Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Good morning 0531

 

It is the last day of May.  It is raining. Well, does rainy season start? I think it is a little earlier.  Anyway the heater in the kitchen is working now.

Today I am going to go to the gym. 

And, we will go to a big supermarket to buy Yuki’s cotton under shirts. 

Unfortunately his skin seemed to get a rash. He needs more 100% cotton under shirts. 

In the evening from 7PM (Japan time)

 I hold zoom chatting. It automatically stops in 40minutes. If you are interested in it, please give me your comment.  

Monday, May 30, 2022

Good morning 0530

 

 A new Monday has started.

In the morning we are going to go downtown, to a city banks, and a department store, and go to a music store. 

In the afternoon a friend will come, and also today is the day to do video chat. These days we do video chat once or twice a week, not every day.

Today, it is an active day for me.

Well,  why are we going to go to a music store? This weekend Yuki joins a outside live concert. So he needs to buy some gadgets. 

Saturday, May 28, 2022

lunch diary 0528



Monday
We went to rural town "Nakagawa town". It takes about one hour by car. Our purpose is  a "vending machine" in the rice field area. A bowl of cooked udon or soba comes out from the vending machine.

Tuesday
Harvest time of snow peas. Thankfully we get fresh ones  from here and there.
I told my husband, " we need to take lines of them to eat."

Wednesday
I bought a pork cutlet at a delicatessen corner. . I'm worried about cholesterol, so I chose "pork filet cutlet" instead of pork loin cutlet.

Thursday
After all, I noticed that freshly fried food at home is more delicious. So I deep-fried horse mackerel . Is it all right to take fried food for two days in a row?

Friday
It was raining. So, my husband had no plans. In such a case,  we usually go to a distant supermarket. In the afternoon, we were  supposed to go to the library , so we had lunch in our car.

Friday, May 27, 2022

correction of my haiku -1-

I received the first correction of my haiku.

original

Hina-Festival
three old women wearing
modern KIMONO

after correction
Dolls festival;
three elderly women in light-weight kimonos

Hina festival is all right, but probably Dolls festival is better to understand.
elderly is more respectful than old
the word "modern" will intrigue your Western readers . I think you have to give an example;
kimono jacket, kimono dress. knee-length kimono, or light-weight kimono

Well, well, I know modern means present, or recent.
But what I want to express is not present style kimono, though actually these these days we have modern kimonos arranged to fit into our current life style, like knee-length kimono.
But I want to express modern pattern instead of classical and traditional pattern.

Dolls festival;
three elderly women in modern printed kimonos


Original

For just three seconds
show each real face with smile;
Graduation Day

It is corrected to show more specific situation.
after correction
Graduation day;
unmasked smiling faces in a three second photo

Well, I wanted to show that "they were allowed to chat only three minutes without masks, because it was the last day for them."

Graduation day;
unmasked smiling faces in a three second chatting

ordinal
Wheel chair
has got a friend of my mom;
Cherry blossoms again

after correction
Cherry blossoms;
a friend of mom is in a wheelchair


Probably my ordinal was vague what I wanted to say.
I wanted to say that my mom finally went out in a wheel chair, so she could make friends.

Cherry blossoms;
wheel chair brought a new friend
to my mom


Q
When I want to use Japanese traditional events as seasonal words, how do I express or deal with them. This time I use "Hina-festival" directly without explanation. I thought probably readers could imagine that it would be a seasonal Japanese event. Is it more effective to express "Doll festival in March" or "Girls festival in March" and so on?

A
Peach blossom festival is famous in America, though Hina festival is well-known to haikuists oversea, but Doll festival is much easier to understand.
"Hina doll festival "is also adequate, but do not add "in March", as that would distract rom the haiku.

What do you think of them?

Good morning 0526

 

Today’s breakfast was “a little bit” burnt hot sandwiches.

The inside was fried fish which were the rest of yesterday’s lunch.

It is raining. Yuki stays home, so we might go out to a sweet shop, though depends on the level of rain.

Yesterday I went to a local community center in my residential area, and I inquired about “haiku” club.  I might join a club. 

I also have started constant zoom meeting at 7 pm (Japan time) even if there were no participants. Free zoom meeting is automatically stopped in forty minutes. I like the system.  In the zoom meetings, I want to share English picture books, make English haiku, or just chat. Are you interested in the meeting?


Thursday, May 26, 2022

Good morning 0526

 

Oh, it is sunny. It was going to rain according to the weather report. So instead of going to buy Japanese sweets at a little bit far shop, I have to go to the gym. Because Driver Yuki is busy.

In the afternoon, I am going to a nearby eye clinic. 

In a national paper a NPO group was introduced. They are acting ? working to make a community for elderly people against loneliness including young people. I used to join them. So I was really happy to find the report. They are acting in the next next city. So it is far for me to go there. I want to join such a group, or organize around me —— for myself. 


Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Good morning 0525

 


Yuki has already gone to play golf.  Tomorrow, it will rain so he is lucky.

I do walking around 4 p.m these days. Because I have no lessons. Probably because of this weather, I often see someone and stop walking to chat “for a while”.It is fun. Events seem to be started to be hold, though we don’t still go to inside consorts. Pleas don’t include performance at karaku. 


Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Good morning 0524

 

Red beans and butter toast!

It is sunny. And today I have to go to the gym.

Yesterday, we drove out, and picked some poppies. 

So, for a week I didn’t go to the gym.

Yesterday, I did walking exercise, and saw a member of my gym.

She said with a smile “when you come to the gym?”  .

Sometimes  we see while each of us do walking exercise. And of course at that time we chant “ only” for few minutes.





Monday, May 23, 2022

Good morning 0523

 

A new Monday has started. The weather is unstable. A few minutes ago it was raining. We have no plan today.

We might go out somewhere in the morning. If we don’t go out, I should go to the gym. Depends on the weather.

Or, I might spend lazily. Last night we had sever thunder storms, so “I” couldn’t sleep well, 

Saturday, May 21, 2022

lunch diary 0521


Monday
We drove to the next city to buy  vinegar and soy sauce in a single bottle (1.8l) to "Oda Soy Sauce"  firm. Two of us are a little bit particular about food.
We dropped by a MICHINO EKI market on our way home, there we bought  our lunch boxes.

Tuesday
I hold our volunteer group meeting at ZOOM in the morning. In the afternoon, I went to the library to talk with the staff. Maybe we will resume volunteer activities there from July.

Wednesday
Boiled flatfish, oh well, I burned it. Well, things like that happen.
In the morning, I joined digging up onions  in the garden next door.

Thursday
It was the day of the blood test. Cholesterol was up again and I lost weight. What should I do?
Anyway, we had already decided  to "eat a feast" on this day, so we had a counter-tempura lunch.

Friday
I walked to a nearby clinic in the morning and a dentist in the afternoon, so I had 7,000 steps, it was easy peasy.
One of my friend brought me her harvested "fine" rhubarbs.




This week I made various things. Pickled rose and jam from edible roses. From rhubarb, candied rhubarb and jam.
I sliced the fresh onions, ​​and soaked them  in vinegar and honey. Vinegar is "Oda" vinegar.

Friday, May 20, 2022

Good morning 0520

 

Yesterday,  I took blood health check. Unfortunately my cholesterol level is still high or much higher, though I denaied to take medicine.

On the other hand my neutral fat level has dropped. It means I lost weight. 

Doctor said

In a good way,  my dietary intake is the same, the amount of my exercise is up, so I lost weight. 

In a little bad way,  you might have lost the amount of muscle because of aging. So you might need more protein while keeping the same amount of exercise. 

—— so on the way home I dropped by a drugstore, and bought a bag of protein for women.

In a bad way, you might suffer from disease, so you need to take a thorough health check this year.

—- so I will take it in August. 




Thursday, May 19, 2022

Good morning 0519

 

Yesterday, I dogged out these onions at my neighbor’s garden. 

This year onions are very expensive, so we are really happy. Especially Yuki are. When he eats ramen-noodle, he adds minced onion. And he eats up one whole onion. 


Today it is my blood check day. So no breakfast. Yuki ate banana, and vegetable juice.


Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Good morning 0518

 

It is sunny. “Finally” I could air my futon. It means my pollen season has gone. For a while I’m free from taking allergic medicine, though I take Kanpur medicine. 

Today it is a usual day. Going to the gym, walking exercise, having a piano lesson, and lazy night. 

Well, I am trying to do something at night, though I do yoga. For more than 20 years I had lessons at night, now I am free. I am not used to this situation. 

On the other hand, Yuki enjoys lazy night, it means, watching TV, PC, playing the guitar while drinking and taking a nap. 


Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Good morning 0517

 I made strawberry & rose petal jam, so I put some on our yogurt.

Today I hold a zoom meeting with the members (probably two) of my group, and read some English picture books, or Japanese picture books in English from 11:00 am (Japan time)

If you are interested in it, please join us. If you would to do it, please leave a comment. 














Monday, May 16, 2022

Good morning 0516

 

Good morning. Today Yuki has no plans, or he has to do housework errands. So in the morning we are going to go  downtown. 

Yesterday we visited a friend’s garden, and got edible roses. You see some petals on the yogurt. I also made pickled rose petals. 


Saturday, May 14, 2022

 lunch diary 0514  


Monday
We drove  a little far to a luxury Chinese restaurant.
Was the fee of gasoline expensive??? However, it was a 1000 yen lunch. The scenery from the window also gave us a feeling of luxury.

Tuesday
I used up all the vegetables that were in the refrigerator. Vegetable fried rice!
It was the day of KARAKU.

Wednesday
I went to Karaku cafe again to do something. So I had lunch alone there.
I asked a woman to make a bag from my old kimono obi. It's about time to let go off my kimonos little by little.

Thursday
The weather was unexpectedly good in the morning, but it became cloudy in the afternoon.
Yuki went to a skin clinic in the afternoon, so I also went there together to do walking exercise while waiting for him.

Friday
The weather was unstable from the morning, and it rained after all. But Yuki played tennis in the morning. In the afternoon, Yuki kept in the room as a caution. Thankfully he didn't catch a cold.


Friday, May 13, 2022

Good morning 0513

 

Yogurt French toast. This time my homemade yogurt separated into two parts, liquid and solid. So I made this one with it.

In a planter I found two strawberries—- only two. Before aunts eating, I picked them. 

Just a few minutes ago, rain stopped. We don’t know if tennis coats Yuki uses open or not. We still have some errands to go downtown. If he doesn’t go playing tennis, we will go downtown. 


Wednesday, May 11, 2022

at cafe Karaku in May

Good morning 0511

 

I had a good time with my friend at Karaku yesterday.

Yuki has already gone playing golf. 

I am determined to go to the gym today. 

Well, it might be correct—- I decided to go to the gym today.


Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Good morning 0510

 

It is sunny today. And according to the weather report it is only the sunny day of this week.

Yesterday it was very cold than we expected. And it made me weaken. from the evening I was in bed. Today I am not so bad tha I would expect.

 So probably I will be able to o Karaku. Though I don’t practice the piano for three days.

Monday, May 09, 2022

Good morning 0509

 

The big holiday finished. Usual days have started.

Some companies have decided to stop tel-working. So some cars of our neighbors have already left.

It is rainy, and can you believe it the temperature is 11 Celsius degree lower than yesterday.

Today, we are  going to go downtown and do some errands,  then drive a little bit far to have good Chinese lunch. The big holiday finished, so probably, the restaurant is not so crowded.


Saturday, May 07, 2022

lunch diary 0507


As I tell you, the music is composed by Yuki. This time the music might sound strange. To tell the truth, we don't listen  to or read  each work until I combine them on You tube. Each of us makes own works by our feelings of the week. So when they are combined, it sometimes sounds novelty, curious, strange, comfortable, or harmonica with the photos and HAIKU.

Monday
Although it is in a big holidays, we have returned to our usual life. In the morning, we went shopping, and in the afternoon, I had a video call with my mother. What a short day it was!

Tuesday
We went to an exhibition at a museum. exhibition. We also bought traditionally seasonal sweet "Kashiwa mochi"  and good sashimi. Two of us are enjoying the big holidays together.

Wednesday
We drove a little bit far with convenience store lunch box. We were able to see the last " double cherry blossoms" of this year and on the same time wonderful greenery. 

Thursday
In the morning, my husband played tennis. I walked nearby. Lunch is a quick meal using pre-cooked  a ginger-grilled rice bowl. In the afternoon, we "saw" a little distant bakery.  I didn't buy anything.

Friday
In the morning, I saw wisteria with two senior women in my neighborhood. Then we dropped by a bakery which was different from yesterday's one. The bread of this bakery are all reasonable.
Each of them went home and had lunch separately. we are still refraining from having lunch together.

The first fish of this year  for Yuki. He is very happy to  it. However, he released it. It was a rainbow trout. How long was he in the river side? Well, it is 100 yen each in this area, though you can't get ones in Tokyo.




Friday, May 06, 2022

Good morning 0506

Though some people might be still in a big holiday, on our calendar, it is a usual day. So children go to school, Yuki plays tennis, and I will go to a gym. Suddenly it got hot. So it was a little bit hard for me to do walking g exercise in the morning yesterday. Today I will do walking exercise in the evening.

Thursday, May 05, 2022

Japanese nightingale


One day of this consecutive holidays at a  shrine  we heard Japanese nightingale singing. We usually hear one near my house this season, but unfortunately we haven't heard yet this year.  I don't know why.
However,  when we went to a shrine last month, we heard one. And this time we also heard another one, though it was a different shrine.
We are happy to hear the Japanese warbler's voice this year as well.

Good morning 0505

 It is the last day of this big holiday, though for some people are in a big holiday including this big weekend.

Yuki goes to play tennis, in the morning. What shall I do in e morning? Do I walk around here? It might be good. Yesterday we walked well. It was a nice park that we expected. We saw the last cherry blossomed, and lots of greenery. 

 




Wednesday, May 04, 2022

Good morning 0504

 

It seems to be sunny again. We are going to a park a little bit far. It takes one hour by car. Yuki research a fishing situation there, I do walking exercise there.

Yesterday we went to a museum. Th exhibition was interesting, and wisterias are wonderful. 

I have started revising my kimonono which are mostly my mother’s or my grandmother’s. Yesterday I tried wearing thin my grandmother’s one.  I could wear it, but it seemed a little bit shorter for me. And it was really old so the cloth was really weak. When I was putting it on, it was almost ripped. So probably I will let it go. 











Tuesday, May 03, 2022

Good morning 0503

 

It is sunny. Yuki is at home, so he is hanging out futons in the sun.

We are going to go to a museum to see a local exhibition and do walking exercise there.


Yesterday, finally Yuki hit a fish, it is the first time in this fishing season. Of course he released it.








 

Monday, May 02, 2022

Good morning 0502

 

Though on Japanese calendar, it is still in a big holiday (for some people, actually today children go to school, and from tomorrow we have three consecutive three holidays again. ), for two of us usual Days have started.

Yuki has already gone for fishing.

This weekend I ate too much, so I feel my stomach heavy. So I picked some herbs from the garden and enjoyed my original herb tea. 

For a while I enjoy morning relaxing time while the washing machine is running. (The machine already finished the first work, now it is the second time. Our washing machine is not so big. ) Then I have to hang out the all laundry. Luckily today it is sunny. 

Sunday, May 01, 2022

lunch diary  0501 


Monday
I wanted to eat bread at a bakery not at a supermarket. So I went to one.  Though I knew, it was expensive.  Then, I stopped by a drug store to buy reasonable vegetable juice and went back.

Tuesday
We had a strange weather. But my husband played tennis and I went to the gym.. From the afternoon, one of my friend came and had a chat time, of course wearing a mask

Wednesday
Also, the weather was strange. On this day, my neighbor visited, and we had a chat time for a while. The weather got nice in the afternoon so my husband went fishing.

Thursday
It was a very cold day. We have a consecutive holiday from tomorrow. For the time being, I went to the banks and did some errands before the holidays.


This three-day weekend,  my daughter and  granddaughter came . I was crazy about cooking.  I was  glad that the bamboo shoot quiche was also eaten by my grand daughter.

On Japanese calendar, it was still in a big holiday. But two of us usual retirement day starts, though we have no gym and tennis meeting.