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, we could spent as usual. Yuki plays tennis, and I went to the gym, and I also did walking exercise after that.
Yesterday I cooked penne pasta with canned sardines. I started more exercise, and having more fish than meat. But the next blood check is in September. I wonder if I keep such a try. (Probably not).
Yesterday it was a good day. I got the first bamboo shoots from the neighbor. We are asked a mission at Costco o from her. Recently we buy more for others than for ourselves. It is fun. It is in the middle of May for us to go to Costco.
It is sunny today. I have already hung futon out in the sun. Pollen season for me seems finally to finish.
Yesterday Yuki got chemotherapy. This time he took two kinds of medicine. The doctor said side effects may appear stronger. But he takes this phrase positively. As I often write, he says that it is better to get some treatment. We want to keep coexistence with the tumors.
I was going to start doing volunteer reading at the library once a month. But for a while, it is going to be hold every kids vacation: summer, fall, and winter. It is all right. Anyway my volunteer activity has resumed.
Yesterday I bought water proof walking shoes. Everything is ready. I have to do walking exercise more.
From tomorrow the long holiday will start. Some people have already been on vacation since today. For two of us they are usual days. But unfortunately Yuki’s tennis practice and my gym are closed.
I will try to walk more.Yesterday I took a blood check. Unfortunately my cholesterol was the highest for these five years. In the other hand my triglycerides are normal. My arteriosclerosis hasn’t worsened. The doctor said “ do more exercise”.
So I am going to buy another sneakers ( waking shoes) which are waterproof. (Actually it is raining a little.)
Yesterday I joined in an onoine meeting. There the members talked about sugar.
These are what I said.
◆What is the first thing that you think of when you hear the word sugar?
The first thing that comes to mind is sweets, like cake, cookies. Probably Westan confectioneries.
◆Do you think that you eat and drink too much sugar? How could you reduce this?
I think I seldom drink something sweet. When I cook I seldom sugar directly. Because I tend to use pre-cooked sauce or soup stock which are commercial products. They already contain sugar. When I bake sweets. I tend to add half of sugar on the recipe.
On the other hand, I sometimes eat something sweet as snack. Actually, I don’t care how much sugar I take every day.
More importantly, how I should reduce fatty acid. I prefer meat to fish. I prefer pork or beef to chicken. And though it is not an excuse, meat is cheaper than fish, and pork is cheaper than chicken. I have high cholesterol.
◆Where do you usually keep sugar? Have you ever had a problem with ants and sugar?
I keep it in a jar. I haven’t had a problem with ants and sugar. But when it gets hot, I sometimes see an ant line. There is a sunroom in my house. And there are two big planters. I don’t know why, but anyway around them I often see an ant line. So when I find them, I put ant repellents near the planters. For a while they work.
◆What are some things that you can use as a substitute for sugar? Are they as good?
My husband drinks zero calory coke. Probably it is not good. Additionally, I don’t know coke itself is good or bad.
◆Do you ever eat sugary foods for breakfast?
Yes, I sometimes have sugary foods for breakfast, like sweet bread, doughnuts and so on. Especially when we go to a bread shop and buy some bread, most of them are sweet bread, and they are for our breakfast. Or sometimes I have yesterday’s leftover cake for breakfast.
◆Which countries produce the most sugar?
Is it Brasile? I know some Japanese-Brazilian friends. I heard of it from them.
Yesterday I joined an online meeting. It was a really useful meeting. Did I tell you? I got a private certification of an advisor of planing of end of life planing. Through my mother’s nursing and troubleshooting I had experienced a lot of things. I wanted to organize the information and knowledge. A thalli I think I organized my information. But such information always changed. So I decided to join yesterday’s meeting. The certification is issued by a NPO company. I am a member of the NPO. So I can join such meetings.
I’m not sure how I use the certification effectively. I can tell some information to others who want to know. But my mother and my mother in-law lived or lives in Tokyo. The situation in UTSUNOMIYA is different from in Tokyo. Considering the life of two of us, I need more information in Utsunomiya. I might to take action.
Yuki could join in his band practicing at night. The other time he was absent. It was good.
Yesterday, a friend came in the afternoon and, three of us had dinner at a restaurant. First she and I talked. I don’t remember what we were taking. . Anyway when we noticed it got dark, it was dinner time. So three of us went out.
While we were talking, we made crapes. I served her “brandy butter”. I also introduced a set of cards which I used at laughter yoga meeting. She also laughed a lot.
She organizes an amateur senior theater company. Their annual performance was hold the other day in a great success. Her story was fun.
A new week has started. Yesterday I washed winter bed covers. We also organized the closets. We discarded some cardboard boxes. Today it is a garbage day. We separated the different types of trash, and took out burnable garbage before breakfast.
I also baked boiled orange cake. It is burnt a little. But it is all right. It is used almond flour instead of flour. It was tasty.
Today it is sunny and seems to get hot. “We” will continue washing and organizing winter clothes, though Yuki is going to go fishing in the morning.
Yesterday I hold a laughter yoga meeting. This time two women joined. We draw some pictures on dyed eggs which I had boiled to enjoy earlier Easter. Then we played silly card games I bought on the net. Three of us laughed a lot. In the afternoon Yuki also showed an interest to the cards. So we did it. Yuki laughed, too saying who bought such a game! (I bought.)
In the evening I visited a woman nearby who couldn’t join in our laughter yoga meeting today. I handed in the dyed eggs I made.
Yesterday, we did good shopping at Costco. This time we were asked to buy some things there from our friends. On the way home we stopped by there houses. It was also fun.
Recently some foods are sold in small pack at costs I, probably for Japanese people. For example, the big muffins are sold in a set of 6. Until last year they were sold in a set of 12.
This time “tempura tacos” (probably only in Japan), are sold in a pack of 8 pieces. Until last month it was sold in a pack of 24 pieces. We bought one pack. We had half of them for our lunch in our car, and had the rest for our dinner. It was about 1000yen. We did good shopping. Additionally, I don’t become a repeater.
The main purpose is going to see the doctor, but going to Costco seems to be more important purpose. Probably we won’t go to only Costco, because it is a little bit far.
Today Yuki goes play tennis with something strange food Yuki bought at Costco. His tennis mates know why he was absent from tennis meeting yesterday. And some of them are looking forward to food (snack) he brings.
In one and half hour we leave home. It is Costco day, it means I take cognition behavioral therapy at a clinic. I’ll talk to the doctor about my unease of Yuki’s side effects, and so on.
Yesterday a friend came. It is Raster on this Sunday, isn’t it? I prepared some boiled eggs, and while chatting we dyed the eggs. It was fun.
What “Yuki” will find something fun and strange at Costco?
Yesterday both of us did exercise in the morning. I went to the gym, and Yuki went playing tennis.
Yuki talked with his tennis mate about Costco shopping.
His friend recommended:
Almond milk, oat milk, and OIKOS yoghurt made in Japan. I know his wife is health-minded.
On the other hand Yuki recommended:
Alcohols (syouchu), English muffins (my favorite, they are not sweet), bulgogi beef, Mazesoba(probably only in Japan, soulless noodle), and a whole of cheese cake.
Completely different!
In the afternoon, I was not so good, so after taking a bath I went to sleep. What a calm retirement life we have!
After quick dinner, I took up my sportswear. I discarded my old y sewing machine, so I sewed by hand.
These days I sometimes do hand-sawing. The other I sewed an embroidered patch on my jacket to hide a stain.
Yesterday, we were busy. (It means Yuki got well as usual). First we delivered our old TV to an official disposal site. There is a big discount store Yuki likes near by. Of course we stopped by it. He bought some strange (for me) B grade foods.
Then we went to a clinic downtown. On the way home, we dropped by a shoe store. There each of us bought a pair of athletic shoes. They are called “hands free slip in” shoes. Does it make sense? We put them on without bending over and treading on the back of their shoes. Such types of shoes are very popular now. Do you know them?
Then we also stopped by a used book shops to sell our books (more than 30 books! mainly jazz magazine s). We got about 1500 yen. It got Yuki’s pocket money.
Now we are having breakfast while Yuki is watching Masters. As you know I am writing this article on my iPad. It is around 7:30 AM. In Augusta It is around 18:30. It seems still not dark.
Yesterday it was rainy, so both of us were at home. I organized my clothes and could put some away, but the number didn’t reach 10. Though it is an excuse I moved some to a box which I call “reviewing box.” So totally I reviewed 10 clothes.
In the afternoon, while I baked bread for this morning, I organized the fridge. I wrote some drafts of my Japanese blogs of this week. I also practiced copying sutra.
I thought once I start organizing in my house, it has had one errand after another. It is all right. We had a good calm Sunday.
Have you had Jack Fruits? It was the first time to eat and cook for two of us. It is difficult to get fresh ones, so I bought canned one. Though we thought they would be sweet and juicy. But they didn’t. They seem to have same texture of bamboo shoots. Additionally, canned Jack fruit also look like bamboo shoots boiled plain.
by Yuki (why he used this photo? It is an out-of-season photo!)
by Mieko (though it is Japaneses)
Yesterday, unfortunately Yuki was suffering join pain of another side-effect. Today he seems to be all right. Probably from tomorrow, he will recover as usual (we hope).
We decided to discard a big TV which was used when I taught English to kids at home. Here in Japan a, it is troublesome to discard ‘old’ TVs. If you buys a new one, the electronics shop where you buy a new one takes it away.
The TVs which are relatively new are sold to second shops. But 10 year order ones are not taken even though we pay the disposal fee.
What I say is anyway it costs to get rid of TVs.
We chose the cheapest way.
First we go to a post office and buy its recycled ticket. (We already bought it.)
Then we take the TV to an official place to deal recycled things by car. (We are going to go there next Monday.)
There are two official places in this city. But both of them are little to far from our house.
It might sound easy. But we really understand why there are too many things including very old home appliances in elderly’s house. It costs to discard, and who takes them by car?
Yesterday, I talked some ladies. One was on zoom meeting. Another one drooped by my house to visit my home library. And the other talked on Skype meeting. I was planning to talk all together. But it was difficult so I talked individually. What did we talked? About a book with lots of homophones. Thanks to Ms.J all of us could understand and enjoyed the book. Thanks Ms.J.
Yesterday, I attended an online English meeting. There were four members, three of us were Japanese, and the other was Taiwanese.
The topics were "Trade"
◆When was the last time you did some sort of trade with money?
Probably my husband and I did “trade” when we bought a new car three years ago.
◆Have you ever done any work where you paid with something other than money?
When we bought the car at a dealer, a strange thing happened. We were going to pay in cash in a lump. But they asked us to pay in installments. They didn’t add any interests, on the contrary, they gave us a discount. We paid mostly on the spot with Yuki’s credit card, and this year we are going to pay the rest. It was not a monthly installment plan.
Two of the members talked about stocks.I am not familiar with stocks, so I just listened to them.
It was a good time to learn and use English and current topics.
Yesterday Yuki had a slight fever after the shot. It was a side effect. We could accept it calmly this time. Today he has no fever. He is going to go fishing to a river nearby. We are getting used to such a side effect calmly these days. It is good. We try to accept the side effects as calmly as possible.
Yesterday it was my performance day at Karaku. Around Karaku cheery blossoms are in full bloom. So Karaku became full. Regular customers came with their friends. Ms. U who reads some essays aloud and I were very happy. Karaku’s owner and his wife were busy but very happy.
All of them including the couple of Karakuks owner and audience talked to the others after the performance longer than usual.
I have continued this performance for more than 25 years. On the days of my performance, I put on unusual clothes. It is part of the fun. When I started this performance. I used to buy a new clothes every month but now I have enough. I still keep almost the same figure. So I can’t put them away. Some clothes are used only once a year. It is all right.
The couple of Karaku’s owner are getting old. The regular audience (most of them are in their 60’s and 70’s) are also getting old.Now they are over 75. We can do what we can do now.
Yesterday in the morning it was a nice weather. We went to a small hill to see cherry blossoms. We also visited two shrines around there. It was a nice walk and we really enjoyed viewing cherry blossoms.
In the afternoon we had sudden heavy rain. We stayed home. Additionally I took a bath I stead of going to hot spring, and took a nap. It was a good afternoon.
As I wrote yesterday, when our daughters and granddaughter came we had easy BBQ at home. To tell the truth they focus on the price and volume to buy the meat. It was not bad. But I felt like something missing. So we went to a department store and bought good quality but a little amount of beef. Luckily we could get a pack of beef at a half price. Because it was the rest of yesterday.
I sautéed it for our dinner. We were satisfied.
Now he is leaving home to go to the hospital. He has to get a shot to speeches from decreasing his white cell count. Then he is going to play tennis. Luckily this time he seems to have a little side effects. They seem not to have an effect on his daily life. It is good, isn’t it?
It is sunny, though according to the weather report, it will rain in the afternoon.
Yesterday, our daughters and grand granddaughter came. They played tennis with Yuki. (I didn’t). We had easy BBQ at home, then all of ladies went shopping. (Yuki didn’t.) It was a busy noisy day. Now we are enjoying calm morning.
I did my role as a grandmother. Yuki enjoyed playing tennis with his grand daughter. Do you understand the difference between the two sentences?
Yesterday, he could get chemotherapy. He didn’t get molecular target drug yet. Because it didn’t pass one month since he finished getting radiation treatment. Anyway he continues his treatment with coexisting his disease. This morning he gets hoarse. Last time he had the same symptom. At that time we thought it was a side effect of radiation treatment. But it seems not to be correct. It seems to be a side effect of chemotherapy. As of now he is fine, so he is going to play tennis in the morning.
We always reconsider our daily life when we go to the hospital, that we are doing what we can do now, and we should do what we can do. And we are happy because we are doing what we can do now.
Yesterday we went see cherry blossoms downtown. We walked. I also walked alone in the afternoon near my house. I stopped by a shrine. My pedometer showed near 9000 steps. I did walking exercise in two sessions, so I didn’t strain my legs so much, I think.
Yesterday we had lunch at eating area of convenience store in the hospital quickly. On the other hand I fried up a little bit good quality beef for our dinner.
I’m in my 80’s. I live in a retirement home, but I’m still independent.
I can spend my days as I like. However, getting older, I feel losing motivation little by little.
When Covid virus attacked, I used to sew masks and give them to my residence mates. They were pleased and I got complement. It made my life worth living.
I used to be into sewing, knitting, drawing, calligraphy, and so on. I still have the kits, but I don’t feel like doing such things.
I’m scared how long I will be able to live. I’m worried my room is occupied with my handwork piling up.
How do I spend fulfilled life? I’d like to get some advice.
Professor Mr.Ono (phycologist)
You like to communicate with others and help them. When Covid virus attacked us, you presented your handmade masks to others, because you like to help them. I can imagine easily that you and your mates were smiling.
You can enjoy sewing, knitting or drawing by yourself. But when you can communicate with others through such hobbies you feel happier.
You live in a retirement house. You and your mates get old naturally, it means the opportunity to communicate with others decreases. Because the number of people who needs care increases.
The opportunity to do something to help others decreases, you naturally lose your motivation.
How about you chose one thing you can do now, and you ask some mates in your retirement home to do it together.
Please don’t rush, it’s ok don’t worry. First you talk more with you mates and try to find something to do together easily. You might change your feeling.
Yesterday, in the afternoon the rain stopped. Yuki went fishing to the river. He couldn’t get any fish, but he talked some people who came fishing there. They also couldn’t get fish. Fishing in the river season has started. Of course he bought a monthly fishing ticket. He can fish in some rivers.
On the other hand I went to the gym. Yesterday it was crowded. Usually the gym is not so crowded. Probably in the morning it was raining. I talked some gym mates after so long.
I also read an English picture books including homonyms. Thanks to my friend I could solve the riddles.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I got a hair cut at my friend’s beauty salon. We talked much. It took longer to talk with her than to get a hair cut.
Yesterday I talked to others a lot.
At night I did yoga. These days I constantly do something to exercise. It is a good thing, isn’t it?
It is rainy and windy. Unfortunately Yuki’s golf is canceled. He or we stay lazily today. It is not bad.
Yesterday we walk around a mall. Our pedometer showed over 5000 steps. We made it. We used a pedometer app in our iPhones. Do you use such an app?
We got to the mall around 11 a.m. The food court in the mall was already starting to get crowded. It is spring vacation. Students, the elderly and of course families were there.
There were two elderly couples having lunch together. What made us surprised was that all of four were eating Mac foods, not Japanese noodle. There many kinds of food shops such for all generation. All of them serve their food with reasonable price. So such a food court is popular for the elderly living on a pension like us.
We had a good time, there. Of course Yuki got some foods which were introduced on TV.
In the evening, I went to the gym. I also did yoga at home. What a good girl I was!
At night I did monthly household bookkeeping. It made the accounts balance. I was really satisfied.
April has started. In Japan a new fiscal year has started. At many companies, they hold an entrance ceremony for new recruits.
And it is also April fool’s day, isn’t it?
Yesterday I went to do workout at the gym “as usual.” I could hand in a monthly magazine to a gym mate. It was the first time to see her in three weeks. Three of gym mates including me, pass along to read it. The other lady buys it every month.
It got very cold suddenly in the evening. So I took a nap for a while. It is one of advantages of our retirement life, we can take a nap whenever we want to do it.
At night I helped my granddaughter to do her math homework by online chat. She goes to cram school during her spring vacation, though she doesn’t go there everyday.
Today, it is rainy and very cold. We are going to a big mall to do walking exercise.
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.
