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’s Saturday. Monday was a holiday, so our granddaughter came over, but since yesterday she’s come down with the flu.
Yesterday Yuki had chemotherapy. His white blood count wasn’t great, but he was able to get the treatment anyway. He told his doctor about the things bothering him—numbness, a hoarse voice, low stamina, and unsteadiness.
Some of these are from the medication for chemo, and some are from his illness. Some tumors are getting smaller, but others are still active, so things are pretty unstable right now. He’ll probably have a break from treatment next week.
He’s also thinking about his daily tennis. He’ll probably go less often, but then it’ll be harder to keep his muscle strength. So I suggested he try the nearby gym with training machines. He’s going to try it out tomorrow—maybe about 30 minutes of exercise.
He also suggested buying a training bike. We used to have one, but we hardly used it, and getting rid of it was a pain. So of course I said no.
Today is Yuki’s hospital day. His condition isn’t as good as last week — it suddenly dropped this week. But he’s still stronger than I am.
We’re not sure if he can get chemotherapy today. It sounds strange, but if he can’t because his blood test results aren’t good, we would accept it, even though it’s disappointing. On the other hand, if he can take it, we’ll ask the doctor whether it’s possible to take a half dose.
Yesterday the leftover fragment of my tooth was extracted. The dentist cut my gum, pulled it out, and stitched the wound. The infection seems to have stopped. After the anesthesia wore off, the wound started hurting — I couldn’t help it, so I took a painkiller.
Yesterday I was supposed to go to the dentist, but the appointment got moved to today because of the doctor’s schedule. It was colder than we expected, so we just stayed home and took it easy in the afternoon. I got a lot of yuzu (a type of Japanese citrus ) so I sliced them and soaked them in honey.
Today Yuki will play tennis after he goes to the clinic. Honestly, his stamina has dropped, and his tennis friends seem a bit worried about him, though they still welcome him warmly. Even just one game is enough, I think. But he’s not satisfied with that and sometimes feels depressed about his current condition.
It is Tuesday, and our usual day has started. My orthopedic appointment, Yuki’s clinic visit, and our dentist appointment — quite a full day, isn’t it?
A problem has started under one of my teeth. About fifteen? years ago, I had a tooth extracted at an oral surgery clinic. Because they needed to remove part of the jawbone to extract it, I had to go to oral surgery. But it seems that a fragment was left behind, and now it looks it has started to cause an infection. And the tooth I chipped last year when I fell still hasn’t finished its root canal treatment… What a bother.
It is the last day of this three-day weekend. Our granddaughter and daughter are now on their way here by train. Yuki left home just now to pick them up at the station. In the morning, the three of them are going to play tennis. Yuki has already booked a court.
To tell the truth, I have a headache, but no fever, so I’m all right. I think I got a bit socially fatigued yesterday. I talked with our 83-year-old neighbor who lives alone. Even though she spends most of her days at home because her legs aren’t very strong and she can’t drive, she still lives an active and independent life in her own way. I told her that seeing her active and independent daily life gives younger people like me an ideal model—especially because more and more people will live alone in their later years. It reminded me of how I used to feel after talking with my mother when I visited her once or twice a month.
It is a three-day weekend. I thought it might be a good idea to start our winter cleaning early. For us, winter cleaning mainly means washing the windows. But it’s cloudy today and colder than I expected, so I’ll start next week instead—probably cleaning one pair of windows a day. For now, the windows in Yuki’s room and the kids’ room are his mission. The kitchen ventilation is also Yuki’s mission.
It’s Saturday. In the morning, Yuki is going to play tennis, and I’ll probably go to the gym.
Yesterday he was able to take chemotherapy, and at this stage his team has decided to continue with it. He’ll have a CT scan right after the New Year holiday — earlier than originally planned. At that point, they will decide whether he should receive radiation.
The three of us mainly talked about his numbness. If Yuki’s quality of life drops significantly, the current chemotherapy should be stopped, even though it has been effective in keeping the tumors from progressing. The doctor also told me, “If you, as his family, feel that his quality of life has clearly decreased, please let me know.” After the consultation, when we stepped out of the room, Yuki told me that he wants to continue the treatment as long as it’s working — even until the point where he can no longer hold a pen.
During yesterday’s CBT session, I was focusing on “doing what we can do today.” When I came home, I realized that I can’t really imagine our future. All we can do is go with the flow.
When I listen to world news—the news feels far removed from our daily life—I hear that relations with China are becoming unstable. In New York City, a young socialist was elected mayor. Wars continue here and there.
All of these things make us anxious. In the end, we can only go with the flow.
by Yuki
We can’t travel far to see autumn leaves, but yesterday on our way home we enjoyed some small ones.
Today is Costco day—or my CBT (day. It’s been a month since we last went, and this month felt strangely long.
Yesterday an architect, Mr. S, came over. We hadn’t seen him in seven years. He’s 75 now but still really active. He still works, but honestly his main job (not job) seems to be playing golf. We ended up talking about golf clubs for half the time.
Mr. S probably noticed Yuki’s situation—Yuki even told him he’s dealing with an illness—but Mr. S didn’t bring it up. He just kept things light and talked about golf so Yuki could enjoy the moment. Even though it’s getting a bit hard for Yuki to grip a club tightly, he still looked inspired to go golfing.
Yesterday we talked with Yuki’s radiation oncologist. She explained his condition in more detail. The tumor near his throat still remains, although it is not large. Today, she and Yuki’s primary doctor will discuss his case. He may undergo another round of radiation therapy, or continue with chemotherapy.
Additionally, in yesterday’s diary I used the word radiologist, but in English radiation oncologist seems to be more appropriate in his case.
Today, after having lunch at home, we are going to see his radiologist. We’ll be able to hear a clearer explanation of the CT results.
Yesterday, we also went to a musical instrument shop, where Yuki found his favorite guitar picks. So in the afternoon, Yuki practiced the guitar and I practiced the piano more eagerly than usual as we prepare for Christmas.
Monday has started. Today is a usual day: going to the clinic, doing a 30-minute workout, grocery shopping, and so on. Over the weekend, both of us finished updating our iPhones. This week, an architect will come—it will be his first visit in seven years. He is now 75 and still very active. We will consult him about our bathroom.
Since yesterday afternoon, I have been working on setting up my new iPhone. This time I decided to do it by myself, but I stopped at the very first step. An operation guide was included with the new phone, but it was difficult for me to understand So I called the company’s help desk. The staff suggested two options: one was to go directly to a company’s branch, and the other was to use a remote-support service. The fee is only 400 yen per month, and the first time is free, so I applied for the service.
I just followed the instructions from the support person, and now all my data has been safely transferred to the new iPhone. Today I will move my SIM card to the new phone, and then I need to initialize the old one and send it back to the company.
Also, some things were not written in the guide because it only explains iPhone operations, and not how to connect it to the phone line, including cellphone mail and so on. Yuki couldn’t do that part either at first, but thanks to my method, he was also able to set up the part he had given up on.
Yesterday, Yuki was able to receive his chemotherapy. The doctor also showed us the results of his latest CT and MRI scans. His malignant tumors have shrunk by about 20% compared with the previous results. Unfortunately, they haven’t disappeared, but we hope he can continue to coexist with them.
On the other hand, his numbness is getting a little worse. So the amount of his medication has been increased again, and he also started taking Japanese herbal medicine. The sensations in his fingers and toes are dull, so he needs to be careful not to get burned or fall down.
Anyway, today he is going to play tennis.
This Thursday he updated his iPhone using the company’s insurance service. It’s not the latest model, but it’s still newer than his previous one. I will also update mine using the same service. When I change my iPhone with my insurance plan, it takes about half a day to transfer all the data and apps from the old phone to the new one. Probably my new iPhone will arrive in the morning, and I’ll have to transfer everything in the afternoon.
Yesterday’s online meeting topic was spreadsheet software. We talked about “Excel.
◆Can you remember the first time you used Excel?
Yes, I was in my twenties. After graduating from university, I joined a company where I needed to use Office software, including Excel. At first, it was challenging, but once I got used to it, I found it very useful. After quitting the job, I used it for PTA activities, and even now I use it to manage our household budget.
◆What do you use Excel for in your personal and work life?
I use Excel to manage our household budget. I also use it when we need to make lists of things. But I don’t use all of its features, such as the statistical or graph features.
◆What new features would you like added to Excel?
Honestly, I don’t really need any new features. Since I started using Excel, it has been updated many times, and I can’t keep up with all the new features, even though the software keeps improving.
There were five Japanese members, and I was the eldest. The others were in their 40s or early 50s. One lady is an office worker, and the others are probably housewives or have part-time jobs—I’m not sure. What surprised me was that all of them use Excel in their personal lives.
Around me, meaning people in their 60s or older, few use Excel; some use Word or PowerPoint. I didn’t realize that Excel is so familiar to the younger generation. But probably my daughters don’t use Excel—they use other apps directly. I mainly use Excel for our annual household balance sheet and to estimate how our savings might decrease in the future, although I also keep our household balance using a budgeting app. Many younger people probably don’t use software directly; instead, they use apps designed for specific purposes. Do you use Excel?
Yesterday’s performance with my friend at Karaku Café was fun. Now I seem to be suffering from fall hay fever — my nose has been runny since yesterday. Today Yuki plans to go play tennis, and I’m wondering whether I should go to the 30-minute circuit workout. In the afternoon, I’ll join an online meeting.
In the morning we’ll stay home and spend time lazily. In the afternoon, I’ll perform with my friend at Karaku Café. Yuki will have his CT and MRI scans as scheduled today.
A new week has started. This Friday is Yuki’s hospital day, and tomorrow he will also have a CT and MRI. We are a little anxious. Yuki still has a hoarse voice and feels something strange when he swallows.
Anyway, this morning Yuki is going to his clinic, and I’m going to the orthopedic clinic.
It’s a rainy day, so we’ll just stay home and take it easy. Yuki is going to get a haircut. Because of the side effects, the top of his head is almost bald, but the hair around the nape of his neck has grown out, so it looks a bit unbalanced.
This week Yuki is taking a break from chemotherapy. He says the numbness in his hands has gotten a bit better. He still plays tennis and the guitar, though he’s not as good as he used to be. He hasn’t played golf lately because it’s a bit hard for him to hold the clubs tightly.
Anyway, today he’s off to play tennis, and I’m going to the dentist. My root canal treatment is taking such a long time!
It’s Friday. It’s sunny and not so cold. Today Yuki is going to his clinic, and I’ll do my personal exercise with an AI program. Yesterday I went to a 30-minute circuit workout, and my hip joint hurts a little. We’ll probably have lunch out and drop by a discount shop. In the evening, we both have dental appointments.
It is a cold morning. Yuki is wondering whether to go play tennis, since it’s outside. I’m also wondering whether to go to my 30-minute exercise class, though it’s indoors. Anyway, today is a calm day — no visits to the clinic or the hospital.
Yesterday we completed all our plans, though we had lunch outside. We stopped by our favorite shrine and prayed. Yuki’s photo today is of Yuzu growing at the shrine.
Today I’m holding a laughter yoga chat meeting, I prepared youkan, a traditional Japanese sweet, for the members．
It is sunny but cold. We still think it’s autumn, yet the sudden chill feels like winter. Yesterday, our younger daughter came alone, quite unexpectedly. She talked a lot—we hope it helped her release some stress. Today is an ordinary day for us. While he is seeing his doctor at the clinic, I do my personal exercise with an AI program. It’s been two months since I started doing it five times a week. I plan to continue for at least another month. My hip joint is improving, but sometimes the pain still returns.
A new week has started, though today is a national holiday. We took out the burnable garbage as usual.
A new week has started, though today is a national holiday. We took out the burnable garbage as usual. Since I trimmed some branches and pulled weeds yesterday, we had more trash than usual today. Yesterday’s jazz festival was a great success. Yuki’s friends came to see him. One sad thing is that he lost his favorite hat — the one he always wears when playing music. So now, he has a new mission or hobby: to find a new “musician’s hat.”
Today Yuki is taking part in a jazz festival. I’ll stay home, though I was planning to go see it. It’s a sunny day. Sometimes it’s nice to spend a lazy day at home alone, even though I often do spend my days lazily.
While our elder daughter was staying with us, she holed up in her room and worked quietly by herself, but we usually had three meals together. Compared with our usual life for just the two of us, we talked more. It was fun — and now I need to get used to our usual quiet life again.
Yesterday, Yuki was able to get his chemotherapy, and next week he will take a break from it. My elder daughter went back to Tokyo yesterday.
Our usual days have started again. According to the calendar, it’s a three-day weekend. This morning, Yuki will play tennis, and in the afternoon he plans to visit some used shops to look for music gadgets. Tomorrow he’ll join a jazz festival, and on Monday, if the weather is fine, we’ll go to a museum.
Anyway, it seems we’ll spend a calm and pleasant three days off.
It’s Friday. Today is Yuki’s hospital day. Every time his hospital day comes, we wonder whether he will receive treatment this time. Anyway, we’ll just go with the flow.
Today we plan to visit our familiar apple orchard. In the afternoon, Yuki will go to a sauna. Thankfully, we have something to do every day. I think the reason Yuki can stay calm mentally, even though we often have quarrels, is that even when he stays home, he keeps himself busy with something. I hope his quality of life will not decrease as much as possible. On the other hand, he’s been talking more lately with a harsh voice. Maybe it’s a sign that he feels anxious.
Our elder daughter is staying with us. She has already started working on her art pieces. This morning, Yuki and I will go to the clinic. After having lunch at home (we’ll probably buy three lunch boxes on our way back), we plan to attend the first meeting for cancer patients and their families at the hospital. I’m glad they are finally holding such a meeting.
I’m surprised that Yuki will go with me. Two years ago, I joined a similar meeting organized by an NPO, and I sometimes take part in their meetings. But he doesn’t. This time, the participants are limited to the patients of the hospital. Since it’s the first meeting, we don’t know whether there will be a second one or whether we will join it again.
In the evening, I was going to give a piano lesson, but I canceled it for today.
Today we are going to see our lawyer. Yuki’s inheritance issue is progressing, which is a good thing. In the morning, he will go to play tennis.
In a few hours, my elder daughter will come. She will stay for a few days to work in my house. Her solo exhibition is planned to be held in December. She says that while she’s finishing her last pieces, there might be some noise, so she decided to work here. I’m not sure if it’s all right to do it here, though.
Yesterday was my volunteer reading day at the library. I was happy that many families came to the story corner. This time, an ALT teacher joined me. She was born in Malaysia and studied in Australia for ten years. Then she came to Japan as an English teacher. After the volunteer reading, Yuki also came, and the three of us had lunch together. Since Yuki has been to Malaysia, he was very happy to talk about her country.
Today it is raining. Yuki has no plans except watching TV. I will go to a temple to copy sutra in the afternoon.
Thankfully, Yuki was able to receive chemotherapy this week. Last week he couldn’t, but that actually turned out to be good — his white blood cell count to increase. The current chemotherapy seems to be effective. We still don’t know how long he will be able to continue, but we want to maintain his (and my) quality of life while living with cancer.
Either way, we’re relieved after his chemotherapy yesterday.
It’s Yuki’s hospital day. He’ll leave in about an hour. We had breakfast earlier than usual this morning. I’ll go a bit later to speak with his doctor. It feels like today might be a long day.
Today is Costco day. For me, it’s also my cognitive behavioral therapy day.
I like talking with my CBT doctor, though it’s not easy to keep my mind from becoming negative. Two of our friends asked us to buy some things for them, so on the way home from Costco, we’ll drop by their places. It will be fun.
It’s really cold today — where has autumn gone? Yuki’s inheritance issue is proceeding little by little with our lawyer, which is good.
Today our schedule isn’t so tight. In the morning, Yuki will go to his clinic. I’m still wondering whether to go with him or not. I was supposed to do a 35-minute AI exercise program, but I don’t feel up to it because of the cold weather. While he’s seeing his doctor, I might take the exercise — or I might just stay home lazily.
In the evening, he plans to go to a radon sauna, which is about an hour’s drive away. A high school student will come for my piano lesson.
Yesterday we saw Yuki’s ENT doctor. The muscles of his vocal cords are getting better, but not perfect yet. It will take more time for his voice to return to normal, or it might be difficult, since he had radiation treatment to his neck.
Today, a friend I haven’t seen for a long time will stop by on her way home from work. I’ll give her most of my Halloween goods. She’s about the same age as I am, and she’s still working as a nursery teacher.
A new week has started, and it looks like we’ll be busy. In about an hour, we’ll leave home to see Yuki’s ENT doctor and radiation doctor at the hospital, and then go to the clinic. In the afternoon, we’ll meet our lawyer. I wonder where we should have lunch. It depends on the time, but I hope we can enjoy a reasonably good lunch outside.
It is sunny, though the weather is expected to change in the evening. Today Yuki will join a big jazz festival in a large park with his group. It is held every year, and luckily he can join again this year.
I will take part in an online meeting for cancer patients and their families.
To tell the truth, yesterday was my late mother’s third memorial ceremony. My daughters attended, but I couldn’t. It can’t be helped.
It’s a cold morning — the kind of chill that marks the start of ordinary autumn days. Of course, the heater is on. Last night was fun. Two of my friends appeared on a local FM radio program — one as the host, and the other as a guest artist. Both of them spoke in a rather formal way. I sent a message to the station while the program was on air, and it was read aloud. They knew it was from me, but on the air it was introduced as a message from a complete stranger. After the program, both of them sent me messages. It felt so strange — hearing my two close friends talking on the radio, while my own message was read as if from someone they didn’t know. The whole thing felt like a kind of performance.
It’s sunny today. As soon as Yuki woke up, he put his futon and mat out in the sun to dry. He doesn’t need to go to the hospital today, so he’s going to play tennis. I’ll go for my 35-minute physical therapy session with the AI program. I still have some trouble with my hip joint.
In the afternoon, we’ll go to Yuki’s clinic and then to our dentist. Tonight, my friend will appear on a local radio program. I’m really looking forward to listening to her.
Yesterday I joined an online meeting. The topic was tea.
◆ How many cups of tea do you drink in a day? When do you usually drink tea? I usually have two cups of coffee with my breakfast. I don’t have a particular time for tea, and I don’t really know how many times I drink it in a day. In a way, I might be drinking tea all the time. During the summer, I always fill my 500 ml water bottle with barley tea and take it everywhere, even when I’m just moving from room to room at home. Sometimes I refill it. I sip it little by little to prevent heatstroke. During the cold season, I also fill my water bottle with hot Japanese tea.
◆ Do you have any herbal teas at home? What kinds? Yes, I have some herbal drinks at home. There are three plants I use: one is lemongrass, which I make into lemongrass water; another is mulberry; and the other is loquat, which I use for herbal tea. For guests, I have oolong tea leaves and jasmine tea leaves. Are these Chinese teas or herbal teas? I’m not sure.
Today it is cold again — finally, it really feels like autumn. I’m wearing a sweater. It’s about 8 a.m., and our gardener has already arrived and started working. We usually ask him to take care of our garden once a year, but this year we asked him twice. We gave up trimming the trees ourselves in summer. People who know our garden might be surprised that we hire a professional gardener. Our garden isn’t big, and we’re not rich, but we planted more trees than the space allows — especially because we planted a hedge instead of a wall. So, in contrast to its modest appearance, our house actually costs quite a lot to maintain.
Yesterday I didn’t feel well, so I stayed in bed. We had planned to go to Yuki’s friend’s band concert, but I couldn’t, so Yuki went there alone.
Recently, it has suddenly gotten cold. Actually, three days ago I was planning to go to a lecture at a big hall. I bought the ticket half a year ago, but I couldn’t go. My friend went in my place. I was lying in bed that day, too—no fever, though.
Maybe my body hasn’t adjusted to the sudden change in temperature yet, or it might be something like seasonal affective disorder, a term I recently learned from a doctor.
Anyway, I’m all right. My appetite is good. Last night we had meat cooked with our microwave-safe fish grill.
Today is the day of Karaku—my performance day with my friend. Yuki has his band practice, too. It’s nice that we both have at least one thing to do besides our usual errands.
A new week has started, though it’s a national holiday. We’re going to see Yuki’s friends’ big band concert. I’m not sure if I’ll go with him, as I’m a little tired.
Why am I a little tired? One reason is that last Friday was Yuki’s hospital day, which made me tired. The next day was really cold — many people were wearing winter coats, though I stayed home. And yesterday, my younger daughter and granddaughter came over like a typhoon!
Yesterday, Yuki had his chemotherapy. Fortunately, his malignant tumors haven’t gotten worse. Next week, his treatment will be on hold because his doctor will be away, and Yuki also needs to take a break from the treatment. As we expected, it was a long day — he left home around 9 a.m. and came back at 5 p.m. I stayed there from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and finished reading two books I’d borrowed from the library.
Today is Yuki’s hospital day. We’ll leave home in an hour and a half. It’s still not certain whether he can continue with the next round of chemotherapy, but at least we’ll be able to talk with his doctor. It’s going to be a long day, I think. In the evening, I have to go to the dental clinic.
Yesterday we had lunch at Karaku Café. It was crowded, so we didn’t have enough time to talk with the owner couple. Most of the customers were elderly women. There were many groups, and we happened to overhear one group’s conversation. They were talking about the new LDP leader, Ms. Takaichi.
Here in Japan, though this is just my opinion, women usually don’t talk about politics. Probably they don’t know much about her policies—just like me. Still, the fact that a woman has become the LDP leader for the first time is remarkable.
In the evening, I talked with a lady on Teams, which is the newer version of Skype. She was also interested in Ms. Takaichi and told me some things about her personal life—for example, that she divorced and later remarried the same person.
We don’t know yet whether she will become Prime Minister, since the other party in the ruling coalition might not agree to continue their partnership.
At dinner, Yuki and I also talked about her. He noticed that female commentators tend to be very critical of her on political TV programs. That might be true — women can be critical of other women. On the other hand, male commentators seem to choose their words very carefully, avoiding harsh or aggressive language. They used to shout insults at male politicians, but not this time.
Yesterday I visited a friend and brought her some Japanese pears that I had bought at an orchard the day before yesterday. She was very glad to receive them.
In the afternoon, Yuki and I stayed home. I opened my house library, but unfortunately, no one came. However, my elder daughter called me, and we talked for a long time.
Did I tell you? Last week, a woman who lives in an apartment near my house visited and borrowed some books from my house library. She’s in her 70s and lives alone. I told my daughter about her, and she complimented me, saying it’s wonderful that I’ve kept up my small activity—my “house library”—even though people don’t come very often.
It is cold this morning. We turned on a kerosene heater, which is probably unusual in this area. Our house is 38 years old. At that time, people used air conditioners in summer and kerosene heaters in winter. In modern houses, people use air conditioners all year round. In our house, although we can use the air conditioner in the living and dining room, it is not warm enough for me. Fortunately, kerosene is still delivered, but such stores are decreasing.
Yuki can eat noodles smoothly now. That’s a good sign. Yesterday, when he joined the jam session, he had ramen. I made two dishes — chestnut rice and chestnuts stirred with honey. A new week has started. Today, besides our usual errands like going to the clinic, we’ll stop by an orchard to buy some Japanese pears.
Yesterday felt like a long day. Our appointment with the doctor was at 11:30. Yuki had a blood test and an X-ray first, so he went to the hospital at 10. I went a little later, around 11. We finally saw the doctor at 2.
Yuki was able to start his second round of chemotherapy right after the first one last week. His white blood cell count was not too bad, though we are not sure how it will be next week, since chemotherapy lowers it. He came home around 6. I came home before 4, then went to the dentist.
Today he is feeling fine so goes to play tennis. I will change the covers and carpets from summer to autumn.
Addditionally, this morning we even had a small discussion—maybe more like a quarrel—about foods that boost immunity. His voice is still hoarse, but when he talks in his usual theoretical way, it sometimes irritates me. I know it shows he is doing well enough to argue.
Today we go to the hospital. Yuki may start the second round of chemotherapy right after the first, or the doctor may give him a rest this week.
Before seeing the doctor, he needs a blood test and an X-ray. While he is doing that, I will go to the station building to do 25 exercises with my AI program.
Yesterday I had lunch with a gym friend for the first time in four months. We used to meet outside once a month, but maybe that time has ended. Yesterday we had a good time, but both of us felt a little hesitant. Yuki’s condition has changed, and her situation also changed a little. Anyway, at the gym we are still good friends.
Yesterday our laughter yoga meeting was fun. There were three members. We shared what we had done, what made us cheerful, and what we were thankful for. Two women, one in her late 70s and the other in her early 80s, had trimmed trees and weeded their gardens. Yuki and I have already given up on doing that ourselves. This month our gardener will come instead. Of course, their husbands gave them just a hand, but according to the women, it wasn’t much.
October has begun. Today I hold our laughter yoga meeting—for the first time in three months. The hottest season is finally over. Recently I sometimes felt like stopping some of my activities, but now I want to continue them. So I decided to keep my usual activities as much as possible.
Unfortunately, it is raining this morning, so Yuki’s tennis is canceled. He changes his routine and goes to the clinic instead. On the way, he plans to stop by a department store, since it is the last day of the Hokkaido cuisine festival.
Yesterday we went to the library, and we saw ginkgo nuts falling from the trees. Some people were picking them up with thick gloves, because the orange outer layer can cause a rash.
When I was in high school, the ginkgo tree-lined road from the front gate to the back gate was famous. At the autumn school festival, we students sold dried ginkgo nuts. We picked them up with their outer layer still on, buried them in the ground, and waited until it rotted. Then we dug them up, washed them, and dried them.
A new week has begun. The first mission is for me to visit the orthopedic doctor. The second is Yuki’s clinic visit to ease his side effects. The third, in the evening, is my dentist appointment. If I still have energy in the afternoon, I’d like to visit a library a little farther away, since the nearby one is closed today.
I’ll be leaving in an hour to join today’s sutra-copying session.
Thankfully, we got lots of persimmons from Yuki’s tennis mate. I’ll take some to share with the members. In the afternoon, Yuki will go to tennis practice with a different group from Saturday’s. He’ll also bring some persimmons for his mates. So, hopefully, we’ll be able to eat all the persimmons without wasting any.
Yesterday he was able to have his third chemotherapy session, so the first course is now finished. Whether he can start the second course next week without a break will be decided by a blood test on Friday. The good news is that his tumors are shrinking, but the bad news is that his white blood cell count is going down. Still, on the surface he looks fine and only has a little coughing.
I went to see my dentist yesterday evening because my chipped front tooth seemed to be getting worse again. About a year ago I had a bad fall and badly damaged that tooth. The doctor said it didn’t need to be pulled out, but unfortunately the root canal treatment hasn’t improved it as much as we hoped.
Yesterday Yuki bought sake, sweets, bread, and broiled miso-marinated black cod at Costco. It was our first time buying fish there other than salmon. Of course, we grilled it for dinner. There were five pieces, and they weren’t frozen. So we stopped by a friend’s house and offered to share some. They were happy to accept.
Today is our Costco day, which also means it’s my cognitive behavioral therapy day. While I see the doctor, Yuki goes shopping at Costco. I visit the doctor once a month. To be honest, we somehow managed to get through this past month.
Yuki’s illness and inheritance matters are still stressful. But the severe scorching summer, which was worse than we expected, brought us even more stress. Fortunately, it seems to be over now.
Yuki looks so happy to buy good-quality shochu (a kind of sake) at Costco Today.
Yesterday, a woman visited my home library. It was fun. At night, I joined a Zoom meeting with two other members, all of whom were family members of cancer patients. It was also fulfilling. Yuki went to his band practice. For dinner, he ate tsukemen (a type of ramen with the soup and noodles served separately) outside. He said, “I carefully ate tsukemen without slurping.”
It’s Tuesday and a national holiday, so Yuki has no tennis and I have no gym. Yesterday, the ban on eating noodles was lifted. The ENT doctor told Yuki he could eat carefully and little by little, but not to slurp—slurping noodles is such a Japanese way. So, we celebrated his birthday with ramen. As for me, I still feel heavy in my stomach this morning.
A new week has started. Today is our hospital day. We’ll visit ENT and radiology at the hospital, and then two clinics—one for me and one for Yuki. His radiation treatment is finished. His voice is still hoarse, but it’s getting better, and he aspirates less often now. If the ENT doctor approves, he might be able to eat noodles. To tell the truth, he has already started eating them little by little.
Today is also his birthday, so we might celebrate with lunch at a noodle shop.
Yesterday Yuki threw away more than ten pieces of clothing—underwear and worn-out tennis shirts. So my mission to let go of ten things a week was easily accomplished. And can you guess where we went after that? Yes, we went to a men’s clothing shop.
Yesterday, Yuki was able to have his second chemotherapy session. Before that, we looked at his X-ray. The tumors hadn’t changed. In a good way, it means they stopped progressing. During the two weeks without treatment, they had been growing quickly. We hope this treatment can continue and start to take effect.
It feels cool today—in fact, a bit cold for me—so I’m wearing a long-sleeved shirt. We’ll leave home in an hour to go to the hospital. Yuki is going to have his second round of chemotherapy. Before that, we’ll see his doctor. We’re hoping the first round of treatment is starting to work.
Yesterday, I participated in an online meeting. The topics are... "Driving"
◆How do you feel about cars? What do you like and dislike about them?
Having our own car is very important in our daily life here in Tochigi. Without a car, it would be very difficult to manage daily activities. In fact, our whole society relies on cars and trucks—even in Tokyo. Without delivery trucks or garbage collection trucks and so on, daily life would not run smoothly. What I like about cars is their convenience.
But at the same time, they give off exhaust that causes global warming. These days, people talk a lot about electric cars, but honestly, I think it’s hard to imagine all cars becoming electric. In Japan, we always have the problem of not having enough electricity.
◆When did you get your first car? Can you describe it?
I had to get a car as soon as I moved to Tochigi in my twenties. My husband and I were both transferred here, though we worked for different companies. He came first, and after I explained the situation to my office, I was also transferred. Since I had already gotten my driver’s license when I was a university student, I was ready to start driving right away.
When we each bought our first cars, we didn’t have much money. My husband got a used car from one of his coworkers, who was a couple of years older and ready to buy a new one. I went to a nearby used-car shop and picked up a compact car. Maybe you don’t know this, but at that time cars used to have spike tires in winter.
◆When did you start driving?
I got my driver’s license as soon as I turned twenty, and I used to drive my friends’ cars sometimes.
◆What do you like to listen to when you are driving?
Nowadays, I like listening to the radio when I’m driving. I especially enjoy MIYA-raji, a local FM station where my freinds often appear.
◆Has your car ever broken down or had a flat tire? What did you do?
I’ve had a flat tire two or three times, but luckily my car could still make it to a gas station, so I never had to call JAF.
I also bumped my car into a utility pole once. Luckily, it made it home, and then I called my car dealer.
◆If you went on a road trip, where would you like to go?
I’d like to go to Hokkaido. When I was in my twenties, I drove around the southern part of Hokkaido. So if I went on a road trip now, I’d like to explore the northern part. Also, if I went by car from here, I would take a ferry from Niigata to Hokkaido. Or I might take the bullet train to Hokkaido and rent a car there.
About an hour ago, I got a message from my friend saying, “I just arrived.” She and I perform together at KARAKU café once a month. Right now, she’s in Aizu for an on-location shoot for a TV drama that will air next spring. She actually has a role—not just as an extra, even though it’s only one scene.
She left here at 4 a.m and drove there. We’re really looking forward to hearing her story about what happens in Aizu.
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.
