continuation of yesterday

 

Though Yuki couldn't see the bird, today I saw this bird coming.

Do you know the name of it?

Well, probably he or she is too big to enter the nest box Yuki made.

 

Today　it was the day of Laughter Yoga at my house.

Three senior ladies joined it, and we had a very "amusing " time.

 

And in the afternoon, other two ladies came and three of us enjoyed playing the recorder.

 

So I prepared this "cheery blossom" cream cheese mousse.

 

Gardening has started.

Yesterday's afternoon ( it was Sunday) we were at home.
And it was really warm day  --- So Yuki started to organize the garden.

He broke an old wood shelf, and cut some branches.
On the other hand, I took some died plants, and put some green plants --- (parsley,  herbs, and so on)



 

In April, the gardener (We always ask him to trim the trees in our garden) is going to come, after his work, my garden work will have started. It means I will start some plants directly in the ground.

 

On the other hand, Yuki suddenly built? put this one.

Sorry, this photo was taken against the sun.
Anyway it is too eye-catching???, isn't it?
I hope some birds would come.

Yesterday's afternoon we had a calm time after so long.

Season word 0322 skylark

"Skylarks" which is called "hibari" seem to be familiar birds. I know the Japanese word, and I see the word in Japanese picture books, like sparrow.  However rethinking of the word, I haven't seen them, I haven't heard of them. Fortunately here we see lots of wild birds though the number is decleasing. Sparrow, hark, ------- . I am not familiar with the birds name, but I have seen lots of popular birds which are usually mentioned from the mouth --- except hibari.

Hibari sings, I know only the phrase, brings enough spring smell

New bird house , we wish hibari would come , while waiting for warm spring 

Yuki, built this one.

Did you know about " international meat ball day"?

I read this article, and it made me very surprised.
Meatballs around the world from VOA news

Did you know that "March 9 is a day to celebrate the  meat ball, it is "international meat ball day".

I googled in Japanese, however I didn't find anything related meat balls.
March 9 is the day to issue the first commemorative stamps. So it is "the day of commemorative stamps"  --- according to Japan post
Or March is pronounced "san" and 9 is pronounced "kyu", so it is the day of ZA(sa)KKOKU" (millet) according to Japan millet association. It's a play on words.

For me, meat balls are meat balls.
And I agree with that meat balls are a common dish in the world, though there are various way to cook.

What do you think about these 5 questions?

1. What do you think about International Meatball Day?
It is the first time to hear that. It is interesting. I'm afraid that no butchers, or no supermarkets  advertised the day

2. Do you like meatballs? If so, have you ever made them at home? If not, why not?
Meatballs are "meat balls".  When I cook ground meat, I always think that which I should make, hamburger stakes or meat balls.
3. Which of the meatballs featured in the article would you most like to try? Why?
I know that "Swedish meat balls are famous as a traditional dishes in the country".
However I prefer meatballs with tomato sauce to ones with white sauce.


4. Does your country have its own kind of meatball? If so, please describe it.
Though I told you that meat balls are meat balls. However yes, we have one traditional kind of meat balls, which are called TSUKUNE. They are chicken meat balls. The ingredients are ground chicken, green onions, ginger, a little bit soy sauce, and cornstarch.  Tsukune is usually grilled.

5. How would you explain the worldwide popularity of meatballs?
The ingredients are easy to get in any countries. So it is easy to make meat balls for everyone.
It naturally bring the popularity of meatballs, doesn't it?

dry! dry! dry!

I steamed sweet potatoes, and sliced them ( I couldn't slice them thinly)

 

 

Then I dried them. I also dried sliced fresh Japanese radish.

Done!

 

I took them to my mother, She was very surprised and glad to get them.

Now julienned (shredded) carrots are being dried. 

 

 

The leaves are loquat leaves in my garden.

To save money and to spend healthy natural live, I've started using the leaves.

season word 0316 thank-you party for teachers

Do you hold such a party when your children graduate from school?

I have  1,2,3,4,5 and six experiences of thank-you party for teachers.

At kindergarten I have had twice.

One was with my elder daughter , in this case I participated and helped other mothers, because I was a lower-level or junior mother.

And as you guess the other one was  with my younger daughter, and in this case I "arranged " the event as one of senior mothers (or upper-level mothers). I played piano.

Same situation occurred, at elementary school.

My daughters went different junior high school.

Both of there officers of the parent and teacher association were selected in a lottery.

Fortunately or unfortunately  I was selected as a officer at each junior high school. So I arranged the events in the background. There were some semi-professional performers (musicians, artists), but no one performed.

Well, well, what I want to write that is, my memory of thank-you parties for teachers of are all linked with playing the piano.

Thank-you party for teachers, reminds me , that tune!

Since the last thank0you party, not find new suits, for 15years.

 

acupuncture and moxibustion

I read an interesting article.
A Crisis in Pain Drugs Leads to Greater Use of Acupuncture  (VOA news)

Discussion
1.What are you thoughts on the rise of acupuncture use in the U.S.?

Really? I'm really surprised to read this article. I thought people in the U.S. tend to be afraid of being put needles. Actually I love it, and I haven't never felt pains, instead I feel better.
I sometimes use  "stick-on type disposal needles " to relieve my chronic shoulder pain.

2.Is acupuncture widely practiced in your country? Why do you think this is the case?

Partly yes it is. It depends on generation. Probably over their 50's it is widely practiced.
Many elderly people are suffering chronic pain in somewhere such as shoulders, knees, backs. We don't usually take strong drug like "opioid".  We do manage to tackle such pains using "traditional" fork therapy. Though taking acupuncture at clinic is coved by our health insurance.


3.Do you believe that acupuncture can be as effective as painkillers? Why? Why not?
I dare to use the word "chronic". Yes it effects on chronic pains " a little" or sometimes well.

And I also like taking moxibustion therapy. And I also  do it by myself.


This is the way to use sennen moxibustion at home, though it is Japanese.

This is the way to use stick-type disposal needles, though it is Japanese.

These are mine.

season word 0308 camellia

 

"Camellia" is called "kameira" in KATAKANA Japanese or "tsubaki" in Japanese.

KAMERIA sounds bright, and colorful.

Tsubaki sounds, very traditional, as a normal flower.

 

From the garden, single of tsubaki every day, reflect the red in the kitchen

In the garden,  enjoy picking up plopping tsubaki , the smile of my grandchild

 

Do you know that tsubaki are not suitable as a present, especially for the sick in Japan.

The reason is that they plop suddenly when they die  down. It gives them the image of sudden death.

 

For spring

The day of Hina festival was over, so we had to put away Hina dolls quickly. Because it is said that if we decorated them after the day, our daughters wouldn't get marry.

 

 

So I put them away .

The cup "prince" is made by Ah-cha, and wooden dolls were made by my daughters whey they were in the kindergarten.

Of course I put them away.

 

Five years ago on the Hina festival, it was the day of engagement ceremony of my younger daughter.

At that time, we changed TATAMI mats and all of things were moved on the second floor, and ded the ceremony.

At that time the mother of our son in-law was fine.

 

For five years, though it is usual, various things happened. And now a new step seems to be taken.

 

Well, I put Hina dolls away, and I put some about Easter (and a book about ST Patrick's Day)

 

This spring, I don't have many elementary students, so I don't decide whether to make Easter eggs or not.

season word 0301 scattered sushi

 

In Japanese it is called chirashi sushi. Chirashi means  scattering.

So the translation is not so bad, tough you should scatter politely.

 

If you get the source of scattered sushi, it is very easy to make it at home.

 

 

However, for me the problem is that it is difficult to cook a small portion.

Well, well, my mother used to make scattered sushi from scratch without such source.
It has gotten troublesome for her.
However she cannot bear without eating scattered sushi on March 3 (the day of Hinamatsuri).
So she orders special scattered sushi to her familiar sushi restaurant nearby.
Of course she said "I have to share scattered sushi for my grand daughters.)
Fortunately her granddaughters (my younger brother's son's) and T(my daughter) live next to the door.

This is a little bit easy way than to make formal scattered sushi.