Consecutive holidays have started.

From early morning the stoves were busy.

So our breakfast was very simple. 

However, we enjoyed some kinds of jam, such us unsweeten peanut butter, spicy jam, apple butter, and carrots jam.

I did pre-cooed dishes for three adults including me and Akari.

Usually the pre-cooked dishes are for me. I have lunch and dinner for myself on weekdays. It's troublesome to cook something for me, so I prepare pre-cook dishes on weekends. This time, probably I won't have enough time to cook dinner because we must go out somewhere in the daytime. 

So I prepared them for Yuki, our younger daughter M, Akari, and me.

I hope my condition will keep  good. To tell the truth, because of the daily change of temparcher I feel sluggish. Though I had slight fever this morning, now I don't seem to have it.

I applied my ordinal aroma oil to encourage me.

Well it's almost time to pick them up at the station.

How to use 'the things'

Do you remember my old stamps and handmade photo-post cards?
I try recycleing and reusing them.

I applied for a prize. If I win it, i can get a free pair- ticket to a concert which fee is 1000yen per person.

Well, our consecutive holidays has started. Today it is only day for Yuki to go golfing by himself. He has already gone out. (Now it's around 8 AM). And it is only day for me to be lazy and relax after doing house chores and organizing a room for Akari.

Homemade sangria

I made my original sangria recycling the bottle which was bought as sangria at a spice shop in TOKYO.

It was delicious. On the back there is a level which shows the ingredients, though it doesn't show the percentage of each ingredients.

Anyway I bought same ingredients on the net. (The shop doesn't sell it on the net, yet.)

 



 

 

cinnamon, all spice, cloves, apple piece, pomegranate, and lemon peer.

 

And I bought reasonable red wine for about 500 yen.

 

The cost is 2320yen.

==== I bought the sangria at 100 0 yen without wine. So if I made one two and three times more, it is worth, and I do it.

 

 

My leisure time and cost

If you are British man (probably not only British, but also most not-stingy people), you might frown seeing the title. Cost???

 

Anyway let me proceed today's blog.

As I told you, this year the number of my students decreased. It means I have more leisure time, and I have less pocket money. When I re-started working, all money used to be used to educate my daughters, mainly clam school fee. Since they left home, the money I earn is used for visiting Tokyo (to meet my mother and my daughters) and for myself. These days something for my grand daughter is added on the list.

 

I know a homely adage, "no work, no pay". I've worked hard as a housewife, so it's not suitable for me --- however do you know such a saying "no work, no play".

So I need to readjust my leisure time. To readjust it, I decided to recognize how much I use for my leisure.

 

This week, I went to the movies by myself. Once a month I go to the movies to see a curious movie in a small theater.  This time I watched a Hungarian movie with subtitled. It was really interesting, because this movie was made on the base of a Japanese old story in "Nasu" area. Nasu is northern of Tochigi. So some of scenes are taken in Tochigi. And I heard some Japanese in the movie. 

 

 

The sad thing was --- it was not so famous, and in the morning for this week we can see in this small minor theater.

So --- there were only two audience including me. It cost 1000 yen. Additionally I need to pay 500 yen for a parking lot nearby. (They don't have a parking lot.)

 

On the way home, I dropped by a department store and bought some bottle of aroma oil.

And make ----

This is my ordinal deodorant which consists of sodium and some kinds of aroma.
It's getting hot, so I need shoe & sock deodorant for Yuki and other boys' students.
It cost 1750 yen.


Oh, I almost forgot. This Tuesday I went to do hot-yoga. It cost 300 yen.
So this week I spent 6250 yen for my leisure time.

A lady came and went back to Nepal

This weekend, a lady came and stay with us.

Our house is not a hotel, just a usual house. So I did what I could do.

I cleaned the room and organized such goods for her.

I knew she is a vegetarian, though she didn't seem to be so strict. (If she were a strict vegetarian, she wouldn't have stayed with a stranger's house) 

She was  --- (when we met her and she was introduced to us, I knew this truth,)  Amila  Dari, who is a famous person in Nepal to support poor kids and Nepal ladies. However for us she is just a lady like me, though she is little bit older than us.

If you are interested in her activity, check this website.

 

http://lovegreennepal.org.np/

 

She took 9 elementary school students who live in Nepal mountain areas. It means they are unfortunately all poor. I don't know whether they feel themselves poor. However these days most of kids around in the area finally could start going to school. The schools are supported by her group financial supported by FIDR organization supported mainly YAMZAKI-bread company in Japan.

And this time she took 9 elementary school students to Japan to show them developed country Japan.

All students got new clothes, bags, shoes, etc --- because this plan was supported by FIDR and MOFA.  It means this total budget of this plan cost more than 5milion yen.

They toured from OOSAK, KYOTO, TOKYO, and last come to Utsunomiya to experience home-staying.

She seemed to be very tired because ten-day touring with kids must be very hard.

She said "this night finally I would go to bed without worrying kids."

So she went to bed early. (We went out to eat nearby.)

Next morning I served branch, mainly vegetables.

And joined one family with Nepal kids.

We had a good and exciting weekend.

 

Do you know pavlova?

This is an Australian picture book. In this book "three" traditional Australian sweets appear.

One is  --- not sweets,  vegemite, and the others are

pavlova and lamington. About pavolova it is also said the origin is in New Zealand.

 

I'd like to use this book for an event "Australian afternoon tea".

==== do you like Natto? vegemite is as well as natto, so usual native people like their traditional foods, but usually other people dislike them. It means I know vegemite and marmite.

Wandering the subject, when an New Zealand boy stayed with us for two weeks, he had tried having various Japanese foods, however he gave up to take rice as lunch to school. (He went to school for one week with lunch box) And he asked me to make simple "marmite sandwiches". At that time I knew marmite and vegemite. -- Unfortunately I couldn't accept the taste.

 

Anyway I can vegemite here.

And --- I can lamington in Tokyo, of course buying one is very expensive because it is sold at a bakery in Tokyo it's fresh sweet, so I can't buy one on the net. I need to go to Tokyo. so it costs high. However I know the taste, so it's OK to cook it by myself. And lamington is usually homemade sweet.

The problem was the last one, pavlova. I've never tasted it, though it doesn't seem to be difficult to make it by myself.

 

 

Finally here in Utsuomiya  at a new café they serve pavlova, and we can take it.

They are separated, so I have to combine them.

Usually pavlova has lots of fresh fruits -- according to the book.
So I put some frozen pineapple.

Now I see the light to open the event.
In addition, I wish some Australian would join the event.

Ayu-meshi

As you know, our main food is rice.
And, as you know (probably) it's a popular word "obentou".

When kids go on a excursion, their mothers make Obentou for them.
Though there is a cafeteria I. Some high school, many high school students take Obentou to school for their lunch.

When my daughters were in the junior high school, and high school , I always used to make two Obentou.

Some wives make Obentou for their husbands to keep the husbands'helathnin good shape, or to save money,
Some ladies make Obentou.


And when we travel on train, buying local Obentou at a station , which is called Ekiben , is one of  pleasures of travel.


Well well , here Utsunimiya station is one of stations where bulletin tratin runs. So there are some minds of Ekiben. Tochigi is famous form tochigi-meat, rice, and -----


Yesterday, I went to Oyama (not Tokyo) to attend a meeting. I need to take Obentou   So I decided to buy Ekiben at Utsunomiya station. I hardly have an opportunity to but Ekiben at Utsunomiya staion.

So I did it.
I could buy Ayu meshi which is sold just three box a day.

Ayu is a fish living in "clear" water, and it is famous in Tochigi where the have lots of clean rivers.

Recycling

This weekend, I did a weekly chore of "throwing 15 things away".
This time the follow thing is included.
The local newspaper branch collect some items and sent them into Myanmar.
They collect T-shirts, shoes, succor balls, notebooks, pencils, and erasers.

I have hold ( a little bit expensive) B-pencils. My students and I often use pencils, but we use HB pencils, ( it means No.2 pencils.) So I decided to donate them.
I have hold fancy erasers, they are too fancy to be used. --- So I decided to donate them.

In the morning I'm going to the branch to take them.
 

I also did a weekly pre-cooking.

My house chores are finished.
Today I'm going to the newspaper branch and the library --- I'll spend a calm day to keep my power. Because next Monday and Tuesday I'll be almost out all day.

Staying at home

Today, I stay at home all day. My lesson starts at 4:00 and finishes at 10:00.

I got up at usual time 6:30, cooked breakfast with my husband.
He went to work at 8:20.
And I did doing the dishes, doing the laundry, wiping the floor and toilet while baking these cookies for my snack.

 

I'll tell you my day in chronological order. You may not be interested in it, however writing it prevent me from being lazy, though being lazy is not so bad.

 

 

It's 10 o'clock.

I have started reviewing English vocabulary. I  take 25-minute skype English lesson.

 

It's 11 o'clock.

I have to prepare lesson for high school students of next week.

Now, it's12:20.

Lunch time, though I just put the pre-cooking dishes into a plate.

The pre-cooking dishes for this week have gone.

The top of rice is Natto.

Now it's almost 2:00.
I have done my preparation. So I need taking a nap for a while.

 

Now it's past 3:00.

My napping time is finished.

I took in the laundry. (I don't have an automatic washing machine.)

After 30 minutes' practicing the piano, students will come in turn.

I've already prepared a rice ball as my supper.

The last lesson is finished at 10:00.

 

This week is almost finished without no problem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to cope with stress?

I found an interesting report in Japanese. Let me try to share the information.

Do you know your blood type? Jalnese people like to talk about our blood type, so probably sometimes,we ask or asked saying what is your blood type? Because we can guess our character from our blood type. Of course I don't know whether it's true or not. However, I think it is prone to be right.

The person whose blood type is A is usually diligent,and sensitive.

The person whose blood type is O is usually easygoing and optimistic.

The person whose blood type is B is usually seeking freedom, disliking group activities.

The person whose blood typdmAB has usually combined character with A And B, and sometimes they are considered unique (in good meaning and bad meaning).

Well well on the report the way to release stress is introduced according to blood type.

The people with blood o 

Their origin is hunting people. So to release stress, exercise is necessary.

They are optimistic ,so they try to do without contemplating .

They tend to act on instinct .

Exercising, and doing something actively are the suitable way to be against stress.

The people with B

The origin is nomad.

They are good at making network however they dislike to be binded. They keep their own way or own time.

So sleeping well or sometimes taking long sleep is necessary to release their stress.

Sleeping makes their inside clocks reset.

Well well I laughed at seeing this report.

My blood type is O. However I dislike exercise I'm not a outgoing person.

On the other hand I sometimes hear that if you try some things you dare not to do, you may encounter a new world and get more energy.

--- anyway I went to gym for exercise. 

And the other members of my family are all with B.

And three of them like sleeping, especially the younger daughter always say "I'm good at forgetting bad things through sleeping at night"

Are you interested in this report?

 

recycled cards???

When my daughters were junior high school students and high school students, both of them belonged to a photo club. At that time they borrowed a usual camera ( it means they are not digital cameras) , and they developed the film by themselves at school. Of course the photos were black and white because developing color film was difficult at the point of budget and skills.

We(my daughters and I)  have already threw away lots of photos, but I kept some? many  photos.
What should I do?
Well, well, as I told you one of my weekly chores (not habits) is throwing 15 things away.

A idea came up
These photos are little bit bigger than usual photo size, and even the size of postcards. So I cut them into the same size of post cards.
So -- I try to recycle these photos as post cards.
To who, to which do I send these cards?

First I applied for a prize using "the" old stamps which I mentioned about in my previous diary.

 

 

Today I'll go to Karaku to play the piano. Have a good day!

the flower of KATAKURI

Have you ever heard or seen KATAKURI flowers? In English it is called Erythronium japonicum, (according to a botanical dictionary) and usually grows in mountains.

Yesterday Yuki and I visited a private forest where it takes 40 minutes drive from our house.

The forest is open to the public only for ten days in this season.

It's difficult to show KAKAURI with my cell phone.

 

I took a photo closing to a flower.

They serve these woods for free. So we took two pieces.

Of course they are for Akari.  Probably she will come this consecutive holidays called golden week.

 

A usual day 0407

Today finally I'm spending a usual day.

Last Sunday I attended Toastmaster's area contest as one of organizers.

And last Tuesday I held one-day English picture library at home.

 

Though both of events were fun, they made me tired.

I respect teachers, because after they organized school concerts, one day school excursion, or sports day, they do usual lessons at school on the next day.

 

Anyway after one day lazy day, I'm spending a usual day.

I did usual morning house chores, studied English a little, and went to a gym for one-hour workout (including stretching).

 

And I cooked this lunch.

 

 

Now it's 13:41.

I'll study English again (writing this blog in English is included ), and 30 minute practicing the piano (next Tuesday is the day of a pianist), --- and probably I'll take 30 minute nap.

 

around 5:15 high school students will come in turn. My work will finish at around 9:45.

 

I'm enjoying a usual calm day.

 

big success!

I was very very surprised! The event "one day English picture library " was finished with a big success.

 

In the morning, my students who are in elementary school (now they are in the spring vacation), two families with babies  and infants came.

So though it was a library it seemed to be a playing  room.  My students took care the small kids very well using "Akari's" toys.

 

 

 

In the afternoon two women, and the other two women with their kids who are in elementary school came. The women enjoyed tasting Turkish coffee and Indian chai, while kids were browsing English picture books and playing with "my English lesson tools".

And in the evening two women came.
Finally I spent a "nicety" time.

Well, well, I've always want to be called "Madam Mieko".  However "aunt Mieko" always suits to me.
Oh, this is a Japanese way of thinking. -- the difference between madam and aunt.
I hope you understand what I want to say.

One day libray of English picuter books

Now I've opened the entrance door, it is the day of "one day library of English picture books".

I'll serve visitors Turkish coffee and Turkish sweets which were sent from my Turkish friend.

 

Before serving visitors, Yuki and my breakfast was started with Turkish coffee.

It didn't have enough bubbles. -- no problem, it's a practice.

This is kids' corner.

This is for studying corner,

Though I posted broachers to my neighborhood, I didn't any reaction like a call. It doesn't matter.
For me doing this event is meaningful. Why I do such a thing? I'm asking to my self. To get profit??? of course if I got some profit, I would be happy. To make a cozier community???? probably yes.
Without driving I want to have a place to communicate with others and get some cultural things at a reasonable cost. ---  I don't know how much is a reasonable cost.

I don't know how many people come. However to prepare this event, I was able to contact with some new people, so this event has already succeeded.
Today, I'm just sitting lazily without doing things.

 

 

This weekend

 Though it was a little bit earlier to see full of cherry blossoms, we (Yuki & I) went to see cherry blossoms in Hachiman-yam ( a kind of hill) park early morning. This year we were able to see cherry blossoms in April.
It is said for Japanese people the time seeing cherry blossoms is to pause and reflect on our lives.
Actually seeing this scenery always remains us our childhoods and the days with my daughters, and our guests.
We enjoyed just 10 minutes viewing there and (it was too cold to be there because it was before 7 o'clock in the early morning), had morning-set at a café. 

And we went to a concert.

Did you know that April 2 was the world autism awareness day.

So a concert was held in the center of the city.  Many listeners were families and those with disorder. My friend has been helping to organize these concerts for more than 10 years.

And I attended as a helper to Toastmaster's area concert held in Utsunomiya.

Our Utsuomiya Toastmaster's club was host.

4 Toastmaster clubs came from Nigata, Ashikaga, Sendai, and Gunma prefectures.

(Yuki played golf)

 

Busy weekend was finished.!
Tomorrow I'll open one-day English picture library at home.
I hope some people will come here!