Monday has started. In the morning, we’re going to the clinic as usual. Then, in the evening, we’re going to KARAKU Cafe with the things we want to let go of.
They’ve kindly offered us a corner of the cafe where we can display the things we no longer need, and customers can take whatever they need.
We have to arrange everything ourselves, so the key is whether we can set things up in a stylish and attractive way.
Yesterday, two young friends came to my house. I handed over all the props I had used for my picture-book activities.
They were originally props for my English picture-book activities, but of course, they can also be used for reading Japanese picture books. They can still be useful at this point.
The props themselves gradually wear out, and new picture books keep coming out, so eventually the props may no longer work for the books being used.
I finally decided that it was time to let them go while there are still people who want to use them. It took me a long time to make up my mind, but I’m glad I finally did.
What a pain! My right neck and shoulder have been hurting since yesterday morning, though my right shoulder has been hurting since this winter. So I put on a pain-relief patch and carried on with my day. But the pain got worse, so I went to an orthopedic clinic.
They gave me an IV painkiller and told me that wearing a neck brace might make things a little more comfortable. They gave me a simple neck brace to wear.
I don’t know why the pain got worse. I guess the shoulder pain has now spread to my neck. The pain is much better this morning, but it still hurts when I move my neck up and down. My left shoulder has started to hurt a little, too.
Oh, well. I guess I just have to learn to live with it and manage it as best I can.
You still have to wear a mask at hospitals in Japan.
It’s Monday. A new week has started again.
I’d like to start the week on a refreshing note, but it’s so humid. It’s unusual for it to be this humid so early in the morning.
Today is my health checkup day. I’m not having breakfast, and I’ll leave home in about an hour. I’m also having a gynecological checkup this afternoon, so it’s going to be quite a busy day. It’s a health checkup organized by the city, so I guess that’s what you get.
I wonder where we should eat—an early lunch or a late breakfast?
This week, our care manager is coming, and our bodywork therapist is coming, too. Thanks to long-term care insurance, it’s nice to have people coming and going .
Yesterday afternoon, Yuki was at a jazz café for a jam session. Coincidentally, one of my gym friends came over to my house, so we spent the afternoon just chatting and taking it easy. She has made some of my kimonos into clothes and bags for me.
We spent a really relaxed afternoon, chatting aimlessly and saying to each other, “We’re really just lazing around, aren’t we?” It was nice to spend such a leisurely afternoon together.
Today, Yuki and I are going to a nearby temple where I have been attending a sutra-copying group. We don’t belong to a particular religion, but we follow Buddhist customs for traditional ceremonies, so we are going there to talk about what we should do in the future. We are not planning to build a family grave.
I happened to learn about the sutra-copying group when I was out walking, and although I am not a member of the temple, they kindly let me join. I have been going ever since. Perhaps this, too, is some kind of fate.
The Obon holidays are over, and our daily routine has returned to normal.
It’s Wednesday today. This morning, we are going to the bank and the clinic. In the afternoon, Yuki is going to get a massage. Do you know “ashitsubo massage”? It’s a kind of foot massage, but it’s a little different. It focuses on the acupressure points on the soles of the feet, which are pressed firmly with the thumb.
I hope it will help improve his numbness, even just a little, although it seems difficult. Of course, it isn’t covered by public health insurance, but it seems to be a nice change of pace for him, so I think it’s worth it. He usually gets a one-hour treatment. Today, though, he is getting an extra 30 minutes, and I’m going to take advantage of that and get the extra 30 minutes myself!
We are also going through our documents and paperwork again and reviewing everything. As part of that process, we are going to the bank today to organize our bank accounts.
Today is the anniversary of the end of World War II in Japan. In August, the media is filled with stories and programs related to the war. This morning, I heard an interesting program on the radio.
In Germany, it seems that January 27, rather than the anniversary of the end of the war, is considered a more important day of remembrance. It is the day the Auschwitz extermination camp was liberated by the Allied forces.January 30 is also an important day in Germany. It marks the day Hitler came to power.
The idea is, apparently, to make sure that Germany never forgets its role as the aggressor.
