A Big Day

Today is a good day.  I wondered...since I'd felt a moodswing stirring last night.  Ridiculous.  Why should today not be as fabulous as any other?  Apparently it was less so for some of my students ~ our class size was reduced from 19 to 14 for the day and I have no idea why.  I hope the kiddos are feeling well enough to return to school tomorrow.  I missed them!  For those of us present, there was a birthday celebration (Thanks for the brownies, C!) and I stumbled upon some treasures from my trip to Japan.  I'd stored the items at school and apparently kept them in such a safe spot that I'd forgotten all about them!  So today the students and I took another little trip, this time to East Asia.  I hope someday when they climb inside the Great Daibatsu in the beautiful old region of Kamakura, they'll return to tell me of their adventures and remember the day when they first dreamed of the possibility.

Familiarities:

"Hyaku go yori isshou."
A smile is worth a thousand words.

American on the left, Japanese on the right

Possibilities:

a snow capped Mt. Fuji in the distance

The Great Daibatsu...The Great Buddha

I discovered yet another lost prize at school.  (I suppose that makes this my lucky day.)  I have an affinity for a particular old sweatshirt, a sweatshirt that had been missing for far too long.  I purchased it on the Country Club Plaza while spending a weekend with my college roommate in Kansas City years ago.  The material is frayed at the neckline and wrists, yet I wear it anyway.  It is sunny yellow with letters stitched in nautical blue.  I'm wearing it tonight like a warm hug.  That ~ especially today ~ feels nice.

And now I think I'll return to that which is familiar.  I'm heading west a bit for some comfort food. 
I think I'll make it for someone I love.

Piperada Sandwich

(Basque Omelette)

8 -10 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, coarsely chopped
4 bell peppers, seeded and chopped (red, orange or yellow)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch cayenne
1 1/2 lbs tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 long French bread
2 tablespoons butter
6 eggs, beaten
salt
pepper
basil (optional)

Heat 4 T olive oil in a large heavy frying pan. Add the onions and cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until they are softened but not colored. Add the peppers, garlic and cayenne to the pan. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, then add the tomatoes, seasoning and oregano.  Cook over moderate heat for 15-20 minutes until peppers are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Preheat oven to 400. Cut the bread in half lengthwise, trim off ends and cut into six equal pieces, brush with remaining olive oil. Place bread on baking trays and bake for 8-10 minutes until crisp and just turning golden. Heat the butter in a pan until it bubbles, add eggs and cook, stirring, until softly scrambled. Turn off heat and stir in the pepper mixture. Divide evenly among the pieces of bread and sprinkle with basil, if using. Serve hot.

One kind word can warm three winter months. ~Japanese proverb  I can think of more than one, but tonight, I'm letting my heart smile while my lips fall silent.  ~S.