang on to those positive words and the love and support you receive from true friends.

Obon is a Japanese Buddhist festival that honors departed ancestors. I have very fond memories of participating in obon when I lived in West L.A. - hanging out with friends, eating great food, and dancing at night (Japanese dances). Being back in CA has been fabulous for many reasons - one of them is having a Japantown nearby and going to obon. We've gone three years in a row now. This year, our friends Lisa and Robert and their two kids joined us (me, Bob and C).

We ate gyoza, sushi, chicken salad, and Hawaiian shaved ice. We played silly booth games like Hi-Lo and nickle toss, to give (raise) money for local organizations. And my favorite part, watching the taiko drummers. We watched the group from Berkeley and then Irvine. Great fun! (If you are a Facebook friend, you can see the video there.)



That's me with the fantastic Irvine taiko group playing behind me.

And, of course, I can't pass up an opportunity for some self-promo. I do talk about taiko drumming and obon in my soon-to-be released book, Japan: A Kaleidoscope Kids Book (Williamson Books/2009).

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!

I give up.

2009 is destined to be a year of change. As a planner and an organizer, this kind of thing really throws me. As an eternal optimist, I see this as a growth opportunity.

While the first half of the year was difficult, with a recent change, the second half of '09 may prove to be wonderful.

I am woefully behind on reading ARCs and preparing for upcoming interviews. Rest assured, I haven't forgotten those of you whom I've promised interviews. Please be patient. I have also been absent from LJ - I try to read blogs when I can. I hope to dive back into this lovely community very soon. I've missed you all!

I'm back to work on my WIP - doing a reread and taking notes. So far, not hating it.

Hope you all are doing great!

On Writing:
C is working on writing a novel. She's been diligently writing all summer. Yesterday, we decided we'd both work two hours a day on our WIPs and share a chapter or two with each other at the end of the week. I'm working on a revision of a first draft and currently doing a read-through while taking notes. After two hours, I was more than ready for a lunch break. I knocked on C's door and peeked in. She was typing away. I asked if she was ready for lunch and she responded that she really wanted to finish writing the chapter. So, I closed the door and made lunch for myself and marveled at her commitment. She finally came down for her lunch and talked about how she was looking forward to our two hours tomorrow, but in fact, she went back up to write later that afternoon. I recall being like that - I'd like to get that feeling back!

On Reading:
I haven't been reading much (if at all) these past three months or so. I'm happy to finally have the time and energy for it again. But my stack of books is huge and I'm so tempted by all these other books that are hitting the shelves! C and I read for an hour yesterday afternoon and it was blissful. I want to read faster and get to all the fabulous books on my list!

TV:
C has heard me rave about BUFFY forever. She's asked to watch the series for a few years now, but I waited until this summer (she's 14) to start watching it with her. She knows the soundtrack for Once More With Feeling from a couple of years ago. I had explained some of the songs to her and told her who the characters were. So, in the first episode of BUFFY, C turns to me and says, "Where's her sister?" Oops! I told her to forget everything I told her about the musical episode. She loved the first episode so much she begged for a second. Who was I to deny her? We watched two back-to-back and we'll be watching another today. I'm in Buffy Lust again! I'm so happy be to re-watching this incredible series. *swOOn*

We had a fabulous time with family on Friday, celebrating my cousin's adorable son's first birthday!



There's Uncle Bob holding Kalani. Look how smart Kalani is - he knows he's one!

All in all a lovely weekend with friends and family and relaxation. One of my favorite moments was listening to Bob and C in the kitchen as he taught her how to make peach cobbler. It was YUM!

Big plans today. C and I hope to write for 2 hours (she's working on writing her own novel), read for at least an hour, and then watch the first episode of BUFFY. I promised her last year we'd watch BUFFY together. I'm looking forward to watching the entire series again!

Special thanks to Duc Le of Duc Le Photography for my new user pic!

I successfully finished my freelance assignment and the publisher says "Awesome!" YAY! I promise more info! :) I'm taking a deep breath.

Of course, I need it as I dive into a huge pool of books I have to read. I have fallen way way behind in my reading and for those of you who have sent me your ARCs and are waiting to hear what I think, I promise it will be soon-ish! I'm very excited to read read read! Here are the books I'll be reading this month:

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Paris Pan Takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Bug Boy by Eric Luper

Hunger by Michael Grant

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee

Hidden Voices by Pat Lowery Collins

The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Sunny Holiday by Coleen Paratore

Outside Beauty by Cynthia Kadohata

Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins

Backwater by Joan Bauer

Whew! And no doubt more books will come to my attention over the next few weeks!

And, I'll be getting back to HF!

Happy reading/writing/illustrating!

Friday we usually go out to dinner and a movie. Bob mentioned a place he'd seen close to the theater and suggested we go there for dinner. So, off we three went to Alexander's Steakhouse. The first hint that we were in for a surprise was the huge hunks of beef in the windows as we walked in. The second hint was the white tablecloths. Very posh restaurant. Good thing I'd changed from my shorts and t-shirt!

Alexander's was a fantastic surprise. Bob and I love fine dining and hadn't really had much of an opportunity since leaving Shanghai and Upstate NY (where we took the train into Manhattan). (Although Michael Mina's in San Francisco for my birthday was divine.) The amuse bouche was bacon wrapped around a date stuffed with blue cheese. Delectable! C had foie gras for the first time and loved it. C and I both had steak tartare for the first time and we both loved it. For dinner, C and I got the prime rib (the BEST prime rib ever) and Bob got the dry-aged t-bone steak. YUM all around! I wish I'd had my camera because dessert was a big treat. C got a chocolate cake dessert and I got a white peach sorbet. It burst with peachiness and was so creamy that I actually stopped my waitress to make sure there was no dairy. No dairy! OH! If sorbet always tasted like that I'd never miss ice cream again! But the best surprise? Every table gets cotton candy as a treat! They make new flavors every day! Last night's was Sassy Apple and it was light green and yummy! I can't remember the last time I had cotton candy but it has to be more than a decade. It was soooo sugary good! I think I ate most of it. ;)

The other surprise was not so good. We went to see Year One. Um...not happy about taking my 14-year-old daughter to it (it was PG-13). A lot of potty humor and sex humor. ARGH! Ah well!

We're off to the farmer's market! Have a great weekend!

C and I are big Rumiko Takahashi fans. We're currently catching up on Inuyasha on DVD. I've read all her other series (manga). My cousin, Lance, (Hi Lance!) just informed me that she started a new series!



Rinne is being shared simultaneously in both Japanese and English! I have 9 weeks to catch up with, and I really really want to read it now, but must work!

C and her grandpa played Wii baseball while we were visiting my parents a couple of weeks ago. We played Wii bowling, too. I've done some Wii Fit and Rabid Rabbits at my cousin's. It's all fun. Bob and I have considered getting a Wii. What do you think? Fun diversion for when there's nothing on TV? Or a tempting mode of procrastination when I should be writing?

Speaking of which, I must get back to work - deadline for my freelance assignment (more about that in the near future) is fast approaching! Eep! Cheers!

Guess what I found in my mailbox today?

Advance copies of Japan:A Kaleidoscope Kids Book!



This book will be available for purchase next month. And yes, I'll be giving away signed copies (or unsigned if you prefer). More soon!

Today, Bob, C, and I head to MI for Bob's daughter's wedding.

Yesterday, C, Trixie, and I made the drive back from my parents' to home. We made it in 6 hours, thanks to light traffic and a shortened pit stop. As always, we stopped at Kettleman City which is about the halfway point. We didn't have to buy lunch because my wonderful mom made my favorite road trip lunch.



Omusubi - rice balls with seaweed (the perfect thing to keep the sticky rice from getting all over your fingers). Mine were the triangle ones filled with my favorite stuffing, umeboshi (picked plums). C prefers hers plain.



Tamago - Japanese omelete. Slightly sweet and great finger food.

(Shamless plug:Japan: A Kaleidoscope Kids Book by yours truly, due out next month, includes a recipe for omusubi.)

It's nice to be home. And in about an hour or so, Bob will be walking in the front door from China to complete our family.

She's been MIA for some time. To be honest, I haven't searched for her very hard. It's been a rough year for me, personally, but I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. These past two months have been especially challenging, but with hard work, optimism, and love come great rewards. :) Things are definitely looking more hopeful.

So, it's time to find my Muse. If you see her, please send her back my way and let her know I'll be here with welcoming arms. I hope to start July by getting back to HF. It took me close to 3 years to write the first draft. I'm anxious to get to the first rewrite - and after that I hope my WWa WWas will read it and do their magic and help me make it better.

During my state of torpor, I have neglected keeping up with many of your blogs. I hope to make reading blogs part of my morning routine again. If you have great news I haven't commented on, do let me know! I always love to hear your great news!

Happy writing/reading/illustrating!
xo

Dinner last night was at Musha, a cool Tokyo cuisine restaurant in Torrance. I hear the one in Santa Monica has long waits on weekends! Thanks to Hiroko for picking this place and for choosing the outstanding shared dishes. I can't wait to take Bob back there! I know he'll love it!





I loved the funky menu and the cool atmosphere.



We started out with a cold tofu salad (not pictured) and eggplant appetizer, topped with daikon sprouts and chiso leaves. Delicious!



Next came our beef dish. Yes, it's raw....



but we grilled the tender slices right at our table. Melt-in-your-mouth juicy!



This clam dish was spectacular! Garlicky with bok choy and mushrooms. Mmmmm!



This country-style dish consisted of pork belly, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and burning hot mustard! Yum!



My absolute favorite dish of the evening (yes, even more than dessert) was this Japanese risotto tossed in a hunk of Parmesan cheese. OMG! So good!



We ended our over 2 hour meal with a sweet chocolate souffle!

I'm definitely going back there again!

That would be: Friends, Family, and Food. What were you thinking? ;)

This is one of those times I wish I had all my old photos digitized. Then I could show you a photo of me and Hiroko from way back. Here is a photo of us from last night:



Hiroko and I met back in 4th or 5th grade when we attended Japanese School together (a school that met after regular school). Then we went to the same Jr. and Sr. High School and later, fell out of touch. She ran into my mom once in awhile and heard what I was up to, but it had been years and years. She found me by Googling - found my web site, wrote me a note a week or so ago, and 25 years after we graduated from high school (hey! Stop doing the math!) we met up for dinner! It worked out that I was going to be in town visiting my parents! We met at Musha's a fabulous Japanese restaurant (food pics coming) and spent hours catching up! When we first sat down, though, a young woman from another table came over to us.

It was my cousin's daughter, whom I hadn't seen since my sister's wedding 5 years or so ago! Talk about a small world! She had just recently friended me on FB so it was a wild coincidence that we were dining at the same restaurant at the same time!



This is me and Tracy! I still think of her as a toddler. I'm sure she appreciates that! ;)

Okay, I promise food photos in a post later today! It was one of the most fabulous dinners I've had in awhile. I am definitely taking Bob there!

I had a fabulous time catching up with Hiroko and I hope we keep in touch now!

Happy Friday!

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. The Cheesecake Gang



I love being able to get together with friends, Marlene Perez, Mary Pearson, and Debby Garfinkle. It's always good to see them. And we had an added treat of two adorable toddlers. And I do mean ADORABLE!

2. Trixie



Being reunited with my puppy! She spent almost 2 months with my parents - a great kindness on their part. It would have been awful to board her while I traveled with Bob through China. She is not letting me out of her sight!

3. Relaxing weekends



Bob, C and I went to our local Art & Wine Festival. And the following day we headed to Monterey Bay to sip clam chowder, stroll on the beach, and dance (okay, maybe more like sway) to the great music of live band.

4. Inuyasha



Looky what C drew for me! :) We're spending our summer catching up on episodes of Inuyasha! (Thanks to Netflix!)

And one thing NOT to be thankful for:

Honey on my keyboard! I tried to type while eating my breakfast of toast with honey. Oops!

Bob made kim chee! He made it in a bucket, sealed it with a bowl and now it's fermenting nicely. We sampled some last night and it was very good! (C didn't like it but at least she tried some.) It will be even better in a week and again weeks later! I am afraid, though, that our house now smells like kim chee.

Bob, C, and I got a huge kick out of the name of this bank. Seriously, who approved the name of this bank?

Who won a signed copy of Jeannine Garsee's Say The Word?




First, all the names were placed in a biodegradable poopy bag. Thanks to Trixie for the loan. (Don't worry, it was an unused bag!)



Bob drew a name (and didn't realize the bag was a poopy bag till later).

And the winner is....



Congratulations, realmlovejoy! Please send me an email with your name, mailing address, and to whom you'd like the book signed. (just kid ink at yahoo dot com) no spaces.

Bob and I drove down to Santa Cruz on Sunday for brunch on the pier. We took a stroll and spent a long while watching these adorable (and very loud) sea lions.



And don't forget! Only two more days left to enter the drawing for a signed copy of Jeannine Garsee's Say the Word. Enter here! Good luck!

1. C brought me books to read - Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson. Cute! I love when she wants to share her favorite reads with me, but I already have both. :)

2. I picked up a YA book because I kept seeing it popping up at bookstores. I think it's popular with the teen set. It took me over a week to get through two chapters. I just couldn't get into it and it's the type of story I normally love. I moaned and groaned. C got tired of me whining and told me to just move onto another book.

3. I received E. Lockhart's newest Ruby Oliver ARC The Treasure Map of Boys. I devoured the first 2 chapters in like 10 minutes. All want to do now is read it, but I am working on my freelance project all day today. So, must delay reading this fabulous book for today.

4. I wish C would hurry and finish the last Percy Jackson book! I want to read it!

5. I have way too many books on my pile of To Read. July is all about reading. I can't wait!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!