I had always wanted a lap dog and when I first got Stella she was everything BUT that. I recall countless evenings when she was a puppy trying to get her to sit still on the couch with me. Six years later, it’s just the opposite. I can’t even sit down without her trying to jump all over me and settle in. Magazines, books, a cribbage board….as you can see nothing gets in her way!
We don’t see the Sugiura side very regularly, but I always look forward to learning more about the family tree from my aunts. I’ve done a bit of digging around on ancestry.com and with their help, I’ve been able to fill in many of the gaps. Last I heard, we can track part of the family back to Cornwall! They’ve recently been sharing photos from the past (I even received a framed photo of my grandfather and his siblings for Christmas!) and it’s been really cool to record oral history too. Hearing those stories is beyond interesting and, as cheesy as it sounds, you can really see how your past creates who you are today.
In this last ’bout of story telling I learned that my grandfather and my grandmother grew up together (photo above: my grandmother, Elizabeth, is the child with the swim cap on sitting on the left side of the photo and my grandfather, Joseph, is the third one in on the right hand side whose squinting or making a funny face?). My grandmother’s father forbid her from seeing my grandfather because he was Japanese. Obviously, that didn’t stop them and they eventually were married.
I also learned that my great grandmother was a ‘lady of the night.’ She supported the family because my great grandfather was discriminated against in the workplace for being Japanese. They had six children together and in one family photo, you see three dark haired children and two very blond haired and blue eyed children – def not from the same father! Whoops. Luckily, my great grandfather accepted all of them as his own. More photos and stories to follow!
Kicked off the holiday week with a Sugiura family holiday party, which is always Asian-themed. Always. Pot stickers, sushi, salmon balls, fresh spring rolls, teriyaki chicken……the list goes on and on. Once again, Cindy out did herself! It’s always nice to get away from the traditional holiday treats for a minute and change it up (no worries, we’ll get back on the holiday treat train for Christmas!)
Just finished Day 4 of my new job on Capitol Hill. Commuting isn’t fun (still can’t read and bus at the same time), but I’m lovin’ the new work neighborhood – the energy downtown is totally ruling my world! I forgot how exciting it is being here vs. the Eastside. This is my temporary office until we move into our new space right next door. Looking forward to a spankin’ new office to start off the new year!
Made my first batch of Hot Buttered Rum mix over the weekend and picked up some Kracken Dark Spiced Rum (per a co-workers suggestion). Man, cool packaging AND tastes fab – sign me up! Now I just need to keep myself from drinking these every night……
