Good morning 0222

 

Yesterday it was a long day. The way of Yuki’s treatment will be changed. He couldn’t take immunotherapy yesterday. The tumor of his neck became bigger, and the speed is faster than the doctor expected. 

Next week he will take radiation therapy in a row, for a while and in the middle of March he will be hospitalized again to take regular chemotherapy.  He took cancer multiple times- gene panel testing, but he  negative.

Anyway, before he will be hospitalized, he is going to participate in a live concert.  And he doesn’t cancel weekend tennis meeting. He is really optimistic, or present to be optimistic, because I am too pessimistic. 

Anyway today he goes playing tennis as usual Saturday.

I do 10 things discarding, and organize my English book collection. We will spend usual weekend.

Good morning 0221

 

Today it is the day to the hospital. To tell the truth “I “ am more unstable than Yuki. Anyway in an hour we will leave home. 

Good morning 0220

 

by Yuki

Today it is our Costco day. ( it is the day I take CBT at clinic.). It is February, so we can use Costco points. This year Yuki bought a new computer at Costco. So we could get lots of points. Additionally Yuki had a plan to buy it, so we became executive members. This year we have no plan to buy expensive things. So we are going to downgrade to regular members. Yesterday I went to the gym in the afternoon, and I left my portable thermos bottle. I “ should “ go there again. 

Good morning 0219

 

by Yuki 

In an hour “I” will go out. I go out earlier than Yuki. Today I have breakfast  outside with my friend. So Yuki and I are having coffee and cookie now. I sometimes talk with her I front of each house, but probably it  is the first time in three  or four years to go out together. Additionally she brings her arranged flower pot every season. I sometimes take her karaku sweets. 

She is the first friend when I quite a big office and started mother’s life. The interesting thing is that she is not a mother mate. Coincidently she and I are the same age. When we met each other she took one year child leave. Her kid was a baby boy. My kids were already two years old, and four years old. I have other mother mates and kindergarten mother mates. However we were get along well. One year later she started working again. Even now she works part time. Anyway we have known each other for about 35years. 

Good morning 0218

 

By Yuki

Today we are able to spend usual routine . Yuki goes playing tennis in the morning. I am ——, not going to the gym.  Though I often write “I am organizing my English collection book”. Last Sunday, I did too much, and the room all messed up. I have to manage it. I am also making list of each items, like color, number, counting, event, etc. I hope the list will help the stuff of the library to make my collection effective. 

Good morning 0217

 

By Yuki

This week, we are busier than usual. I hope I will do them all. We don’t need to do all of them, but we want to do. For example at a department store a big Hokkaido food fair is held. 

Today we go to the district legal affairs bureaus, and visit our lawyer.

Our morning topic is “what we eat lunch outside?”.

Probably this week we have lunch outside more than usual, thinking our budget. 

Do you know “daikon mochi?” Yesterday I cooked it.

Lunch diary 0215

 

By Mieko

By Yuki

Yesterday, I made carrot jam. I got lots of organic carrots. A young friend came so, we shared it. She likes organic food.  And I also happy to see her smile. 

I put backValentin’s Day goods and decorate HINA festival goods.

Additionally, yesterday I walked to my friend’s beauty salon. It was kid of my walking exercise. Today it is Sunday. The gym is closed. Yuki goes playing tennis. Do I walk? It seems not so cold. I am thinking now.

Good morning 0215

by Yuki

 It is Saturday. Yesterday’s laughter yoga meeting  party was a lot of fun. For women there is nothing like chatting with sweets and tea. 

Today I will get  hair cut at my friend’s beauty salon. 

For these days I don’t go to the gym in the morning. Actually I often have something to do in the morning, including going to the hospital. So I have been feeling a distance between gym mates in the morning and me. It can’t be helped. Actually since Yuki’s illness was found, sometimes I have avoided talking with them intentionally. I don’t talk about his illness. Coincidentally one of them has known the situation. I know I made a kind of wall around me by myself. 

Next week we should go to see Yuki’s doctor. It is really fast to pass three weeks.

Good morning 0214

 

By Yuki

Happy Valentine Day! 

Today I hold  Valentine version of my laughter yoga meeting. What is it? It is just a tea party. 

Last night I baked chocolate cake.

And “probably” my members take some sweets. So Yuki will also get Valentine’s sweet. Today after having lunch at home, we go to a clinic as usual. On the way home we might drop by a cake shop. 

Anyway we  pull enjoy  these weekdays. 

Good morning 0213

 

By Yuki

Good morning. Today we spend usual morning, I “should” go to the gym, Yuki goes playing tennis, in the morning. In the afternoon I have a Zoom meeting. 

Have you already prepared something for your Valentine? I haven’t. However tomorrow I am going to hold a laughter yoga meeting. On the day I will serve chocolate cake. Tomorrow meeting is going to be changed to laughter yoga cafe. Tonight I will bake the cake for them. And the leftover will be for us. 

Good morning 0212

 

By Yuki

According to the weather report the cold was supposed  to ease up. It is a very  cold morning again. Today I hold a zoom meeting of my English picture book reading. At least one lady is going to join it. I constantly organize my English collection, and I am prepare give donate smogs of them to the library. When I am doing it , sometimes I am into reading them again. It is a good way to study English. 

In the afternoon I will go to the gym to do one lap exercise. Yuki has to get a CT, though it is a regular routine of every three months.

Good morning 0211 (celebrating 600 pieces of Yuki’s original music)

 

by Yuki

He has composed 600 pieces  of music!

Today it is the day of Karaku for me. How many times do I perform there? Since I was in my late 30’s I have performed once a month. 

 

Good morning 0210

 

by Mieko

By Yuki

A new week has started. Today our daughters are going to visit Yuki’s mother. And we will join them on net. Our elder daughter  is going to take her PC. When we visited her last time, we tried to talk with  them together by phone. But the screen is too small for Yuki’s mother to see them. But it depends on her condition, and the situation of nursing home. We don’t know how long they will be able to talk together. 

Very cold days continued, though luckily it is snow. Staying home sometimes makes me depressed more. Going out frequently makes me tired. What a selfish woman I am!

Yesterday while Yuki went playing tennis in the cold weather, I completed my drawing picture card of this month.

Good morning 0209

 

by Yuki

It was a cold day, yesterday. And it seems to be cold today again. Yesterday when I got on a wooden stepping stool, it suddenly broken. Not because of my weight, because its deterioration.

So suddenly Yuki’s mission occurred. He went to a DIY store and repaired the stool. 

Than we expected, yesterday it was a busy?or fulfilled day.

In the evening a friend came with a box of strawberries. Her mother and her brother’s family grow  strawberries. She picked some there and share some with me. 

These days strawberries are really expensive. Here in Tochigi, strawberries are the most famous products, but we seldom buy them for ourselves because they are expensive. We weee really happy. And I also shared ours with my next door neighbor.

Good morning 0208

 

by Yuki

Last night we had a little snow, but it didn’t accumulate. Probably in the northern part of Tochigi, they have lots of snow. Anyway thankfully two of us are able to spend a calm weekend, Yuki is going to play tennis as usual. Yuki’s weekend tennis mates are different with his weekday tennis mates. The weekend tennis mates are younger than the weekday members. Among the weekday tennis mates he is the second or third youngest. On the other hand among the weekend tennis mates he is the second or third oldest.

Well before Yuki goes playing tennis, he has to vacuum the rooms on the second floor. It is his role of every week.

Good morning 0207

 

It is the last weekday of this week. We did all errands. Today I will go to the gym in the morning. Yuki goes playing tennis. 

Yesterday we talked with an end-of-life counselor about our funerals, inheritance, and so on. When my mother passed away, my younger brother was very confused. He hadn’t prepared for anything.  So we decided lots of things on the spot. It was a very tough job. 

To tell the truth we have already known the counselor, so our conversation was  friendly, and calm. 

Fortunately we don’t have snow here. We are supposed to spend lazy weekend “as usual”.

Good morning 0206

 

By Yuki

Today our schedule is  not so tight. We are going to a casual restaurant for lunch. Then we are going to see a counselor about our senior life , such counselors are called end of life planning counselors. Of corse it is a private certification. To tell the truth recently I have got its certification.

Yesterday another neighbor came. She talked about the vice president of our town community. For a while we in our small community feel anxious? nervous? Or uncomfortable. 

The interesting is that: some family live with their sons or daughters who are shingle. I think it is better for younger ones to accept the role. But their parents or their mothers (who are mainly organize their family) never ask them saying “they are busy”. 

But when we were young, everyone was busy in working, but we did the role in turn. 

Good morning 0205

 

By Yuki

Yesterday a sad thing happened in this neighborhood. A lady who is in her 70’s collapsed from a stroke. She is in hospital.  In her case, her two daughters live nearby. So someone always cares her including her husband. Her husband was also hospitalized last year because of his hip joint surgery. He can walk now without pain. 

Now he is our community leader, who changes once a year in turn. And our community consists of 14 houses. Our community belongs to a bigger town community. The two community consists of 15 small communities. This year from our small community someone is in charge of a vice president of our town community. 

We thought it was the best “the” man would become the vice president. But now he is busy I taking care of “her” who collapsed from a stroke. 

Well, well, for a while our small community must buzz.

Additionally , he came to my house for Yuki to ask taking a charge of the vice president. Yuki was absent because of going to the clinic. I finally frankly told him Yuki’s situation. He was really surprised and seemed to give up. 

Good morning 0204

 

By Yuki

Good morning. Yesterday it was fun. The errands of three of us were finished about 2 pm. She was going to leave here before dark and colder. But when we had a tea at home, we video called to our younger daughter. The chat went on and on. Well, at soon as our chat started, Yuki  went  back to his room. When our elder daughter left here, it was dark. Three of us bought our supper at the station. She brought it back to Tokyo.

Lunch diary 0201

by Mieko

by Yuki

Now our elder daughter is on her way to our house. This time she comes by train. We are going to a shine, and do some errands.

What shall we eat out for our lunch? ( I have no plan to serve homemade dishes).

It stopped snowing in the afternoon yesterday. So toads are just wet. But the stairs of shire might be frozen.  “I” should watch out my steps.

 

Good morning 0202

 

By Yuki

It is snowing. It might accumulate. Yuki has a plan to go out in the afternoon, but he is wondering.

I spend today calmly and lazy reading books , watching TV, etc.

Yesterday I talked with a friend about “ elegance”. She is 8 years  younger than me, but we seem to get along well. We were of the same opinion about what we are lacking. It is “elegance”. Of course it is connected with richness. But it is another problem

We talked why we don’t look like elegant.

We are walking faster, eating faster, and speaking faster than usual ladies who are in the same generation.  We look moving restlessly. And we are not detail oriented. We are laughing . Additionally both of us seek “elegant”.

Good morning 0201

 

By Yuki at his favorite curry shop

February has started. 

Yesterday Yuki could take immunotherapy. His new tumor doesn’t grow bigger or smaller. The size is kept. In two weeks, he is going to get a CT , this is regular check every three months.

I feel the day which we go to the hospital long. 

It is a weekend. In the morning a friend comes. 

 

Good morning 0131

 

By Yuki

Yuki has already left for the hospital. I will leave home in one hour. He shad to skip breakfast. Now I am having my quick breakfast. Today if he has no trouble, he is going to take the second half of the second time immunotherapy. So, today the drip is only Opdivo.

In the afternoon we are going to a new Japanese cafe which a domestic Japanese confectionery company opened as they build a new factory. 

Good morning 0130

 

By Yuki( progressive rock)

Today in the afternoon we have no plan.  For a while we were busy. Do I do walking exercise? Probably  not. I will open my house library, so someone might come. Or I will read books I borrowed from the library.

Today it is the day for us to take a rest. 

Good morning 0129

 

By Yuki 

Yesterday I went to n office which is operated by a NPO group. The NPO closes this March. My English picture grope  could be acted smoothly by this NPO help. There are some young members, each of them is going to be independent. It means, the top of NPO grew them to be independent successfully.

I learned from them that there are many way to work without going to  go cities. 

Anyway I still struggle how to utilize my english book collection  effectively. Some of them will be able to do it’s the to the library. The others are—-? I know the easiest way is to sell them at a used book shop. 

For a while (at least this year), I continue to run my house library, and I give visitors the books which they are interested in actively. But usually they say “ there is no room for them, I would like just to borrow them”.

. 

Good morning 0128

 

By Yuki

Yesterday it was a busy day. My stomach is all right. After getting gastrointestinal exam, we had brunch outside. Then we dropped a second clothes shop. Then we went to Yuki’s clinic. Coincidentally when we went back home, we found the sewage of our house is getting clogged. So I called a plumber nearby. Additionally a filling in my tooth was taken off, so I also went to see a dentist nearby. 

Today, it is a busy day for Yuki. He plays tennis in the morning, then he goes to a clinic. And he joins his band practice at night.

Being busy is all right. We should be careful of not being too busy.

lunch diary 0125

 

A new week has started.

Today I have  my stomach examined with a gastroscope. So “we” had no breakfast. Yuki also skips breakfast, because I didn’t prepare it for him. 

If I have no problem, we will go to a restaurant having brunch.

I will go in 30 minutes. Yuki is going to do some morning errands including drying the laundry.

by Yuki

Good morning 0126

 

 by Yuki

It is Sunday. In the morning we stay home. In the afternoon, he goes playing tennis and I go to a nearby temple to do “shakyo”.(copying sutras)

Good morning 0125

 

By Yuki

It is a usual weekend. My today’s mission is going to a new bakery.  It is not so far, but not so near from here. But it is a good place for me to walk there, though probably I will go there by car.) A lady started it. It opens every Wednesday and Saturday. 

There are various ways to work, and we accept such ways to work nowadays. (Well to tell the truth, in our case we accept and cheer our elder daughter’s work style but, we and “she” worried her future. Now she is in her late 30).

A lady who is our good friend,  closed her homemade confectionery shop last year. She had enough customers to get by. But her physical power didn’t catch with the situation. More people are needed, but she couldn’t.  She started to work at an office. Now she is 40 years old. Thinking about her future when she gets old, we worry her. But it is also important that we do what we want to do when we are able to do it. 

Good morning 0124

 

The score of my cholesterol is still high, but it has not changed. So I continue my daily life without medicine. In April I will take arteriosclerosis check. If it doesn’t progress, it is all right. 

Next week I will have a gastroscopy. I often  think I will stop to take all medical check, including annual health check. It might be good to let nature run its course. 

Facing the process of my mother and Yuki’s mother feels indescribable. 

Anyway in the evening,  we go to see the dentist.

Good morning 0123

 

Yesterday, we visited Yuki’s mother in Tokyo. Unfortunately an illness was found, though she doesn’t have severe symptoms. She might move to a hospital with palliative care.

Since she moved to current nursing home, her cognition ability has dropped quickly, though she is all right.

Anyway yesterday it was a busy day, but we could see her. 

In 30 minutes I will go to a clinic to take cholesterol check and see the doctor. 

Good morning 0122

 

Yesterday we started preparing final tax return. These days we do it as e-tax.  As soon as I started a trouble happened. So first I called a public tax office, next, My Individual Card office, then  we go to the city tax office. 

As you know, here in Japan My Individual Card system was introduced. On the surface it works well, instead of paper work. But in many small parts, many trouble happened. 

Anyway we are still able to keep with the time, but—- it must be very difficult when we get much older. At that time more new gadgets will appear. 

Good morning 0121

 

by Yuki 

Yesterday, I was really satisfied to go to a little bit far library, because I borrowed some books I wanted to read immediately at the spot. They were stored in the basement preservation bookshelves. 

Today I am going to the gym in the morning. This Thursday I am going to take cholesterol check. Anyway for two days I try to eat more healthier food, though yesterday we ate high calorie ramen noodle.

Lunch diary 0118

 A noisy week was finished. My pollen allergy has started. I need to take more medicine. The amount of my taking medicine is more than Yuki’s. It is strange. 

Well, today we are going to a little bit far library. Probably we will have lunch outside, what do we eat, considering the budget now. 

By Yuki

Good morning 0119

 

By Yuki 

It is Sunday. “We” (recently Yuki joins this activity positively) discard 10 things.

We call this activity “dan-sha-ri”.

Recently this activity and its adovocate was introduced  on Newyork times. 

. Meet Japan’s Original Decluttering Guru (No, Not That One)

Additionally, today in the afternoon, we are going to a used shop to look for Yuki’s clothes. 

Good morning 0118

By Yuki

Yesterday it was fun. We enjoyed laughter yoga meeting very much. 

We did “fukuwarail”. It is a game like pin the tale of donkey , and we used to do it on new year’s vacation. 

In the afternoon a lady visited my home library. She lent some books. 

Well, today I will spend at home lazily, but after Yuki comes back from tennis, we’ll go buying Japanese leek to a farmer’s house.

Additionally though it is still cold pollen season seems to have come. 

Good morning 0117

 

Yesterday, it was our Costco Day.

We bought poke-seasoned salmon, and “maze soba “ which is kind of ramen noodle but not pasta.

I don’t t eat the noodle. But Yuki loves, he divides it for three times. Each of them will become lunch and he will be able to eat them within expiration date.

Well, an out myself, I said to the doctor, “probably I can have a birds’-eye view of my self when I become a heroine of the tragedy.  “ she understood what I wanted to say. We were laughing. 

Today I hold our laughter yoga meeting. 

Good morning 0116

 

By Yuki

Today it is a day for us to go to Costco. (It is also a day for me to take CBT therapy). Since we went there one month has passed. We can say something things happened or not. When a (little ) thing happens, we (mainly I) tend to confuse or be flustered, and after a while we become calm.  I think there were lots of little matters though they are not troubles in a month.

Anyway we ‘ll enjoy our Costco day. We are asked to buy some things from our friends including Karaku owners. 

Good morning 0115

 

By Yuki 

Yesterday we had full of audience. It was a good day. Today it is our normal day. Yuki goes playing tennis in the morning. I am going to the gym  in the afternoon. 

I have classified my collection and put some of them in each category box. Today one guest will visit here.

Good morning 0114

 

By Yuki

It is the day of Karaku.(it means I play the piano at Karaku for 30 minutes)

Yesterday, I was organizing my books while Zoom meeting o my PC was open, though i didn’t know if someone would join it. Luckily a person joined it. So we really enjoyed talking about English picture books. It had a good afternoon. 

lunch diary 0111

 

Today it is a holiday. It is “Coming of Age Day.”

We were going to visit Yuki’s mother in Tokyo. But unfortunately in the nursing home some residents are suffering from flu. So we canceled to visit there. (They won’t accept visitors from outside as much as possible.)

By Yuki

Good morning 0112

 

By Yuki

Yesterday we went downtown. There first market of this year “hatsuichi” was held. 

We bought Kibuna. 

What is kibuna?

Good morning 0111

 

It is Saturday. A festival is hold downtown. We are going to go there in the afternoon as “walking exercise”.

Yesterday he could take immunotherapy at hospital. 

But unfortunately the number of cyfra, and SCC ( tumor marker) is a little bit up. It can’t be helped because his cancer reappeared. We hope this immunotherapy will work.

Anyway we can spend usual days. In the morning he goes playing tennis, so, I am also going to go to the gym.

Good morning 0110

 

By Yuki

Yuki has already gone out. It is the first day for him to go taking immunotherapy at hospital. Before taking it he had had to get a blood check. So he went out before me. He was not able to have breakfast. I am eating breakfast. And in one hour I will go to the hospital to talk to the doctor with him.

Yesterday I bought some displaying boxes on the net. I decided to take out my English picture books in the bookshelves on the second floor, and display the. In my house library in the first floor. I could make big space in the closet in the room being used as house library. 

I was going to use cardboard boxes I can get for free from supermarkets. But as you know they don’t look good. So I “bought “ better ones. 

Anyway I try to focus on “now”.

Good morning 0109

 

Yesterday I could hold my zoom meeting. Luckily a new lady joined us. We had a good time. I have lots of English picture books. I am going to donate them to the library. But most books are not hard books. Usually they don’t accept paper books, but fortunately they are interested in my collection. I am organizing them, and making list with explanation about for who are interested in, and for how to read to kids. I have being doing my house library activity a bit but steadily. I want to go to the next stage. But I don’t know what is the next stage. 

Yesterday I talked about snowmen. American or Western snowmen consist with three snow balls, don’t they?  :head, body, and leg. Japanese ones consist with two snow balls, like head and body.  Why? My answer is sarcastic to ourselves, so I don’t write it here. 

Good morning 0108

 

by Yuki 

In this area, school has started. Today I am going to hold a zoom meeting of reading English picture books. But unfortunately the other main member won’t be able to join it. So I’m sure the meeting is formed or not. If no one attends, it will become my study time of English.

Yesterday it was the first time for Yuki to play tennis. His pedometer showed 6500 steps. He plays tennis with his pedometer. I went to the gym. My pedometer showed 3200steps. I don’t exercise with my pedometer. 

Good morning 0107

 

By Yuki

Yesterday it was a really cold day. But fortunately it didn’t snow, it was raining. 

Though today it is cloudy, it is not so colder than yesterday.  Yuki is going to play tennis, depended on the situation of the tennis coat.

I think I will go to the gym, after I call to my friend. If the chatting takes  long, I will give up going to the gym. 

My resolution of this year is “doing more  exercise “. This year has just started.

Good morning 0106

 

Good morning.  New year’s holiday is finished. It is a regular Monday. 

Yesterday we “climbed “ the small mountain to visit a shrine from the parking lot in the half way up the mountain. (It is mostly on the top of the mountain. Some people were climbing the mountain from the base of the mountain. )

In the morning we do some paperwork. In the afternoon we go to a clinic. Yuki has no tennis meeting on Mondays. 

When Yuki was a businessman, we didn’t do such paperwork. Now we are able to some kinds of deduction thankfully. But we need some procedures. In my mother’s case, my two brothers did them. In my mother in law’s case, Yuki’s elder brother does them.( though it causes some troubles.)

We often  hear the words like paperless, cashless, simple procedure, etc.

But anyway as of now we need lots of paperwork, and need to go to public office, though we know it became  easier than 10 years ago. 

Lunch diary 0104

 

Good morning. It is the first usual Sunday, though for many people it is the last day of new year’s holidays. Unfortunately Yuki’s tennis is canceled because of lack of members. 

We might go visiting a shrine in a small mountain. It is sunny, but it is cold. Yesterday we were going to go there. But we didn’t, because of the snow. Once we didn’t , it is difficult to determine to go out to a cold place. 

Yesterday, I got two calls from friends who live another prefectures. It was the first time to talk one of them in year. It means once a year we talk. Long chatting, long chatting. I was really busy and satisfied in yesterday’s afternoon.

Yuki was also busy. Because one of his electric gadgets (I don’t know what it is) didn’t work well. He wrestled against the problem. And—— the gadget in his gadget box. He says it is for when something happens. I think it is just a junk box. 

Additionally I keep a clothes box for when something happens. He says it is just a clothes junk box. (Probably he is right. The clothes in a box has probably no chance to be put on. So I sometimes organize them and discard some. And when I organize my clothes , once I put clothes probably I won’t put on onto the box.)

By Yuki

Good morning 0104

 

By Yuki

We had snow last night, though it was a little. 

Yesterday a lady who lives nearby visited us, and we talked a lot. 

I also finished drawing picture cards of this month, next week I will go to a public community center and hand them in. The cards are sent to the elderly who live alone in this community.

Today we are going to a shrine in a small mountain,  but now we are thinking. Yuki’s car wears winter tires. So roads are all right.  But the walking pathway to the main  shrine might not be in a good condition. 

Good morning 0103

 

By Yuki

It is the last day of  New Year’s holiday. Some people are still in their holiday because the weekend comes.

Tomorrow my gym opens in the morning, probably I won’t go.

Yuki’s tennis is still closed.

And public libraries are open. 

Yesterday, we went to visit a nearby shrine again. We brought the amulets and charms of the last year back. In Japan we think many people don’t throw hem away because we think they are holy items. At shrines, Shinto priests burn them with praying.

Today we have no schedule again. Our washing machine is washing our  bedclothes.

Good morning 0102

 

 By Yuki

It is the second day. Our party finished. It is a quiet day. No tennis, no gym. We will spend today lazily, after usual morning errands. 

The food we prepared for yesterday’s party was all gone. I am happy and really surprised. It was the first time to cook for 6 people in (probably) a year.

Before corona pandemic I used to hold such a party. But now than I expected it took a lot of time including setting up the table. 

In a good meaning and a bad meaning I was tired. 

Happy new year 2025

 

By Yuki

Happy new year. Our elder daughter has already left for here. She is driving now. Our younger daughter’s family are still at home, but in an hour they will leave home.

Today it will be a cheerful day.