My children’s great-grandmother celebrated her 95th birthday this past week. We enjoyed a visit with lunch and I’m sharing her sweetness, along with the Green Tea birthday cake I made especially for her.
The ingredient that makes this cake so special and delicious, is the use of pure, organic Matcha green tea powder from Japan. It’s very fragrant, with a full and rich flavor. The aroma is very unique and is one of my favorites. It has no aftertaste when in this form. I know Grandma loves it too, so with this cake, I made layers of vanilla custard cake, infused with the Matcha powder, covered in vanilla butter cream frosting and topped with a heavy dusting of the pure powder.
Grandma Takashima is an incredible woman. I love our face-to-face conversations. She has been through so much and has so much offer. She is still very sharp and very active. I want to be like her if I am blessed with a long life. For now, I want to stop and write down all of her stories, so that our children and our children’s-children can know important parts of their family history.
I love seeing my daughter by her great-grandmother’s side. Ninety five and nine look good together. In common, they share the same height. Remarkably, the also share the same strait, unbroken line, placed in the palm of their right hands. They are the only two people I’ve ever known with lines like these and it’s beautiful to see them together – one, so young and delicate, next to the other that has worked so hard and with so much life experience.
Grandma’s strength truly inspires me. We love you Grandma!
April 2021
This original post is dated November 2013. I came back to it today, all these years later, because I wanted to see these photos once again, read my notes, and add to them. Grandma holds such a special and significant place in our hearts, and in the Takashima’s family history. Just last week, she passed away. She made it to 101 (and a half) years old.
I wish I could find the perfect words to wrap around how much we love Grandma, how much she taught us, and how her presence, loyalty, sharpness, whit, care, love, joy, and life-stories (I could go on and on) are such an important part of who we are as a family. The things she told me – of what she has seen and live through – are so incredible that they are almost unbelievable. I will always feel such an awe and respect for her as a woman and mother.
Helen Takashima
Born in Los Angeles, California November 4, 1919.
Died in Chula Vista, California April 16, 2021.
Grandma was a personal hero of mine, and will remain a most remarkable and incredible soul I’ll ever know. Our time together could not have been more special. What a gift.
We will always love you, and remember you, Grandma!
