It is not easy to recycle.

Since my grand daughter and daughter left here, about two weeks have passed.
Time flies quickly.
As soon as they left, I started organizing Ah-chan's things.

Luckily her clothes were given to a (young) mother's circle.
Probably they will be used.

Her buggy was given to my friend who recently had a grand daughter.
She lives in next prefecture. She managed to take it and it was a good reason to see each other.
We haven't seen each other probably for 5 years.

I took many English kids books to a book café which deals with kids books.
I took some Japanese books for young mothers to a cook café which deals with adults books.

To tell the truth, I needed some efforts to find such people and place what try to use Ah-chan's things.
It would be easy  to discard those things quickly on a garbage collecting day, however they had some sentimental value to me. I wanted to use them for someone.

The last thing is this try cycle.
I asked another friend, however she wanted to buy a new one for her grandson.
I understood her feeling.
I also asked some city facilities, but they didn't accept my donation.
Of course I tried to take it to a used shop, however it was too old to be accepted.

 

Now I'm thinking to donate it for a NPO to pay some money including sending fee.

Money and the thing are donation. It doesn't sound bad. -- though it costs higher than one I bought .

 

 

Season word 1018 mackerel sky

 

"Mackerel sky", I learnt this word this time. Japanese word is "UROKO-GUMO", Uroko means fish scales, and GUMO (or KUMO) means clouds. And in an academic cloud field, it is called "Cirrocumulus".

 

I also found an interesting site.

 

UROKO-GUMO, it inspires my appetite, go to a fisher market.

UROKO-GUMO, a little bit scary, storm foreboding

 

 

Volunteer reading at the library in October

Yesterday I did volunteer reading at the library as usual.

This time some couples of mother and kids, of course came, and some adults (ladies) came.

So after 30 minute English book reading, we had a chat time using this article, and talked about Japanese season words.

 

 

Autumnal Equinox Day :  Most of the women were not from this city Utsunomiya including me. However they try to visit their family graves. The day is for us to remind us of our ancestors, and eat traditional sweets "ohagi".

 

Community Chest : it was interesting, because no one knew how to use the money donated. And everyone accepted that though it is donation, but it is paid automatically from our residents community fee.

 

Cosmos ; yes, it is the season of cosmos now. There are some famous parks with full of cosmos. Probably this weekend, in some parks, cosmos festival must he held, and at the end everyone will be able to take cosmos free.

 

Railway Day; We know the word, but we don't do anything on the day. In a big city there are may railways, but here just two railways.

 

If some adults join me next time, I will be able to organize such a chatting time.

It is fun.

well-drained sandals

I don't know how we say this type of sandals even in Japanese. Anyway Yuki bout them at a DIY center, They are well-drained. We always leave two pair of sandals outside at the garden entrance door. So after raining, of course they are soaked.

Even though it may be cold to wear them in winter, they are very suitable gadgets.

 

This Sunday I attended our Toast Master's Meeting, while Yuki trimmed the garden.

One of Yuki's role when he retires, is to maintain our garden tidy. So he already started to try it little by little. However unexpected things has happened. Now I'm suffering from stiffed shoulders, and he also feels a pain on his arm. So it is a little bit difficult to use big scissors. He bought an light electrical trimmer. It works. However it seems to be difficult for him to use it on a stepladder. For these years , we always ask a professional gardener to lower the trees in my garden which are able to be maintained by ourselves.

Until a few years ago, we had no problem to do things on a stepladder. Now we have a little bit problem.

If we lower the trees more, they won't work as a role of fence, though we can trim them.

What should we do?

Good grief!

This time last year, I participated in a  walk-rally with my family Yuki, M, Ah-chan and me.
Though I walked about 3 km, I didn't feel any pain.

However, -- in the last few days I took a  20 minute walk wearing walking shoes.
Then the day before yesterday (just three days passed), I felt strange pain in my feet.
I asked the doctor, who cares for my stiff shoulder about the pain.
He said "I don't see  any special problem, probably the pain caused by fatigue of your  feet. Did you do anything hard suddenly?"

Until last May, I regularly   walked for 20 minutes as much as I could.
Even while M and Ah-chan  were here with us in this summer, I couldn't do my regular walking.  But I went to Tokyo  a couple times, and every time I walked more than 7000 steps. Additionally on the day we saw them off at Narita airport, my pedometer on my cell phone showed 7000 steps. However I never felt such a pain during those days.

My doctor said "there is a difference between normal walking and brisk walking.
Probably I walked too briskly, and my feet muscles which are usually not used must have been surprised and exhausted .

On the other hand, I thought, probably my shoes are the culprit. It must have gotten "old".
So I bought a new pair of walking shoes on the way home after  my shoulder and feet treatment.

I did a good shopping.

 

How many years do you keep such a "Eau de Toilette"?

I'm not used to using such a  "Eau de Toilette", and perfume etc.
So I'm not familiar with  perfume companies. However I know the name of Yves saint Laurent, and probably Yuki know it, too.
I got these bottles, probably 7 years ago from a French madam.
I knew it was expensive, so I have kept it  without using it .
However----

Do you know how many years such things are kept the quality?
I searched on internet. According some websites, it seems to be three years.

Ok, I clearly give up using it for me.
However --- what should I do?
I thought the bottle would be useful.

However the splay is very tight, so to throw the liquid away, I have to brake the rid. It means it will not be used as a splay bottle.

 

 

Anyway I took the bottle from the shelf, and put it in the bathroom.

About the other one.

I throw the liquid away, and put some my favorite aroma oil with my home made dry lavender petals..

This small bottle changed into a new one with my favorite perfume.

 

At Karaku

 

Yesterday it was the day of Karaku, I staged a small concert.

After it, we (I did it with a reciter) had a relaxing time with coffee and cake.

Though we did 30 minute concert, we were there about three hours.

 

For these three months, I came back home as soon as I finished the performance.

Now I have a lot of my own free time, it means I have no one to talk to when I come back home quickly.

It is a quiet house.