Oranges

We got a Harry & David gift for Christmas. I had completely forgotten about it until a package of beautiful oranges showed up at our house.

We are still in the middle of winter in Mass, and it was nice to see some colorful fruit.

Institute of Contemporary Art

We heard about the ICA from a good friend and decided to take our kids there.

The Institute of Contemporary Art is located in South Boston near the Children's Museum. Now that the Big Dig is finished, it is actually pretty easy to get there compared to other places in Boston.

My oldest daughter loved the exhibits and the entire feel of the museum. My son liked the elevator that was the size of a room. My younger daughter wanted to know if we could go clothes shopping.

Great new book

A couple of friends of mine just finished a book. They saw a need for a book about women in America that was geared towards Jr. High and Sr. High school students.

They spent a significant amount of time doing research and finding examples and stories about how women shaped the United States. We just got a copy and were particularly impressed with both the book's content and its design.

Congrats to the Women Making America team!

Happy Valentine's Day

Last night, we went to a dinner party at a friend's house. They have a long standing family tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day with a lovely dinner.

But, 2 of their 3 children are grown up and out of the house. So, they invited several couples over to share their tradition.


I really liked this creative vegetable heart dish. At first glance, it reminded me of sushi.

The main dish, Beef Bourguignonne, was amazing. The meat was tender and flavorful; the broth was perfect.


I barely had room for my wife's dessert.

Seaching for that unique Valentine's Day gift?

I happened by this store on my last day in Tokyo.

It's not everyday that you get to see really "rair" chocolate.

Warmer days

We had some warm weather this weekend in Massachusetts. It got into the high 40s this afternoon, and the ice actually started to melt a little in the driveway.

The warmer air makes me hope that spring will someday come to New England. In that spirit, I am posting some pictures of flowers that I took in Japan. I have a feeling that spring will come sooner to Tokyo than Boston.

Vending machine breakfast

During my trip, I discovered a place where you could get "lunch/dinner" type items for breakfast. The only catch is that you have to use those vending machines.

These always make me nervous, even though I can read some Japanese. I'm afraid someone will come in after me and will stand patiently as I struggle to find the right button.

This day, I found something I wanted and a red arrow to the correct button. I put in my 460 yen, got my ticket, grabbed a table, and ate.

Morning walk in Matsuyama

I am back from Japan now but have more to write about the trip.

While I was in Matsuyama, I got up early in the AM and decided to explore the neighborhood. The sun was just coming up, and I walked over to the Dogo Hot Springs (Onsen) main building. I took the picture above of an enclosed garden area. Even in January, the garden looked great.

Turning the opposite direction, I walked up a hill and found a shrine. In the front was a small fountain with a wonderful dragon. I was the only one there at that hour - what a great place for a walk.