English Haiku 0425

This year I renewed my membership if HIA again.

Today's HAIKU is

 

night catch

in the fishing net-

full moon

--

Bakhtiyar Amini (Duesseldorf, Germany)

Selected by Dhugal J. Lindsay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you see the last super moon?

It was a full moon. "Full moon" is usually a seasonal word for fall in Haiku world.

Probably this person went fishing at night and see this full moon watching the river.

Today's seasonal word is white clover.

My thoughts go somewhere; why don't you knit something , with white clover

Today's drill is that starting with a noun of a seasonal word, and finishing with an unrelated noun to the season.

You can chose the last noun from "buggy, marching band, water sound, mom's house and so on"

Then next you make the middle phrase which explains the last noun.

Then you put a suitable seasonal word on the top.

 

Sauce-dressed young buds: freshly cooked rice smells, at Mom's house

 

Weekend chores 0426

These days  it seems to be difficult for us when is a weekday and when is a weekend.
Anyway I do my weekend chores.


I organized a stock of disposable bags, but not so many. So I also organized a small cases. And I could one drawer empty.
Then, I also cleaned the windows of the sunroom.



I used three kinds of potatoes.
Usual potato salad, light simmered yam, and marinated deep-fried SATOIMO yam.

I also baked quiche without pie.

Walking diary 0426

Yuki drinks "Syouchu". On this day we researched the cost of Syouchu walking around our neighborhood. We dropped by 4 drugstores. We walked 6451 steps.

The lowest price was 889 yen, and the highest price was 980 yen.
Spring storm; didn't realize until later, the current blue

We went to 100 yen store. I  got this set of rubber ring.

I wanted to make handkerchief face masks.

I was really surprised. One person only bought one set. I didn't know that many people wanted to make handmade face masks.

Not only against coronaviruses, but also against yellow dust and pollens, I need to put a facemask on outside.

We walked 6414 steps.

Yellow dust; dry a disposal facemask, wait for the next day

I found this KISUGE (hemerocallis?)  by the road.

In Tochigi, there is a famous KISUGE field , and the season is just around the corner, but this year no one will not be able to visit there. I walked 5536 steps.

By the road, find a yellow KISUGE by the road, my thought fries to NIKKO

Utsunomiya is a kind of city, but it is also the rural.

Now most of rice fields are waiting for rice seedling with full of water.

I walked 5948 steps.

By spring rice fields, an old man take a rest while smoking

lunch diary 0426

Thankfully, we have been spending calm days in Utsunomiya.

Monday, I made tomato chicken curry. I used a stock of frozen chicken I made.



It was rain and very cold.
We said that "we organized the garden harder yesterday. It was unusual, so today it might be raining.".
We say in Japan that "if we do unusual thing, the next day it will rain."

Spring rain; after gardening, enrich the soil



Tuesday, one of our neighbors gave these delicious salmon. Unfortunately I couldn't welcome her into my house, because we are in quarantine. We have to refrain from chatting face to face.

Planting seeds; exchange a few remarks, over the fence


Wednesday, for me it was also cold. I put a warm pad on my back. It is very difficult to adjust the difference of temperature, though it is a usual thing.

Having a cold relapse; boiling some water, me and a kettle



Thursday; I made quiche without pie. I bought a  fresh spring cabbage. Spring cabbage is very soft, isn't it, though it costs high.
Spring cabbage; while staying home, having  luxurious season



Friday, we  enjoyed the rest of quiche.
While we keep staying home, we keep having a good diet.

Ready to trim;  the garden wait for us the coming weekend

Weekend chores 0420

On last Saturday, it was another stormy day.
On last Sunday, it stopped rain  but it was cloudy.

I did usual weekend chores.
I cooked pre-cooked dishes.

 

And I discarded 10 things. I organized a drawer in which there were many paper bags I got somewhere. And I also organized another small drawer in which there were many sticker.

Though I couldn't discard many paper bags, I could discard most of things in the small drawer.



Walking exercise 0420

Yuki can't play tennis or golf. So I asked him to join my walking exercise.
And

I bought a map of our city. I checked small shrines which are not popular, and have no shrine priests. Such shires have been managed and protected by the local people living there for a long time, called "UJIKO".

 

First we went to nearby shrines.

 

We walked 5761 steps.

A turtle sings;  at unknown shrine gate, pray and bow

 

Another day we went to a big car shop. We parked our car and browsed there, and we walked to another small shrine. 5639 steps. There were some small graves and a gate, but it was very organized.
We waked 5761 steps.
Azalea brooms; honeydew on the hands, used to lick though

 

Well, when I walk to a bank or a nearby supermarket, he doesn't come with me.

Dogwoods along the street started to bloom. I walked 5448 steps. And I saw a swallow, it was the first time of this season.
A swallow comes, having Natto-beans as usual, time goes on certainly
 

 

lunch diary 0420

Monday, it was very cold and stormy day.  Both of us retreated to our house, of course we should stay home in this situation.
Well, to tell the truth, in early morning it was not so stormy, so as soon as a nearby supermarket opened, we went there and bought some meat.
I cooked kind of unskinned sausages.

Tomorrow is sunny; hear a spring storm roaring, through the window.



Tuesday, I also cooked curry for our dinner the day before. So the rest of was our lunch on the day.
A turtle sings; getting usual calls, all of us all right
"a turtle sings" is a spring seasonal phrase. Does the turtle sing? I don't know. But if you saw the scene, you might feel very calm and relaxed.



Wednesday; unfortunately at a big hospital, a person was infected. It doesn't seem not to occur a hospital infection so far. Until then this city had very calm. And the next day  a state of emergency was declared in Japan. our city are in the state of emergency.
Of course since then we have been in a quarantine situation. Tennis coats and golf course are closed.  Of course rivers are always open. So Yuki can still enjoy fishing practice.
watercress at the river bank; think about our childhood, dropping a line



Thursday, I made fresh bamboo shoot pasta, now bamboo shoot season comes.

 

Bamboo shoots; Cooked Italian  pasta, listening to a local news

Friday, I cooked fired noodle quickly and easily.
Yuki doesn't do exercise enough. So we did Radio-exercise when we got up.
Radio-exercise is one of things Japanese people in all generation know.

Soring groom; Doing radio-exercise, a retired couple

a luxurious dinner at home

Since our retirement life started, we have saved our money or controlled our budget more strict. So we seldom have dinner outside, or also lunch.
However, this emergency situation brought a "enjoyable" change.
"We" have a favorite French restaurant, and we were regular customer.
It is very special that both of us like the restaurant.
And unfortunately it is a little bit expensive, so since Yuki retired we didn't visit there, but we ordered special set for our New year as usual. So we might become an annual customer for them but anyway the owner of the restaurant and we know each other very well, because since we knew each other, more than 10 years passed.

Now most of restaurants are in trouble, and many of them started take-out system, and some of them started delivery system.
The restaurant also started delivery system, but at least more than for four people.
I asked him if we order dishes for two of us, provided we take them by ourselves.
He was willing to accept our offer.

I couldn't show all dishes.
The plates were the restraints'.
The dish and the plates brought us wonderful and luxurious atmosphere even though we were at home.
We had to go there twice to take them, and to take back the empty plates. But we could talk him directly. It was also nice.
Additionally, this dinner costs lower than we have it at the restaurant.  We don't need drink, sweets and drink. Or, I can say, "Yuki has to put up with no expensive wine, i habe to put up with no high quality sweets and coffee" So Yuki enjoyed a bottle of (cheap) wine at home. I baked bread, and made jerry as dessert.

Stay home 3

Baking bread at home is one of easiest thing while staying home.
I have home-bakery with a timer function. But it bakes automatically with timer only SYOKUPAN.
SHOKUPAN -- is a square pan loaf. When  I want to bake other kinds of bread, I need to stay home.
The other day I wanted to have MERON BREAD.
MERON BREAD is --- OH, I found it on Wikipedia.

These process seems to be very difficult.
 So I cooked more easily.
First I made dough using my HB, next, I cut it into 8 small rolls, and put it into a pan.
Then I made cookie dough, and put it on the bread dough, and baked it in the oven.

It was a good lunch and breakfast for two of us.

Cooking such kind of bread, or sweets is very good for our current life.
BUT, yesterday I went to a nearby supermarket, and unfortunately butter was sold out.
Most of things were enough, but why butter?
Sometimes this happens in Japan.
We stopped having margarine a few years ago.  But yesterday I bought a small box of margarine.
This morning we used margarine with our toast.
And I should use my butter in the fridge little by little for a while to bake my sweets.

Stay home 2

How do you spend a day at home?

Fortunately or unfortunately, our situation is not so strict.

However, the difference of temperature is very sever for me. We try protecting against against coronaviruses as much as we can, and I also need to protect against the temperature difference. So stay home.

 

I try cleaning the niche places( is it a suitable expression?), or places I don't clean so much in my house, like drawers, the fridge, windows and so on.

But ---- it is not very enjoyable thing , I dare to say "troublesome".

 

I try ironing more.

But ---- it is not very enjoyable thing, I dare to say "troublesome".

 

I have started weeding.

But --- it is not very enjoyable thing, I dare to say "troublesome".

 

What a negative person I am!

What a lot of things in the house there are!

 

However it must be a good opportunity to reconsider my(our) life style.

 

Well, I'll tell you what Yuki does.

 

He likes to  maintain or organize his golf tools, after that he does net surfing --- just looks at golf sites so far.

He likes to maintain or organize his fishing tools, after that ---, it 's the same, so far.

He tries organizing the garden , not weeding, not planting, after that he goes to a home center nearby.

 

Additionally, I try cooking more while checking cooking sites on the net. After that I go to a supermarket nearby.

The other day I cooked kind of skin-less sausages with my fresh rosemary. 

weekend chores 0413

well, currently it seems to be difficult to understand whether it is a weekday or a weekend. However I constantly do my weekly chores which are cooking pre-cooked food and discarding 10 things.

I organized a drawer of Yuki's closet.



And I discarded 10 small staff.

Currently I sometimes make facemasks with his disused handkerchiefs. without sewing.

And, these days I clean a place carefully.

 

 

 

You seem to look it untidily, but the drawer got cleaner than before.

Walking diary 0413

To keep our immune system, getting enough sun is very important, isn't it?

This day, I dared to go to a little bit far supermarket to get a thing which is not dealt in a supermarket nearby. But it wasn't there. Another kind was there, it cost 500 yen higher than one I wanted.
However I decided to buy it. When I went back home, I checked the price on the net. I could buy the same one at the lower price even though including shipping fee.
I walked 6800 steps.

Nothing special, but keep my passion : violas in an alley

I found snowflakes back to a vending machine. Though I knew on the day eggs were sold on sale at a supermarket. I went there but I didn't buy ones. I just walked there to get more steps. I walked 5212 steps.
Snowflakes;  improve my steps, buying eggs

 

What is a cute manhole cover!
I know many people collect pictures of such manhole covers, including my friend.
They have special name, do you know what they are called? I walked 5315 steps.
Spring sky; cast-iron cover under my foot, makes me smile

 

I walked 6673 steps. It was the day of 20 percent discount at a drugstore. So I bought a kind of household medicine.
I walked 6673steps.
Spring grass, bring some relief, without necessity

 

When I got home, the steps was less than 5000 steps. So I walked around the house. And I walked 5329 steps. The sky was getting dark, but it didn't rain.
Spring storm, rice-cooker works  as usual
 

lunch diary 0413

To keep and strengthen  our immune system, daily diet is very important, isn't it?


Monday, it was a perfect vegetarian lunch. The left green dish was watercress soufflé, which already went flat. Then we grilled meat for our dinner.

Watercress; depends on the combination, ease the bitterness



Tuesday, I used the pre-cooked boiled salty pork.
At night in Tokyo a state of emergency was declared .

Spring (changeable) sky; able to cook as usual , thanks!



Wednesday, this lunch was almost the same of yesterday's.  On the day opening ceremonies at school were hold, but from the next day schools were closed again.

Spring (moving) clouds; as if nothing happened, accept this drizzling





Thursday, anyway I decided to continue individual classes.  So I have five students including the student taking piano lessons.

Stems extend fully: enjoy with the youth, a year left






Friday, in the morning I went to see a dentist. There I browsed a magazine, and I decided to cook it.
 --- grilled salmon with Miso-paste and mayonnaise.
Spring storm; enjoy dynamic lunch, all the more at home


Last week I read this book -- praising words for adults.


So I decided to start with saying one praising word to Yuki. After that it is all right to say any complaints

Wed. 😏 Thu.😏 Fri. 😏 Sat. 😏 Sun. 😏

English Haiku 0410

Haiku in English

last trip:

a butterfly

in my room

--

Giuliana Ravaglia (Bologna, Italy)

Selected by Dhugal J. Lindsay

 

It is a really beautiful Haiku, isn't it.

 

Probably it is the last day of the trip. After the trip, a new life might start, or a usual busy day might start. Anyway spring is the season many things are born, start.

 

Today's season word is Schoolchild's backpack.

It is really Japanese word, isn't it.

In my childhood, usually boys' would be black, and girls' would be red. Nowadays, every child choses their favorite color like purple, light blue, pink , green and so on.

 

I like black, a new backpack on her back , and smile

 

Today's drill is that you should finish with exclamation.

In Japanese Haiku world, we have three kinds of finishing words added to a verb.

KERI, kind of exclamation.

NARI, to say with certainty

ORI; progressive form

 

First, how's the weather today?

When I got up, I thought it would be warm, but suddenly it started raining then it got cold!

 

Describe this situation in Haiku.

Where's the thicker cardigan,  (fumble the closet) in a hurry!

 

And complete the Haiku starting with a suitable seasonal plant.

Pussy willow;  Where's the thicker cardigan, in a hurry!

 

Cherry blssom front has gone

Cherry blossoms season in Utsumoiya is almost finished. This year it started earlier than usual, and it kept longer than usual. Now in north area of Japan they have started to bloom.
We were going to catch up their blooming to north by car because now we spend retirement lives.
However we cancelled.

 

We really enjoyed cherry blossoms in Utsunomiya.

And usually this season I would enjoy Easter with my students. But I cancelled such an event.

 

Even though I decorated some on the shelf.

 

And we saw a kind of super-moon.