What brought fun to us? 0328

I really understand it is spring. Last week we enjoyed Japanese apricot blossoms and cherry blossoms. 

We went to a shrine. It was the first visit for us. And there we knew this shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Utsunomiya.  This tree is weeping apricot blossoms.

As I wrote it, it is a shrine, and also the Shinto priest family lives there.  So it is an ancestral shrine. When we got around there, we didn't find out the shrine, because it looked like a usual house.

Our purpose was not going to the shrine. I wanted to go to a gathering place for people who suffer from dementia and their family. I wanted to talk with the staff.

I had a good time. While I was talking with the staff and other people, Yuki was investigating fishing spots. Because a river was nearby.

Another day we went to see cherry blossoms at an old temple.



And another day, as soon as we got up, we went to see cherry blossoms at a hill park. There we joined early radio exercise.

Seeing cherry blossoms there is one of our annual event. And usually we come here early morning and have breakfast at a café. 

However this time we dropped by a convenience store and had breakfast at home as usual. Yuki said "Today I don't need to do dishes, don't I?" I laughed. He really seemed to become a househusband.

lunch diary 0328

 April is around the corner.

Monday

I went to clinics to get regular prescription drugs. Nowadays I'm  a little bit tired to talk with my Mom through AI speaker. It is a kind of caregiving. So I talked about my situation to the doctor. He said "anyway take it easy".

I got back at noon. And I talked with my mother as usual. While talking with her, I cooked carrot paste.

A cold spring day; though feeling heavy-headed, Mom and I are laughing

Tuesday

It was a warm day. I did 30 minute exercise at gym.

My mother wanted to listen a singer's song. But she didn't remember her correct name. So I searched it. And I operate AI speaker from my iphone, finally she could listened to her songs. Both of us were born in the same era of "syouwa". But her Shouwa is in the 20's and 30's. My Shouwa is in the 40's and 50's. So I don't know her Shouwa. Well My elder daughter was also born in the same era of Syouwa. Of course she doesn't keep our Shouwa straight.

I cooked Japanese radish.

Spring: Mom's syowa songs, be searched by AI

Wednesday

In the morning, I was busy. But I don't remember why I was busy.

Mom was in the bad mood. 

Mom and I, sneeze at the screen; flying pollens.

Thursday

I cooked Chinese noodle.

I also cooked squash.

Yuki came back earlier than usual. He felt back pain.

Househusband and Housewife, apply a compress each other; Nazuna weeding


Friday
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I cooked fish fry.

As soon as we got up, we went to see cherry blossoms, and there we did radio exercise.



Cherry blossoms start blooming, join morning radio exercise at the hill.

7

What brought fun to us 0321

Last week we had a plan to go to a new supermarket. The name is "GYOUMU super".  Their target is mainly restaurants, cafe, and so on, it means they deal with big bags of glossary.  But these days (because of this corona pandemic?) they start to sell items to usual people like us. They also deal with lots of imported things.  It was an interesting place. I found butter without salt made in NZ. The price is less inexpensive than usual one made in Japan. 

Before visiting the supermarket, we dropped by a park, and enjoyed KOUZU cherry blossoms which bloom early spring. 

Another day, we visited a cafe --- because "coincidently" I dropped my rice bowl, so I want a new one for me. So we visited my favorite tableware shop & cafe.

Are there any rice bowls in my house? Yes there are some rice bowls which are not used. One is for my elder daughter, another one is for my second daughter, another one is my grand daughter, another one is for my son in-law, -------. It is my rule? family members have their own rice bowl. Of course there are other some rice bowls for guests. Guests?---- who and when they come ???? 

Anyway I'm satisfied with my new rice bowl.

lunch diaryy 0321

 Since we put AI smart speaker "ALEXA" in my mother's house, my daily life  has changed.

I usually video call to Mom around noon. When she is awake, everything goes smoothly. Or when my daughter is there, of course we have no problems.

But when she is asleep in bed,(it means she is alone), it is difficult to wake her up. I continue calling for at least 20 minutes. So far she notices the calling and comes to the kitchen. (Alexa is on the kitchen table). Well, you know the rest; she has bad mood. I have to appease her.

Anyway I watch her actions such as taking out her lunch from the fridge and cooking it with the microwave oven. Usually her lunch is prepared by my brother. Then "we" start have lunch together. And I have to check whether she takes painkiller properly. Thankfully she doesn't take lots of medicine, just need painkillers. But she has to control the dose depends on her condition. So I check it. And she usually does the dishes. The video call finishes around 2 PM.

And I also calls around 5:30 PM. it is her dinner time. Usually the video call finishes around 7 PM. Of course three of us have dinner together through the screen.

So I make pre-cooked dishes while I'm video-calling with my mother.

Monday

I cooked HIJIKI sea weed, and grilled TARAKO.


March Japanese radish, I'm happy to get it, but just cook with one pot.

Tuesday

I cooked sweet potato wit Japanese leek.

I cooked stuffed green peppers. These are my pre-cooked dishes, and stored in the freezer. There are a few ones in the freezer. Do I need to make new ones?

In the morning I hold a Zoom meeting with my English picture book club members.

Three members joined us.

In the afternoon I asked "lots of thins" to Amazon customer support center about how to use ALEXA. The staff were very kind. --- However for me it was very difficult to catch up with some technical words. 

Spring vacation a new AI gadget, makes me struggle

Wednesday

In the morning we went to the city park an enjoy KAWAZU cherry blossoms which bloom early in March.

In the afternoon I organized my classroom.

water getting warm, it is about time to change, my handcream

Thursday

I cooked HIJIKI sea-weed again.

I cook vegetable omelet.  

Finally one week has passed since we went to Tokyo. So I went to exercise. It was for the first time in three weeks.

Water getting warm, with only long-sleeve shirt  go to exercise

Friday

It was the last weekday. I talked a lot with my Mom. I tried to make me calm as much as I can. I tried not to advise or order anything as much as I can. It was very stressful talking for me.

Tomorrow rains, cold for three days and then warm for four days repeatedly, make rice soup

What brought fun to us 0314

 It is already the last weekday of this week. Let me look back on last week again.

Did you remember that two weeks ago we went to a cake shop, and a lot of people were waiting in line. so we gave up to visit there?  We went there again to "revenge" (it might be a too strong word, anyway I wanted to have cake of the shop."

This time, we bought some.  This is a photo of a piece of cake with rum-soaked laziness.

Well, last Tuesday, it was day of KARAKU.

Some regular customs were there. "Some" means "not so crowded". We don't do such a perform if Karaku is full of people.

My partner brought her pocket Wi-Fi. So we did live-concert through facebook live app for the first time.

We "installed" an Alexa AIspeaker to my mother's house.

Now  all members are getting used to using it. However it is still difficult for me to control it from my iPhone. When someone is with my mother, it is all right. But when she is alone, according to the  the explanation, "I" can control the speaker from my iPhone remotely, such as requesting her favorite song.

But the features in the speaker itself and the Alex app in my iPhone seem to be little bit different. "We" (including Yuki) are now struggling with new AI gadget and new app on iphone.

We went to see Japanese plum blossoms. It was one-hour drive. It got rid of my stress. We walked more than 5000 steps on the day.

lunch diary 0314

 Last week, we felt very long. Anyway a new week has started.

Monday; it was a very cold day. The left one is pickled Daikon made by my neighbor. I was going to make HAIKU starting with spring rain.

However in Haiku world, spring rain means that it is warm and gentle and kind to plants. The rain on the day was very cold.

Cold spring, with frozen rice cakes  array of soup-centric dishes

Tuesday, it was a warm day. It looked like a cafe lunch, though the main was sausages. Additionally, they were a little bit expensive sausages, because the inside was cheese.

Yellow narcissuses;  lettuce, bacon and cheese   at my garden cafe

Wednesday, We visited some shops to prepare for the next day travel to Tokyo.

So we had lunch outside. Stake lunch. And it was the day when my granddaughter graduated from  the kindergarten.

Graduation! celebrate in different places, with four screens

Of course we couldn't attend the ceremony. Our son in-law could neither.  One of parents could attended the ceremony. He  took a day off. but he was waiting them at the gate of the kindergarten.

 

Thursday; we left home early in the morning. And did all things for my mother.

She became 86 years old.

We present smart speaker ALEXA. We could talk through the video when my daughter was there. Because we use her and my iphones. It was really inconvenient for her. And she doesn't come constantly. Thanks to ALEXA, my mother and I can talk through the video. For me it is difficult to explain what is ALEXA, or smart speaker. Probably you know about them. When Ipad appeared, I could catch up with them. But it seems to difficult for me to catch up with AI assist gadgets like smart speakers.

For of us, my mother, our elder daughter, Yuki and me had lunch together??? NO and Yes. I had lunch with my mother at my mother's house, on the other hand Yuki and our elder daughter had lunch at her house. We talked through ALEXA seeing each faces on the screen. Everyone is still really afraid of get-together. 

When we say to ALEXA "I LOVE YOU", it starts to sing a song of "I LOVE YOU TOO".

On the way home, we had these noodle.

Japanese quince; the garden was like, we came yesterday 

 

Friday; I sautéed beef and TOFU. I felt very tired. Fatigue? a feeling of weakness?

I was going to spend a calm day. BUT fortunately or unfortunately my mother "mastered" how to call me through ALEXA.

So  She told me every thing what AlEXA could do.

It was the day as if I were sitting next to my mother.

Japanese quince, my mother's birthday of  86  with a new fried of AI screen

 

what brought fun to us 0306

March!!! 

I'm afraid that the state of emergency in Tokyo was not lifted.

Well, one day my feeling of the day was "cake day".  We took the trouble of going to a little bit far library so, "I" asked Yuki to drop by a popular cake shop. When we arrived there, many people were in line outside. So we gave up. However my feeling of the day was "cake day". So on the way home we dropped by a little fancy super market and bout two pieces of cake.

Finally the rivers in Tochigi  are open for fishing.

The first day was a weekday, but according to Yuki there were many people. Of course they took enough distance for "fishing".

On the way home he bought  a local specialty.

We went out to a department. Probably it was the first time in half of year.

So Yuki put on a stylish sweater, and I put on earrings.

The purpose was to buy my mother's order.  We found it. And we also bought a little bit expensive sweets for us.

This is butter cookie with run-soaked raisins. Many shops sell ones, but this one is the most popular, and most traditional one in Japan (probably).

Hina festival has gone. So I put Hina dolls away quickly. Then I put these things.

This year I have no plan for Easter.

。

lunch diary 0306

 

Monday; Yuki went out from early in the morning. Of course he couldn't get any fish, but he seemed to be very satisfied. And what made him surprised was that though it was a usual weekday, the places he visited were full of people for fishing. Well I used the word "full", but the distance between people are enough. Because as you can guess, people need to keep enough distance to "get" fish if they can do.

And on the way home he dropped by a Japanese sweet shop and got the local specialty.

The opening day of fishing, just put the line into the river, makes him happy

Tuesday, it was a rainy day. So Yuki's tennis was cancelled.

Today I was talking and watching my mother for more than 2 hours. Well it means my daughter t was also there. When T was there, I could see and speak to my mother through the screen of T's iphone.

Spring rain; disappear without noticing, a ONAGA bird

Wednesday, the main was vermicelli soup. It was the last day to teach my high school students. I'll close my high school student class this spring.

A calm spring, without feeling the pain, sip porridge

Thursday, yesterday my mother had porridge, so I made porridge for us. It was a cold day. T said "it is all right to talk together for 2 hours, but it is frustrated that I can't use my iphone."  So finally it is about to time to buy smartphones speaker for my daughter M and me. Not my mother.  She doesn't like to buy new gadgets if we say "it is for you".

A cold winter day, hung off the phone, with a big sigh

Friday. I cooked fish.

My mother doesn't like or doesn't eat fish. It is said that having fish works for her health.  She was born in a seaport town. "SO" she doesn't eat fish in Tokyo.

I showed today's my lunch for her. but just she frowned up her face.

Spring fish; having it with eyes, but untouched

pre-cooked dishes and discarding 10 things 0228

Now it's already in the middle of this week. So most of pre-cooked dishes have already gone. 

 

Last weekend, I boiled Japanese radish Daikon gently with a slow cooker.

I also made potato paste seasoned Japanese dashi, carrots paste seasoned sugar, and cooked sliced lemon with honey. I also chopped NEGE thinly and froze them.

The sliced lemons are being dried. Well I also dried thinly sliced KIKUIMO which is kind of potatoes but we can eat fresh ones. Additionally I dried thinly sliced ginger's left over. 

Last week, I got lots of eggs. So I baked cheese cake.

Well, I could use lots of eggs, but I scrimped cream cheese. So the taste is similar to egg cake. No problem.

I continue organizing my book shelves. Before discarding some books directly I made an intermediate storage  box. So the box is almost full of books.

I also gave the microwave oven a through cleaning, though it doesn't sparkle.

 

This week my car got a safely inspection. So my car is now sparkling.

what brought fun to us? 0228

Finally the state of emergency in this city was lifted. So Yuki's tennis activity has started.

I had a complimentary ticket to a city art museum. I thought while he was playing tennis, I would go there alone. However fortunately or unfortunately, "we" went there together.

 

Of course we bought one more ticket which cost 800 yen.

It was a good opportunity to appreciate the Meiji era in Japan through a foreigner's artist eyes. Of course I don't know Meiji era which is more than 100 years ago. My image is poor and inconvenient. (Of course the air must have been clean, and there must have had lots of nature.) But the impression through his arts was simple, slow and calm. 

I continue to organize my bookshelves. That week, a junior high school student and a high school student took many books saying "I'll read them during the spring vacation". To tell the truth I wanted them to take other series of books. But both of them took popular series of books. It was all right. It is the time to let go when they are needed.

At that night we went out for our dinner.

 

TONKATSU.

I felt really happy, and I felt sorry for my mother and my mother in-law. For a while it seems to be difficult to take them out to have meals together at restaurant

Yuki also went to play golf. He went a little bit far this time. So I asked him to buy a local specialty on the way home.

  

These are sweet dumplings. But not inside is red beans paste, it is "white kidney beans" paste??

I also made this video from my photos.