<Begin Segment 26>

[This transcript has been extensively edited by the narrator.]

[Showing artifacts]

GN: She drew the picture on here.

SY: This is your aunt's work.

GN: My aunt's work. She's very interested in animals and birds, flowers. She was a beautiful flower arranger. She had not only bird books about the U.S. but bird books in Japan. And my daughter is one of the top, expert birders. She's led birding tours all over the world. (I'll show you) a picture of Linda (in the Bar Journal caption under the picture), "What do attorneys do in their spare time?" And here's Linda with her scope and binoculars out in the field looking at birds.

Then I had this little apple that I made, I drew it and carved it out, it's a little pin. This little scrap piece of wood. The way you make them is you get a coping saw, and my brother and I are very adept at coping saw, we made all kinds of stuff with a coping saw. My mother showed us how to use it. So anyway, this apple. You wear it like a little pin.

And then I made this rose because the Shinodas were known for the (San Lorenzo) Salon brand roses. That's all that they used at the Rose Parade for years and years and years was the Salon brand roses growing under the hothouses, and they specialized in that until the competition got too great from South America. But anyway, my mother wore this. She had kind of a dark chocolate knit coat and skirt that she made, and she could wear that with this (rose pin). I think she wore this because it was something I made. But it was really too big because she was a petite woman. I shouldn't have made it so big.

Okay, and then my teacher (made this eagle). I've lost the talons on this eagle that he carved (it). It's very intricate. He was an artist, too, he drew this eagle. I'm saving this for my daughter because my daughter's a birder.

Then my aunt. When I was taking care of her things for her, I found this amongst her things. This was (made by) somebody else in camp, (but) maybe my aunt even made that herself. I wouldn't doubt it if she made that herself. She was interested in birds. So my aunt Teru Watanabe might have made that. She probably did.

And she probably made this one, too, this is hers. It's a little maple (leaf). She loved the Japanese maple and she went to (Japan and) Canada to see the maples, too. She loved nature. She had a whole library. When she went to the nursing home, she had a whole room to herself and she (had) the walls covered with (bookcases and her books).

And then she might have even made this as she got better (as a carver). This is a holly leaf pin with berries on it.

SY: And you used all the same tools for these. Everyone used the same tools.

GN: Right.

SY: And it was something that you learned in this woodcarving class?

GN: Uh-huh. Also, I made a set of buttons, and I came across them the other day. My mother was going to use (them) to put on something. I made them for her, but she never got around to it and then I just forgot all about them until I came across them the other day. But I don't know what I've done with them. What I did is I got the branch of a manzanita and I sliced it across the grain. It's beautiful yellow and brown (wood). Then I drilled two little holes to put the thread (through) to attach it. So I made a set of buttons and I attached them to a card like a store-bought (set). So anyway, I'll see if my daughter wants any of these, and if not, I think I'll give them to Manzanar.

And then my grandfather made (this plaque) on the door, I think it was poetry about the scripture.

<End Segment 26> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.