Now November is waiting.

Did you enjoy Halloween? The last pumpkin cake was made for us -- Yuki and me. We ate it for our breakfast and the leftover was frozen.

I put away all decoration of Halloween. Before Christmas we enjoy autumn leaves. To tell the truth because of my bad condition this week I was not able to see the beautiful autumn leaves in Nikko.

But we still enjoy having Japanese pears. These are the last Japanese pears in this season. This kind of pears is called NIKKORI, they are very huge.

Yesterday, I was able to go to a concert that my friend organized though I was not so good. Because of the bad weather my chauffeur was at home, so I was able to go.

( This time I had no confidence to go there, so I couldn't ask to anyone to go there with me.)

Next month I want to go other two concerts --- I hope my strength will recover as usual.

Cumquat

Today, it is the last day to "cooking lessons". Every body seems to really enjoy them (better than usual lessons.)

Well after Halloween, next event is--of course Christa mas. Before Christmas, "I" have to treat "our" garden. Now one Japanese anemone bloomed. I don't know these flowers will bloom perfectly because of the heavy heat of this summer.

On the other hand thanks of the hot weather a tree in the big pot is bearing a lot of fruits --- Cumquat ( We call it KINKAN). I hope they all turn yellow. I like fresh Cumquat, and I also like candied cumquats.

The last Halloween week

For every one this week is a real Halloween week, isn't' it? For me, it is a final Halloween week. In the entrance I put a big net-art work that Tomomi's friend made. (well, this presentment is not correct, sorry **-chan, but we really enjoyed your work.)

Yesterday Yuki attended an international meeting via TV, it means he went to the office at 11 P.M in Japan, and came back 4 A.M, and after taking a nap while he went to the office again as usual.

Well, well, I don't mention about his work. When he saw a friend who is an American and has two kids before starting the meeting, he said to him "Happy Halloween!" to try the atmosphere to be relax. BUT-- unfortunately it didn't seem to work. Anyway the meeting was finished, and after all, Yuki is going to America again next month.

Well, yesterday the trick or treat tour was finished with a big success. This morning I went to see the neighbors to say thanks. They also seemed to enjoy my students coming. I'm really happy to hear that.After the tour, we made "bone gloves of pop corn". (This week I make every day with my elementary students.)

Not only bone gloves, we baked pumpkin cakes. Today a woman came to take my lesson. And of course instead of usual lesson we baked pumpkin cakes. These days we have lots of convenient gadget. Silicon cupcake models are a big recent hit for me .


Well, well, it is time to start another lesson. I'll come here again soon.

How are you going to enjoy your Halloween??

It's Monday.

Last night we had some rain here, fortunately not so much. Recently Amami islands in Japan got a heavy damage by heavy rain.

Well, last week, unfortunately I was not in good condition. After the bad cold, I needed some time to get my strength back.

Well, while I was in bed, I was thinking what I will be able to do in my 50's life. To tell the truth I'm not so positive to improve my strength and chronic health problems. (I can hear your voice, Jan). On the other hand I would like to do some things through civic activities.

I'll confess I need recognition.

Or if I do something, I don't get anything to my students who think "why we need to study English?"

And it means I myself am not be able to get the answer why I continue to study English.

Of course we might not get the answer.

Why I write such a thing, these days I think hear there are clearly two groups. One is people who are interested in education, and the other is opposite. Though economic reason makes this difference partly, it is not the all.

And actually without enough education, many people enjoy their lives.

Opt, it is not right to use the word of "enough education". Without going to universities. And the people who went to universities don't mean educated people.

So what kind of education I have been taken? These days I ask it to myself.

Anyway tomorrow my students (junior high school students and high school students) are going to do a trick or treat tour in the neighborhood. (I don't know why elementary school students won't do that. Anyway touchy young girls want to do that, so I organized, and my neighbors are "really" looking forward to see them. It is a kind of wonderful civic activity,isn't it?)

Now it's Friday.

How are you doing everybody? I'm ---now I've recovered. To tell the truth after the noisy last weekend, I was so excited that I ran a fever. -- It is a usual thing, in retrospect (how many years ago??) after the school trips I would run a fever. Now I'm OK. And it was a low fever, so I didn't cancel the lessons at home, I canceled to go volunteering outside.

Now we're enjoying "Halloween" month. This week I gave out a bag of pretzels that is a compliment of a mother of my students. I opened one to taste, and --- I was surprised, it was actually "Halloween pretzels". This is a shape of Jack-O-Lantern, isn't it?

Today I put new poll, "Would you rather visit a haunted house or travel to strange land?", My answer is "neither would I".

I hate all scary things.

To experience a thing is important before to tell the thing. So "once" I saw a scary movie --the Exorcist. Since then I've never seen scary movies. And even I 'voe never been to a haunted house in Tokyo Disney Land.

Well, yesterday two high school students came to take my lesson. Usually before they leave my house, I ask a question. The question of yesterday is "what things worry you when you're at home?"

One girl said "I'm always worried when my cell phone is taken away by my mother"

-- actually this week her cell phone has being taken away after their quarrelling.

The other girl said "I'm always worried on weekends what time my mother will come to wake me up".

Anyway their family are peaceful family, I'm glad to hear that.

Well, well, about my worry---what do I cook today?

three consequtive holidays

We have three consecutive holidays this weekend, today, it is the last holiday.

During these holidays many nursery schools or kindergartens hold Sports day or athletic meetings. Unfortunately on Saturday, it was rainy,so the events were postponed. And On Sunday, and Monday --- it was , and is fine --- but too "hot" like summer.

I hope not many people would not have had suffered heat exhaustion especially elder people who visited to see their grand children.

Well, well, about me, I went to TOKYO to see my mother and my daughters. It was a "women"'s day. noisy, noisy, noisy. "Who was the nosiest person of us --- probably "you", who is "you"? I don't know, everybody point to someone."It can't be helped.

On the other hand, Yuki attend a golf competition and won the fifth prize. The prize a basket of fruit. "Wonderful".

Just I'll tell a funny story, until he ate it, he had thought something had been avocados.
"I" was a kind wife, so I always served him peeled and sliced La Fr acne ( we call pears like this). On the other hand I don't like avocado, so when he saw avocado, it is as a ingredient of SUSHI.

Though I wrote a long story, the thing is just he mistook La France for avocado.

Yesterday both of us were home, I was really tired, so got up lately. We went to a SUSHI restaurant, though he didn't eat avocado sushi. And we started cleaning in a closet.

"Finlay" we threw away two Hula-hoops that were used by my daughters whey they were ??? 8 or 9 years old. And other toys were thrown away.

This morning it was a collection day, we put lots of bags of garbage, and they were all gone without leftover that would be against the rule. These days the rule of recycle is strict. Sometimes it's difficult to dispose "toys". Actually some disposed toys are back of the garage. I have to throw them away on another day.

Today Yuki went to golf again with friends (today, it is not a competition day), I had one student in the morning. And now I'm updating this blog.

Tonight--- probably we 'll go out for dinner somewhere.

Well, Well, I almost forgot. Yesterday we had "hot wine", that is a little bit popular these days in Japan, -- not so ---good. I don't know the quality of wine was not good, or "hot wine" was not good, but Yuki prefers usual wine, and I prefer hot SAKE.

Did I tell you? I "can't" drink alcohol, just ship, but "hot" sake I "can" drink a little. So I thought "hot wine" I could have drunk.

Old scare stories in the world --- probably

Now, as you know, I'm at the PC. It is 1 o'clock in the afternoon, usually this time an adult woman comes to take my lesson (mostly we chat though.) Today she is absent, so I've started to use English by myself through the web.
Well, the question of the poll is that,Do you know these "scary" stories in the world?
These stories are introduced by a Japanese publish firm "FUKUINKAN", and of course for kids.
There are ten stories.
1 Frau Trude written by Grimm brothers
2 The singing Bone written by Grimm brothers
3 a lamp of the life; one of Greek old stories
4 the treasure of a ghost; British old stories
5 Perseus and the Gorgon one of Greek myths
6 a bride of Satan one of Russian old stories
7 vampire one of Russian old stories (the main character's name is Vanie)
8 the wolf man one of British old stories
9 Bluebeard written by Charles Perrault
10 a monster who can swallow anything; one of Russian old stories

No 3,4,5,6, 7, 8, 10 I don't know the English title. But anyway they are introduced as the scare stores in the world.
Unfortunately or fortunately ( I hate scare stories) I didn't know anything.

Well, Well, one of my favorite "scary" story is BANCHYO SARAYASHIKI.

The origin is a scary story, but this story is taken as a funny story (RAKUGO), I love the funny version.

It's autumn

The day before yesterday, Yuki and I put a hot-carpet on the floor in the living room. ( We use a hot-carpet instead of Kotatsu). And we changed spring & summer clothes into autumn & winter clothes in the wardrobe. Now our house is for autumn. (I don't take out winter sweater because I still keep thin long sleeved shirts in the wardrobe, but it is a just matter of time.)

Yesterday, Yuki went to golf and on the way home he dropped by a domestic vegetable farm's shop. He bought some fresh vegetables, and the seasonable citron "YUZU".

So it encouraged (I'm not sure it's a suitable word or not) my apatite.

As you might know, in Japan beef is more expensive than pork and chicken. And good quality beef or brand beef is really expensive.

That night I wanted to eat good quality beef. So in the evening we went to "the" department store to buy some good quality beef. (In this area, in my opinion, there is only a department store in this city.)

There we bought good beef at the butcher's shop, you can see it's not packed meat. Additionally in Japan most foods are sold in packs.

It's tiny thing, but now there are only two member in this house, so we can do it. But we are chicken hearted, so we were not able to buy the beef which costs more than 1000 yen per 100 gram.

Anyway I took out out hot-plate. It was trouble some to put away on the day. So this morning I baked pumpkin pancakes. I used the pumpkin pancake mix and add some cut pumpkin which I microwaved for a few minutes.