Good morning 1014

 Today, our first visiting nurse is coming to see Yuki. He is doing well, but he now needs to have his condition checked by a nurse twice a month. This is to help ensure a smooth transition to palliative care when the time comes.

Unfortunately, the side effects of chemotherapy still haven't gone away, and recently, the numbness in his fingers has gotten worse. It has become more difficult to press down on the strings of his bass with his left hand. He is feeling quite down about it — well, actually, very disappointed.

Even so, he says he will stop by the jazz café just to have a cup of coffee.

The doctors have told us that the numbness isn't directly related to the cancer, so I think it may be part of the process of recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy. But sadly, we can't afford to wait too long for the numbness to go away.

For now, he can still use the exercise bike, so he is trying to maintain his physical strength. Yuki is planning to go to the small gym this evening.

Good morning 1013

 The three-day weekend ended yesterday, so today is the start of a new week. I’m going with Yuki to two clinics this morning. In the afternoon, we have separate plans. Yuki is going to a jazz café, while I’m going to play the piano at Café Karaku.

It’s already October, but it’s still so hot during the day! At this time of year, I would normally wear an orange sweater in Halloween colors or a thicker long-sleeved shirt when I go out. But it’s too hot! The cafés might be cool because of the air conditioning, or even a little chilly, though...

Well, I came up with all sorts of excuses, and then I clicked the button. Yes, I bought a shirt online. I love how quickly it arrives!

However, if I’m going to buy new clothes, I have to get rid of some of the clothes I already own. After staring at my closet for a long time, I managed to let go of five shirts!

Why is it so hard to get rid of clothes? There are some clothes I hardly ever wear, but I still can’t let them go.

Is it just women who feel this way?

Yuki, on the other hand, gets rid of things in a flash and buys new ones just as quickly. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, either!

Neither of us has any particularly expensive clothes that need to be sent to the dry cleaners, though.

Good mornong 1012

 I’ve cut back my lemongrass and am letting it dry.

Am I going to make tea with it? No, no! I’ll just let it dry indoors for a while, enjoy its fragrance, and then probably throw it away.

In the past, it never survived the winter in my garden because it was too cold here. But in recent years, it has managed to survive the winter. I wonder if it will make it through this winter, too.

While I was cutting it back, one of my neighbors happened to walk by and asked, “What’s that?”

I said, “Doesn’t it smell nice?” She seemed satisfied with that answer. Then I explained, “You can dry it indoors for a while and enjoy the fragrance.” She liked the idea and took some home with her.

The photo shows what was left. It’s just the right amount for me!

Good morning 1010

 Yesterday, a friend stopped by briefly to bring us some freshly harvested rice. I was happy to receive the new rice, of course, but I was even happier that she had come to see us.

After telling her how happy I was and saying, “You finally came to visit!” I ended up snapping at her, saying, “Why don’t you come more often?”

She is 73 and still working, so she is very busy. She lives with her three unmarried daughters. Her husband passed away from lung cancer five years ago. Has it really been five years already?

I’m 66, and I know it’s a bit unreasonable of me to rely on her so much.

I felt guilty about taking my frustration out on her. But even though she stayed for only about 15 minutes, I was truly happy that she had come.

by Yuki

Good morning 1009

 Yesterday, we went to a café called Ruark Coffee and tried its coffee. The owner is one year older than Yuki. Yuki was reminded of his business trips to Indonesia, and the two of them had a lively conversation about those days.

What surprised me was that the coffee served here is produced by a Japanese person who has established a coffee farm in Vietnam. Apparently, he actually raises civets there specifically to produce kopi luwak beans.

Good morning 1008

 Yesterday, I joined an online English conversation meeting. The first question was, “What would you say is the most useful appliance in your household?”

I answered:

“Probably the refrigerator. Or maybe the kerosene heaters we use in winter, although I’m not sure if they are considered household appliances. We still use a kerosene heater in each room during the winter instead of air conditioners.

We could probably manage without a refrigerator if we went shopping at nearby stores, including convenience stores. But when it comes to keeping warm in winter, we have no choice but to use the heaters.”

Later, though, I thought I should have said our small blender, which we use to make smoothies.

At first, I thought of the refrigerator or the kerosene heaters we use in winter. But those are more like necessities than just useful appliances.

Every summer, this little blender really helps us get through the hot weather. Our favorite smoothie is made with cabbage and pineapple. Even when we don’t have much of an appetite, we can easily get some fluids and vegetables from a smoothie.

So, I’d say our small blender is probably the most useful appliance in our household.

Good mornong 1007

 I’m not sure whether Yuki is in a bad mood today, feeling sleepy, or just not feeling well.

Lately, he says he feels that the numbness is getting worse. Personally, I wonder if it might be because the rest of him is feeling better, so the numbness stands out more and feels more severe to him.

But today, he doesn’t seem to think he can really play the guitar. To me, it looked like he was still playing pretty well. But at the jazz café, someone said to him, “Yuki, have you changed the way you play?” That seemed to come as quite a shock to him.

He can somehow still manage to play the bass, though.

Whenever Yuki looks even a little tired, I feel worried. He’s going to have a massage this afternoon, so I hope it will make him feel better and that he’ll be able to go to the gym this evening.

I think the comment about his guitar playing has really gotten to him.