New Year's Eve

 It is New Year's Eve, isn't it?

Yesterday, it was the day of last lesson of 2020.  My piano students played the piano in front of their parents individually. 

In the morning all things what we had to do were finished. From now we have no plans to spend our New Year's holiday. We stay home lazily or relaxily.

In the morning, I cooked three things which are for New Year's feast. Feast? they are not feast, they are kinds of traditional New Year's food.

We went to a nearby supermarket and got fresh rice cakes for tomorrow morning.

In Japan, on the side of the Japanese sea, people are in trouble with heavy snow.

Fortunately here in Utsunomiya, we don't still have snow. And today it is sunny. But the wind is really cold. So "we" gave up the last walking of this year. 

In the afternoon Yuki is now watching TV, and probably will practice the guitar, organize his PC files, ---and so on.

I was talking on the phone with my daughter until a while a go. I'll do yoga, read books, visit some blogs, --- and so on.

The other time I mentioned about my mother.

To tell the truth, since this Sunday she has not been good though her brain has been clear as usual.

I thought I might have had better to visit her immediately, but my brothers, and my daughter suggested us not need to come immediately.  The number of troubles is increasing, but thanks to winter vacation, many adults are surrounding her. 

All of them are really surprised, her legs got week faster than we expected. Last week she could go out to buy her cane. Last week she walked to a clinic. But this coldness might have made her exhausted. Now she seems to run out of her energy, though she has power of speaking, eating (and complaining).

What made me a little bit excited 1228

Last week, it was Christmas week. I think everyone must have enjoyed.

The last week of the year, it is usually crowded everywhere.  So we went out before  for shopping. Shopping what? Mainly for my mother and for my mother in-law. Before delivery service was busy, we wanted to send some things to them.

First we went to a rice cracker factory. We got  big bags of rice crackers at reasonable price there. Of course going there was fun. And on the way back from there we dropped by Karaku and had lunch there while chatting with the couple of owners. It was also fun.

Next, my mother wants new room shoes. I found ones the last week before, but they didn't fit her toes. The size was all right, and they were non-slip for usual people. But for her it didn't work. So I bought another type at a shoe store. At the same time I bought a new pair of winter shoes for me. (To tell the truth, the room shoes for my mother didn't fit her current life style either. Now I'm looking for another type.)

Then we went to the apple orchard. It was the last visit of this year. We said "thanks and see you next year" to the orchard family.

Of course we bought some apples for our selves, and  I also sent a box of apples to my mother.

And we went to a traditional Japanese sweet shop, and sent a gift box to my mother in-law.

Every afternoon, we went out suburb by car for shopping.  It made us a little bit busy, but it was fun to go out with a purpose.

 

lunch diary 1228

The New Year is just around the corner, and the last week in 2020 has started.

For Yuki and I, a usual week has started.
 

 

Monday I bought delicatessen of "stir-fried liver and garlic chives" (called LEBA NIRA in Japanese). It is said to be good for our health. I don't like it very much, so I don't cook myself so often (or seledom cook). So when I find then as a delicatessen at a supermarket, I usually buy it.

Winter solstice comes; hearing SOUWA music from the radio, how laid-back!

In the afternoon, I walked 5000 steps nearby.

Tuesday we went to Karaku to have lunch. This is curry I had. Yuki had spaghetti.

We went to a factory of rice crackers. On the way home from there we came over KARAKU.

At the factory, we got reasonable bags of rice crackers, and sent them to my mother.

Winter solstice past, finish posting new-year cards, in time 

Wednesday, I satured pork, and garlic chives. On the day I talked my mother on the phone much longer than usual. 

These days she has trouble with nerve? pain of her leg. However she could walk to the clinic nearby attended by her friend. She wanted injection against the pain, but the doctor just prescribed painkiller. She seemed to be dissatisfied.

Well, this day, to tell the truth I was not so good. I imagined my future in 25 years while listening to her.

At winter night, having the pain of a knee, grill the beef 

Thursday, it was a Christmas Eve. Anyway I sauteed cabbage and sausage for our lunch. We talked with my mother again on the phone. She still can take a bath alone, but nowadays she is really afraid of taking a bath when she is alone in the house, and of course she doesn't like to take a bath late night. (I don't know late night starts from what time.) So the week she didn't take a bath yet because her son ( my brother) came home "very" (according to her) late, though she wiped her body.

Christmas, my mother is complaining, as usual

Friday, it was Christmas. Last night we had chicken. And I sauteed the rest of fried potato and cheese with pork. 

For the year end, start to stock foods, in the freezer

Merry Christmas -2-

 Though we didn't exchange any presents, though I didn't cook something special......

anyway we enjoyed Christmas dinner at home with good tableware, and "this time we" washed and put them away together. Yuki is a househusband, isn't it?

Today, it is Christmas day, but for two of us it is a usual day.

Yuki already went playing tennis, I go to see a dentist and in the evening I have lessons.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas !!

Today, we are going to a Japanese sweet shop for buying limited-time Japanese sweets, instead of buying fresh strawberry cake, instead of making special cake.

Then we are going to drop by a nearby supermarket to "buy" christmas delicatessen. 

That means, this year I have no plan to make something special for Christmas.

However the other day we went to a shop which deal with imported foods. In Tokyo there are many such shops. But here in Utsunomya, there are only two.

Mainly I use Japanese domestic things, and use local fresh vegetables and meet made by TOCHIGI prefecture.

But I love some imported foods. Most of them are expensive, so I decreased the number of them. And now, I still buy such things.

Tea, wooster sauce, cocoa, and coconut oil.

We liked "Hunt's BBQ sauce", but unfortunately they are not dealt with currently.

What made us a little bit excited?? 1221

 Two weeks ago, suddenly Yuki's chair broke "naturally". (according to himself) So, he started search for his new chair. First he went to a home center because it was nearby, and they stock reasonable (or cheep) chairs. But he was not satisfied. So he was going to a furniture shop which is a little bit far, and stock a little bit expensive furnitures. So I like the place even though just blowsing.

"was going to" --- on the way home we dropped by another home center, and he found a reasonable chair. Anyway we drove a little bit far.

On the newspaper a small shrine was introduced. It draw my attracture. Until January 15th, a special stature is open to the public. We haven't been there, so we are going to go there after New Year's vacation. It will take one hour drive from here.

I was into aroma oil, but now I am not. I constantly use some kinds of aroma oil. So I have still some kinds of aroma oil which are seldom used. --- However they have an expiration date. So I searched sites on the internet to use the oils. It was fun. And I blended them and made   a kind of perfume for our face masks, room fragrance, and so on. And I could discard some bottles of aroma oil.

pre-cooked dishes and discarding 10 things 1221

 This time, I didn't cook pre-cooked dishes so much. Because now I'm "into" making soup with my slow-cooker, so I put some ingredients for our next day breakfast into my slow-cooker every night. I don't know how long I continue this work.

But some vegetables are needed to pre-cooked.

So I boiled Japanese radish, and made mashed pumpkin.

Additionally I dried the peel and leaves of the Japanese radish.

The dried ones are very useful for any soup.

I discarded more than 10 things such as books, some gadgets, and cloth.

I'm going to take the books into a used bookstore.

Well, I also cleaned the windows of the kitchen again.

And I organize a drawer where I store tea bags and so on.

lunch diary 1221

Monday has started, and Christmas week has also started, though we have any special plans.

 

Monday; I had still frozen red beans. So we ate some with rice.  They are very healthy and probably improve or keep our immune power. Anyway we had cold snap, but we have this seasonal word for winter "sankan shion", which means cold for the three days then warm for four days, the weather alternates warm and cold days.

Cold for the three days, be patient with headache, then warm for four days

Tuesday, I cooked fried rice with blocks of Japanese radish. we call them "GOROGORO fried rice" --- sown with blocks of Japanese radish??? does it makes sense?

He prepared ingredients for soup. He cut Japanese leek with scissors instead of kitchen knife.

Japanese leek soup; househusband in his 60's, good with scissors

In the afternoon, I walked 5000 steps.

Wednesday, to do "walking" I went to a supermarket which was a little bit far. I walked 6000 steps. And I bought chicken cutlet.

Put DOTERA(padded short cort) in the sun; early morning clothes, for elder househusband 

Thursday, I went to the gym. This month I went there 6 times. I pay monthly fee it meas, the more I go there, the lower the cost gets. I want to go there at least 8 times.

Additionally I also did yoga at home as a stretch exercise as soon as I came home.

During coronavirus pandemic, keep the heater on, while keep the window open

Friday, it was a kind of seafood lunch.

In the morning I went to see a dentist, Finally I had my artificial tooth settled.

In the afternoon, we went to a homecenter. We had already done our winter cleaning. But constantly we clean the rooms. So we needed some gadgets. 

Preparing for Christmas

This Christmas we have no plans, though I constantly hold a small concert at home .

Anyway, I put my collection of Sanda dolls on the shelf at entrance hall.

And I also put a small Santa doll on a shelf in the living room.



The other day I hold a Zoom meeting with my English picture book club members.

Three members joined, they are all in their 50's or 60's.

We listed what we want for Christmas to make a whishing list within 5 minutes.

For 5 minutes, we could only or gratefully? list 7 items, such as, big Roast chicken, fresh KFD chicken, good wine, good stollen(German fruit cake) and so on.

Most of all were food & drink. We can buy them, we can make them. But "can" means we won't.  We were really "provident" or "practical" --- that means we are really adults or seniors. Additionally, the three of us are all housewife and spend Christmas with her husband or her son who is a highschool student.

My friend sent me pictures of her house with Christmas decoration. They are wonderful. She is really good with enjoying any seasons and days.

On the other hand I made kind of Christmas calendars with my students.

In this handmade poster, there are 20 pockets with candy.

Each student drew a picture by themselves. (Only three students)

Additionally instead of stollen, I baked very sweet cookies.

We(Yuki and I) have eaten them for our dinner desert little by little until Christmas.

discarding 10 things 1214

I can reach the lower layer of the shelf above the kitchen sink. I can reach the upper lower with a chair. So I reorganized. Finally I discarded Ah-cahn (my grand daughter) goods. I'm sure she won't come within a year. And these goods got too small for her to use.

 

However I couldn't discard two handmade aprons. 

One is "I" used to use when I was an elementary student.

The other is "my younger daughter" when she was an elementary student.

Both of them were sewed by themselves.

I also discarded a set of plates. I don't remember when I use them.

When I want to discard some things, I often check a site of KONMARI.

Now she is living in the U.S.

Pre-cooked dishes 1214

 

Most of them are for our morning soup.

They are half-boiled Daikon, mushed boiled carrots, purred  boiled Chinese cabbage and yam with a blender.

It was the first time to make "purred boiled Chinese cabbage and yam with a blender". As soon as I cooked, it was stored in the freezer, and last night I put it back into a slow cooker. And this morning we ate. It was very tasty.

I boiled and stewed Daikon, Chinese cabbage in pots, on the other hand I cooked carrots with a rice cooker.

I have started to use a new notebook for my cooking diary.

I write down what I made as pre-cooked dishes and sometimes the recipes.

When I look over it, I remember what I cook in the same season in previous years, what made me interested in.

What made me (or us) excited a little 1214

 It is of course winter, and than I expect I feel my body cold. So I decided to use a slow cooker again. I used to use one for making night snacks for my daughters or light dinner for Yuki (at that time, he usually came back around 11 PM). But it was about more than 15 years ago. (Well, until two years ago Yuki came back lately though.) So I've already discarded it.

And this time I bought one at a used shop.

Now it is a season of Japanese leek. These days we found field of Japanese leeks where it took 20 minute drive. We planed to go there. Coincedently the morning bunches of Japanese leek were arrived. My friend sent me as a year-end-gift.

(we have a costume　custome to send gifts twice a year to show the gratitude for favors in winter and in summer)

So I've started to make soup for our breakfast. I use a timer, so put ingredients into it the night before.

Using Japanese leek is very good.

Usually what I want and what he wants are different. So when we go out together, though we have some stores, at each place either one tends to be bored.

But this time we decided to buy new sheets and blankets. We visited some stores to compare the price and quality. 

And we bought new ones. Visiting stores were fun, and of course new sheets made us so comfortable.

Unusually Yuki asked me to play new music cores by piano. He bought new music score books for piano. Not I, he. It was unusual thing. And for me, trying to playing such new scores was fun. (Well, the music score books were expensive than we expected.)

lunch diary 1214

 Now it is in the middle of December, Christmas and the New Year are just around the corner.

Watching the  TV (including net TV) or reading  newspapers, covid 19 news are "constantly" updated, but we try to do spend our regular life as much as possible. 

Monday, I made Yam-dumpling and Japanese leek soup.

It is trouble for me to cook yams. But anyway once I cook them (this time I cooked them with a rice cooker), and make them pasted, and freeze them --- not so troublesome to make some things from them.

Yam dumplings, a homey touch reminds me , my grandmother

In the morning I walked to a bank nearby. I walked 4500 steps.

Tuesday, This is a soup with cabbage and sausage. It is the rest of yesterday's dinner.

In the afternoon I played the piano at Karaku. And I could chat with my friends. Nowadays The day of Karaku once a month is only the time to chant with my friends.

After Karaku, I spent lazy evening and night. 

At night in winter, close the curtains tightly, take a nap

Wednesday, "Yuki" cooked this pot dishes. It is a kind of stew of Japanese leek and beef.

Dry FUTON in the sun, for getting new sheets, go shoppin

Thursday, we bought this big cutlets. Woo, it's too big to put on the plate.

And, it was too big for me to eat up. 

Winger gift, long chat on the phone, in return

Friday, It is stew of Chinese cabbage and pork.

I put "deep red" cloth luncheon mat --- thinking of Christmas.

And as I expect we spill some thing over it. I have to wash.

It is the reason why I don't like use cloth luncheon mats.

For us, it seems very difficult to spend moderate lunch time.

December comes, prepare new luncheon mats, of deep red

This year is going to be end, And anyway I continue keeping my English diary. However, does it make sense? Does my english improve a little? Every the end of the year I think the same thing.

Househusband "Yuki"

 Here, in my house there are two homemakers, housewife "Mieko", and househusband "Yuki". 

One of characters of homemakers is, to stick to "small discount" --- probably. And often think about not only discount price, but also getting service points which can exchange money. 

The other day, we bought a new heater at an big electronic shop. Of course before going there Yuki researched the price on the net. And he decided to go the shop directly.  

But, when we went to a homecenter another day, we happened to know that the same heater was sold at cheaper price. He was so shocked than me. In his mind he had no choice to look for electrical goods which are a little bit expensive or reliable branded , at a homecenter.

Well, at homecenter he buys his alcohol.  We thought bigger bottles are more reasonable than small bottles considering the capacity. He happened to calculate. What made us surprised was 4 litter of plastic bottles were more expensive than 1.8 litter of paper packs. (I don't know how much they are)

Anyway he has started to show an interest such a small thing (he used the word before)

It is fun.

Additionally, there are some super markets and drug stores around my house.

I decide where to go by checking whether the things I want are sold or not. For example, though I make home made yogurt, the germ? is dealt with at a supermarket. So I try to go there on sales days. I tend to stick to a brand.

On the other hand, for Yuki, the most important thing is more inexpensive price. So he researched all prices of his alcohol,  vegetable juice, and so on at all stores. And he decides where to go by what he buys.

And except of a homecenter, we usually walk to these stores. When we walk, our pademoters also work.  We installed a city health app. So walking steps exchange into city health points, and we can exchange the points into book coupons or so on.

Mom? Is it too expensive?

 Mom means my mother who is 85 years old. She is fine, but unfortunately she always feels wobbling, so she is afraid of going out by herself. Well, these days such elderly people are said to refrain from going out by unnecessary things. 

Twice a week, in front of her house moving grocery shopping van comes, so she enjoys shopping (according to her small shopping) and chatting with the elderly neighbors.

And it is not enough for her food style. So I constantly order cooking ingredients on the net once or twice a week and they are delivered by " a kind " delivery man who work for the net food company.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) my mom can't operate the net system, so I decide the budget and menu. But for special seasons, she orders by herself talking with the delivery man from the paper catalog. 

She ordered the most expensive "brand" cake, "brand" sweets for "her" Christmas.

She ordered her favorite delicatessen for "her" new year " a lot".

All right, all right. She pays. However are they too much? too expensive?

Well, well, no probrem It is her life. And I know what makes me happy now is only "food". And I know the moment of choosing some things from the list is the happiest time.

I wish when I am over 85, I could order anything on the net without thinking the budget.

what made me a little bit excited 1207

I watched a TV program which introduced a famous senior lady's daily life. She lives alone (but she is famous and still works, so probably some supporters for her work and for her daily life). 

One interesting thing was that she constantly have red beans every day. I know soy beans are good for our health. But I don't like them very much. But red beans -- are all right. And I found the easy way to cook. Rice cooker.

I cooked red beans. And I separated into three bags. Two bags were put into a frozen box.

Then I noticed "Rice cooker is easy to cook something".

I had lots of yam. Sometimes peeling them makes me itchy. So --- I cooked them with the rice cooker.

Perfect. After cooked, it was easy to peel and didn't make me itchy.

Then I mushed them, and separate into tree groups, and put two bags  into the freezer.

Yesterday I met my friend. So I wanted her to give a present to celebrate her birthday and earlier Christmas. It was a good excuse to go to "our" favorite sweet shop. Yuki loves a kind of cookie there. It is an unusual thing. Of course all sweets there are not inexpensive --- yes, expensive thinking our daily budget.

However --- we had an excuse.

So we went there and bought her present, and two pieces of cookies.

Hmm, when I think what makes me excited, usually --- foods.

It is all right because eating is an essential things for our lives.

Pre-cooked dishes and discarding 10 things 1207

 

Anyway I constantly make pre-cooked dishes, for maily our breakfast. And this time the main way to use these things is "soup". It is actually winter, so "I" need hot soup. Additionally, Yuki usually wants Miso-soup when rice is served. I don't need. So when I don't make Miso-soup, he has instant miso-soup.

This is today's breakfast. I put carrot paste on yogurt. And I also made hotsand with fresh apples. Today's soup is cabbage and sausage.

I also got Kiku-potato, or Kiku-yam. I sliced them, and dry them. They are easy to use as quick ingredients for miso-soup.

We also discarded each of a pair of shoes. Well, in his case, after that he bought a new one. I also discarded some posters or books of recipe.  And anyway "we" organized the wall in the kitchen which is used as our schedule board.

Then "I" also organize the garden, finally I pulled out all SYUKAIDOU.  While doing the work, I always had backache.

I'm not getting used being in a half-crouching position. When I do something in the garden, I always admire people who starts gardening or farming as their fun of retirement life. For me -- it is difficult. not only for me, for Yuki. 

Lunch diary 1207

It's Monday. A new week has started.

Day in day out, most of the news are about increasing coronavirus cases.

Well Hayabusa-news was a delighted one.

 

Monday, it was the last day of November. It was very cold.

I made rice porridge with KIMUCH (hot pickles)

In the morning I went to the gym. Though it was an inside exercise, all windows were open for ventilation. I did in warm clothes, but for me it was "cold". On the day it was sunny, so I went. But probably when it is cloudy, or rainy, probably few people come there. It means I won't go.

Hot pepper;  seeking peppery taste, cook spicy porridge

Tuesday, it looked like a cafe lunch???  It was the rest of last dinner; Lasagna. Yesterday, we went to the trouble to buy French bread. And this afternoon I cooked French toast using the rest of the bread.

December, French bread and lasagna; Foreign culture

In the afternoon, I walked 6000 steps. It was warmer than I expected.

Wednesday, it was cold again.

This time, I made Japanese mild taste porridge.

I cooked red beans in rice cooker. We don't like soy beans very much. But red beans are not so bad. Beans are said to improve our immune power. And in Haiku world, red beans is a seasonal word for the late autumn.

Red beans; the word of immune power, in common with two of us

It was cold, but anyway I walked to the nearby supermarket and drugstore.

Thursday, it was also cold. Last night I had runny nose. So I stayed home all the day. Oh, no, I walked to the nearby drug store again. Because it was on the sale. To say more correctly, for the week we could buy only one stuff by 15% discount. So I walked there and "collect" Christmas sweets.

Oven working all the day, to make Dried sweet potatoes, while makes kitchen warm

Friday, It was porridge with red beans.

In the morning I went to a dentist. Finally my artificial teeth came, though they were still tentative.

A whole sardine; having its bones and all, after dentist

(though it doesn't sound Haiku)

Now, it is the time to change notebooks.

 A new year is just around the corner. I'm impatient, so I usually start my daily book in December.

I write my daily schedule, my health condition, and so on, it is my diary and a kind of notepad. When I attend a meeting, I take it as a notepad. Last year I found it at a stationery shop nearby. But this year I couldn't find a new one. It is a kind of brand notebook, though not so expensive. So I ordered a new one on Net.

Until the spring, I was busy going to Tokyo, and I seemed to keep in good shape.

Since corona pandemic started, or strange weather (too hot), triangle marks has been put . (no mark, or circle is good, triangle is not good, cross is bad).

In  spring all gyms were closed. Now they are open. But for ventilation the windows are open even though heater is on. So it is cold for me. So I decided when it is sunny I will go in winter.

(Today, it is cold and cloudy, so I stay home)

I also keep our household accounts. Well I just put receipts on them. I use an app for calculation. I use two books, because I separate the receipts into two groups. One is for utilities and basic things. The other is for daily errands.

And I also keep 10-years diary. Finally it is almost finished. I have written one or two sentences. When I started it, I was just 50. Compared with yesterday, my life doesn't seem to change, But looking back to 10 years ago, it completely changed. 

At that time I was suggested to keep it by a senior lady who was in her 60's.

This 10-year diary has got my treasure.

I buy 5-year diary notebook for my next 5 years.

Additionally, I use 10-year diary once a week. Since Yuki retired, he has also kept his diary instead of his business schedule. We write our own diary at the same time while looking back what happened in the week. And looking back my diary, sometimes "Yuki got angry" , such phrase appeared. Any reasons were not written, and of course such phrase as "Mieko got hysterical"never occurs. According to the diary, without reasons Yuki was bad.  When such phrase appears, I always "rub it in". ( does it make sense?)

What do you buy in bulk?

 Depends on areas, and countries, and generation, their shopping style must be different. 

You might go grocery shopping once a week, or every day.

And you might use delivery shopping.

Anyway what do you buy in bulk once or twice a year?

In my case, laundry detergent. Because I use a little bit special one , and I can't buy them at drugstores. So I buy them net shopping, and the shop give a big discount on bulk buying. 

Why I need to buy such one? Yuki "had" skin trouble, --- recently he seems to have no trouble, even though he goes to skin clinic regularly. And when my granddaughter was born, she had also skin trouble. 

And now I reconsider to buy them again. They are, of course, more expensive than usual ones which are sold at drugstores.

We also buy bottles of water. There are two reasons, they are heavy, and it is a kind of disaster prevention measures. Well, here in Utsunomiya, we drink tapped water usually.

Then, disposable heat pads, wet sheets for floor cleaning, and paper towel.

They are more inexpensive by bulk shopping.

Well, before Yuki retired, we buy a little bit good quality SYOUCYU (alcohol) by bulk shopping. They are not sold at usual alcohol shops. "Unfortunately", considering our retirement budget  it was stopped. 

On the other hand we buy some health foods by bulk shopping. Yuki's special vinegar, and my special enzymatic? drink. When Yuki had lots of stress while he worked, he started to take the vinegar. Since then the habit has been continued. 

They are not sold at drugstores, and of course the shop give a big discount by bulk shopping.

pre-cooked dishes and 10 things discarding 1129

 

Carrots season. I get fresh carrots. So constantly I make carrot paste with a little bit sugar. The process isn't so difficult, "easy". But for me the last process "wasing a mixer" is the most trouble thing.

Last week, I constantly discarded some things. And totally I discarded 10 things.

Finally I used up my notebook to study "English". So this time I stapled failed copy paper to make another notebook. Can I continue studying English using this book?

"We" also cleaned our house. so except washing Yuki's car, our winter cleaning is almost finished.

Oh, unusually we haven't frost in my garden yet. So some plants are still fine. After we have frost, it is the time to pull out  the autumn plants.