At home

Thanks to the typhoon or because of the typhoon, yesterday I stayed home all day without doing something.

 

I blended in some aroma oils and made up.

We used some aromas for softener, bug repellent, sweat, air fresher and swelling of foot (or aching muscle) .

After doing it, I take a bath with black salt and a kind of aroma oil.---

with facial mask.

And I tried to take a nap in the bed, however yesterday the big typhoon caused many cancels, it means some of my fries were "free", and they called me. So while I was in a bed, I was talking with friends on the phone --- probably for three hours. (two friends called me in turn.)

 

And because of typhoon Yuki went back very earlier from Tokyo.

So we had dinner together at home.

 

Today I'll go to Tokyo to see my daughter's individual exhibition  -- with these rice balls.

This summer I (or we) used money than I expected, so I "try" to save money without having lunch at Ginza.

 

Monday

Typhoon is coming, so I canceled visiting Tokyo.

Probably I'll go tomorrow. This week my elder daughter holds her individual exhibition in Ginza. And today Yuki is at Tokyo, so "we" were going to see her exhibition together. So we will see it each other.

On the other hand last Friday we went to GINZA to meet our young friend. He stayed with us here in Utsunomiya when he was young. He is Turkish. Three years ago he came to japan  to work, and this September he is going to go back to Turkey. We wanted him to stay with us again, but we had a happening, so we couldn't arrange  the schedule. So we went to see him in Tokyo.

We had dinner at a Turkish restraint in Ginza which he recommended.

It was the first time to have Turkish cuisine.

Do you know that Turkey is  the origin of yoghurt. In all dishes yoghurt is used very well as a secret ingredient.

 

 

 

Of course we had the typical dish "shish kebab".

And "I" enjoyed belly dance.

I've heard of the word "belly dance", however it was the first time to see it and to do it.
Thanks to him we had a good time in Ginza.

Sunday

It is the last day of our Obon vacation, and finally it is a usual Sunday.

Yuki went to golf. For him it is the first time to go golfing during this Obon vacation.

 

I made pre-cooked dishes for this coming week.

 

 

 

And I tried to weed -- but didn't do it. It's too hot. Anyway  I cleaned and dried this little pool.

 

I organized and cleaned all rooms, and relaxed with OKYU.

You see some rashes, it's not by OKYU. Every time I go to the garden mosquitoes bite me.

one day vacation

Today, it is only day for us to do nothing. Tomorrow we are going to Tokyo to visit our friend.
so-----

Finally (if you are foreigners, probably it's hard to understand why I used the word finally. ) we had eel.

During summer on  Japanese calendar  we have eel-day once or twice. However this summer we missed the day and didn't eat eel yet.
So finally we ate eel. This eel is Japanese eel, not Chinese eel, so it's a little bit expensive.  So we had a luxury time today.


And while Yuki went practicing golf , I had 100-minute massage. What a wonderful time it was.

Well my power seems to come back -- a little.

Obon vacation

On 15 Thursday  my son-in-law's mother passed away. She was 67 years old. After my daughter married him three years ago, she had been caught by cancer. At that time she was told that she would have one year live, however she had fought cancer for three years. She lived in Sendain where it is 250 km north of Tokyo, alone. Her only son who is my son in-law and my daughter live in Tokyo. So, she fount cancer almost alone.

Her first grand daughter was giving her the power to live. And she ran a big beauty salon, it was also something to live. Actually until a week ago she was at her beauty salon.

Since Akari was born, she came to my house once a month, one reason was that my daughter visited her mother-in-law, but Akari always cried in the hospital, so I and sometimes my husband and I were taking care of Akari. Here Utsunomiwa is in the middle between Sendai and Tokyo.

Thanks to her we often saw Akari,

During this Obon vacation Akari had to stay with us for three days without her mother. Of course it was the first time for her. She made it. Sometimes she cried, but when I said 'mom was in hospital', she stopped crying.

The busy and sad week has almost finished. On the other hand thanks to her we had good time with Akari, though it was a little hard job.

I'm sorry for her loss.

This weekend

This Sunday I was alone. So I went to a concert by myself to seek for coolness.
I thought that I might felt loneliness to go to Sunday's concert by myself. However than I expected people who come by themselves were not fewer.
This band members are all pro musicians, and usually are connected with Tochigi prefecture. This band is run by supporting members such as Tochigi prefecture, some companies. 


Probably it was the first time to listen to Swan Lake without ballet.

 

I didn't notice "dora" is used in this tune.

Can you see the  big round instrument in the back of the stage?

I don't know what dora is in English.

 

It was a good time. After the concert, Yuki picked me up, so I dropped by at a conveyor-belt sushi to seek for coolness and prevent a lack of appetite. (It's a good excuse not to cook at home).

 

 

 

Vending Machines

The other day I read an article about vending machines in Japan.
----
You can find vending machines everywhere in Japan, from Buddhist temples to the top of Mt.Fuji. Most of them sell hot and cold beverages, or cigarettes. Some of them, however, sell unusual products. For example, fresh food items, like eggs, lettuce, or strawberries. Others sell clothes, like T-shirts and neckties. Some machines have unique functions too. They can provide beverages for free in times of disaster. These are very helpful to people during emergencies.

-----

Hm. it's interesting.
Today I'll talk about this article.

Yes, we can find vending machines everywhere in Japan. And actually they sell hot and cold beverages, however in summer most of vending machines are modified to the summer specification. It means, it's sometimes difficult to find something "hot" in vending machines. (I prefer to drink something hot even in summer, so I've sometimes experienced it.)

And the number of vending machines selling cigarettes is decreasing. Because the rule to buy cigarettes got strict. we can't buy cigarettes without special card called "taspo". Yuki smokes, but he doesn't have the card, so he usually buy cigarettes at a convenience store. It might be good  to have strengthen the law. higher prices of cigarettes and inconvenience of purchase brought him to less smoke. On the other hand one of kids' assistant jobs for fathers disappeared -- to go buy cigarettes instead of their fathers.

Well, well, I don't live in a big city like Tokyo, but this Utsunomiya city is not in rural area.
However it is surrounded by famer area. So sometimes I see some vending machines which sell eggs and some vegetables which are tolerant of heat. So you might find vending machines which sell fresh lettuce in some highland regions like Nagono prefecture. Additionally Tochigi prefecture where Utsunomiya city belongs  is famous for strawberries, but I've never seen vending machines which sell fresh strawberries.

And I've see vending machine which sells some clothes in inexpensive hotels which is called "business hotel" in Tokyo not "expensive" hotel. Usually  in "expensive hotels" there are some brand-name shops. so in such hotels probably there aren't vending machines.

And what is the most interesting is the last sentence.  I've heard of it, but I don't know how they operate. So I did a search.
The vending machines which are put in the public facilities seem to have such a function. They seem to have a special sticker with "deserter response".  And when administers ask the vending machine company to let beverages free, the company's workers come and manually shift them into free.
When I find the sticker, I'll update this blog.

Talking about politics

To tell the truth I'm no good at politics all at, additionally I was really weak at social studies and it was one of the reasons why I went into Sciences.

However the other day I "had to " talk about politics in an online-English class.
The article on the day was "Tokyo Elects First Woman Governor ". The article itself was not difficult.

However, as the discussion started , I got stuck.  My English was really bad, probably what I was talking must have been Greek to the teacher.
And if I had talked about it in Japanese, it would have been Greek to others and even to me. (Chin-pun-kan-pun in Japanese)

So here I'd like to put my thoughts together. (which means, I try to think about this article more deeply) 

1 Many politicians promise to “clean up” politics and fail to do so. Do you think that voters still respond to this kind of message? Why or why not?

 

2 Why do you think that many politicians are involved in corruption scandals?

 

3 What is your opinion about the Olympic Games?

 

 

1, I hope we still try to believe someone "cleans up" our politics.
Because --- though in Japan's case, I believe Japanese people have originally humility and prefer a steady life to an adventurous life . Because our origin was agricultural people. Peace and "simplicity and fortitude "  (shitsujits gouken in Japanese) split underlie .it means there must be some politicians who won't be seduced by money and an appetite for glory.

2 of course politicians do not have bad manners do not behave badly either. On the other hand because of the Internet just a small accident tends to be reported quickly and get blown up.
Additionally, the number of people who show their interest to a tiny thing is increasing. I don't know why? We see a decline in ethics on the both sides which people who cause scandals, and who make fun of scandals.

3 Anyway I hope to keep hold Olympic Games with fairness. It can't be helped that Olympic Games play commercial roles. People can't do anything without "suitable "money. And I hope Olympic Games are not used as a part of means of politics. Just they should be hold to seek the peace world.

I tried to put my thought together. It was very difficult. because I couldn't come up with anything concrete , associated with my real life.

Sazanami

 

I went to the movie alone, and watched  Sazanami. (45 years) .

I prefer the title of Sazanami this time. Sometimes the Japanese titles sound strange, however this time the title of 45 years is "direct", on the other hand Sazanami is very emotional title.

Sazanami means "ripple".

The mind of the main character has rippled since a letter reached to her husband.

 

It was a good movie.

In my opinion I prefer the movie which finishes with smile, this movie --- unfortunately it is finished with rippling (it doesn't show a concrete ending.)

And I realized 45 year marriage sometimes is broken by a sudden "small" event.

 

And I knew a culture.

In America or Europe? senior couples celebrate their 40-year marriage  with "friends" not their family. In Japan we have KINKONSHIKI which is a celebration to celebrate 50-year marriage. However usually it is celebrated by their family. ( I don't know whether my daughters will celebrate our KINKONSHIKI in 20 years.)

 GINKONSHIKI is a celebration to celebrate 25-year marriage. We didn't celebrate it, and probably my daughter didn't know when it came.

 

Nikko

Suddenly it has gotten hot, hasn't it?

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to NIKKO to escape that heat.

At Nikkou it was 23 degrees Celsius, probably in Utsunomiya it was over 35 degrees Celsius.

 

We visited British embassy villa and Italian embassy villa memorial park which has started to open since this spring after they were renovated.

 

This is the Italian embassy villa.

We visited there about 8 years ago. At that time it wasn't open the inside, and the outside was very old. The reason why we visited there, this villa was designed by Antonin Raymond who was a very famous architect.

And -- my younger daughter needed to sketch this architecture to pass the entrance examination to the college. She passed it, enrolled in, graduated, and this winter she got the license of second-class architect. 8 years passed since we visited there for the first time. of course this time there were two of us -- Yuki and me. At that time there were three of us -- Yuki, M, and me.

If we visit again, probably there will be four Yuki, M, me -- and AKARI. (or five including our son in-law).

 

And we also visited British embassy villa. there we had scones and tea which are cooked with the same reship and served with the same tea leaves used by current British embassy in Japan.

 

From there we see beautiful and calm "cyuzenji" lake.

 

The scone set is a little bit expensive, but the entering fee is really inexpensive.  It is 300 yen an adult.

Around this Cyuzenki-lake area, seeing KEGON-fall is very famous, but it's a little bit expensive.
So if you visit Nikko for the second or third time, I recommend to visit here.

Usual Saturday

It is a usual Saturday.

Yuki vacuumed the rooms on the second floor, water the garden, and treated trees "a little" instead of weeding , and went to play tennis.

I put away 15 things, included 5books which I'm gong to take a used book store.

I cooked pre-cooked dishes for this coming week.

And I'll vacuum  rooms on the first floor.

And probably when I finish my morning jobs, Yuki will comes back and it will be the time for lunch, so I have already set a timer of a rice cooker.

Potatoes and onion mayonnaise salad.

Grilled eggplants soled into soy sauce tasted soup with shoos leaves

Salmon and onion marine

Salted cucumbers

Boiled corn

Flash-cooked small tomatoes soaked into sugar syrup

Boiled carrots marinated with honey, vinegar and olive oil

Simmered green peppers and kidney beans with Dashi and soy sauce

Boiled pork and Moroheiya- leaves soaked u to lemon juice, and olive oil

Have a nice weekend!

Finally rainy season has finihsed.

Japan Meteorological Agency  announced that rainy season in Kantou was finished.

 

This morning we picked ripe green peppers (their color is red), and tomatoes.

I fried red peppers, beef, and eggs. And I put cucumbers and tomatoes on the same plate.

 

 

 

I thought I felt restorative, a new weekend is just around the corner.

To tell the truth, this week I'm struggling against a slight fever. I don't seem to be caught by a cold, the fever seems to come from tiredness.

 

On the other hand, my mother who is 82 years old, said at the night she came back home, she sweated a lot in the bed.  so at the middle night, she changed her pajamas. -- the next morning she was usual "she" --- powerful woman.

I'm very surprised to hear that, and I'm very relieved to hear that.

 

 

Warning appeared suddenly.

It happened yesterday.

When I searching some information on the Internet, suddenly my computer started beeping and earning message appeared.

I didn't understand what had happened. I clicked the cross mark on the sign,but the beeping sound didn't stop.

So I  decided to contact   "Windows support" at the number on the warning sign. It was a toll-free number. They answered quickly ( it was the first point that I suspected the sight) , and the person at the end of the line spoke strange Japanese. So I suspected the sight more.

I hanged up on "her". However the beeping sound didn't stop.

I looked for the warranty and user register card. The I called the PC help center, however I had to wait about for 30 minutes. Because the call center was so busy. 

I almost got panics.

 

Finally I could contact with the help center, and  another "she" suggested me that

first activate task manager ---- finally the beeping sound stopped.

next check whether computer virus is installed or not.  ---fortunately computer virus and software were not installed.

 

She said it must have been a fraud sight, if you had obeyed the fake windows support operator, you would have been stolen your personal information, or paid some money automatically.

 

it was about a 50-minute event.

 

Additionally  on the warning sign, there was also OK sign, but I wondered whether to go to the next stage. And my choice was "right".

 

Be careful!!!  

 

KOUYA-san

This weekend Yuki, my mother who is 82 years old, and I made  a two-day went to KOUYA-san.

Have you ever heard of KOUYA-san? It is one of the world heritage sights in Japan.

My mother had wanted to go there for a long time, and I finally decided to take her there because coincidently yesterday Yuki was going to take a planned day-off..

From Tokyo (We went to Tokyo by Shinkansen, it takes about one hour) to Kouya-san, we had to change trains three times including a cable car, and takes bus to the center of Kouya-san, We took the Shinkansen leaving at 9:30 and got Kouya-san at around 2:00.

Yuki and I thought "she made it".

 

My mother and I made HAIKU (the shortest poems) at some places.

 

 

On a Strip f paper , everyone writes one verse, at KOBO-TAISHI's  home town

 

 

 

Green breeze,  invites us, to visit and pray at Mt. Kouya

 

 

At Btsudan,    KOUYA-maki (kind of black pine) is dedicated  to KOBO-TAISSHI,  with pray

 

NANKOUBAI (very big pickled Japanese plum) , served to finish up,  with morning devotions

(We stayed at a temple, and before breakfast we had to attend morning devotions from 6:15 to 7:15, then we had breakfast.)

Stone pagodas  covered with green moss, share the history, lead to OKUNO-IN

 

Kongoubuji temple,  s keeps the customs, bridges time Now and Past

Peach cobbler

Yesterday I hold an event at home "let's make a couplet poem with rhyming".

And I served ---"peach cobbler".

It was the first time to hear the name, and bake it.

It was very "easy" and tasty.

 

 

 

 

cited from (A to Z summer poem)

P is for Peach Cobbler

Perfect dessert for a warm summer’s day

Enjoyed all over the US of A

A cobbler – a pie with no bottom crust

Can be made with many fruits, but a must

Has to be peach –It’s just so summery

Cherries work, as do most types of berry

Of course apples and rhubarb are common too

But we all have our favorites – do you

Best thing is, you can whip one up real quick

Luscious and juicy–simply fantastic

Even writing this verse makes me want one

Ready to go and turn on the oven

 

 

Actually it doesn't have bottom curst, and I whipped the dough real quick and shortly and baked it.

 

I wonder about that!!

A woman who live abroad showed an interesting article.
http://pulptastic.com/10-reasons-japanese-people-get-really-old/

The title is  "10 Reasons Why The Japanese Live Longer Than Any Other People On Earth".
I know we have the highest level of longevity. It might be a wonderful thing, because some countries have a problem to get lower level of  longevity.

On the other hand, we have some problems such as longevity crisis,  nursing care system, and lonely old people.

Well, well, anyway the article was very interesting. I looked into it.

1. They eat lots of vegetables.
Probably it's right. However my friends who live in foreign countries seem to like eating lots of vegetables. The important point is that kids also eat or have to eat lots of vegetables at "school lunch". When I was an elementary school, if students left something they don't like (at that time no one knew they couldn't eat or they wouldn't eat. These days it is clear that some kids "cannot" eat some things because of they cause allergy)  students were disciplined by teachers. (Now to force to eat some things is  "prohibited".) School lunch is a key factor to foster a habit of eating vegetables regularly in our life.

2. They cook their food differently.
I'm really surprised to see this sentence. Some people who come from other countries say "Japanese dishes have the same taste ---soy sauce taste".
These days some people like to use herbs or spices, the other prefer soy sauce, salt and plain taste.
Actually we boil , grill, steam, fry, or deep fry ingredients. And these days another way is added "chin". Do you know what it means --microwaved.


3. They drink a lot of tea.
The photo of this side is drinking "traditional green tea" called MACCHA.
We seldom drink MACCAH, though we have lots of MACCHA flavor sweets.
And senior people prefer to drink usual green tea, and young people , I don't know.
What the interesting thing is, usually at Japanese restaurant "usual green tea" is served for free as well as water. So Japanese people are seemed to drink  a lot of tea.


4. Their food is fresh.
Japanese people  tend to seek for something fresh. Meat, fish, vegetables and  -- even bread and dishes.
Additionally "vegetables are always fresh"  --- I think. If they are not fresh, they are getting rotten.

5. They've got smaller plates.
It's  a little wrong. Many dishes are served in a small amount with a small plate --- at KAISEKI-dishes. At house most of people use a rice bowl, soup bowl, and some plates.
However it is right the plates are smaller than American usual dinner plats.

6. They stand, walk and squat more.
I was laughing at see this sentence. Because nowadays my project is how I walk more.
People who live in a big city, they have to walk. Because the main means of transportation is trains or buses. So they have to walk and usually everywhere is crowded so they have to be standing. (I don't know whether people squat or not). On the other hand people who don't live in a big city, the main means to transportation is car. So for such people including me, how we walk more is our task.
And on average people who live in cities are thinner than people who don't live in cities.


7.  They've got morning exercise --on radio.
Oh, really??? when I was a child, it means long long ago , morning exercise on radio used to be taken as a usual task at school, company, and local community. However now---- at some factories morning exercise might keep to be continued.
On the other hand morning exercise on radio is taken as a traditional event for children's summer vacation.  When I was a kid, I used to have to go to the park do this morning exercise every morning during the summer vacation (about 35 days),
Nowadays,  probably just one week some kids go to the park to join this "traditional event".
And -- the organizers are "mothers". This event is taken over every year. So for the mothers who are in charge of this event, this one-week "job" is  a very hard job.
Usually doing morning exercise starts at 6:30. so the organizers have to go to the place at 6:15.


8.  They've got universal health care.
I love our health insurance system. Everyone goes to clinic  when they get ill without concerning.
On the other hand, I know some clinics are place for senior people to communicate each other. Senior people often goes to clinic if somewhere hurts a little bit, and talk with another senior patients( you can say visitors) at the waiting room.  so increasing the cost of medical care is one of our government problems.


9. They spend more time outside.
Well, well, --- it's interesting.
I think depends of generation. These days increasing the number of lonely old people is getting problem. I think European people spend more time outside.


10. They focus on cleanliness.
"focus", it's a good word, isn't it.
Actually at school cleaning not only classrooms but also hallway and restroom  is taken as a way to discipline ourselves.
Focus and keep are different things, aren't they?
I know lots of "messy" houses.

I made another dishes with Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

 

My husband seems to like Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, because it's not so sweet compared with Japanese bull-dog sauce. (Of course it depends of dishes.)

So I checked this site as soon as Ms.H recommended.
http://www.leaperrins.com/Recipes

 

Well, well, now I need someone's help.

At that time I opened it, and I took a note of one recipe. However now I can't check this site. I tried to contact  to the company, I couldn't send e-mails because I live in Japan.

So please someone (or Ms.H) tell me where I can find recipes using Lea& Perrins Worcestershire sauce.

 

Anyway I wrote down one recipe. It was interesting.

It suggested that when you make mix and knead ground meat, you put this sauce and BBQ sauce into the meat.

I keep HENZ BBQ sauce (though the recipe recommends England BBQ sauce)

I did it, and grilled the meat balls in the oven.

 

They were very tasty, not Japanese hamburger stakes.
This recipe was added one of our special meet dishes.

Karaku tea room

Yesterday, it was the day of Karaku  for me.

It means it is the day when I become a pianist once a month.

After 30 minutes performance this set was served. It was the wonderful time for me.

 

 

 

These days the audience are usually in their 60 or 70's. And some senior couples were there.

"It can't be helped". Because the owners get old and "I" also get old.  When  I started this performance, I was in my 30's. At that time "many" housewives used to be in Japan. I was surprised one -fourth people are over 65 in Japan, and more that 70 percent of 30's and 40's women work now.

 

So I understand why audience are in their 60 or 70's.

And --- these days I think the following thing.

 

When I see (senior) couples see coming, I'm very happy.

Usually audience are women's group or a single man.

Because  -- senior couple who living with their pensions probably think it's expensive to have just tea or coffee at a tearoom, because they can have tea or coffee at their house watching TV.

 

So if I give some pleasure by my performance and if they find worth coming to Karaku, I'm very happy.

 

To tell the truth, Yuki and I also seldom go to café just to have tea or coffee. However if we listen to something or watch something, we manage to go there.

 

It was a good day for me yesterday. 

 

cooking meeting was finished!!

Yesterday's club was fun, although I had one attendee.
First we write something on strips of paper and hanged them on the fake bamboo-tree.

And we talked about something  such as our plans, our hope and our wish in English, read the book in English, and made a short speech using "know me".

and cooking was started.

We boiled frozen green peas with mint leaves which are grown in my garden.
and

we grilled soft beef patties.

Perfect!!!!

Of course the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce was perfect!!

We had a good time!!!!

Next cooking club is going to be hold in September, it is the final meeting.
I hope "you" could join us.!

Cooking meeting

Today I'm holding a cooking club "Marry Poppins in the kitchen".
I'm finished preparing today's menu.

Today's main is Beef parties with "Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce". Is it familiar with you? It is the first time to use it for me.
I would skip this menu, because beef parties are not so interesting to me. However the sauce is interesting --- of course I bought it on the Net. And the recipe said "you shouldn't knead the meat."
It is also interesting. When I make beef parties (or Hamburgers are more familiar name in Japan), kneading is Yuki's job.
And I picked some mints from the garden.
We'll boil green places with mints. It is also the first time.
I already prepared for bread and butter pudding, it is waiting for being baked in the oven.

Unfortunately two members who was going to join us cancelled because of illness. So just a person is coming. It's OK. She loves studying English. So I also prepare English learning materials.

This time we'll read the book Mary Poppins in the kitchen only in English.
And of course TANABATA (star festival) is just around the corner. so We'll write our wish on strips of paper.

Since last week , it has been a "star festival week."
The day of star festival is June  7, this Thursday.

we enjoyed hydrangeas.

There are many temples and shrines which are famous for hydrangeas.

 

Last Saturday Yuki and I visited a shrine which takes about 40 minutes by car. It is "Isoyama shrine".

I heard the colors of hydrangeas are decided by the acid level of the land.

However in this shrine there are lots of colors of hydrangeas.



Most of them were purple or light blue, but some were white and some were bright pink.
Actually in Japanese hydrangeas are called "ajisai"  (purple flower), but it has another name of Japanese, "shichihenge" which means change colors seven times.

Of course we visited here to see hydrangeas, but we had another purpose. In this season some shrines set such a big straw ring. When we go through in a traditional way (just when we go through it first turn to left, when we go though it the second, turn to right, and when we go through the third, we have to go straight and visit the shrine.)  It is said by going through it, our "dirty" and bad luck have gone.

 

 

A half of year has passed since 2016 started. So from the day our "new" half of year in 2016 has started.

 

I made Peach cobbler

Yesterday, I made "peach cobbler". Than I thought, it was easy.

And than I thought, fresh peaches which are now in the season were expensive , so I used canned peaches.

 

While it was being baked in the oven, I tried to make espresso coffee by this gadget.

Do you remember? I "still now" continue to dispose 15 things a week. And last week I tried to dispose it. However before I did it, I checked its price. This gadget came from my daughter's house. It was almost disposed. -- Yuki showed the interest to it and we took it our home. However we hadn't used it.

It costs more than 15000 yen. We thought "mottainai" (wasteful) if we disposed it without using it.

However we didn't have suitable coffee. So I bought coffee on the Net. It costs 900 yen.

 

Perfect cream.
and

 

Perfect peach cobbler.

In the nick of time a friend dropped by my house, so I served quarter of it.

And I took another quarter of it to my next-door neighbor.

And the other was eaten for our breakfast  and my tea-time snack.

 

Monday has started

How was your weekend?
Yuki and I went to TOKYO to attend a meeting to celebrate my mother-in-law's BEIJYU.
This year she became 88 years old. "bei" of beijyu  means rice in Kanji of Japanese. The kanji of rice is taken apart to three kanji such us eight, ten , and eight. It means 88. so we call the age of 88 BEIJYU.

Yuki's mother and his elder brother's family, his younger brother's family, my family, and my younger sister's family attended it. -- of course Akari came, so there were 14 members . It was a big party.

Yuki's mother managed to come to SHIBUYA-station, however to her home she used taxi. Probably it is the first time to take taxi from Shibuya to her home. it costs just 160 yen by train, though it costs about 6000 yen by taxi.
She "loves" to save money, it means not to be stingy, she "loves" to give pocket money to her grandchildren. (This time she gave pocket money to her grandson-in-law, it means my younger daughter's husband). So she seemed to be shocked to know how high the taxi fee was. (On her way to home, my daughter was with her, so I heard it later. Additionally I already gave a bill of 5000 yen to my daughter.)
In Tokyo it's difficult to transfer by car. The road is congested and difficult to find parking lots.
It might be the last time to hold a party in the middle of Tokyo where is easy to access from everyone except her.

Anyway we had a good Sunday.
---in one month, Yuki , I and "my mother" are going to KOUYWA-SAN by "lots of "train, yes it's a summer travel. It sounds ----(please you can guess)  and "fun".

Have you made Peach Cobbler?

In July, I try to organize a workshop for "making couplet poetry with rhymes."
I searched some rhymes and poets mainly made by kids.

And I found an interesting poem book, it is A-Z of summer
And

P is for Peach Cobbler
Perfect dessert for a warm summer's day
Enjoyed all over the US of A
A cobbler -- a pie with no bottom crust
Can be made with many fruits, but a must
Has to be peach -- it's just so summery
Cherries work, as do most types of berry
Of course apples and rhubarb are common too
But we all have our favorites -- do you
Best thing is, you can whip one up real quick
Luscious and juicy -- simply fantastic
Even writing this verse makes me want one
Ready to go and turn on the oven

So I want to bake peach cobbler
I got some recipe, however if you've cooked one once or sometimes, please share your recipe.