lunch diary 0829

To tell the truth, it is difficult for me to adjust to this humidity.

Though I have an appetite, I seem to prefer rice to bread or pasta. When I was young (I'm not sure when was my young period), I preferred bread or pasta to rice.

Monday

Yuki went fishing early morning. But the rive was muddy (cloudy), so he gave up fishing. So we decided to organize our garden. He trimmed bushes, I weeded. Anyway we did it, though our garden didn't look so changed.  "doing it" is important, for us.

Tuesday

We bought fried-SANMA at deli corner at a nearby supermarket.

SANMA used to be very inexpensive usual fish. Nowadays it seem to be difficult to get it at reasonable price. Until 15 years ago, a lot of SAMA came from KESENNUMA fishing port to one of our neighbors. We used to share them with a bucket.

Wednesday

This week suddenly all summer vegetables' prices were up because of lining rain.

We had cucumber enough until last week. But once we knew it was expensive, we wanted to eat. What twisted people we are!

Thursday

I noticed the eggs in the fridge were almost short-dated.

So I cooked all of them scrambled eggs. The rest of scrambled eggs became for our dinner as topping of Cold noodle called HIYASHI CYUUKA.

Well usually the eggs on HIYASHICYUKA is fried eggs --- but it was all right for us.

Friday

Yuki took an annual health check. The official result is going to be sent in a few weeks. Anyway his abdominal girth decreased. He was so glad that he had a big can of beer at night. Well, my health check every three month is next week.

Kids talk card -3-

This was the card of this week. Unfortunately a zoom meeting wasn't hold.

A famous Japanese singer re-entered university to learn "Japanese literature" to improve his Japanese vocabulary.

One of my friends re-entered university and got a certificate as a teacher, and now she works as a semi professor at university. 

Another friend also re-entered university to learn International exchange.

Actually, when I was in my early 50s, I thought I would re-enter university.

However -- I don't try it. Because of this corona pandemic, and my mother's problem occurred.

And to tell the truth I'm not so eager to "learn" something new.

On the other hand, since I'm a realist and I continue to discarding 10 things once a week, I want to reuse my clothes especially KIMONO. So I want to learn sawing skill. And I want to remake my KIMONOS. 

Of course I can ask someone to remake it, but it is very expensive. And if I could do that by myself, it is inexpensive, and very useful to "kill time".  One of the disadvantage is -- the cloth of KIMONO is very sensitive, so it isn't washed by the washing machine. Actually when people used to wear KIMONO in their usual life, they didn't have washing machines.

Well, though it is not a new skill, I'm studying English Haiku. Now I take Japanese haiku course by mail. In my plan, I'll take English haiku course by mail in a few years.

Anyway I want to gather members who enjoy English Haiku.

lunch diary 0822

Monday, I felt dull. So Yuki went grocery shopping to get some things on morning half-price sale at a nearby supermarket. We spent the day lazily.

Tuesday, I had a zoom meeting in the morning. I was glad to chat with the members of my volunteer group. I don't know when to restart our activities at the library and nursery schools. Anyway we continue communicating ONLINE. Now Japanese pear season comes. So I sent TOCHIGI's pears to my friends. Each of them gave me a call. So in the afternoon I was always talking on the phone or skype with someone. 

Wednesday, I thought it was a sunny day. So I wiped up the windows. BUT since I wiped them up? a heavy rain came. In Yuki's case after he washes his car it starts raining. So I seldom wash my car, I usually have washed my car at the gas station. I'm thinking when to go there.

Thursday, Yuki went playing tennis. Public tennis coats are closed. BUT community coats are open for the residents. So he can play tennis once a week. And so far his tennis school is also open. So he takes tennis lessons once a week. On the other hand though my private gym is open, I stopped going there for a while.  

Friday, fortunately the mandatory quarantine of our younger daughter and grand daughter was finished without any problems. They came to Utsunomiya. They started volunteer quarantine for 10 days at nearby weekly rental condominium.

Kid Talk card -2-

 Today's card is here.

Unfortunately, I couldn't gather members of my Zoom meeting about this card. Anyway I continue to advertise this plan.

Nowadays, lack of numbers of honey bees is getting a big ploblem.

Well, today's questions are these three.

What smell do you like best? 

Though it depends on seasons, I like mint in summer. It makes me feel refreshed.

I also like lavenders. I have a big potted lavenders in my garden. I picked the flowers and dried them. They smell good. 

However nowadays, here and we see lots of things with artificial lavender's smell, like detergent, air refresher. So a kids said "this is the smell of washroom".

I had a big laugh. Well when I was a kid, the smell of orange osmanthus was the smell of washroom.

. My elder daughter doesn't like bananas. BECASUE she used to use toothpaste with banana smell, and she didn't like the smell in sudden, and she didn't like eating bananas subsequently. 

A few years ago I was into aroma, and my family also likes aroma. The big hit was against aging body odor. Since Yuki retired, Yuk's stress has decreased, and he doesn't have not so strong aging body odor according to our daughters.

I'd like to have a such chat. 

lunch diary 0814

Monday 

I got the second vaccination. I thought probably I had no side effect on the day, but anyway I dropped by a super market and bought some delicatessen. I spent lazily the rest of the day (as usual).

Tuesday

Fortunately I had no fever, so I went to KARAKU to perform with my friend.

However I felt very sluggish, so after Karaku, I took a nap and had light dinner, and went to bed earlier than usual.

Wednesday

Both of us had much free time. City tennis coats were closed. I stopped temporally going to the gym. However Yuki wasn't bored. He seemed to enjoy watching TV while watching his PC. On the other hand --- I was a little bid bored. BUT to tell the truth, I still felt sluggish.

Thursday

I went to my friend's house to get a hair cut.  In the afternoon I started organizing my English materials. As I introduced my new plan yesterday, I planed zoom meeting more using my materials.

Friday

Though I did lessons, I was not in good shape. I thought the reason was the sudden coldness. I didn't seem adjust to the difference of the temperature. OR I might had belated side effect.

This weekend I was almost in bed taking some medicine. I had no fever, but anyway I felt very sluggish. Today I'm all right. And it is not so cold.

KidTalk card -1-

I have continued organizing and revising my English materials. And I want to use some more often. Some of them don't "see the light day" yet.   The set of KidTalk cards is one of them.

I bought it to use for three minute talk at Toast Masters meeting. But I didn't use it. Now I left Toast Masters club.

So I think that "anyway use it. So I'll open 30 minute zoom meeting once a week to discuss one theme using this card".

To tell the truth, last week I introduced my zoom meeting on my group blog, and facebook. Unfortunately I couldn't get any attendee. It's alright. I'll try it little by little.

Oh, if you are interested in it, please leave the message on the Facebook site, thought it is in Japanese. Usually I organize the meeting every Thursday from 4:00 (Japan time). I decided whether it will open or not in the morning on the day.

Last week, I wanted to talk about this card. This weekend we have OBON holiday. So I thought it might be suitable card.

What is OBON?

Obon ia one of the buddhist events. In Buddhism, it is believed that the sprits of family ancestors come back to this world during the Obon period. So as a Japanese custom , it means though we are not strict Buddhists, we tend to hold family gatherings.  Obon is not an official holiday, but many companies decide that this period is holiday week, so many employees can easily plan and go back to their hometowns for family gatherings. 

This video is a traditional style. In my case, just visit my mother and my mother in-law. 

Well,  the theme of this card is

What is your favorite holiday, Why do you celebrate it, what do you do on that day?

Actually I don't have any favorite holiday. But for me New Year's holiday is very important, so in a way  New Year's holiday is my favorite holiday.

New year makes my feeling refresh. I can change my mind easily. I feel I will start a new step.

I do visit shrines. As you know our hobby is visiting shrines these days. But visiting shrines on that day make our feeling more purify. So I love it.

And I don't need doing usual errands. Before corona pandemic we went to Tokyo to attend family meeting. Of course we do lots of errands, mainly cooking. But there are many people, so my task is very few. This year Yuki and I stayed here. But I sipped usual house errands. We spent the holiday lazily --- well, nowadays we often spend lazily.

If you share your idea, I'm happy.

lunch diary 0807

Monday,

Yuki's second vaccination was finished. He is the first person in my family to take the vaccination twice. It is a relief for us.

Unfortunately, he had fever. But it was all right to take a fever reducer. He seemed to enjoy the day in his room watching TV, playing around on computer and so on.

Tuesday,

I felt a little bit tired from this heat even though I stayed almost in the house those days. We went to the library and on the way home as usual we dropped by small shrines.

Wednesday,

I got lots of green peppers from the lady next person. Both of us felt a little bit bored and tired. SO, we did 10 minute cooking. We made easy unsweetened pudding called "CYAWANMUSHI" with microwave oven. Well, this youtube recipe seems to be complicated than ours.

Thursday

I got GOYA (bitter gourd) . So in that morning, I was also busy in cooking. This summer it is really hot, so it seems to be a good harvest season of summer vegetables. Some of them is eaten by themselves, but we (Yuki and I) are not plant eaters. And it is difficult to fresh vegetables themselves much at once. It means "cooking" is necessary.

Friday

In the morning I went to dentist, and in the afternoon, Yuki went to dentist and skin clinic.  

I try to do things what I can do on the day. However to tell the truth, I'm full of anxiety, though I have nothing what I can do by myself. Like everyone (probably) I seem to be tired of this corona pandemic and, my mother, my younger daughter's family, and -- well, I'm not so worried about my elder daughter even though she doesn't earn money. In fact I really thank her for watching my mother. 

So I really than to YUKI, who chose " not to work more" and "to stay home".

Well, he doesn't stay home. Yuki's attitude to enjoy his "hobby" makes me relaxed and tells me Whatever happens happens.