Sociability

We've been quite sociable this week, despite being officially sequestered at home for Erica's recovery. Friends over Thursday, obon at Aunty's Saturday, another obon party Sunday, and tonight, another friend came over, with dinner!

The cold noodles going round and round. It's battery operated, see blue button on top. With negi (green onion), kamaboko (fish sausage, pink), sweet omelet (yellow), and tuna (brown).

Raul messaged me yesterday to see if we wanted to go to the pool, and I sadly told him that was out of the question. He offered to come over, and bring dinner, so we arranged it for tonight. He has a Mexican restaurant, so I assumed that meant Mexican, but then he suggested McDonald's, but I told him we already ate that! And sushi and pizza already at parties that weekend! I suggested somen (cold noodles, a summer favorite in Japan and very easy to prepare) and he said he just happened to know someone with one of those noodle fountains (picture above, Japan people don't you think that's the best word for it in English?)

So over they came, Raul, wife Ana, and his two younger boys Max and Maguno. They brought ham, 'nama' ham (not sure what to call this in English, it's cured but not baked I think), eggs, spring onion, tuna, tomatoes and cucumber and the somen and dipping sauce AND the fountain of course! So we all had a lovely feast, and Erica was THRILLED to play with Ana for a few hours, she loves her!

The best thing was, they offered to take Amy and Lena to the pool tomorrow with them, while we take Erica to the hospital. I readily agreed, poor Amy and Lena need to have some fun this summer and not be stuck at home with me all the time!

Left to right: Raul, with the tomato, cucumber, and ham, Lena, Ana, Amy, Erica, Maguno, and Max.

Erica shows her noodle-grabbing skills. Nothing stops her! She's using a special kids' chopsticks designed to make you hold them right