make, cook, and eat

Last Saturday and Sunday, I really enjoyed "my " time.

Do you remember I made marquetry of SAKURA last month? Last month I knew one craft small school, and I'm a little bit into marquetry. So this month I went to make another thing again. This time I made hand mirror of turlip. Do you see a wood turlip in the photo? There is small mirror on the back. And I also made a small turip charm.

Well, as I told you, strawberries are now in the season. And this area it is famous for planintg strawberris. Probably the output is the higest in Japan. I often make strawberry jam. And yesterday I put some jam into the dough of bread directly and I baked. Looks is a little bit pink. and the taste is a little bit sour, sweet and great. I gave half of them to my friend who visited me yesterday.

And when I went to a library, I found an intreseting book. In the book about 70 strange foods (most are Japanese food) are introduced. To be surrprised I knew of most of them. My father didn't drink, but he loved food. So I have seen them. (BUT I don't remember the taste, probably most of them were expensive, so he didn't give me, or if I have had it, it must have been bad for the young MIEKO.) I showed the book to my husband. He really showed interest. And we decided to taste all of them in this year for our common plaesure.

What we tried first was "smoked and oiled oyster with flakes of SAKURA tree". He was really saitsfied. Me? It was strange.

But we enjoyed with SAKE. What shall we try next?

My new recipe

Do you know GOBOU? It is burdock. Now burdock is in season.
The other day a friend sent a bag of spcie as a suvenior of her trip to Indonesia. So I tried to use them. Today I used whole clove. Usualy I use clove powder for pork dishes, but it is the first time to use whole clove. I quick sauted them with olive oil and simmered chiken and burdock pouring red wine.. Adding balsamico vinegar made them really soft. And I seasoned them with whole clove, salt &pepper and more olive oil. I wanted to add some garic, but the smell seems to cause trouble for others to eat them for breakfast, so I didn't add it. To make the color clear I added some leek.
Tastes "great".

Today's menus is that;
black:simmered sea weed with vegetables seasoned by say souce.
brown;quick sauted and simmered chicken and burdock seasoned with clove
orange; marinated lettcue and carrots.

I'm looking forward to using other spice.

Spring meals

These days there are lots of spring meals around me. I'm really happy.

My friend sent homemade Japanese apricot jam. So I baked cookies with it. It tastes a little bit sour, I love the taste and smell.

And yesterday I went to the cafe "KARAKU" to play the piano. They served horsetail quiche, and I took it. It is the brown round thing in the middle photo. Do you know or remember what horsetails are. They are sort of field grass. They come out in this season. The master and his wife picked them up and baked them. They really bring "spring" on the table.

And now I'm making oragne peels using Chinese oragnes (in Japanese we called them NATSU MIKAN--summer orange), which were sent from another my friend.

I'm really happy surrounding such spring meals, and having good friends.

What spring foods are you enjoying now?

Rhubarb

This is the Rhubarb.

Did you remember? Last year when I visited my friend, I was into Rhubarb. And she gave me some seedlings.

Now they came out.

Can I get some good stalks of them?

I heard, to get good stalks we should wait for 2 years.

Anwway, though I'm a lazy person I'm beging into gardening little by little.

Today it is raining badly, but not so cold.

This afternoon I'l go to a usual cafe to play the piano. Today I'm a pianist.

cherry blossoms

Now we are in spring, we enjoy cherry blossoms, here and there this weekend cherry blossom festivals are held.

Last night I went to a park near here with my young friend. We enjoyed seeing illuminated cherry blossomes. Can you see somthing pink? It's a tower. There is a small tower in the park. The power is also illuminated by light, and I heard the color changes everyday. Last night it was pink.

This morning my husand and I went to another park. Before opeing stand stalls there were not many people. We enjoyed cherry blossomes having coffee ( I bought a thermos with coffee.)

We used to go there every spring since our daughters were born. Today many kids were playing with equipments my daughters loved. When my younger daughter was little, she was too scared of them to play with them, and cried. --- We talked about our kids' memory. --- We are really a senior couple.

Anyway we couled enjoy short-lived cherry blossoms. Probably next week they will get into green leaves.

I'll introduce a Japanese typcil song about cherry blossoms (SAKURA), though it is a part of it.

Sakura, Sakura

have you seen the old cherry tree blossoming so breathtakingly?

It's a very glorious thing

fragrant flowers seem to sing

Come and see, come and see

see what joy they bring

Itarian pickles???

The other day I was taught specail "Japanese" pickle sauce, using soy sauce MIRIN, vineger and Japanese sugar. As soon as I wanted try, but some seasonings lacked. though there is a fresh big Japanese radish (Daikoy) in front of me.

So I used balsamco-vineger instead of usual Japanese rice vineger,

I used wine instead of MIRIN.

I made Itarian Japanese pickles.

Tastes? not bad.

cherry blossoms cookies

Yesterday I baked these cherry blossoms cookies. It is easy, just I put cherry blossoms preserved with wine for a while, and ressons as topping.

Today I have a lesson with some adults. It is the first lesson of this term. The theme of this year is "enjoying and eating English", though I just decided it.

So at first we'll listen to SAKURA (it is a really typical Japanese song) and tranlate them into English, and eat them.

If you know some "easy" English picture book or song or just book related with some sweets , please tell me with the recipe.

April first

Today , yes , it is April first. It is April Fool's Day. Unfortunately I don't have any kids I enjoy the day with. Well, I may delights in teasing my students who come today.

BUT, suddenly a few minutes ago I got a bouquet of flower. From where? From my husband's company.

He has worked at the company for "25" years in this term. (In Japan April is also the first term for office workers.) So they sent it to me with a message "Thank you for your helping for 25 years. Thanks of you Mr.**** (my husband) is able to work with us."

Is it a Japanese thinking way? I don't know single people who has also worked for 25 years got this present. Anyway 25 years passed.

This year is a turnining point for me and my husband.

Well, can you guess what it is.

This morning I sent a photo of today's breakfast to my daughters, and my younger daughter sent back this photo to me. Today she made this breakfast. The menu ( I didn't know the menu from the photo, so I called her) is pancake and boiled spinich seasoned with sesame. They have only a few spring vacaion days, but they seem to relax "together".

My new term has started!

Today it is the last day in March, but it is MONDAY, so my new term has started.

But unfortunately, this term I don't have any new students. on the other hand every student in the last term keeps my lesson this year. So It's OK.

As a last lesson in March, I invited a famous English-drama teacher, and my students and she made an English drama for 2 hours in a hall, after the lesson their parents came to see the drama. Everybody (students and parents) look excited. I believe they really enjoyed using live English there. I love seeing their exciting and delightful faces. This year I'll enjoy "English" with them, though sometimes I must scold or encourage them.

This term, I decieded to hold my concert with my friends in summer. The title is "Collaboration with JAZZ and English picture book". Piano and English&Japanese story teller is me, song and other story tellers are my friends. AND of course bass is my husband.

The master of the tea room (I play the piano once a month there) assist us.

It is one of events for my "second" life.

Yes my second life has also started.

Today my husband I had breakfast without kids. So I sent the photo to them using my"cell phone" . Actaully I bought my own cell phone, because from April the telephone fares with family is "free".

woodworking "cherry blossoms"

What's this? It's a set of wooden cherry blossoms chopstic holder. Each petal of a cherry blossom is a holder.

Who made it? I made it.

I cut lots of wooden plate with jigsaw. I needed to practice using a jigsaw, so before makig it I made some wooden plates; a carrot, a maple, a cat.

When I practiced, I cut zelkova tree plates. After that I cut 5 kinds of tree plates. (I'm afraid I forgot the names). So the five colors are natural colors in the trees themselves. I applyed natrual pure oil to bring out their color clealier.

If the oil begins to peel away, applying olive oil make them recovered.

Now I'm in my spring vacation. I'm realy enjoying my vacation.

I did the work at a studio. It took about 1 hour from here by car. My friend drove me there.

We had a good time there from 10 to 3 including homemade lunch.

Usually I feel that I'm always run after by time. But today I realy spent calm day.

convenient kitchen tools

These days I bought two kitchen tools. They are really convenient.

Now there are two members in this house, I'm still a house wife. And even if I were single, I would be a house wife. Though some (Japanese ) men enjoy cooking, most women enjoy cooking. On the other hand most (except my husband) enjoy do-it-yourself, probably. (I hear "what an old-fashion thinking!")

Anyway these tools are really convenient.

This one I bought at a 100-yen shop (kind of 1$ shop, or one coin shop).

We can cut leek really thinly like a hair. In Japanese the way of cut "SHIRAGA-NEGI" (SHIRAGA means white hair).

Now it is the season of UDO, I cut it thinly.

Another one is a glass bowl to make pickles for one meal. It's not so expencive.

Last night I put some cabbage and carrots, and this morning "here you are".

Did you find some intereseting or convenient kitchen tools these days?

Did you update it?

What is "it"? Here! This is a present from my daughter's father to my daughter.

The day before yesterday, it was "White day".

Do you know "White day"? On the day in Japan men "have to " presentg something to ladies who presented Valentine chocolate to the men.

Do you have such a custom in your country?

Anyway my husband did. And he asked me whether I updated it in my blog. He says "it's not fair, if you updated only her Valentine chocolate.

So I did it.

BUT where is the present for me?

Nothing. It can't be helped.

Actually he had forgot the day until I told him.

On the day my dauhther mumbled "though I know it, anyway it was white day, and I gave Valentine cholate to him, it was not leftover"

So I told to him. And yesterday he asked me where the good sweet shop was.

So we (my husband and I) dropped by at "my" favorite sweets shop.

He bought it by himself, and I bought sweets for my family.

Actaully the chocolate I boungt on the Valentine's day, was shared with these three members.

So the sweets I bought was also shared with us.

all lessons in this term are finished.

Yesterday it was the last lesson in this term. From today my spring vacation has begun.

In the last adult's lesson, we enjoyed having a light snack: sour daugh bread, homemade jam and margarine through this book written by that Eric Cale.

In this book he introduced an origin of pretzel.

Until I read this book, I didn't know that pretzel was bread.

Lately pretzel crackers seem to be common in Japan. It was the first time for me to know pretzel cracters when we went to America about 10 years ago. We (my daughters and I) ate them in the plane for the first time. At that time for us they were strange taste. But during our staying in America, here and there we "met" pretzel crackers. So We brought them to Japan as one of souvenirs.

And now I knew, pretzel bread was made without milk.

So I baked sour daught bread again, because it is also baked without milk.

These days I'm really into picture books especaily about "food".

From next term, I'm going to held a small workshop "enjoy English picture books through reading and eating by aunt Mieko's way" with some charge (not volunteer work).

As soon as I finished all lessons in this term, I started to think about next step not to be caught by empty syndrome. (Unfortunately I've been caught with by a pollen allergy.)

Came back from Canbodia

Who? not me, my daughters and my mother-in-law. And now my younger daughter came home and is still in bed.Yesterday I talked with her.
It seemed for her to have had many or some troubles with her grand mother and have had lots of valuable, interesting, and enjoyable things.I was able to expect some troubles would happen with my mother-in-law.So I also talked to my mother-in-law on the phone yesterday.
But anyway generally the trip seemed to be good for everyone.Actually all of them came back JAPAN without troubles.
I'll tell you each complaints later. Most of them were caused by the difference of their generation.
Well, the most surprised thing for me was that;she (my younger daughter ) said "I reconsidered you (me), your (volunteer) work is actually needed. I'm proud of you."
What ? What ? What happened to her?I was really surprised.
As you know, my family is registered as a host family. We had lots of guests from various countries. Some guests came from Asian developing countries. Because some of my friends are really eager to do some volunteer work for them (for example to collect and send unused stationery). The friends are really attractive. Against my surface I'm not so eager to do volunteer work, but more I know them, more I want to do something with the friends. I always think that I might be a hypocrite, so I hesitate to do something for people or refugee directly, but I want to help or do something with my friends.When my daughters were small, they did together without thinking. But older they got, more they hesitated to do such volunteer work. Because they also think themselves to be hypocrites.
And this time they went there by themselves. Probably places they visited were not so poor area. But for them it seemed to be enough. Doing what we can do is necessary. Pretending to be sleeping is insincere.So my younger daughter seemed to reconsider me.
AND my daughter seemed to talk a lot with some Japanese girls who are doing volunteer work there. And --- I don't know, what will happen.
But anyway this trip gave a concrete opportunity to look at another world.

UDO

Yesterday I got fresh eggs and fresh HIJIKI from my friend.

She has some hens, and lives near the sea. So last weekend her husband (he is a vet) went to the sea and pick HIJIKI.

We (Japanese ) usually use dry HIJIKI picked this season. So only this season we can eat fresh HIJIKI.

There is no sea around this city, so the fresh HIKIKI is a great present.

On the other hand there are mountains arount the city. I get(not pick) fresh SANSAI (edible wild plants) easily and inexpensively. I got UDO.

This time I inew, UDO is a JAPANESE vegetable, so the English name is "UDO".

Have you hard of it?

Today's breakfast was a sunny-side-up egg, and HIJIKI and UDO salad.

sour dough Itaran bread

These days I try to cook something after reading picture books or books in which some meals or sweets are introduced.

And I try to bake Itarian bread using sour dough.

What is Itarian bread? Is it right that it is bread using olive oil istead of butter and including Itarian sezoning?

Anyway I tried to bake it with that home bakery. ( Did you remeber I bought that appliance last year?)
I heard some sour dough is hard to use home bakery, but some sour dough is "easy" .
So I bot SHIRAGAMI ferment, and I tried.

Well done!

On the other hand I got some BUNTAN (looks like grape fruit, but sweeter), and make peel.

Well done!

So next week I'll bake ORANGE bread with the home bakery.

Cooking is fun -- until now. (Probably after a while, I will be tired of cooking.)

FUKUJYUSOU

This morning I found some buds of FUKUJYUSOU in the garden.
Yes, "real" spring is just around the corner.
Though I turn on the heater early morning, in the afternoon my stduents ask me to turn off the heater. I know it is getting warm though I put hot compass on my back.

Well, untill now I don't any news from my daughters, it means they are in safe travel.
Today, it is the last day of this week, after adult's lesson, I'm going to go out for luch with my adult students to celebrate late HINAMATSURI.
(It is said we have to put away HINA dolls right after HINA MATSURI, if we don't do that it is said ladies can not marry. BUT all of us are married women, so we don't mind celebrateing HINAMATSURI later.)

HINA MATSURI

Today it is HINA MATSURI;a girl's festival.

This morning we had special sweets that was sent from my friend living in NAGASAKI.

This sweets is one of specialty in NAGASAKI.

HINA MATSRU has another name. It is MOMO no SEKKU. MOMO means peaches, and SEKKU means a celebration. And in NAGASAKI Kasutera (kind of pancake) is really famous. So, it seems to be natural to bake KASUTERA decorated MOMO there in this season.

Did I tell you?

My job of making lunch box finished. Instead of it, I bought a new box, and keep making three dishes .

Light green; pickled vegetables

Orange; marinated carrots

White; simmered yello tail with leek

AND this specail sweets

My husband and I had it this morning.

And probably my daughters and my mother also had eat the same sweets last night.

Yes, now there are two members in this house.

Anyway this week has started.

This week my students and I are going to craft easter eggs again.

graduation ceremony

My younger daughter graduated from high school. It was a good ceremony.

This time I really thought that it was like my "ceremony".

It might be the last time sing traditinoal songs for a graduation ceremony, and to sing the national anthem, and to wear my blue suit.

I really thought my mother's job has finished.

She went to this private school for 6 years, through the junior high school and the high school.

When she entered the high school, her feet was so small that she bought specail shoes instead of regular shoes. So se didn't need to worry about the pain because of new hard leather shoes; she had worn kids' shoes for a few years. Her friends would envy her.

She and I had lots of troubles about friends, fashion, and grade though those troubles were usual things for the awkward age.

I really thought the ceremony was not only for her but also me. I really realized I also graduated from mother's job.

Today my husband and I ate this sweet. On the surface there are the emblem of her high school and the director's name of the school.

Well, the last father's job for him is carrying her stuff to TOKYO by car.

Hina dolls

I put hina dolls in the living room. My hina dolls were handed over from my "grand mother". They are full set hina dolls.

full set hina dolls means ;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri

But they are so old that most tools have gone.

But I try to keep them and want to hand them over to my daughters (though I have only one set). So I need to dry them, but it's troublesome. So I put main pair and a trio of hina dolls.

And can you see round dolls? They are made by my grand mother.

And can you see wood dolls? They are made by my daughters when they went to kindergarden.

Next year the ladies who enjoy these dolls will be only me. Anyway this year I enjoy this season with hina dolls. Today a friend of mine came with these SAKURA sweets.

From winter to spring

Yesterday morning, we had snow, though not so much.

And this morning, all snow has gone, and I found them.

They are buds of tulips.

It seems that spirng is just around the corner. But it might be back to winter sometimes.

This weekend it is goint to be a guaduated celemony at my daughter's high school.

It is going to be the last time to attend kid's celemony as a mother wealing my navy blue suit.

I have wore the same suit to attend such a formal celemony for their school days.

It is also going to be the last time for me to wear the suit.

And the day after the celemony, my husband is going to drive her to TOKYO with her chest and some stuff. And my two dauthers are going to travel to Canbodia to sightsee A.Vat with their grandmother (my mother-in-law)

Before she leaves home perfectly, there are many events.

Anyway this week has started.

Well, I'm looking for an English version book of Caca bo.

Does anyone have any imformation?

HINA dolls

In Japan "HINAMATSURI" (Girl's festival) is just around the corner. Children who went to a kindergarden nearby (including my kids) had a good memory; that was making hina dolls from wood that planted in the garden. And until now this craft is continued in this season.

I always put the HINAdolls made by my daughter's though it was more than 15 years ago. And most my students and mothers always say "I did it" or "I had it" seeing them.

This year I got aromatic tree, so I made another dolls with my students. What a hartwarming craft time!

Well, I need a favor.

Today I went to a exhibition. I could see many picture books : Japanese picture books, foreing countries' picturebooks translated in Japanese. It was a wonderful time. And I met some intereseting books. One of them is this book, the original is written in French. Unfortunately I couldn't understand French. But the Japanese senetences were really fun. I'm looking for English version. If someone know the title, please let me know it. And If some one has it and doesn't need it, will hand it over it to me?

The French title is Caca boudin. And the author is Stephanie blake.

Do you know her?

What a nice morning!

I know very well, being a housewife is a kind of luxry. Now I'm thinking about my life without kids. Am I able to accept being a housewife without mother's job?

But anyway yesterday and today I really enjoyed with my adulut students pretending to be a leisure class women.

In my English lessons for kids I started to make some easter-eggs. And I introduced the eggs for my adult students.

And we made some easter eggs using cutting cloth, and soft paper.

I prepared some whole eggshells for them. And I baked scones using the real eggs for them for these early morning for them.

And for these days I ordered "clotted cream" on the net. Clotted cream is not so populer in Japan, so in this town we cant't get my favorite clotted cream.

So I prepered, eggshells, cutting cloth, homemade scone, clotted creadm, and a friend of mine in Canada send me "candy cane tea".

Perfect!!! We really enjoyed our morning lesson.

my mother

A report recalled me to my mother.
Well, these days I sometimes complain like that
"I'm almost being empty nest syndrom." "Do I need to be independent ecnomically?"

Well, an eldery woman critic wrote an essey on the news paper. The title was "the way to live for women". Probably she is as old as my mother, or in the same generation. So it must have been unusaly to live as both a mother and a working lady.

She said
"My husband suddenly passed by when I was thirty. At that time my daughter was 4. I had been crying for one week, and I took 3-weeks off. My friends came to encourage me. And one of them said to me. It made me really surprised."
The friend said
"You can afford to cry because you work, you are independent from your husband ecnomically. So you should cry as much as you want. If you were a housewife, you had no time to cry. Such housewives must really worry that how they and their kids would live from now".
She said
"I understood, being independent ecnomically means to be able to cry when women want to and should cry as much as want"

My father passed away suddenly because of heart attack, at that time my mother was 43. Though I was 18, my younger daugter was still an elementary school student. I don't remember my mother having cryed. As soon as his funeral, she went to the tax office on my memory. I was absent from school for one week, but probablly my brotehrs went to school, and I did housework instead of my mother.
At that time, the city, the company my father had worked at, and even schools got us lots of help. For example it was really easy for me and my brothers to get scholarship. And my mother says "at that time verious kinds of taxes were excused".

Fortunately we could live as usual, my mother didn't need to work outside becuase of lots of help and my father's asset (not so much). So even now (she is past 70) she is a "housewife". Now she is able to live with her pension, and we (her kids) don't need to get money to her, on the contrary even now we "sometimes" depend on her about our kids. It measn my daughters often get pocket money from her.

being independet ecnomically--- I'm thinking about this.

I was a still girl!

Do you remember that the other day I couldn't have high-quality lunch outside. Instead of it I bought curious food for dinner "Kasuzule of Sujiko". Well later I heard that it was a usual food in NIGATA. I've lived here for long years, but I thought there were many food I've never seen yet.

Well, today I went out, and I was going to have high-quality lunch outside. But I couldn't do again. Before going to a restaurant I dropped by at a sweet shop. And I found this cute thing. This box is hand-made by the shop's owner's wife. How cute! And what a suitable thing for HINAMATSURI (March 3rd is girl's day in Japan) and Easter.

I bought it with some sweets. And my last bill in my pass has gone.

So today's my lunch was 100 yen hanburger and 100 yen coffee at Mac.

And Today I put HINA dolls on the shelf in the entrance hall.

Putting them in Feburary is OK. BUT, it is said we have to put them away on March 3rd. If we forget it, our daughters will not marry.

Today, it is Valentine's Day

This morning "we" (my daughter and I) presented my husband (or her father) chocolate.

The chocolate on the picture seems to be populare in KOUBE, and KOUBE is a famous city as a trend city. So I bought it on the internet.

Of course three of us ate it for dessert after breakfast. It was really thick and delicious.

On the other hand my daughter also presented her handmade chocolate to her father. It was the first time and she said "it will be the last time". Untill last year she used to give him leftover of failed chocolate to him. This year she gave him special chocolate. As soon as he got it, he ate it. So I missed taking the photo.

Yesterday she made lots of chocorate for her father, her friends and her teachers. Now she is going out to exchange chocolate with her friends. Probably next norning there will be full of chocolate on the kitchen table. It is the usual scene until this year.

Well, now instead of making lunch box for my daughter, I keep making three dishes for breakfast and put them into this new tray.

My husband changed from eating bread to eating rice. So I even now cook every morning. Though it is troublesome, it is good for me. I do cooking for someone, but I won't cook for myself.

I eat breakfast with my familiy, but usualy I eat lunch and dinner alone, so the left over is really useful. keeping three dishes is to keep in shape for us.

What are these?

Can you guess what these two things? They are "food".
The left one looks like fish, and the sign on the right one reads "SUSHI".

Now Valentine's Day is just around the corner. We see various chocolates in shop.Expencive one, cheap one, high-quality one,--- and these are "funnyt-look" chocolate.

In Japan it is getting a custom to present chocolate from women to men to show love, gratitude, friendship. And everybody seems to enjoy the day.

Actaully I enjoyed when I was looking for various chocolates.
Well, I don't know whether these chocolate tastes good or so-so. Anyway they were not expensive, realy "cheap".

fashion

The other day I found these words about fashion in an English text book.
Pants hanging below boxer shorts, Velour jogging suits, Pants worn backwards, High-water pants, Leisure suits, Acid-wash jeans, Hammer pants, Poodle skirts.

Do you know all of them? Are they in fashion now in your country. In Japan some are in fashino untill now among the youth, and some are not.
Probably acid-wash jeans used to be popular when I was young.
Now many young people seem to wear jeans with some tears. Some one wear jeans with ripped bottoms. I don't like them. And my grandmother didn't like "jeans" themselves.

Do you follow fashion? In my case, partly I try and partly I can't accept these days fashion.
How has your style changed for these 10 years?
In myc ase I seldom wear a skirt, because I usualy put a knee pat on my left knee.
So I usually wear pants. BUT these days pants are quite different from ones of ten years ago.
These days you wear pants with bottoms, not hips.
(I'm sorry I don't know how to desclibe. What I want to say is the place of belt is changed. these days the place got lower than before.)
So when you bend your back, sometimes your back is seen. I don't like it. But it is difficult to find trendy but high waist pants. So I have to accpet these days pants.

Do you have any problems in currently fasnion?

Skidamarink!

Valentinw'a Day is just around corner. My daughter is going to bake chocorate cake for her father this year, (usualy she gives the left-over of her homemade chorate that is for her friends.)

In Japan, probably you know, women presents chocorate to men to show their love , friendship, gratitude or duty(you can say sympathy esepcialy to a man who will not be able to get any chocorate)

Well, next week I'll go to two nursery's school to read some English books.

One book is "Skidamarink!".

I ask a question, what does "skidamarink" mean? I was heard that it has no specail meaning, a kind of spell. Does any know the meaning?

And is it right? -- when I say the spell to someone, the person loves me. And when you say the spell you put your elbow in your other hand and wiggle your fingers, it means to shoot a beam of love.

On the other hand, this week my English lessons are all making a craft using a core of toilet paper. Of course we put some chocorate inside.

I'm a really Japanese woman.

Now I often think about my future life in my 60's, and from next April.
Fortunately I can manage my life thanks of my husband. But I want to be independent economically because untill now we share our "job". It means he works outside and I bring up children inside. Now my job at home is almost finished.
On the other hand I want to enjoy my second life by myself. I sometimes think "though my husband has to continue work out side for a while, my job inside is finised earlier than he, so I should "enjoy"(it means not need to earn money) your life without constraint to him."

Basically I'm lazy, I don't do anything if I don't need to do them.

On the other hand I put adds in the news paper more than usual year.
But untill now I don't have more students, fortunately the numbers of students from next spring will be as same as this year.

Anything doesn't seem to change except my daughter's leaving.

Now there is a brochure on the desk. A friend sent it to me. Next week a meeting organized with NPO and NGO groups in this area is going to be held. A friend said "now your job is finished, come out here again".
Five years ago I stopped some vorunteer activities, becasue I didn't use family time to do voruteer activities. I started them with my kids, but when they grew up, they didn't want to join them. So Only I continued.

I might start some vorunteer activity. It means I will not be able to be independet of my hasbund ecomically.

Only Japanese men?

Yesterday I talked ( and took lessons) with a New Zealander, who has lived here for many years.
He is a man and he gets used to Japanese life, he seems to see things strange even now.

Yesterday I talked about my daughter's coming of age day. He has two boys, so I said "you are lucky not to waste money to clothes". (On the day girls' parents use more money than boy's parents). And I also said "I'm afraid you missed a chance you were be able to get impressed".

It is said girls' fathers have three opotunigies to cry with joy and impression.
The first time is that they meet their kids for the first time; it measn their babies were born.
The secomd time is that their girls become 20 years old. The fathers cannot look at their daughters without tears because of their beautifilness. (Though my husband didn't cry. He said "I was too busy as a chauffeur to get impressed".)
The last time is that their girls get married.

He said it is strange that men cry with deep emotion.
We often see men crying with deep emotion. For example at high school baseball toranaments, the member of the winner team usually cry at the moment they win while they are striking a victory pose. And the tears makes the audience crying.
He said
Do you notice? Only japanese men cry when they get medals at Olympic games.

Is it really?
We have two kinds of tears, sad tears and emotinoal tears.

homemade buns

Yesterday it was snowing all day, so I was staying at home all day while cooking. Yes I baked these buns. As soon as they were baked some were eaten quickly because my husband was also staying home. And this morning all buns have gone. How quickly!!!

Yesterday I thougt, if someones stay home, I have lots of thing to do as a home maker. And yesterday I enjoyed being a home maker -- sometimes is OK, being everyday makes me tired. I'm getting used to be alone at home.

Well, this week has alreday started. Fortunately we don't have lots of snow now. Everything started as usual--- except my daughter must have been late for school because of frozend roads.

The food I bought yesterday

It was KASUZUKE of SUJIKO.

Do you know KASUZUKE? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasuzuke

It's something marinated by SAKE lees. The typical Kasuzuke is sarmon KASUZUKE. Actually yesterday I ate it for my lunch.

Yesterday I found SUJIKO(eggs of sarmons or trouts) KASUZUKE.Usually Kasuzuke is directly marinated bySAKE lees. But this Sujiko Kasuzuke was rapped with paper sanded sake lees. It's intereseting, isn't it.

It was the first time for us to taste.

--- strange (not bad meaning) taste. It was not salty and fishy than we expected.

And it really suiteed to hot rice. If you like NATTO, you might like it.

Well, now we have snow. The ground seems deeply covoered with snow. Today, it is Sunday. So foutunately we have no problem, all members of my family are staying at home. Tommorrow?? what will happen? Now my daughter says "Tommorrow I'll be abset from school, I don't like go to school by crowded bus"

Anyway today's my job is cooking.

At the end I'm a housewife.

In the morning I had a job. This morning I decided to go out for high-quality lunch alone.

I left home at 9. I finished my job at 11. I went to a big book store in a big department store.

The wrong thing was that the book store was in a big department store, and it was next to the area for specail sales at the department store. NIGATA products festival was held there.

I browsed there, and I bought a specail food for my family (collectly for today's dinner of my husband and me) in NIGATA.

And my last bill has gone.

what left in my pass was some coins. I dropped by at a coffee shop (not Macdonald), and enjoyed a little bit high-class coffee and went home.

Today's my lunch was that frozen rice balls (of course I microwaved them), and grilled sarmon ( I bought it there for only me).

complaints about products

Now frozen GYOUZA producted in China is a big isse in Japan. Thease days not only GYOZA but also foods and toys made in China seem to be a big problem in the world. In your experience, do cheaper items tend to have more defects than more expensive ones?

In Japan products made in China or other Asiang countires tend to be cheaper than domestic products, more to say we cannot live without import products including foods. Actaully I try to cook using domestic foods, it's difficult. Some people eat everything that grows in their farm --- it means they don't eat fish, meat (in this case if they don't have cows.) and fruits.

I always buy banans. Thery are usually imported (I've never met domestic bananas. Do we have banans that grow in Japan??) And I tend to buy cheaper ones, because I just use it as a banana yogurt every morning.
I don't think they have defects, it means I've never heard of their defects.

On the other hand when I buy lemons, I buy domestic lemons.
Because I've heard that imported lemons don't go off passing a few months, but domestic lemos usualy go off after a month. It means the former is added so lots of preservatives that having them is dangerous.

It is really difficult to judge what are safe foods for us, isn't it?