Winter break is starting!

Tomorrow in the evening I'm holding  an event, it is the last event of this year.
My students and my adult friends are coming.
And -- since they leave , my winter break will have started.

According to M (my younger daughter)'s schedule, she will come the day after tomorrow morning. (She wanted to come here tomorrow  evening, but I declined.)
So my winter break means  my family time. (Probably Yuki will be able to a day off the day after tomorrow.)

I'm grinning to my self.
Since my daughters left here, I've been suffering from empty nest symptom. Some one say I've already conquered. I think not yet, of course the symptom got really weak.
Probably since I left my regular job as an engineer, my life seems to have been spent with my daughters. Since they are left I seem not to find a "big" motivation on my daily life, though I enjoy my daily life being free from children.
So actually it is a happy news that they come to my house and stay with us.
On the other hand, I know it will make me tired, because I'm used to the current life with Yuki.

Anyway, though I a little bit earlier

Have a good new year!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!
For Yuki and me today Monday is a usual day.
How are you celebrating your Christmas? Or how did you celebrate it?

The day before Christmas Eve, it was holiday in Japan. So many events were held in this city.
It was a "holiday", so Yuki went to golf in the daytime, and I changed Christmas decoration into New Year's in my house. Because this week I will hold two events, so I wanted to organize my house into the style for welcoming a new year.

Anyway at the night of the Saturday, we went out to listen to a concert performed by Utsunoiya university which is a national university in this prefecture.

 

It was done at a large hall, and it was full of people who are from kids to senior.

 

The week before last we also went to a concert which was performed civic orchestra and civic choral society,--- it means the members are adults and half of them are senior. So the hall was full of people but they were adults or some families with small kids.

 

This time, many young people were there, so the atmosphere was completely different.

Anyway we enjoyed both of them.

And

 

Did you know that? The tickets of both were invitation tickets. Lucky me!

 

 

Christmas week !

This week is called (by myself) Christmas week!
Each class we make ---

 

 

They are elementary school student's, and junior high school students'.

 

High school students' are more artistic.

 

 

I'll make more three cooky houses today. And it is the last business of this year.

 

Well, I'll go out to take a massage at a massage clinic ---the cost is covered by my insurance.



 



season word 1221 citrus junos

 

I searched how to read "junos", it seems to be pronounced  "you-n-us". is it right?

And I also learnt. We call it YUZU. Its origin is China, but here in Japan it became popular. So according to an Oxford dictionary it is introduced its origin is Japanese.

 

And -- Yuzu used to call YU no Su and actually a few people use this name.

It means acid of Yuzu. --- this pronunciation seemed to be exported, and Yuzu is called citrus junos.

 

Here in Tochigi, many farmers grow Yuzu, so sometimes I get many for free, and sometime I buy them at very economical price. (I dare not to use the word "cheep")

I use them cooking, bating.

 

Bathing with Yuzu , full of aroma, (as if I were) a Japanese-style beautiful woman

 

 

In winter I always keep YUZU honey.

 

Yuzu honey, dried ginger, keep away us from a cold.

 

 

 

  

 

My English activity in December

Yesterday  I finished my English activity in December.
In the morning I introduced and read some English picture books and did some activities, with moms &kids and one lady who was coincidently  my acquaintance and a senior man.
It was a really  good time.

 

Then I went to a café  to have lunch.

 

Because there I had another meeting in the afternoon.

It was a good excuse for me to go out for my lunch.

 

In the afternoon, three ladies participated in my English chatting activity.

It took one hour.

After that  -- chatting time in Japanese started (it might have been the main.)

 

 

A lady was the last time to join us. And a lady was a new member to join us.

I adhered to this phrase

Those who come are welcome, those who leave are not regretted

I seem to get more matured.

I'm all thumbs!!

https://instagram.com/p/BcHmCe5nLfw/
I'm not sure you see this site.
Anyway I tried making these TOUFU onion rings.
And

They look completely different, though the taste was "perfect". I know I'm all thumbs!!
They are tasty while they are fresh which means "hot". On the other hand they are also tasty when they are eaten next day.
So I ate fresh one at night yesterday for my dinner.
And today I served the rest for our breakfast, though I warmed them with pan.



Today it is the day for me to do volunteering. I'll go out to the library in 30 minute.
And in the afternoon I hold an English chat meeting at a café. Probably it is the last time that one of my friend attends it. She and I'll go each way. -- It can't be helped.

seasoon word 1214 knitting

 

Oh, sorry, the photo is not good.

Knitting

Knitting is made by knitting yarn or the like with knitting needles or machine. In the winter many knitting tools are lined up when you go to a craft shop. Some people give hand-knitted scarves as Christmas presents.

Knit with white yarn, looking forward to seeing my first child,  her first dress

 

When I had the first baby "t", I was waiting for her birth knitting white yarn dress.

And -- for my second daughter "m", I knitted her cape with white yarn.

They were still kept in the closet. I wanted to let Ah-chan wear them. However she was born in summer, and they are yellow by age partly.

 

Knit a sweater, got a perfect score at high school, at Home Economic class

 

I'm not sure that you have a subject "home economic" at school.

Anyway I was not good at home economic at high school. At home economic, we learn cooking, sawing, fixing, etc.

I had to make  an outfit when I was a high schools student. In summer I made skirt, and in winter I knitted a sweater. It was the first and last experience I got a perfect score at Home Economic class.

 

I did it!

Yesterday it was the day of Karaku, it means I played the piano at Karaku café.
As I tell you, once a month I perform with Ms.U there. It is not a job, it is a kind of hobby for me, and for Ms.U it is a kind of volunteer work.

When we started to perform together, Ms.U was not so popular in Tochigi prefecture, however about 3 or 4 years ago, she didn't have not so much opportunity she performed. Nowadays she seems to be busy, to be asked to recital, to do MC. She extended her business from not only an acting word to reading stories, teaching, MC, etc.
Though she is busy, she enjoys the day of Karaku with me. I'm very happy.

Anyway without any cancel, I did it.

And before the end of this month, we will hold an event here in my house.
A new year is just around the corner beyond Christmas.

Yuki said " I did it !"

Well, well, I almost forgot to tell you, though I think it isn't necessary.
Did I tell you about our winter cleaning?
Here in Japan we have a tradition of winter cleaning instead of spring cleaning.
Probably we want to have a new year in new outfits, and clean houses. Nowadays it is said spring cleaning may be suitable in recent climate.

Once we used to turn over TATAMI mats or change TATAMI mats, re-cover SHOUJI paper --- I have the memory though I don't know I heled or not. These costumes are outdated.
Probably cleaning windows is only one thing to be kept.
However nowadays many new houses are  super-insulated houses. They have windows, but not so many, and not so big.
The older the houses are, the more windows they have.
Yes my house is more than 30 years old, and to prevent from coldness we attached some double windows. So -- there are  --I don't know how many we have.
Until last year we made the day of cleaning the windows on a day in December.
However last year after doing it, our shoulders hurt severely.  I think it caused my chronical stiff shoulder.
So this year we started cleaning the windows little by little. --- Mostly I did.
And before completing it, I came down with a cold , oh no, with sever allergy. So Yuki cleaned the last 6 pair of glasses. Yuki said "I did it! " proudly.

And our winter cleaning is almost finished, the one thing which is left is clean the ventilating fan in the kitchen. It is not so difficult.

Monday has started.

Now it is in the middle of December. A new year seems to be just around the corner.
Well, well, how was your weekend?
Today's diary is just my whining.

Last Tuesday, when I wake up, suddenly my back neck hurt. I know I'm suffering from a frozen shoulder called "fifty year -old shoulder" in Japanese ( of course if you are in your 60's, it is called sixty year-old shoulder), but my neck doesn't have hurt for more than  7 years ago.
And I also felt sick. I was going to a bone-setter where I used to go however I remembered that when a person feels hurts, they don't to anything, just apply cold or hot compress. Its cost is covered by our health insurance. It took one and 30 hour. and It cost 5800 yen.
So instead of going there, I took an acupuncture therapy which isn't covered by our insurance. The pain seems to be relieved a little, and I didn't feel sick.  Two days later I went to a bone-setter. Because I know I need to get massaged more. So I took 10-minute massage, and 10-minute hot compress treatment by electric gadget.
It cost 460yen.
And in this morning I went to the bone-setter again.
Now the back neck hurt seems to be relieved, however the pain of my left shoulder seems to be worse. I think I need to get  a massage and hot treatment constantly.

Additionally on Saturday I had to attend an one-day training program of my host English company.
Anyway I did it --- and -- suddenly my running nose didn't stop and I felt  heavy in my head. I thought I was finally caught by a cold.
Yesterday most of the day I was "sleeping" not just laying.

Oh, I'll almost forget. While I was sleeping, Yuki finished cleaning the windows of my house.
Our winter cleaning has finished --- no, one thing is left, clean the ventilator in the kitchen.

I had no high fever, just felt sluggish, and heavy in my head.
So today I went to a clinic.
The doctor said "your allergy seems to bet worse because of the coldness and dryness."
I thought autumn was finished so that I don't need to take medicine against allergy. It was wrong.

And both of the doctors said, if your hurt was not so sever, you should do exercise, and when you take medicine, you should do exercise inside to strengthen your immune system.

So from now I'll go out to do exercise in a gym, though I feel sluggish.

T's individual exhibhition

This year my elder daughter T was able to held her individual exhibition in Tokyo like the last year.
As I mentioned about T, I always recall that time I wrote her future on this blog when she was a high school student, and she was a college student. It means more than 10 years passed since I started writing this blog. Anyway she persuade her artist carrier supported by many people luckily.

The exhibition this time was hold in a small gallery. According to her only selected artists in the art world (well, well, the definition of the art world seems to be difficult, anyway it is a little bit different from a commercial art world) can hold their exhibition.
The gallery was very small, and probably it is difficult to be noticed by usual people.

Thanks to her, our family is able to be involved in such an interesting art world.
Additionally for 3-year-old Ah-chan gallery is a familiar word (in Japanese).
Additionally for my mother and my mother-in-law visiting such galleries are exciting.

This time, a big work may be bought by someone (now under negotiation)

She is almost 30, (according to her she is not 30 yet), she has no boy friend (probably), she doesn't earn enough money, she is not independent perfectly (she borrows a house and a parking lot from her grandmother --- she pays for it a little, while she gets pocket money from her).

What we can do is to watch her, and to support her  as much as we can.

season word 1207 radiative cooling

"Radiative cooling" seems too scientific  to use in a Haiku-poem.
When the phenomenon of  radiative cooling occurs, usually it frosts.
In Haiku word we use "frost descends (from the heaves)" as a winter word.
And as a autumn word, we use "gather dew".

We haven't had the first frost yet, even though we have had very cold morning.

Not frost descent, sever coldness, not to reach the pass

At the dawn of the day with frost, sounds of a mortar bike (for a delivery man of newspapers), GOKUROUSAM (thank you for your efforts)

This is "the" slow life for elderly women

Before I started Laugther Yoga at home, the  elderly women's lives I know are my mother's, my mother-in-law 's and  Ms.J ( she must say that I'm not a elderly woman).

My mother tends to immure herself in her house, my mother-in-law living in an elderly care center attends regular events which are hold at the center, even though she doesn't go out. And Ms. J is always active and do something more than me while she enjoys doing house chores including cooking, cleaning, and gardening.

 

One reason why I started laughter yoga was to offer a place for elderly people walk out.

HOWEVER --- the women who come to my laughter yoga seem to be very active, even though they don't go out far (because they don't drive themselves).

They are active so they come to my house.  Or they are afraid to get immured, so they come.

 

Usually three or four ladies come. They are in their 70's and their late 60's.

Two ladies live with their husbands, so there are just two members, and their relatives don't live near them. Though the other lady also lives with her husband, her son's family lives next door, and she and her husband usually care for their 4 grand children from the evening.

Despites of the number of their family, all of the ladies enjoy "cooking" while grumbling.

 

A lady said "I pickled a whole of Chinese cabbage".

I asked "Is it too big for you of two to eat it up?"

She said "It is Ok, of course fresh pickled Chinese cabbage tastes good, and too much pickled Chinese cabbage is also tasty when they are fried.

 

A lady said "I minced the all leaves of a big Japanese radish"

I asked "Was it troublesome? and can you eat it up?"

She said "listening to TV (not watching) , I did it, so it was not troublesome. And we always sprinkle some on the rice, so we take enough vitamin, and it is easy for us to eat it up."

 

The other lady said "I dried 5 Japanese radish".

I said "Wao-----"

 

All of tasks I mentioned are troublesome for me, however I have to reconsider my attitude.

 

going out alone on weekdays in November

Though just December has started, but I feel the end of this year is just around the corner.
Nowadays, on weekdays I try to study English constantly (it is another thing whether my English is improved or not) and try to go to the gym in the morning. And after lunch at home, I organize my lesson materials, voluntary works, and practice the piano. Three days of weekdays I have lessons from the evening. Another weekday I go out to do voluntary work, or play the piano at "the" cafe, or hold an event at home. And the other weekday I schedule to go to Tokyo to visit my mother. However visiting there is once or twice a month. So I have sometimes all-free day.

My daily life seems to be busy, active and meaningful, however I want to have more cultural time (not exercise time, I know the lack of exercise time though)

It might sounds good to chat with friends, or go out together, however, it is troublesome for me to schedule it. So I go out when I want to go out at ease.

In November, I went to three galleries in Utsumoniya.


The first one is a small gallery, which I knew on the advertisement on the newspaper.



I dropped by there.
It was small but very cozy.
Some regulars were chatting there, so I was going to go out quickly after short visit, however luckly "how about having tea together?" I was asked.
So  of course I enjoyed tea together.

Another one is an individual exhibition.
Last month I saw her group exhibition at a city facility, and had an interest. Then I got a advertise post card to this exhibition.
There some her friends were chatting. However she remembered me, so I also talked with her.
It was also good time.
And on the way home, I decided to have a tea at a gallery café.






It was a "café", however there were many regulars who were chatting.
So I hesitated to enter the café, but --- as I guess, I was asked "let's have tea together".

In the café , a small individual exhibition was held. The painter was there, she was 80, and though I didn't know that, she was a little bit famous in Utsunomiya, so to celebrate her individual exhibition some (Utsunomiy) cultural figures gathered there.
I got new information there. Lucky me.
And it is a café, so I ordered 400-yen fruit tea, however lots sweets was served.

story hour at a temple

Though it is already December, let me tell you a story hour which was hold in November at a nearby small temple.

 

 

Luckily we had an opportunity to the nearby temple to attend a story hour.

The words shrines and temples are familiar words for Japanese people, but we don't associate with them.

We visit a shrine when we celebrate something, for example to celebrate Ah-chan three-year old anniversary we visited a shrine.

And two years ago when M's mother in-law passed away, we visited a temple.

So except special occasions, we seldom visit a shrine or a temple -- oh, except the famous shrines or temples as tourist spots.

 

Usually small temples seems to be closed by their Buddhist parishioners. However this time I saw this poster in front of the temple, and they invite anyone. So we went out.

The opened main hall to the event. We could see Buddhist statues and listened to the main monk's lecture.

 

It was a good opportunity.

It cost 2000 yen.

Yuki and I talked about the price. The event was good, and it was a good opportunity to enter the main hall.

And the reciter seems to be a little bit popular in this area. So probably the cost is suitable, or inexpensive. Because the reciter usually holds her story hour at the same cost.

 

I asked Yuki whether he would go to her story hour which is hold at a hall or café at the same cost.

The answer is "no".

 

So we had a good time in common at this temple.

 

Season word 1130 duck hot pot

 

I think "duck hot pot" is not so familiar. Probably when you travel to mountain areas and stay in an Japanese inn, Duck hot pot may be served.

 

However "KAMO NANBAN" is familiar in this season. I love it.

It is "duck & green leek  soba noodle."

In this article, NEGI is translated as Welsh onions", I usually use "green leek".

And you might have heard "green onion". Green onion is usually "thin" NEGI.  Green Leek, and Welsh onions are thick.

 

Well, well, do you know the following?

Duck & Green leek soba is called KAMO NANBAN.

KAMO is duck.

And NANBAN is Negi,

 Why we call Negi Nanban?

I was really surprised to know the reason. In Edo period, the first European people came to Japan. They loved Negi. So Japanese people call Negi Nanban. Nanban means foreign countries which is in Europe.

 

Kamonanban   Grilled Negi smell   bring me smile.

Kamonanban   Old edo sound still leaves  in the word