How was your weekend?

Today it is the last day of July. How was your weekend?On Saturday, Some of my students came to take extra lessons in turn in the daytime, on the other hand Yuki went to practice golf, and play tennis. In the evening Yuki and I went to an electronics store, and finally "bought" an air conditioner for Yuki's room. Though you might not believe, "finally" an air conditioner will come to Yuki's room next week. Every room of our house will have an air conditioner from next week, but "unfortunately" we don't turn on all the air conditioners at once, because we don't have enough electrical capacity. If we turn on three air conditioners at once, our breaker trips.
At the night we had a heavy thunder and lightning and storm. So the power was out three times on and off.

On Sunday, Yuki went to play golf. I also went out with ERI-chan who is a lady living in the next door. We really enjoyed "Utsunomiya".

First we went to eat morning sweets. A cafe opened on the day specially as "July Morning Market".

Then we went to another cafe where a small march opened on the day.

Then we went to a bagel shop, and bought some bagels. These days I prefer bagels than usual buns.
Then we had lunch at a Korean restaurant.

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And, we went to an art museum to an exhibition "Light and Dark". It was really interesting. Some works were difficult to understand, some arts were interesting, some arts were "Awesome". Seeing various types of works are really interesting.

 Then we went to another small march. This day here and there a small march was opening. I bought a bag for a song.

And yesterday it was a official holiday for Yuki. So he took me to play a golf. I play golf about twice a year with him. It was the first time to play golf at a golf course this year for me.

This is the golf course and our lunch there. It was a week day for usual people, so we could play at really reasonable price.

Tomato herb comport

Yesterday I got a big tomato in the evening. I thought it would be difficult to eat whole of it at once with Yuki and me.  So I tried to make tomato comport, but unfortunately I didn't have white wine. I thought SAKE might be used instead of white wine--- but before doing it I started browse the Internet. I found an interesting recipe, which is "tomato herb comport".

The ingredients are like this.
  water about  2 or 3 cups
  honey 1/2 cup
  fresh spear mint   10 stalks
  fresh lemon grass     5 stalks
  fresh oregano            6 stalks
Fortunately I grow spearmint, and lemon grass, but unfortunately I don't have oregano, so I use dried oregano, and use fresh SHISO-leaves which is in the same SHISO group as oregano plant.

Put all ingredients in the pot, and boil them. On the other hand, I soaked a tomato in the hot water, and peel its skin. After that I put it in the comport liquid pot and simmer for a few minutes.

I keep the pot cool in the fridge  at night.

What a wonderful breakfast is, today! Additionally this bagel was baked by my friend "HATOKO-san". Thanks HATOKO-san.

I hope Jan and Tracey see this blog.  And Now I'm making jelly with the rest of comport liquid.

P.S

This is the jelly I made.

Oxytocin

Yuki came back from America. He bought many energy bars for my students to survive this humid and hot summer. Thanks Yuki, they are wonderful souvenirs. And our usual week has started.

Have you ever heard of "oxytocin"? It is a kind of hormone, and it is called a happy hormone.
These days it is clear that oxytocin is secreted when you do somethings for someone from other people's points of view.
Dr. KAMATA , who is also a famous writer, said "Now in Japan it is important to be moved by a little thing, and to do a little thing for someone to live vital."

I heard another interesting thing.  A principal of a nursery school said "these days kids are more childish than their age. BECAUSE they have less every-day experience. Even in the past working mothers were busy, and now working mothers are also busy. It is the same situation, but these days mothers want to enjoy themselves more. So whey they are free, they often play with their cell phones instead of talking with their kids. It means these days kids spend alone even with being with their mother."

Though it sounds easy, it is difficult to do a little something for others.

Well, well, finally I had the pretzel. Auntie Auntie's pretzel. In Utsunomiya unfortunately we don't have them. My neighbor went to TOKYO and bought them.  This is today's breakfast. It's cool. so I made hot pumpkin soup. ( I didn't peel the green skin, so it looks green.) Not having breakfast alone is fun.



Sunday

I'm really surprised, because a week has already passed since I updated this blog. This week the temperature changed a lot.   It was a scorching hot day with temperatures over 35 degrees C, on the other hand, these two days it is under 20 degrees C. I'm busy to wear a sleeveless T-shirt, or to wear a little bit thick sweater.
This week fortunately I had lots of things to do, and now I'm really happy to have done all of them without trouble.
Yesterday (on Saturday), I went to TOKYO to meet my mother. We met at TOKYO station and went to a department. We browsed through the department and had a good lunch.

On Thursday and Friday,  I went to nursery schools to read English picture books. All kids seem to have enjoyed with me.  The nursery school I went on Friday, was the first visit for me. So I was a little bit nervous before going there. Both jobs are non-paying jobs, they are volunteer work. But I'm happy to see smile of kids and teachers. And I also happy to be asked to do such a work.
To tell the truth, I sometimes think whether such a volunteer work is my hobby or my job. I sometimes think what is volunteer work. Actually I earn some money to teach English at home, and for me reading English picture books is one way to teach English. So it's difficult to draw a line between a job and a volunteer work. But anyway I enjoy reading English picture books to others, and through this activity I got to know a lot of people in different areas.
On Wednesday I had lessons all day long.
On Tuesday I did a workshop.The thema was " Sweets and English picture books for adults". My friend made sweets that suited the picture books I selected.About 15 people came, who were interested Enlighs picture books or my volunteer activity.

Today I have nothing to do special, just clean the rooms (or you can say it is the most important thing I have to do), and go groserly shooping. And tonight Yuki will come back from America. (Now he is on the airplane.)
So I said "I'm happy to spend last week without troubles."

P.S A blog friend told me that she was not able to put any comments here. Is it true? Luckly some friends gave some comments on this blog. I don't change any setting of this blog. I'm glad to get some comments.

Monday

Even though the end of rainy season is not announced yet, it is actually summer. It's really hot, today.
Hydrangeas have gone, instead of them, vine of morning glory and GOYA is growing. They make green curtain.

This weekend I went to NIKKO to work. I dropped by a popular tea room.  For a while I relaxed alone seeing the outside from the window. There I saw SYUKAIDOU and some ferns. I was giggling. The ferns made a good scenery there, on the other hand I'm fighting to weed them in my garden.

A few minutes ago, a deliver man came with this --- a bottle of pickled RAKKYO (kind of shallots)
My friend made it. She makes it every year to present to her friends. To tell the truth, I don't care for  RAKKO, but I love "her" RAKKO. I don't know why, but anyway I love "her" taste. I'm really happy to have such a wonderful friend like her.

Coming her RAKKOY tells me summer coming.

Thursday

Today, it's rainy. Sometimes it gets a driving rain. So the windows are getting dirtier and dirtier. I decide that during a rainy season I don't clean the windows. (though, I seldom clean the windows.)
Yesterday it was hot. And this sudden coolness and rain cause me a slight headache. What a bummer! Anyway in one hour I have to go out.

Last Tuesday it was the day for KARAKU, where I play the piano once a month. Coincidentally a chorus women's group were there. As soon as I started playing some Japanese classical songs, they started singing together. Other two single guests were also there, and they were smiling to listen to them. Thanks to the group, everybody there must have felt connected through our music. I was really happy to share that moment.
Having sweets after my performance is one of my happiest moments.

Yesterday my adult lesson was canceled, so I went out for lunch with my friend. The owner renovated her house into a restaurant. The menu was illustrated by herself. How cute!

This is a set of boiled food. The dish is like this.

My friend went to Korea recently. To tell the truth Yuki and I are thinking about travel to Korea. So her talking was really useful to me. Have you ever been to Korea?

If you have bee to Korea, or live in Korea, I'd like to hear your suggestion.

Meg came!

Yesterday our younger daughter came back to UTSUNOMIYA, though she couldn't stay with us.
Since she started to work it was the first time to meet her, though we keep contact with her on the phone or through e-mail. She looked usual, not looked thinner, not looked fatter. She seemed to work hard and enjoy her work. Almost every day she makes lunch and take it to her office. According to her it's troublesome to go out, and she can saves money. (Did I tell you that her hobby is saving?)

She got the first salary recently, and we didn't meet each other on Mother's day, and on Father's day. So she gave me a watch, and treated us with stake.

Regularly it's a day-off on Sundays for her. But on Saturdays it's not a day-off. (on a weekday it's day-off.) So it's difficult to stay even a night with us for her. It can't be helped.

Well, well can you see the bread in the photo? The chef said "it's an old way, but we keep it. These bread absorb extra oil.)

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The sauce was salt, soy-sauce with WASABI or onion sauce. Stake with salt was really delicious.

Thanks Meg. We're looking forward to seeing you sooner.

Saturday

Today, it is TANABATA (a Japanese star festival). My students and I put (fake) bamboo with strips of paper in front of the entrance..

Usually people write their wish on the strips of paper, kindergarten students and early elementary school students did that. On the other hand junior high school, and high school students vocabulary test using the strips of paper while hoping to get a good score.

The other day I read an interesting advice column　in the news paper. The consultor is in her 30's. She seemed to be worried about communication with friends. The answerer said "Usually among women, when a person is in trouble it is easy to become friends. But once the person goes well, the friends tend to be apart because of jealousy. People who are glad to other's happiness are true friends."

What do you think of it? Is it a Japanese thinking way? How about male people?

These days I often think about "level", economic level, education level, physical level, English level. I know each person has each own character. It sometimes difficult to accept other's opinion because of the difference of  the level. On the other hand when we are on the same level, we tend to compete and rise jealousy. How difficult to communicate with others!

Can you see "them"?

Can you see "them"? what are they???

Probably you see just white dots. They are fire flies. We went to see fire flies to a hot spring nearby last night.

When I came here about 30 years ago. We used to see fire flies around my house. Here it used to be a country side. Now it is a big city.



Near the bot spring there is a small stream. There are fire flies. Actually They grow fire flies to collect people to the hot spring. Last night while we were seeing (or looking for ) fire flies flying we could hear a lecture about fire flies.
In Japan mainly three kinds of fire flies live. GENJI-hotaru, HEIKE-hotaru, and KUMEGIMA-hotaru. (hotaru means fire flies.) Most of fireflies live on the ground, but ten kinds of fireflies live in the water when they were babies. And three kinds of them live in Japan.

In your area are you able to see fire flies?

Today's breakfast

Yesterday I got some gifts.
Our neighbour gave us good bacon and fresh eggs. Good bacon is expensive, so I'm really happy.
At night, a student came to take my lesson with a bag of cut squash which is called KABOCHA in Japanese.

It is the first KABOCHA that grew up in her grandmother's garden this year. They think it might be trouble for me to cut it. So they already cut it for me. I set some pieces aside for next morning's breakfast  and put the other in the freezer.

Today I'll go to a private nursery school to read some English picture books. It is the first time  for me to visit there. I'm a little bit nervous and excited, thinking about what mothers and kids I'll meet today are like?

 

How to use a word "begrudge"

I learnt a word begrudge on the previous post.
Well, well, ----

Yesterday a student came, who is 8 years old. She also take dance lessons at a place.
She said.
"Hey, Mieko-Sensei guess what! I thought my dance teacher must have been 23 years old, but she is 51 years old. I can't believe it."

I said "I can't believe it either."

Her mother is probably in her 30's. Even even though the dance teacher "looked" younger than me, it cannot be helped, but the teacher looked younger than her mother.  "I begrudge her (the teacher is she.) youth." ( I know my limitation about my looks.)

Well, I don't know how she judged that she would have been 23 years old, but anyway the other day she knew her correct age from the teacher directly.

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Well today I went out to meet an owner at cafe with lunch. The bread was really delicious.

It's the time for my lesson. First a 5-year girl will come. What will she tell me today?

Today's news paper

Today it's sunny. I'll go out before noon to meet a friend.This morning I read today's news paper with a forced smile.

Well, what page of the newspaper do you usually read the first?
And, what page of the newspaper are you interested in the most?

First I check the top page to know what happens currently.
It was about OZAWA-ICHIRO who was Former Democratic Party of Japan leader. Is be able to make a new group? Is he still remain in Democratic Party?

And I read the page of living. I like the advice column. Today a man who is in the fifty's posted his worry.
He envies his promoted colleague, and he hate himself who has such a feeling.
Though I've heard in English the word "envy" doesn't use so much, I tend to envy someone. I envy you why you are good at organizing your house. I envy you why you are good at cooking. I envy you why you can afford to travel abroad  --- and so on.

The adviser said that
"People tend to compare others who are in the same generation. Because people think they are on the same level. But to tell the truth, there is a big gap among people. We can't do what others can do. We can do what others can't do. In another saying ever one has different ability. And it's called "difference", or gap. If you want to be a person who don't envy anyone, you must learn your limitation, or you must know your worth. If you want to break your limitation, you should do self-reformation hard.
Which way do I go, trying to break my limitation, or to learn my limitation.

This is today's breakfast.

It was cold today.

Today, for me it was cold.  I checked my diary on this day last year. (Since last year I've used a 10-year diary to keep my diary). Last year I changed  a wool carpet into a bamboo carpet for summer on this day. This year I don't do that yet, because it's not so "hot".

How was your weekend?

Yesterday  my big job was finished with success. I was invited to a seminar as a lecturer,  I introduced my English picture books collection, and demonstrated how I read English picture books with kids.  I had been preparing for this seminar for a few weeks. So I'm really happy to finish the seminar with success. Next month I'll do it again.

At elementary school, many people read Japanese picture books to kids as volunteers, but few people read English picture books. I hope more people read English picture books while they read Japanese ones. In Japan we don't have lots of chance to use English, and to hear English, to see people who use English.So reading English picture books to kids is one way to show kids using English naturally.

After the seminar, Yuki and I went out to eat YAKINIKU (grilled meat) to reward my job at night, (or I can say, it was just troublesome to cook dinner.)

Though I wrote I was happy to finish the job, on the other hand I think how I poor. I need to improve my English skill more. It's really difficult to keep my incentive of studying English. Writing this diary is one way to keep my incentive.

How was your weekend?

First I changed the decoration of the entrance hall.
Now it's rainy season in Japan. The typical things in rainy season are "hydrangeas" and "snails", I think.
Can you see  a wooden picture? I made it a few years ago at a art work shop.














On Saturday it was rainy, so Yuki's tennis lessons was canceled, it means that he was at home. So we went out for lunch.
The restaurant was interesting. Can you see a think like a beehive. We call it beehive. "It" is a part of pig guts. Though not so bad, I couldn't eat it, unfortunately. Instead of me, Yuki ate. Yuki is always good helper when we go out to eat something. Thanks to Yuki, I can try to eat various things. I think people who eat such pig buts are French, Chinese and Japanese people.



On Sunday, it was Father's day. Our two daughters called Yuki, and supported him to buy a new golf club, though before their calling he had already "clicked" a new club on the screen of his PC.  And he went to play golf on Father's day.

On the other had I went out an art museum where Finland exhibition was held. This time I knew that Finland is smaller than Japan.
Now Finland is getting popular, because of a cell phone company "Nokia". For young ladiws probably "marrimekko" is the familiar company in Finland. Actually I knew this textile company from my daughters. And for me when I hear Finland I think Arabia table wares.What image do you have about Finland?



And in the evening we went out to buy some things at a high-grade delicatessen section. We had a quiet dinner at home. It was a nice weekend. Let's enjoy this week, too.

Wednesday

Yesterday I played the piano at a cafe KARAKU, though there were a few people to come to listen to the piano, I could talk to each other and had a wonderful time. I'm a lucky person to have a chance to play the piano even though I'm not a pro pianist. Of course the sweet time after playing the piano is luxury time to me.

The master of KARAKU is from NAGASAKI, which is famous for ARITA pottery. He always order the table ware he uses in the cafe to his friend who is a famous craftsman,  NAKAMURA HEIZABU. These days Mr. NAKAMURA seems to decide to retire because he is almost 80 years old.

So the master said "the table ware here might be last stock.".

 I've thought I 'd like to get one of them someday.

I know my shelf is full of table ware, so I don't have more room. so it is the time to buy new one when one of them breaks.

This morning I took one of bowl which I don't use so often. I thought if I seldom use it I'll be able to throw away, and buy new one.

I used it for today's breakfast. It was used at my mother's house, long long time ago.

It's not so bad. I can't throw it away. It means I can't buy new one.

Patience is necessary to have a simple life.



Rainy season has started

Even in Utsunomiya rainy season has started. Though it's not rainy, it's "really" cool and cloudy today.
Durin rainy season I have to scrub our tiled bath room more often. (It's not a toilet. In Japan usually a bath room and a toilet are separated.). I always keep the windows open, but it's easy to get moldy.

Last weekend Yuki and I went out to a public museum to see  Utunomiya historical exhibition. As we expected, there were not so many people. The exhibition was really organized well. But unfortunately there were not so many people. It's a usual thing about public events except food events. Why? The main reason is that they are poor at advertisement. Actually we knew the event recently, and fortunately we could go there on the last day of the exhibition. I think they may use our tax a little bit more to advertise such an event.

A woman says an interesting thing.
If you want to make your dream come true, first you should image the dream clearly and strongly.
 --- I understand this part. The interesting thing is the second thing.
And, you should clean your house every nook and cranny. When you live in a clean house, you feel always refresh and excited naturally. This exciting makes your life active. It means you do every thing very hard, and you are going to your dream easily.
 ( I hope you understand my translation.)

Though I scrubbed the bath room today, Am I closer to my dream a little bit?
What is my dream???? If I were more positive, if I spoke English more fluently, if I were good at sports, if I were more rich. Though I have lots of things that if I were---, it's difficult to have strong images.

What is your dream?

Friday

It is the last weekday of this week.  I'm doing usual things including lessons, volunteer works and house chores. Doing usual things makes me satisfied. Because it means I have no problems especially health problems. Sometimes this changeable weather causes dizziness or a strong headache to me. But fortunately this week I have no troubles.

Now in my garden lots of herbs are growing well. Parsley, basil, SHISO-leaves, sage, and so on. Every morning I pick up some herbs and use for breakfast. Today I cooked salad with DAIKON, tomatoes and Italian parsley.

Some students said "here is covered with grass". Actually herbs are kind of grasses, it' s true. But I don't need weeding.

Today I went to work out. I couldn't go there these days. More than one week passed since I went there. I know I "don't like" working out, but I "want to " work out to keep and improve my health.
Do you know how I can "enjoy" going to work out? --- though I really like to eat out.

What are you going to do this weekend?

I have to attend a meeting of my English company, so this Saturday is the day for job.
On Sunday, I'll attend another meeting that my friend organizes, it's fun.

Have a nice weekend.



Saturday

Today, it was Saturday. It was a really nice day, not so cold and not so hot. Today Yuki was at home in the daytime. Unusually today's tennis lesson was cancelled.Though in the morning we had a guest, in the afternoon we decided to go driving to KARASUYAMA, which it takes 1 hour from here Utsunomiya by car.
There is a popular cafe with lots of flowers.

Actually it is a cafe & garden, but it's also a private house. The family open their garden.

The rose mainly to be climbing roses. (I'm not familiar with roses. These days I know that roses are classified into some groups by shapes; Hybrid Tea, Floribunda Rose,Miniature Rose, Climbing roses, and Spray roses.)

There are three members in this house, a couple and their mother. The husband is in the landscape business, of course mainly he takes care Japanese garden. On the other hand the wife loves roses. So little by little she planted roses in their garden. And at last she changed their Japanese garden into the rose garden, though some area still a Japanese garden with a wonderful Japanese pine tree.
And some area is for their mother who grows vegetables. They have a big garden.

The wife seemed to be busy. Fortunately we could talk with the husband.
He said --

Now it is the best season of our garden. You enjoy to smell roses. Actually I like a Japanese garden, there used to be a pond, a miniature hill, and so on. Now my wife occupied my garden. But it's not bad. Thanks to her lots of people come to see our garden and enjoy. It's fun. My mother also enjoys. Growing roses is a tough job. In winter the land here freeze. So before winter we need to care them a lot to protect them against cold winter.
Now they are tied to keep this shape. In winter we untied them and  prune them. It is also a tough job.
--

Actually the wife was entertaining guests, the husband was pruning roses, and their mother who looks like being about 80 weeding. All of them were taking care of their garden.



There is a famous sake brewery in Karasuyama.On the way home we drop by it, of course to buy SAKE.