How to use the skunk scent

Some people must be laughing, saying "Why Mieko bought such a silly stuff!".

OK, I'll show you the way.
This season I read this book to kids and some adults. "We're going on a leaf hunt". The kids in the book go on a picnic picking up colorful leaves.

And when they reach the field for lunch, suddenly a skunk shows up.

So they , of course, run away because they afraid of the stink smell.

We can imagine, but for us skunks are "cute" animals. So this scene doesn't show reality to us.

Here I use the spray. Do I spray it? Never, I know the bad smell. I put some tissue in the plastic bag, and put one or two drop on the tissue.

Everybody said "Stink" ---- this is the word I wanted.

Well, well, is my reading finished? No, I'm a "kind" teacher, I never finish with bad smell.

I make colorful trees with paper
On the paper we draw some colorful dots with crayons or put some colourful beads. And look the back of the tree.

I put some "HINOKI" that grows only Japan and Taiwan chips on the back of the tree.

A student said "Smell like a forest"--- this phrase is another one what I wanted.


That's it.

I planed a bus tour for this winter vacation.

Now, it is about 10:30 AM. I finished arrangement for this winter vacation.

On New Year's Day, we "have to" attend Yuki's reunion meeting. And usually before New Year's Eve, my family and my mother go somewhere. The other day she asked me, "where are we going to go out this year?" My daughters asked me, "When do I have to be free?"

So, I was thinking for these days --- her legs (My mother hurt leg this spring. It's now OK, but she doesn't walk so quickly), my health condition, and budget.

This year I planned to take a bus-tour to go sightseeing in TOKYO.

Yuki and I were born in TOKYO, but we don't sight see TOKYO very little, probably when we were elementary school students, we went sightseeing in TOKYO as a lesson of social studies.

My mother has lived in TOKYO since she was in the university. She has been to old TOKYO, but she doesn't know current TOKYO. And my daughters who live in TOKYO now, both of them they don't know historical TOKYO sites, such as emperor palace, YASUKUNI shrine, or the Diet building. So it is an appropriate time to sightseeing in TOKYO, isn't it?

Well, Well, before winter vacation, my students and I am going to do a big craft for Christmas. Before a big craft ( do you remember? it is annual apple pinata), I made a small craft with some because -- blue trees?

My students ask me"Why blue?" --- the answer is "Because I stock green sheet for you."

Housekeeping books

Do you do your household accounts? I do, though I don't know whether it is useful or not to save our money.

Anyway I do, and I usually renew the books in December, now I got two books for 2011 fiscal year.

Until few years ago, or when my daughters were here, we used cash mainly, so I kept the track of cash that went in and out. When we use credit card, usually we paid luxury things by credit card.

These days, I often use credit cards, even when I buy some grocery at a supermarket. So I need to control to use credit cards.

I bought two books, one is to keep the track of cash. It is green one. The title says "just put receipts ." Probably it will be easier for me to jot down what I bought. These days I don't need to hand out aimless money, allowance or entertainment allowance to my daughters, and stop it to YUKI. or when he needs some extra money, I always jot down the purpose.

The other is the book for credit cards. It is easy to put together the invoice and receipts.

Anyway I hope I can keep the habit.

a long-forgotten boy

The other day Yuki and I dropped by a convenience store. As soon as I got off the car, a young man in gold hair (of course he dyed his hair) with some big accessories called out me to wait, yes, he looks like an up-to-date young man (it means he doesn't seem like a businessman).

The young man "H******-san?"
Me "Who are you?"
The young man "I'm Mah-kun."
Me "Really, are you the Man-kun? Long time no see you, probably more than 15 years passed since we've met you. What do you do? Why you noticed us? How's your family?-------"
Suddenly my old memories came back in my mind with my curiosity.

He thought probably I would be Ms.H******-san, and my husband was the same of the Mr.H****** in his reminder.
----well, well, it means only I'm getting older???? Well I'll continue the main story.

Mah-kun had lived in our neighborhood until about 12 years ago. Since my daughters were born, he used to come to my house and to play or make fun with my daughters. His smile was really cute, so we couldn't dislike him even he sometimes did bad things--- yes he used to be an usual naughty child.
When he became a junior high school student, he began to become a delinquent (not real delinquent, it means he didn't dishonesty acts, looked like a delinquent but he used to be kind to our daughters.) Unfortunately his family was separated, and he moved to somewhere with his mother. Since then we didn't meet him. and of course his family.

But, he who was in front of us was a good young man. I said
"You became a nice adult, I'm really happy to see you."
Actually "we" (Yuki and I) were really happy to see Mah-kun, and We're really relieved to see him become a nice adult.
He was with his girl friend, the girl friend looked like a cute and smart lady. It made us also happy.

Now he was 27, --- we thought probably when we met him at the first we were in the same of him. We're getting order, and Mah-kun is grown-up.

I made it

Did I tell you? This summer I got homemade smoked MASU(spring salmon). They were really delicious, so I thought if I would make something smoked at home --- and I bought it after the summer, and it was on the shelf.

Finally I have used it.

I tried to make smoked TARA (cod) with SAKURA chips.

Well-Done.

After that we enjoyed the smoked-cod, and pretend to enjoy the expensive whiskey, actually both of us don't like it very much, it's too strong. But we enjoy the luxurious atmosphere.

Well, Tarrah some window clings are still on a window between the living room and sun room, they were made when , I forgot, probably my daughters were 5 or 6 old years.

Sunday is almost over

Today, it was a really warm day in the daytime, now --- it's getting cold.
Well, this afternoon, I went to the library nearby to read some picture books to people. After tan announcement about 25 people came to a marrow reading room. I introduced Thanks giving day through this book.


BUT, unfortunately I forgot an important thing. Yuki went back from America with a toy turkey and sweets. (though I wanted a turkey shaped wreath)

In Japan we seldom see real turkeys, I heard they are in Ueno-Zoo in Tokyo.

And one thing didn't make it in time, though in the first I ordered it too late. What is "it". It is ----skunk scent. My friend founded where I would get it, and I ordered a bottle of skunk scent, and a bottle of acorn skunk. The last book I read today was "we're going on a leave haunt". The ending is everybody runs away as soon as they see skunk. Of course I wouldn't spray this scent, just I would put one drop on a tissue, and pass the tissue among the audience.
When I got home, a postman delivered them. What a shame!

On the other hand I took HINOKI chips, the tree of Hinoki is said to grow in Japan and Taiwan, the scent is very familiar as wonderful scent.

Well, now I have to prepare today's supper, Yuki bought WASABI-leaves. They are not leaves of WASABI, probably Wasbi-taste-grass. I'll make salad, and today's main is spaghetti with home made meat sauce.

See you tomorrow.

P.S

To tarra

This is the last item of Kitty -chan, it is now a bag for my "lunch box".

An Apple Bread

This morning I baked Apple bread for my adult lesson of today and for my breakfast. A few minutes ago, my student called me to cancel this lesson. What a shame!

Today I also get a new book for her, the title is abc teatime story book.

On the a page, there is a short message in English, and an interesting issue is written in Japanese.

"An apple girl has a teatime. Her friends four ants bring some muffins."

The author is not only a illustrated book writer but also a owner of a tea room.

Sounds wonderful, it is one of my dreams to open a cafe with playing the piano and reading picture books. --- though it is one of my dreams, it includes all of my hopes.

And Additionally I got this binned ginger tea syrup.

So today's lesson appetizer would have been perfect -- What a shame!

It's OK, tomorrow morning Yuki is here. So we will share them with us, though it is MOTAAINAI. (Some one must know this meaning.)

a blog about disposal

First let me start a little bit long preface, --if you are not Japanese, you wouldn't like it though.
I know some people call our usual size of Japanese houses "rabbit houses". I agree with you, and many stuff are crammed into them, some houses are not though.
And now most of Japanese family are nuclear families, and they are becoming senior nuclear family. So after their passing away, their young families have often trouble to put away their parents house. The young families have their own houses, so they don't need most of their parents stuff. --- Actually it is the last job as children to do their parents.

Well, well, so some young families started to think, it is too late to start tiny up the rooms when they become senior. So now "disposal" is getting popular little by little. Actually Yuki and I started, and I noticed the current popular wave of disposal. In the newspaper, or magazines we often see the word of disposal, not "tiny up", not "not to buy", not "recycle". --"disposal".

Yesterday, now main diary has started, I saw an interesting topic on a Japanese blog-net. Of course the topic is "disposal". And on net, the blogger write the items they disposed on the day.
A blogger said
Today's item 1 clear file, 3 catalog books, and 1 big cardboard box.

Isn't it interesting?

Today's conclusion is like that
4 cans op food that my mother-in-law gave us a few years ago,
3 photo albums (I chose some photos, and add them to another photo album.)

quiet weekdays and weekend

I feel like on the wave, though I haven't surfboarded. I ran a little bit high fever. Now I'm OK, but I'm at home quietly.
I'm not a good teacher, I always say "My dear students, if you sneeze more than tree times, please be absent from the class. I don't catch your cold."

On the other hand when I catch a cold without sneezing, or running nose, I do my lessons. Until now, fortunately or fortunately no one has been absent from the class.
Anyway the prescribed medicine worked quite well, but I didn't have a confidence to go out by bullet train. So I'm afraid that I had to cancel to see a Japanese dance recital that my important friend took part in, I prepared KIMONO for this day. Why KIMONO? I just thought wearing KIMONO at the recital , even though I'm one of audience, it's really appropriate attire.

Well, apple season has come. The first kind of apple is KOUGYOKU. One of my friends brought them. First I thought I would make jam, but it's troublesome or I'm week, so I eat a whole of apple, it's sour but really tasty. Did you already make this year apple jam?

What I am doing while I'm at home quietly, browsing websites or taking a nap.

Among a group, they discussed or morned about Japanese young people. "Why recent Japanese young people don't have any ambitious aim!" (CNN news;Twin Tale: Rising China, Japan's　setting sun)
Partly it might be true, but not all of them. Some young people try to do something even though they will not be able to escape foreign countries. These days I think to let them be ambitious or to keep their ambitious aim, senior people show their active life through working and enjoying hobby, not only earning money. So I wouldn't have missed today's lecture in the morning --- but I'M still at home quietly.

Active weekend

Though I'm suffering coughing and cracking voice, I'm getting back my active power.
Last Saturday, it was very warm day, so in the morning Yuki and I went to go "the" bagel shop that takes about 30 minutes from here by car. After that we looked for a restaurant that was in more remote country area. Unfortunately we didn't make a lunch reservation, so just we confirmed the place. (All tables at the restaurant was booked.)
While I was taking nap in the afternoon Yuki went to practice tennis, and in the evening we went to a classical concert.
We heard a top full orchestra in Japan. It is a rare opportunity for "the first class" and "full" orchestra to come to such a city. And for the first time in years, or for the first time for Yuki, we heard Pictures at an Exhibition composed by Mussorgsky.

It was wonderful. Even for Yuki who usually starts to take a nap as classical music starts was impressed their performance. After that we dropped by a domestic restaurant nearby, and had late dinner talking with the master at the restaurant.

Yesterday, last Sunday, Yuki went golfing, on the other hand I went to a jam factory in the countryside with my neighborhood by car and had a wonderful tea time there.







And today, I had a meeting in the day time. When I came home at about 4, Yuki already came home. A big meeting was canceled so he came back. It was an usual thing, and very lucky thing for us. Because We (or I) had wanted to go a Jazz tea room on Monday, because we heard that on Monday evenings customer could play there. So we went there, and of course we played.

On the way home we dropped a "department store" and bought some delicatessen on sale because it was almost close. And we had good and easy dinner at home.

Good night.

A new sign

Today, it is a holiday in Japan, but Yuki went to work as usual, his holiday is usual weekends.
It is really "warm", it means for some people it is "hot". As Yuki goes to work, so it is a usual day for me. It means I have lessons. But some students don't come because of their family event.
This morning, I "weeded" and "cleaned" my garden, and I put this new sign in front of my house.

The sign says "Today, it is a day to open my English books and English picture books. If you are interested in them, please feel free to drop. charge 500 yen for coffee

It was just my first adventure, my first trial. I don't count on coming people, because I didn't advance it anywhere.

But -- one woman came, she was the neighbor. "What have you started this time, Mieko-san?" And she came with her home made sweets and a pot of coffee for guests we don't count on.
Anyway we spend a wonderful day together with tasty sweets & coffee and chatting. Unfortunately she is not interested in English books. BUT it's OK. She said "When someone come to your house to see your books, I will be in charge of kitchen."

Well, I'm not sure whether I put this sign on some regular basis, but I want to do use my English books "effectively" without using my power.

Of course I want to improve my English skill, so it is necessary to keep insatiable desire inside of me. (Does it make sense??? "insatiable" is a new word for me."
On the other hand, without voluntary spilt or financial things, I want to enjoy something through "English" with ease.

Anyway today I had a good daytime. Well, my students come!

SAMGETAN

I don't know what do you call this dish, it is one of famous Korean dish.

A pot food of whole of chicken, did I cook it? Absolutely "no".

It is a retort food, Yuki went to a "special" shop to buy it.

In America and Canada, you celebrate Thanksgiving with "huge" turkeys. This food lead me to a night of Thanksgiving dinner.