coming Father's Day

Now I'm stay home. This week is the fifth week in May, so I have no plans to go out in the morning. I'm preparing for next week's lesson. They (my students) are going to celebrate for Father's day making crafts.

I've kept some things for my kids' presents to their fahter. The wooden doll, the wooden tie tack were made when they were in kindergarten. The one-day free tickets for playing tennis was made when they were elementary school students. At that time their father (my husband) was into playing tennis.

Now he is into playing golf. So I have to make some one-day free tickets for playing golf.

Anyway Father's Day is coming. I let my students make such wooden dolls and cards.

I usualy read this book. It's funny, and the thinking way is really American.

He can eat like a horse. -- Probably we say "he can eat like a pig".

He can swim like a fish. --I agree with it.

He's as strong as a gorilla. --I agree with it.

He's as happy as a hippo.-- That's really an American thinking way. Probably we say "he's as serious as a ?????".

He's as big as a house. -- Probably we say "He's as big as a tree."

He's as soft as my deddy. -- Interesting.

and he's as wise as an owl. -- I know owls are descrubed as smart animals in America, but in Japan owls are not so typical. What are smart animals in Japan????

Reading picture books is fun.

Yummy!

As you know, these days I'm into herb.

Yesterday I made herb spring roll. The ingrdients are herb, parsley which are growing in my garden, and dry-tomatoes preserved in oil. I rolled them with spring roll crust, and deep fried.

Delicious!

And I also cooked string bean TENPURA. It was also delicious.

Today, I'm holding a meeting. 4 guests comes to enjoy my story telling and food.

The theme is "green". So I'm going to serve these herb spring rolls.

Don't you think it's a good idea?

homemade quick sausage

Now in my garden sages grow up. I picked some leaves and made quick sausage using aluminium foil instead of bowels. Now some herbs are growing. We(my husband and I) love to try eat them.

This time my husband mixed ground pork and spices with "his" hand.

Well, I said to you that " these days our common hobby is eating strange foods.".

One of my frined sent us these "MISO"rapped with Hoohba.

The other day we ate it with leek and Shitake mashroom, tasting good SAKE.

Last week I was worried about dizziness. Twice I got a shot. So last weekend I stayed home without doing things. --- but I was boared. So I started to cook with my husband. He mixed grand meat, and preapred these leaves. It was a good thing. But both of them didn't wash the dishes. This monring I did it. Now I'm getting better. I said to my self "Let's enjoy this week".

I have some questions. --- Mother's Day ---

Last Sunday, it was Mother's Day. Did you enjoy the day? I did. My daughers came back with flowers and presents. We had a good time.They came at noon, and came back to TOKYO at 4;30.
I rearlly thought Tokyo was far from here.

I was to happy to call my mother and my mother-in-law.
Next day I called to them. (My mother is OK, because she had late supper with my dauhgters.)
My mother-in-law ----??? It's OK. She is going to come and stay here two weeks later to play golf with "her son".

I read an intereseting picture book. The title is "Celebratint Mother's Day".
I have some questions.
One bear will give a present-box to her mother to show her love.
In the box, she puts in a teddy bear.
She said "it shows how we love to bear hug." --- I understand.
She puts in a piece of gum.
She said "it shows how we always stick together".-- I understand. And it's a good idea.
She puts in some nuts.
She said "it shows how we silly we like to be."
I don't understand. Why putting nuts means "silly" ?
Please someone tell me.

And another quesion is
Is it usual thing to present such a box fulled of gifts on Mother's Day in your country.

In Japan, usually kids present a bunch of carnation.
(BUT on this day carnations are really expencive, so many kids present "a" carnation.)

Golden week has finished.

First we went to a concert in TOKYO. Have you heard "La Folle Journée A superb festival of classical music"? It first held in 1995 in Nantes, a port town in the northwest of France. Every classical concert is inexpensive and easy to anti-classical music people like my husband.

We went there with my mother and my mother-in-law. It was held at a big place, so there are some different concerts on the same time. When my mother and I were listening to Shanghai pilharmonic, my husband and his mother were listening to YOMIURI pilharmonic, and my daughters were listening to a piano concert. Of course concerts are pay concerts, but in the square always free concerts were held. It was really fun.

And after concerts my husband and I came TOCHIGI. Then my husband real vacation started, it means he went golf three days. He left home at 5:30 and came home 4:00. ME? Unfortunately I gave up! Bad headche and dizziness attakced me. I couldn't get up. Accroding to the doctor, I'm not good of releasing stress. So when I have nothing to do and I'm not tensed, I tend to be attcaked such symptom.

Now I'm fine, because the day before yesterday I had to attend a meeing, and I was able to do, I recovered, or I'm tensed up as usual.

And from today my usual day has started. I cooked breakfast. Now my husband and my favorite dish is sauted cabbage with caraway.

And from today my lesson has started. This week my young students make cards for their mothers. Because this Sunday is "Mother's Day".

It is the first time to spend "Mother's day" without kids.