I'm a Japanese housewife living in Japan. I'm in my 60's. I want to know daily lives in the world, so at first I'll tell my daily. What is your daily life?
It is already later in the week. I was late to updating my blog.
I cooked pre-cooked dishes on the weekend, and most of them have already gone.
This time I made squash and red beans paste seasoned sweet. We ate a kind of SHIRUKO.
And of course, I did discarding 10 things. This week I constantly reduce English lesson materials and books. Yesterday, my high school student who graduates this spring took some ( for me) or many (for him) English books back home. He is going to live alone in Tokyo in the late of March. For a while he must have lots of free time. So I told him to go there with the books. Do you think he carry the books to his apartment?
And "I" also cleaned some windows on the weekend.
However, now we have lots of pollen. So the windows are already covered with dust? pollens.
Is it troublesome ? fun? Anyway I put these dolls. In March there is a day of Hina festival.
Usually a big HINA festival is held in Ujiie where is next town to our city. We sometimes go there. However, this year it is not held.
Well, I say "I don't go out for eating or having tea time". BUT it might be wrong. I or we often seem to go to KARAKU. This time we went there to buy a bag of rice which was grown by Master's brother.
When I go there, I like to read a specific magazine. In the magazine of the month, they introduced how to preserve vegetables. I smiled murmuring softly that I've already done it, it's common knowledge in our 60's. The target of this magazine is for their 40's and 50's.
My mother wants to eat a kind of YOUKAN, which is coated with sugar. Not so many Japanese sweet shops deal with the kind. Probably a Japanese sweet shop in Utsunomiya they make and sell them. So we went to the mall in Utsunomiya station.
In the mall, most of shops are famous which means that the price is higher than usual ones of supermarkets, and quality is better. So "we" bought other things.
We???? to tell the truth, I didn't buy expensive retort cully. In this picture the cully is the most expensive.
And, I could hold a Zoom meeting with my members. It is a monthly meeting. Including me there were three participants. I'm really happy to keep in touch with them without specific activities.
A new Monday has started. It is really warm, even for me it is a warm day though I'm wearing a sweater.
It was a cold rainy day. We went to Utsunomiya station to buy our local specialty "youkan" for my mother. And we had lunch, these are another our local specialty "Gyouza". You might know it as "pot sticker". Actually I have seen the name at a Asian restaurant in the US. However it was a little bit wrong? different? or strange.
A rainy spring day; take the trouble going out for my mother's sweets
Tuesday, I had a Zoom meeting which is held once a month. Two members participated in it. The meeting it self took only 40 minutes. But for me it took more including preparation and aftertreatment. So I could spent fulfilling morning (sounds a little bit exaggerating)
Coldness comes back; share the sigh, through the screens.
Wednesday. The lunch of the other day was kind of rice bowl dishes. And this day's lunch was also kind of rice bowl dishes. The ingredients were different. This week my mother eats lunch alone, so I constantly call her at noon. She doesn't have her cell phone. And these days it is hard to listen to me holding a telephone receiver. But she got finally used to use a speakerphone function.
Spring coldness, rubbing her knee standing at the land-lined telephone
Thursday, Yuki got a ride to the gym. While I was doing 30 minute workout, he was browsing in a supermarket and bought these delicatessen. Than we expected, strong spring wind was blowing.
Early in the afternoon, bring in the laundry; the second spring gale
Friday, it was a warm day. My mother's feeling depends on the weather. So this day she seemed to be good. And my feelings in the afternoon depends on my mother's feelings. So I spent the evening peacefully, and had classes cheerfully.
Spring wind shining; without her noticing the ache, Mother calls me
When I cook pre-cooked dishes, I use all stoves, and electrical tools. Though it doesn't appear on this photo, I use a rice-cooker to boil vegetables.
Japanese daikon, turnips, carrots, squash, red beans, and green leaves were cooked.
I also "revised" my winter close because I became 60 years old. Because of this pandemic, I had few chances to put on dresses or skirts. And all of them are getting old, it means most of them were bought when I was in my 30's or 40's. HOWEVER probably I'll put them on in a few years. So I couldn't discard them except only one knit cardigan.
I also reviewed kitchen tools.
I had kept new wax wrap paper. So I started use them, while I discard these plastic wrap covers.
Then I organized bathroom, and some tools to die hair were discarded.
I tried to shoot a video with my iphone. so I bought this one at a 100 shop.
And -- I failed. It was difficult to keep a suitable angle.
So I made this video as a usual way, it means from photos.
Next, I finally bought a bloom broom. It is a domestic bland bloom broom, called KANUMA- Houki. Can you guess how much it was? It cost 10000 yen. About 10 years ago, I happened to buy a KANUMA houki which cost 8000 yen. At that time I made up mind to do "polite" and "slow" life, so it was a good opportunity to stick to tools. The craftsman assured me to use it at least for 10 years. He was right. First I use it to sweep a TATAMI room. It was getting thinner. So I use it to it to clean narrow spaces. And it was getting much thinner. So It is about time to use as a garden bloom broom. It is the reason why I bought a new one. Additionally buying a new one is one of item on my list of our retirement life.
Well, 10 years ago I bought KAMUMA-Houki, and the next year I bought a wooden shoehorn which we could use for life. AND my decision to stick to tools disappeared.
Well, we took the trouble to go to KANUMA to buy it. It was a 50 minute drive.
There we ate the Kanuma's specialty, NIRA-noodle.
And we also walked around. Kanuma is famous as a place where the most famous Hiku poet MATSUO BASYOU visited once.
For the last two days, we had warm days. But today it is raining and cold. Saturday night we had a big earthquake. Some things dropped from a shelf. A lump broke, but Yuki's trophy was intact.
Monday, do you know bibimbap? It is a kind of Korean dishes. And this is Japanese version bibimbap.
In the morning, I went to a gym For a 30 minute-workout. Then, I talked on the video phone with my mother for about 2 hours. Well, it means my elder daughter was also with my mother at her house. She was complaining, sometimes showed her anger. My elder daughter and I understood how difficult for her to accept her situation. However, she is really picky as usual. As of now she is fine, though she sometimes gets in light delirium.
Winter violets, with complaints and anger, getting aged
Tuesday, Yuki gave me a ride to the gym. While I was doing 30 minute workout, he was hanging around , it was wrong, searching for pre-cooked takeout lunch ?? in the supermarket nearby. The grilled chickens he found was too hot for me to eat.
Winter buds; made me stop, trim the flowerpot
Tuesday, though it was just one-pan lunch, luncheon mats made it looks nice. When we got up, it was cold. But at noon it was warm. So after lunch we did walking exercise--- and I basked in pollens.
Feel the warm sun, easy to walk, while basking in pollens
Thursday, Fried rice with sliced Chinese cabbage.
It was a holiday. We walked a lot. On the way home we took a rest at Mac.
Put a spring sweater, around my shoulders, walk elegantly
Friday, sautéed local brand pork and Okura. I prepared some chocolate with red ribbon for my students because of coming Valentine's day, while I put a Japanese pink plums in a vase to celebrate coming Hina festival.
A blanch of pink Japanese blossoms; small boxes with red ribbons, looks strange
Though it is not fun, but we had a good opportunity to think about our life in the future. Though my mother was diagnosed as early Alzheimer's, she is still living in her home freely. On the other hand we started to search some nursing home in Tokyo and here in Utsunomiya. (Well, though I don't know whether it is the right way to use "search", anyway not "look for" yet)
I was very surprised that even in Utsunomiya there are many private nursing homes, and the cost is various. When either of us has to live alone, probably moving to such a home will give a relief to my daughters while he or I will be fine. BUT I don't know whether we will be able to afford to move to such a private facility.
And reasonable facilities for us are on the waiting. When do we need to book some of them?
Well, we went to Karaku again to spend a teatime. They have already decorated Hina-dolles. I will decorate mine after Valentine's day.
It is getting warm. On our calendar it is "spring", though it is still cold. On the other hand pollen has come.
Monday, this is "ODEN"-- a kind of hot pot dish. The ingredients are boiled and seasoned with soy sauce. In the morning I went to a post office and sent a parcel to my mother. The personal at the post office was so kind that she told me the most reasonable way to send the parcel. At last I separated the parcel into two parcels.
"Devil goes out" (setsubun); forward for 88 years old, having roasted soy beans
Tuesday, it is most of the same as our breakfast. I made kind of potage with SATO-yam and burdock roots.
For Ehoumaki (a thick sushi roll), to a supermarket, stride up
Wednesday, I went to a gym to do 30 minute workout. While I was doing, Yuki was looking for OSOUZAI (delicatessen) for our lunch. He found this big fried fish.
With pink towel, wipe off the sweat; early spring
Thursday, all my checkups are finished. In January I had an annual health check, and extra checkups were needed. At last, the diagnosis was "follow-up" --- as usual.
Can you see spinach? This is cooked with a microwave oven by "Yuki". He finally learned how to use a microwave oven not only for heating up, but also for cooking like boiling. He put spinach into a plastic bag, and added some water to it, and cook it with a microwave oven.
Well, my mother is fine. One of her current interests is reading books. I'm asked to get some books which she is interested in. It is really difficult to chose.
First the letters are big, it means she doesn't read paper-book sized books.
Second the books are not heavy, it means she doesn't read long story novels.
Well, she likes detective and suspense stories. However, they are usually thick.
She also wants to read essays.
So I found some books. And I noticed that books written by elder authors are written in big letters.
I sent some books.
The authors are in their 80's or 90's.
However, all books are denied.
She said "I don't want to read these books. Because I know of the authors, and they are puffed up with pride".
Well, well,--.
My mother, now she is "a weak person". So she seems to dislike people who are fine and independent.
She asked me again to find novels written by mail authors.
It seems to be usual to have soup for our breakfast. So I pre-pare the paste of soup and stock some small bags of it in a freezer.
This time, I made pumpkin paste and Sato-yam & burdock roots paste. I also made carrots paste which was sweetened.
I simmered Japanese radish, but I also sliced them and dried them.
I started to organize my English materials, but it doesn't progress. When I see them, I think that I might use them someday again. So this time I decided to transfer them to a box. And anyway I could discarded 10 things.
Well, I also cleaned and organized the drawers of a shelf in the bathroom.
February has started. I felt this January longer than usual.First, I went to a factory of rice crackers. There we can get "imperfect shape" of rice crackers whose taste is the same of perfect shape ones. -- Does it make sense?I bought some bags for us, and for my neighbors. I had a good reason to drop in on them. Still now we have some concerns to chat each other without reasons. I gave the bag of race crackers and chat for 5 minutes.
I decided to do hand-copy Buda sutra, which is called SYAKYO. First I did it with easy pen. But I was not satisfied with it. So I bought some real calligraphy pens. In my plan after I finish doing 10 sheets, I'm going to a temple where it takes one hour by car with the sheets.
Last week, Yuki had no tennis. But fortunately he could go to golf range which has 9 holes. There, guests can play as much as they want for 1600 yen. He seemed enjoy the day very well. On the other hand, I went to KARAKU. I had a talk with the owner about the performance of me and my friend. For a while it is stopped. And I pored over a magazine for senior ladies.
One of these my duties is to look for books for mother which are written with large letters. So I constantly drop by at used book stores. I found two books and sent them.
I "discovered" an interesting things. The letters of the books which are written by elderly women authors are bigger than ones of usual books.
Additionally, though this is not current fun, I added a place where I want to visit.
It is a shrine which is probably one and a half hour drive.
My husband Yuki and I live in a regional city. Our retirement life has state since 2020. Though Something good, exciting, worried or bad often happens, we try to focus the current situation and spend enjoyable days while living offf our savings little by little carefully.
