Home Girl

Hooray! A letter from my stepmother that she has arrived home safely. I anxiously await receiving letters from her since her messages are always thoughtful and her calligraphy beautiful. I have stacks of her letters, yet each correspondence is scribed on different stationery, ranging from classic mulberry to modern cards.

Message from home

When she comes home, ofttimes she bears a treasure trove of gifts delivered by the postman. If I posted a picture of everything she sent, this entry would be 10x longer...seriously. Here are just a few items...

Umbrella

The two umbrellas that she sent were beautiful and unusual that I wish I could use both at the same time without drawing weird stares. The other is my favorite shade of solid grey on top and scant geometric lines along the underside. The umbrella above has a solid maroon top with bands of flowers along the underside.

Dolls

These little dolls are so cute and squishy.

Purse

This purse is the perfect size for me. I have another with a different design that she sent from a previous trip.

Senbei

We received several boxes of fancily wrapped assortments of senbei. It's really fun and amazing to discover the numerous different flavors senbei that can be made.

Since we pick up the mail once a month at most, we were surprised to find a box from my aunt filled with snacks, a banquet program, and an old photograph. My aunt will often send pictures or items from my childhood or my father's childhood.

Mac nut attack

The nuts are huge, almost the size of those coated whole strawberries from Harry & David. The flavor of the dark chocolate, both bitter and sweet, and the texture are reminiscent of dark roast coffee beans.

Hiroshima Kenjinkai program

My family belong to the Honolulu Hiroshima Kenjinkai, an organization that promotes goodwill between Honolulu and Hiroshima, sister cities, within and between both communities.

Honolulu airport (1971?)

Yes, I realize it is tacky to take a picture of a picture. I don't think my mother and I were headed to Japan that particular day, considering the way I was dressed. We may have been picking someone up or seeing someone off.

I look like a troll.

- Cassaendra