Walking diary 0930

Today, it is September 30th, and it is the last day that Yuki's name is in office.

From tomorrow, he is identified as being unemployed.

Anyway he has already gone out fishing to near the lake, alone.

So far, he hasn't get fishing friends, however, he seems to ask someone who fishes alone near by  how to fish.

 

The end of the last week, I didn't feel good.  Around noon I'm going to visit the neighborhood osteopath.

Anyway, I walked the first half of the last week. 

 

We went out to Health Park which is one of big city parks.

It has a nice walking trail. We did 5960 steps.

Cirrocumulus clouds Still being retirement age Heel-and toe walk 

 

We went out downtown to buy good quality beef.

We walked 6000 steps.

 

Treat ourselves  grilled luxurious at home Still cicada signing  

 

How much do you need to spend your retirement life?

I'll show you this article of our newspaper, you can read the number 27.9.
According to it, in Japan most of people think that we need 279000 yen a month to spend our retirement life,
How about your country?

Well, when I saw this article yesterday, I made a bitter laugh.
This month we got the last salary. Our real retirement life will begin in three days.
We were talking a lot for this year about whether Yuki continues  to work  in his present company or not. And we checked our saving and decided not to extend his contract.

When we started our talking, it was said we usually needed 270000yen a month to spend our calm retirement life.
One year past, it seems to go up in price, though it was within our expectations. Additionally the consumption tax is raised in next month.

Yuki's 60th birthday

This weekend Yuki became 60 years old. In Japan 60 years old has a special name, which is called "Kanreki". Until 10 years ago, most of men who were businessmen retired when they became 60, so they were cerebrated with special party. However now, most of men (decide to ) continue their work.
So nowadays 60th birthday  seems to be a usual birthday.

For us, it was a usual birthday. It was a calm day. However I showed special thanks for him.

We got up at usual time, and we did usual morning errands, or, we did them harder. Drying up our FUTON, washing our bed clothes, trimming trees.
Then we went out to get some "good" meat and did barbecue in our small garden. 



I always thing "I wish I could do fancy picnic outside", but always the word troublesome wins,.
Anyway we like to eat something outside, so we did it in our garden, and using "usual" paper plates and cups. This is our style--- I am forced to admit it.
I wish someone would invite us to a fancy picnic!!!

Our elder daughter called him early morning.
Our second daughter sent these flowers --- too much" She said she ordered the amount bymistake.



I baked white cake for two of us.





And I gave him these red (and black) gadgets. It is a custom for "kanreki" (60th birthday) to present something read to wear.
 I gave him, winter slippers, and sports towels.

At night we had light dinner with canned food and good wine which was given by our friend.
We didn't prepare wine grass --- because we were trouble some to do the dishes.

walking diary 0923

 

This flower looks like a beautiful flower, but it is a kind of weed.

Arrange a flower Though it's a kind of weed Heat of late summer
I walked 5355 steps.

 

Lots of "common zinnia"!  I found the other name is young-and-old age. In Japanese we call them HYAKUNICHI-grass, it means one hundred age grass. I did 6474 steps.

To only just a bottle of iced coffee, I made a big detour. 6474 steps.

 

At dusk Enjoy walking and doing errands Cool breeze

 

 

I walked to clinics, both of them were very crowded. I took a rest at a convenience store with a cup of coffee.7009 steps.

Having a coffee Wait for seeing a doctor September comes

We went out "the" lake where Yuki often goes these days.

While he was fishing, I walked around the lake.6554steps.

 

Cool breeze, Get away from the town Walking exercise

 

lunch diary 0923

Monday, we had lunch together. Fried Pork & Kumichi(Korean spicy pickles) bowl.
It was a holiday, but we didn't have such a feeling, for us it was a usual day for two of us.
However in the afternoon we went out to listen to a concert. A concert was held at a city hall, it meant it was a holiday.
Bell crickets singing; Unconscious it's a  holiday; Our current days



Tuesday, I got "boiled" chestnuts; Thanks that she already cooked them. So I cooked chestnuts rice with rice cooker. Chestnuts are a seasonal food for fall, but it is still hot like summer.
Chestnuts rice, Wonder if long sleeves or short, Rolling up sleeves



Wednesday, I fried rice noodles with vegetables. I set aside Yuki's one.
Weather report was "right". As the noon came, it started raining.
Rain at noon, Quickly take in Futon dried up   Early autumn



Thursday I made spaghetti, which is his favorite.
In the morning, he went to his office to return all his office gadget. Now he is free from his office.

First cool breeze; Wash our cars One of his new chores



Friday, He went to get a haircut and "blur".
He didn't get his hair "dye". We call this way SHIRAGA BOKASHI.
Do you know that?

First cool breeze  Blur instead of dye One of his new errands

Yuki's retirement life -1-

Yuki's retirement life has started. Luckily he seems to be busy.
Since he was young, he has played tennis constantly. When he worked, he took tennis lessons once a week. Now he continues to take lessons. What is interesting, some members of the club got old, and quit taking lessons and joined a senior tennis circle on weekdays. So he followed them. He usually goes to play tennis with the members of the circle three times a day.

------ so he maintained his rackets, and kids. It means he bought new tennis shoes, new gut --- and (so far, he doesn't buy anything more.)

I know he had been interested in fishing, so he bought fishing poles and some kits. Unfortunately he has not found his fishing friends. But he sometimes goes to a lake nearby, where it takes 40 minutes by car.
He often asks someone who comes alone there how to use his kits.
----- and He finds to something more to fish, and buys some things.

Well, camera is another his hobby.
Now he seems to be a member of ????? club on the net.

And the other his hobby is music. He has started to music activity. The other day he joined jam session. Usually such activities are held at night. He found one which is hold in the daytime.
---- and he maintained his music instruments; two guitars and bass (until now). He bought strings and some things.

This month he doesn't need to pay for social meeting with his coworkers, and all budget moved to his hobby budget.

I asked or told him to reduce the budget from the next time. He accept it saying "this time is special."

Anyway it is good that he has started his retirement life with busy days.

Walking diary 0916

I went to a shopping mall to make "my" reading grasses. Then I decided to walk back  to home. (Yuki and I went together). On the way home I dropped by my friend's house. I walked 5423 steps.

 

 Going the same way With more stronger reading grasses; Coral flowers

 

I finally walked to and from  the gym instead of using my car or bike. It was the first time, and since then I haven't done it so far.

I walked 6002 steps. On the way home, I saw many elementary school students walking with their heavy bags like mine.

Actually my bag in which there were clothes and shoes, was heavy for me than I expected.

Fall equinoctial week,  Primary schoolers with heavy bags Walk back with me

 

 

On this day, it suddenly got cold. So my allergy against the difference of the cold and warm occurred.

So I need to sweat a little. I walked 5582 steps. While my walking I took this photo.

Fall equinoctial week, A butterfly hovering  And storing food 

 

lunch diary 0916

Monday, when I was alone, I put all foods in one plate because it was troublesome to do the  dishes.
But Yuki wanted to eat rice with a bowl. It had no problem, because doing the dishes was his job. However wiping the dishes and putting them away were my (and his) job.

Passing Typhoon away, More time and effort doing the dish Nato bowl forming threads



Tuesday, Yuki was still playing tennis, so I had lunch alone. His lunch was left.
In Chiba they still remained without electricity, though it was still very hot.
After the Typhoon, While listening to the radio Forming threads of Natto



Wednesday, I got lots of eggplants, so I made curry and rice of them.
Of course we ate it for our dinner.
Remain the hotness, how long it keeps in the dining Smell of curry




Thursday, Yuki went out with his rice balls, I also went out to attend a meeting with my rice balls.
Bell crickets  singing Making ourselves our rice balls For lunch early morning



Friday, It suddenly got cold, so I was going to make hot noodle with soup.
But I didn't. I used all leftover of vegetables, so I fried them with Udon noodle.
Autumn HIGAN( equinoctial week)  Look for a long sleeved shirt How heavy the drawer

Small photo books to each our mother

I made these small photobooks, and sent to our each mother.
The photos in the book are pictures taken by us (Yuki, my daughter and me) during our Hakone trip

When I use an Internet tool, I always admire "how convenient and reasonable nowadays are!".

I edit the photos on PC, and sent a photo company. Then in a few days they make such a photobook. It costs about 500 yen including sending fee.

This weekend, we are going to go to Tokyo again to visit our mothers.
We will have a good talk seeing these photobooks.

Weekday concert

A day of last week, we went out downtown to listen to a concert.
It is not usual to be held a concert in the daytime on weekday.
The concert was organized by our city, to attract (senior) people in the day time on weekday and let them come downtown.
It was the first time to go there with Yuki.
Than we expected, more couple like us were there.
The others were women's groups, some women by themselves, and few men by themselves.
I think that this city definitely proceed to senior world,  or 1/3 of our population will be seniors. So such concerts must help them(us) to spend daily lives actively.

Well, well, after the concert, we had lunch outside.
Not so bad, but I thought we had to eat lunch at home, thinking the cost and quality balance.

lunch diary 0909

Last Monday we were in Tokyo and had lunch with my mother.
She loves TONKATSU, Japanese pork cutlet.
Summer leaving, going out with a cane ; having cutlet



Tuesday, I set a timer of rice cooker. While Yuki were playing tennis in the morning, I was watchin recoded programs on TV. When he came back, I cooked lunch for 5 minutes, having them with him 10 minutes, and putting away for 5 minutes together.
Summer leaving; have a moment of lunchtime, together at home


Wednesday, I ate lunch by myself without waiting for his coming back
Though reach retirement, continue to make lunchbox: autumn breeze


Thursday, we went out downtown to listen to a concert.
It is unusual to be held a concert daytime  on weekday.
After the concert we had lunch outside. Though it was delicious, considering the menu it seemed to be a little bit expensive. --- We have to think about our home budget more sensitive.

Lunch outside, with caring for our wallet; autumn breeze



Friday, I trimmed the garden. I stubbed herb AKASHISO leaves and made juice.
AKASHISO-juice; fry vegetables serve with one plate.

Walking diary 0909

This early morning heavy rain and  strong winds were blowing off because of Typhoon.

It is around 9 o'clock. The sun is coming out.

This morning Yuki was going to go fishing to a lake, but he couldn't. He stays in his room creating something on PC.

This is a flower of Chinese chive, which is called NIRA in Japanese. They are blooming in my garden as a kind of weed, but I don't stub them.

This day I was going to do walking, but I was too tired to do, so I went out to do errands by bike.
If I walk there, probably the step would be over 5000 steps. But using the bike, my pedometer showed 1279 steps.
Without granddaughter Ride on the bike with child seat ; A flower of chive

 

We went out downtown to join a weekday concert. We parked our car in the city hall parking and walked downtown. 6109 steps.

A weekday A concert downtown; Fall breeze

 

 

We went out shopping by car. I got off from the car and did walking exercise.

6212 steps.

Dusk approaching, Walking while shopping; Roadside marigold

 

Suddenly I noticed that when I was walking --- the garden of most houses were "trimmed". It means they were lots of weeds about 3 weeks ago.

I felt embarrassed, I don't know why.

Anyway I decided to weed and trim my garden.

I cut some of my herbs including this fennel.

 

Having steak For our house lunch;  Weeding the garden

 

 

At home

We are really satisfied with our trip to Hakaone with our mothers.
The two trips made me very tired. Still now I'm recovering to my usual life. (What is my usual life?)

I cooked dishes for this week.


I discarded 10 things,


And I changed interior of our entrance.

Yuki's first week

Anyway, luckily? he is busy.

Last week, he went out to play tennis three times. He left home at 9 (earlier than usual) and got home around 2 o'clock. I didn't need to prepare lunch for him. He said that the members of the tennis club were so tough. So he took nap, watched TV, and -- he seemed to start something creative on PC.

He also took experimental squash exercise, but considering the price he decided not to join them.

On the other hand he bought fishing kits, and went out to a small lake.
Fishing season is until September, so for a while he is busy.

Today we are going out to listen to a weekday concert.

walking diary 0902

 

Do you know these flowers? They are like daffodils.

In Japanese we call them summer daffodils.

6328 steps.

 

Summer daffodils Though walk slowly Continuing.

 

 

This day I was going to go to the library on foot, however, it was too hot for me to do it.

I went there by car, and had lunch alone. Yuki went out to play tennis.(Unbelievable)

In the evening I did walking. 5669 steps.

Do you know "book worm" is a seasonal word of summer.

For a book, Walk around in the library, bookworms.

 

Suddenly the atmosphere changed into fall. 5001 steps.

Yellow cosmoses Bowl of rice for lunch With my husband

 

 

We went on a trip with Yuki's mother.

She also used a wheel chair as my mother did. 7000 steps.

Autumn wind, Pushed a wheel chair Mt.Hakone