Maybe a salad soon

The cucumber plant is reaching for the sky.  Had to give it support.  Found out these stalks are thorny, even though the fuzzy hairs look downy.  The volunteer tomato is doing well do far.  I see a few tiny flowers, fruit soon, I hope!

Composting Worm Bins

Selling these kits for a friend who moved to the mainland:

Authentic  Can-O-Worms kit. 

Everything included as you see in the photo:

Unit with spigot

Instruction book

Coir fiber block

Very easy to assemble and set up
This unit is made of recycled plastic in Australia.  There are cheaper versions made in China. 

 (red wriggler compost worms provided separately, upon pick up or  delivery)

5 available

I have had one since last December and love it!  Most of our food waste is fed to the worms who breakdown the food into castings.  My plants love the "tea". The bin is very sturdy and  well-built.  Have no experience with the made-in-china version.

Red wigglers work hard to consume kitchen scraps and can reduce the amount of time it takes to compost material -- from 240 days to 30 days.  With proper care, they will multiple quickly and leave behind castings, which are nutrient-dense additions to gardens.  You must 'water' them also and this creates a "tea" that is also used as fertilizer on plants.  Best of all, there is no odor from the bin, castings or "tea". 
Read more: Red Worms for Composting | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8028729_red-worms-composting.html#ixzz27NJ0xkif
Also see:  http://www.kokuaworms.com/KW3c-systems.html

Re-purposing a Japanese Nobori

Many years ago, a friend gifted me with this vintage Nobori.  It hung outside in my back yard until I decided that I wasn't enjoying it because I couldn't see it
(lightbulb) It was getting thin and brittle so in handling it, I tore a section.  Not wanting to waste any of it, I turned it into a modified Noren...now I see it all the time and I remember fondly, Mike, who was a japanophile.

Green Thumbs are not passed from generation to generation

I seem to do ok with small dish gardens of succulents.  I guess they are very hardy and can live without much care.

This is my Meyer Lemon tree.  It is one year old and has grown quite a bit.  Acutally stayed alive even though it had it's problems with bugs.  I am  hoping it will grown tall and healthy and bear fruit sooner than later.  But those pesky little black bugs appear from time to time and I  have to spray them with vinegar water and wipe them off the tender your leaves.  Wish us luck     

These are my cucumbers.  And one volunteer tomato plant.  My parents were able to grown a huge garden full of vegetables, but not me, I guess it's not an inherited trait.  I love tomatoes but tomato plants don't love me.  I have tried almost very type available in Hawaii to no avail.  So I'm switching to cucumbers.

Oh, basil does grown well for me. 

Shortbread with a kick

Tried a Martha Stewart recipe today  Rich flaky shortbread with bits of candied ginger, give the cookie a kick!

What a project! Cupcakes!

www.cupcakeproject.com

I love this site.  At my age, I shouldn't indulge in sugar, so the next best thing is to read about it and look at yummy photos by talented bakers. 
Such creative genius and just reading the names and recipes...I can almost smell them baking.

   

Plastic Food

Doesn't this ume look good enough to eat? The little musubi is puckering already just thinking about it.  Food replicas made in Gifu, Japan are terrific!  The musubi is a screen cleaner.
The section of tangerine is yummy too!

Tenugui

What to do with pairs of Tenugui that I bought in Japan?  The prints and colors change seasonally, so I must return to Asa No Ha in Azabu Juban for more!

Japanese Fashion Trend? Out here?

Tokyo, known as the fashion capital of the new and innovative, home to Hello Kitty, had nothing for me.  I had accepted the fact that Japanese design trends was only for the young and thin. 

Tokyo is the hotbed of Japanese fashion design.  But after five days of fabulous shopping and eating, I had yet to find Japanese style for this body.  Alas, woe to the aging boomer body.  Or so I thought. 

Way down south, way out side of Hiroshima is Kurashiki.  No one would accuse this little town of being a fashion trend setter.  But, I found artists village going up among the traditional old wooden shop fronts.  And a clothing shop just made for me!

Yomogi is one of two shops in the old-town section of main street Kurashiki.  By now, my eye was trained to ignore clothing boutiques, so when I glanced at this one, I saw old ladies like me perusing the racks.  Hmmm...if there's something for her, I thought, maybe, just maybe, there is something for me. 

So in we went, Susan and I, just to look.  Well, we hit the jackpot among the light weight summer cottons, loose, elastic waist pants, A-line blouses, tunics and assorted T-shirts.  And so reasonably priced too.  But as suspected, not made in Japan.  However, the quality of the sewing impressed this garment-o,  French seams, bias bound seams, everything clean finished!  Techniques not seen since last century, and probably not even taught in schools. 

LIGHTSPECS

A bright idea.  As seen at Longs $24.99.  Two tiny lights are at each temple facing forward aiming at whatever you're looking at.  Each lite has it's own toggle switch.  At last I can read in the dark!