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?
Yesterday I “struggled “ with an English picture book which focuses on homophones. In the morning. It was too difficult, but I didn’t want to give up. So I asked my friend. As soon as I wakes up, the reply mail already was in my mail box. I was really happy, and some of my interpretations were correct. I was very happy. I can use the book for an online meeting of my English picture book club. It must be fun.
Yesterday afternoon I too participated in a meeting of sutra copying of sutras. I could spend a calm time.
I also compiled receipts and documents of this month. I finished our end-of-month errand. It was good.
Additionally I before going to bed, I did yoga. It means I did exercise a little.
The aim of this week is doing exercise constantly as much as possible.
Yesterday it got really cold. The temperature suddenly drooped. The day before yesterday it was over 20 decree celsius. Yesterday it was under 10 degree celsius. Today it doesn’t reach 10 degree celsius, but it will get warmer than yesterday.
Though yesterday it was cold and rainy, I went to do workout at the gym. This month I managed to go to the gym ten times. (Next Monday is in March, but it isn’t included.) I made it!
The monthly fee of the gym is 6050yen. So if I go to the gym 10 times. Each price is about 600yen. It is not so bad compared a cup of coffee of *****. Additionally Yuki’s tennis coat feels is 400 yen each.
Yesterday I made vegetable curry to use up the green vegetables in the fridge. It was good. And it is really helpful, because we eat it for our lunch and dinner.
I also made my weekly YouTube. I continue what I can do now. It is good, isn’t it?
Furthermore, a lady came here in the afternoon. Yuki joined our conversation for a change. Both three of us talked for about more than two hours. (He had no tennis meeting because of the rain.)
We thought yesterday Yuki was going to undertake chemotherapy. We misunderstood. He only had a follow-up examination after the first chemotherapy. He told the doctor about his side-effects from which he suffered for about three days, then he recovered. He also told hime that he went playing tennis as usual.
He is going to undertake chemotherapy& molecular target drug drip next week. His tumor in his lug doesn't grow bigger. And the other tumor in his neck looks disappeared by radiation treatment. we were relieved.
I did volunteer English picture reading at the library. Now it is spring vacation for kids. Lots of audience were there than I expected. I and the librarians were really surprised. It was a good time.
I talked with the stuff of the library. They welcome my donation of my English collection. They are going to put a special bookshelf for my collection. I was really happy.
After my volunteer activity I had luck at a cafe alone. It sometimes good to spend in a cafe alone.
I was a little bit excited after the volunteer reading. It was the first time in three years to do it by myself. So to make myself calm, I went to do workout at the gym. It made me a little bit tired physically. So I had a good sleep.
I translated an article in English. It was interesting.
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I’m in my 50’s. I work part time. About twenty years ago I got remarried to my husband who is 5 years younger than me. Now there are two members in my house. When my kids were teens, they asked me to marry again. He works very hard, and he is kind to me. However, when I talked with him, I get very tired.
Whenever I talk to him, he rejects what I say. When we watch TV, and I say “it’s great”, he always says “it is usual, **** (he mentions another example) is greater.” When I say “today’s job was very hard”, he says “it is usual.” He repones to me with quibbles or trips me up.
I ask him to stop saying like that. He changed his attitude temporarily. When he is at home, he is into playing games or watching anime on the net. When he talks to me, I always nod.
Do men always one-up to their wives to keep their self-confidence? It is absurd for me to always flatter him.
Mr.Patrick Harlan (TV personality)
Dear Ms. Venusian (Please call you like this), it is not a big trouble. It often happens between men and women.
20 years ago, a book “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” made the best seller list in the world. According to the book, men focus on solving problems, and women focus on empathy. I don’t say everyone does, but in my case, when I listen to others, I tend to fix what they say like a Martian. I had an experience that I gave advice to my mother who talked me about her troubles in her workplace. She scolded me saying “don’t try to help me”.
Additionally, for many men they are one way to communicate with their mates to tease them, to trip them up, or to refute. Your husband may do it.
On the other hand, it is important for you to stay natural. How about making sure of what each other wants through conversation. And you will tell him that you need only nodding in this case. When ideal situation of both of you is not the same, your husband has no hard feeling. You try to think that he comes from another planet. I think you feel better at least.
Though it is cloudy, I already have runny nose. I took medicine so after a while the symptom will ease up.
Last night Yuki cooked “Motsu nabe” ( beef offal hotpot). It was one of them he wanted to eat. Offal is very hard to chew. It was difficult for Yuki who had soar throat to swallow them. Before next chemotherapy he ate all things what he wanted. He is forgoing to take the second chemotherapy tomorrow.
Yesterday I almost slept all day while listening to the radio except having meals. It was lazy day. I was not so bad, just I wanted to spend lazily. It was good. in the evening one girl came to take my piano lesson. (Of course at that time I wake up.) she graduated from junior high school this month. She will continue to take my lesson (depends on our schedule). It is a good thing both two of us, isn’t it?
Yesterday I got an e-mail from a librarian. She and I will talk about my English picture book collection. I am happy to have a such meeting. I hope the collection will be used effectively for everyone. Tomorrow, it is a day for me to do voluntary reading at the library.
Yesterday I did exercise well, though waking steps didn’t reach 4000 steps.
I also studied English well, I read some English reports. It was unusual for my current self.
I could discard one pair of socks. Only one socks, but it is good., anyway I keep organizing my belongings.
Yuki could join in his band practice last night.
When he was out, I joined in a zoom meeting. It was the first time for me. It is hold once every two months. It is a meeting for people who have a cancer patient in their family. Once I took part n another such meeting. The attendants were men whose wives suffered from cancer. They focused on what other treatments are left. I just wanted to share anxiety together.
This time, there were two attendees, and all of three including meeting leader were women. It was a good meeting.
I asked them “There are many books about elderly care, the books focus on people who nursed the elder who has dementia. There are also many books about cancer the books focus on people who suffer from cancer. However there are few books which focus on people who live with a cancer patients.”. They agreed with me. Additionally the leader is an author who published a book about family who lives with a cancer patients.
Tonight Yuki is going to join in his band practice. Having breakfast he is thinking where he eats ramen noodles for his dinner. I don’t like ramen noodles very much, so on the day of band practice he eats one outside.
Yesterday I walked much. When we went back from the clinic, I got out of the car and walked back on the way home. I also went to work out at the gym.
Yesterday it was the last day of “Kyusyu food exhibition” at a department store. Finally Yuki bought something spicy. (He refrained from eating something hot and spicy because of his sore throat ). And we had Chinese food for our lunch.
And I bought a casual dress for myself. It was unusual thing for me since I should decrease my clothes.These days I constantly discard my clothes, so sometimes it is all right to “change” into new one nit only discarding. It is a good excuse, isn’t it?
Yesterday I got some coffee for an elderly neighbor. I took my coffee set and brewed coffee for her. She is 82 years old, and lives alone. Basically every Saturday her son visits her. When I talk with her, it recalls me of my mother. And I remember my mother-in-law, who decided to move to a retirement home. When she moved there, she was independent. Now she lives in a nursing home.
To tell the truth, thanks to her moving there our concern about her daily life reduced.
I brews too much coffee to have, so I made coffee jelly using the rest of it.
I discarded two room winter jacket called “hanten”. And more two more clothes were discarded. Little by little I reduce “our” clothes, including our daughters’ and granddaughters.
Pansies are suddenly growing. I cut some, and put them into a glass.
Yesterday we went to a city museum. We did a good walking exercise. And we could feel artistic emoting at the museum,
Additionally, a small tea time concert was hold at a restaurant & cafe in the museum. An acquaintance came there to listen it. She asked us to listen to it together. But we declined the offer politely. —- it was expensive for two of us who are retired. (The concert included afternoon tea set. If it was just a concert we might have listened it.)
Yesterday I grilled fish. It was really healthy, wasn’t it?
This week I constantly discarded one or two things. It was good.
Yuki avoid eating spicy, this week. Thankfully his sore throat is getting better. He is planning to go out to eat or buy something spicy next week. It means this week we had meals at home though we had a noodle once. I was a good chef, wasn’t I?
Today I am going to organize my blogs. I am also going to organize our kids’ room. And I try to do walking exercise also today.
It is a warm Saturday with pollen. Yuki goes playing tennis in the morning. I will go to work out at the gym. In the afternoon we are going to visit a city museum partly as walked exercise.
Yuki’s bad side effects seemed to last five days except hoarse voice.
Yesterday I held a laughter meeting unfortunately one lady couldn’t come. She fell down and hurt her ribs. Fortunately she didn’t broke them. She stays home quietly. After the meeting I visited her. She, her husband and I talked. It was fun. I just visited seeing her face with a small present, but I got a big box of frozen gyozoa (pot stickers). They stock many kinds of frown food for their meals. Of course yesterday’s our dinner was fried potatoes stickers. How lucky we were!
Additionally I walked to her house. I walked more than 4000 steps. I did it.
At laughter meeting, it changed into drawing picture cards meeting.
It was also fun. We enjoyed art time. The right hand of one woman shakes when she writes something because of aging. But she didn’t hesitate it, and complied drawing her card. We were really happy.
It is sunny. It seems to be warm. Yuki is going to play tennis. It is good, isn’t it? Today I hold a laughter meeting, isn’t it?
Yesterday I bought a pair of new walking shoes, though I still keep the old one. (I know, I need to discard it.)
I also walked back from the shoe shop. (We went out for shopping by car. ) Yuki dropped by a book store by himself. “I did walking exercise” , though my pedometer didn’t show over 4000 steps. I think, I probably walked over 4000 steps yesterday because I did some? many errands at home and did yoga.
I did enough exercise, yesterday probably.
Yesterday we had rice pasta for our dinner. It is not Asian rice noodle. It is original rice pasta which is made by our favorite chef. I had bought a bin of squid ink sauce. So I made squid ink pasta with it. It was tasty.
Yuki’s hoarse voice because of radiation treatment is getting better. It is good.
Well, I should organize our living room for today’s laughter meeting.
It is a holiday. There is no snow. Actually yesterday afternoon, snow already melted. We were relieved. Though it is cloudy, it seems to get warmer than yesterday.
Yesterday, after having lunch at home we went out to a mall. There is a KALDI shop which is one of his favorites grocery stores. (Another one is Costco.)
We bought a bag of Sambyetang Korean soup. We had a good dinner.
I also interesting snack chocolate rice cake. It was interesting but the taste is so so.
We did good walking exercise.
In the evening I went out to work out at the gym. I praise myself.
Today we will go out to look for “my” new walking shoes.
It is snowing. I saw some people were changing their winter tires into normal ones last weekend. What unlucky people are! Yuki’s car still wear winter tires. This snow is probably the most in this winter.
It doesn’t snow in Tokyo. Unfortunately? American major league baseball team members don’t see snowing.
I am glad to go working out to the gym yesterday. Today I can’t go there because my car doesn’t wear winter, and tomorrow it is a holiday.
When we went out yesterday, we bought baked cheese cake, it was delicious, and the rest of it is a good sweet for today. Additionally we could buy it using points of my reward cards. It means we feel we got it for free.
There we also got pickled mackerel with reasonable price. It was tasty.
I fix my vest, and I pulled the whole string which is slipped back inside my hood, and put it back in with a needle. These things are tiny things. but for dont them were troublesome. I did it.
It is sunny. Pollen attacks membrane though I take medicine.
Yesterday, I got an acupuncture treatment. After that I was so tired that I was lying down on the bed (futon) in the evening. Yuki went to a clinic alone, and dropped by a department store. There he was having a look there, it was a good walking exercise for him. There he bought some delicatessen for our dinner.
To tell the truth his first side effects (though probably they are light from the doctor) make us confused and disappointed. I hope he will go playing tennis tomorrow. (Today tennis meeting itself was cancelled.)
Browsing shops is a good exercise for us. So this afternoon we are going to a shopping mall to do walking exercise.
Monday has started. It seems to be sunny. yesterday I was going to take an acupuncture treatment, but it was already booked fully. So today I go there.
Yuki feels better than yesterday this morning. Yesterday he seemed to feel very tired and went to bed very early.
Yesterday I made brandy butter syrup crepes. We enjoyed our teatime. Well, I baked crepes alone in silently, though I turned on the radio. It was a little bit boring. I miss the time when I baked crepes with our students in uproar.
Yesterday, Yuki went playing tennis, but we didn’t go out after that. He got tired, than he expected. He enjoyed watching the baseball game “ Dodgers exhibition”. We talked if my mother were alive, she would have wanted to watch the game on TV.
I will finish making my English book collection list to hand in to the library shortly. While making the list I could constantly discard 10 things every week.
It is raining a little. Both of us to stay in each room, and spend lazily today. I might go out by my self to take acupuncture treatment.
It is Saturday. Yuki is going to play tennis in the morning, and if he has still physical strength, we will go to a concert his friend joins.
Yuki is all right. But his voice is hoarse, because of radiation treatment. And compared to one week ago he feels tired because of chemotherapy or a pollen allergy. Until last year he didn’t have a pollen allergy. But this year we don’t know. I have a pollen allergy. I have already taken medicine, but I feel dull.
We intended to prepare for his side effects, but when it actually happens, I am confused. And he feels disappointed (and gets angry easily.) He also went to bed earlier than usual, it means he drank less.
I go to my clinic to take medicine in the morning, then I will go to the gym.
We will spend this weekend calmly as much as possible.
Our usual day has started. Yesterday Yuki went to bed very early. He seems to be all right. Today we are going to a small concert at noon. Then we go to a regular clinic.
This weekend he is going to tennis meting as usual if it is sunny.
I should go to the gym.
To keep our physical strength is the most important thing, I know.
Fortunately Yuki has little side effects as of now. He Luke accept this kind of chemotherapy. So he is discharged from hospital today. He takes the second chemotherapy in three weeks. We have entered the third stage.
The topics of yesterday's online meetng are... "Factories”. I wrote what I said about some topics. Are you interested in them?
◆What kind of factories are there in your town?
There are many kinds and scales of factories in Utsunomiya. Some famous companies have their factory in Utsunomiya. But this question is “my town”. In my town there is a middle-sized fertilizer factory.
◆Do you think factories are the same all over the world?
No, I don’t. It depends on their products, and scales. I haven't visited any factories in other countries. However I think most of all Japanese factories are "clean". I have seen some factories in other countires on TV, which were unfortunately not very clean.
◆Have you ever visited a factory and seen a production line?
Yes, I have visited some factories, as a job, as a tourist including social trips. It was fun.
◆Should factories be full of workers or robots?
It depends of their products. I have seen that even in a factory some lines are robots, where main jobs are packing, on the other hand the other lines are full of people who are busy in the last process to complete their confectionary.
◆How have mass production techniques in factories changed our lives?
One of the benefits is that the techniques increased the consistency of their products, and productivity. So we can get good quality, and inexpensive things like snacks, clothes and so on easily. On the other hand in my case I can’t saw and traditional meals by myself.
My morning has started with a big sneeze. Though. Now I have taken medicine, it will take a little time for it to start working.
Today I have two online meeting in English. In the afternoon I go to Yuki’s hospital and see his radiation doctor. His tumor in his neck is getting smaller.
I finished taking out the garbage just right now. Usually this is Yuki’s job. He takes the first trip today. In his case any cancer genes were not found, so he takes regular chemotherapy and after radiation treatment, molecular target therapy will be added, while watching the side effects.
As a reminder I will write the name of chemotherapy, DTX (docetaxel) and Ramucirumab(Cyramza).
Yesterday we were told from the doctor. His treatment has moved the second stage. From now on to coexist his cancer chemotherapy continues. The important things are how he has the less side effects, and how he keeps his physical and immune strength.
It is the day of Karaku for me.(I g is my performance day.) I am lucky to do some things to distract myself.
It is Monday. Yuki’s live performance was a great success. His friends went to see him, though I didn’t. In In two hours we go to the hospital. He brings in lots of gadgets, pc, keyboard, power cables, of course, iPhone, and so on. He seems to go on business trip and work remotely.
It seems sunny today. Last midnight we had a little bit snow. As of now some roof are covered with a little snow. It will melt soon.
Today Yuki has a live stage. He is fine. I am not sure if I go to see him or not. Though it is a usual thing, it is difficult for me to adjust to sudden changes in weather during this week. And I am sensitive thinking of his hospitalization from tomorrow. I should stay home quietly.
By the way, today it is the last day of Art fair Tokyo. Our elder daughter’s works are exhibited. One work was sold. Another work might be sold. More wonderful thing through this fair, she got some inquiries from construction industry and hotel industry directly.
It is Saturday. Tomorrow it might snow early morning, and it is the day of live Yuki join. The live is hold outside. If it is very cold, I won’t go to see him to keep my health. But of course without weather he will go. We are laughing we don’t know which is sick.
Yesterday my last English student passed an entrance examination to a famous university. Probably her English vocabulary is better than me. If I caught a cold, he might not be able to be hospitalized from next week. They said in the case the family members of a patient have a fever , the schedule to be hospitalized might be changed. On the other hand if the patient has a fever, he or she can be hospitalized immediately.
Something hears strange.
Today Yuki goes playing tennis. I stay home all the day skipping going to the gym. I prepare for English picture reading meeting in the late of March at the library. During kids’ spring vacation, English picture reading meeting is hold at the library, I organize it.
Yesterday, I had an interesting experience. I had another problem on my computer. I got a strange email from Microsoft directly. I was not sure if it was fake or not. So I wanted to make sure to inquire Microsoft directly.
I searched Microsoft official homepage in Japanese for the way to confirm whether males were true or not. But I am not good at searching such things even in Japanese. I found help page, and direct contact page saying we can chat. I moved to the page, then suddenly the page turned into English version. I was very surprised. I hesitated to continue but I tried in English.
The first support didn’t understand the Japanese males , so another support appeared. But our chatting was done in English. He said it was all right to write sentence in Romaji. But for me it was easier to write sentence in English than in Romaji Japanese.
Thankfully he understood my English, and he gave me suitable information, and introduced Japanese version information page I wanted.
Both of us concluded the mail I got was a fake male.
The chatting was about 20 minutes. But to reach the chat, it took ire than one hour. I spent an interesting time in the morning.
Yesterday I joined a English conversation online. The topic was about Buddhism. It was very difficult. Yuki and I are not devout Buddists. We probably consider Buddism as a kind of Japanese culture and custom. So our funerals will be hold in Buddhism style.
These are interesting topics to you, readers.
I wrote what I spoke to the other members.
◆What do you know about Buddha?
Budda is not a god; he was a man. He reached enlightenment after years of hard training.
◆Do you believe in reincarnation?
Not 100%, but I believe in it. Additionally, some people say that some people used to be insects or animals in thier previous lives. I think it is interesting. If I were to be reincarnated as an animal, it might be fun, and my next life might be carefree or very tough. I think which is easier being an animal or being a human being?
◆Have you ever felt Karma?
What is Karma? There is one proverb "what goes around comes around" . This proberb might say a menaing of Karma. If you do good things, something good would return to you, and if you do bad things, something bad would return to you. I sometimes experience this routine, and at that time I thought I asked for it. So I try not to do bad or selfish things. And when Karma is used a kind of unchangeable fate, we might accept our fate. And of course we cna do the best as much as possible in our unchageable fate. Sometimes I feel when someone passed away and I faced their process and their last .
Last night it was snowing, but very early morning the snow seemed to turn into rain. It doesn’t rain this morning.
Yesterday I booked a telephone appointment to fix my PC to my PC support center. I am going to get a call at 9 a.m. I hope I can fix my PC through the phone service.
Actually I have taken the phone service a few times. They were very kind. I like the service, so when replaced my old PC, I got it at the same shop.
An interesting thing is that Yuki’s Mac computer seldom has no trouble, but my Window’s computer sometimes has troubles. Why?
I know one reason is that Window’s system is sometimes updated automatically, but it seldom occurs on Mac computer. (Or he doesn’t?)
It was snowing yesterday. It doesn’t snow this morning, but it seems to snow again in the evening.
Today’s mission is put back HINA dolls. A car dealer comes to pick up my car to have it inspected. My car doesn’t wear winter tires. Once my car is delivered, it is not my business. (Or does it cost more?)
I am going to stay home all the day, while I arrange my Englishpicture books. Yuki goes taking radiation therapy at hospital in the afternoon. Today’s his band practice in the evening is canceled because expecting snow tonight.
A new week has started. It is HINA festival day, though it is not a holiday. Tomorrow I have to put back HINA dolls. It is said as soon as HINA festival day ends we have to do that. The reason is that it is said that if we don’t your daughters would be single permanently. My elder daughter is still single, so anyway I try to keep the custom, though we don’t care she is single or not.
Well, I have a good excuse to buy high quality cake, since it is HINA festival day. Though it is rain we go out to the hospital in the afternoon. After that on the way home we will drop by a confectionery shop.
It is Sunday. I sort up my English picture books making a list. Yesterday I got seven middle sized card boxes at a nearby super market for free.
Yuki goes joining jazz live session in the afternoon.
He is preparing for his hospitalization . It means he got a new gadget —- small keyboard which is able to connect his PC. (Last time he was hospitalized with a new PC.) Yesterday the keyboard was delivered. Now he is busy in adjusting it. He is going to update his music YouTube while he is hospitalized.
Internet, and IT gadgets brings him pleasure.
On the other hand, now I am having a little trouble in my computer. I have already inquired the company by email twice. And I tried some steps to mend it. It has improved but not perfect yet. I will call the service department of the company next week. (Inquiring by mail is free, but on the phone it is not free).
Last night when I listened to the radio, an interesting interview was introduced. A retired pro-tennis player who is a woman, talked about her life style. When she was a pro- tennis player, she always had two goals. She said “When I reached one of the goals , I was able to continue to go on forcing the other goal. If I had had only one goal, I must have got burnt out. “.
Now she is retired. Her current job is training young tennis players to be the world class players. She also said, “ I have to confess, in my current situation it is difficult to make two goals. The reason is that the objects I am interested in the others, not my self. Additionally I used to try improving my English speaking skill, and I gave up. “.
She concluded her story speaking “Spring is another best season to make new goals, I will make two goals for myself”.
Well, it is a weekend. I should discard 10 things. One of my goals is decreasing belongings and living simply before it is difficult for me to take the garbage out.
Why “taking out the garbage “ is my deadline?
I really agreed with my friend saying. She said “When I can’t take the garbage out by myself it is high time to go to nursing home”.
Well, the other goal is —— anyway I keep studying English without clear deadline. Thanks for coming to this blog.
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.
