my left shoulder hurts!!!

Though I'm fine, my left shoulder hurts.
It is called frozen shoulder syndrome, stiff shoulder due to age, or in Japanese 50 years old shoulder.
Of course I went to see the doctor, and he said "I'm afraid that it is stiff shoulder due to age, so it will take about one year or more to get well. It is getting well naturally."
He also recommend to take manipulative treatment.
I started to take Japanese herb medicine.
It works as a painkiller, but the main effect is to warm the body.
 

 

Of course I have to do exercise.

So I bought this "traditional" tool to make our body warm, and to strength our knees while stretching our arms.

 

 

It seems to be called bamboo stepper.

Do you know the word?

try to make a craft with dry rose petals

This year I had a lot of chance to see roses, visit rose gardens, and get many roses.
As I told you, I enjoyed making rose jam, taking a bath with fresh roses, and making dry rose flowers.
I just put some dry rose petals  with rose aroma oil as potpourri, not so bad, but I wanted to use them more effective.
So I got a glass of 100-yen candle at 100 yen shop.
And

 

I made is smaller.

And I dissolved  the wax by putting the bowl in hot water .

 

 

I put some dry rose petals around the candle.

And I poured the dissolved wax on it.

It's sometimes OK to stay home and do something like this by myself instead of going out (to workout).

Anyway, today I have to go out to do exercise at the gym. I use some money for them.

 

season word 0607 wheat harvest time

 

 

The kanji is called "bakusyu".

This time I learnt that "bakusyu" is a season word of early summer.

Actually "bakusyu" is translated as "wheat harvest time" in this article, it seems to be translated as "early summer" once in a while.

 

Baku means wheat, and Syu means autumn.

Usually harvest season is autumn in Japan, however, the wheat harvest time is in June, so we call this season "wheat (baku)  autumn (syu)".

 

On one day in Bakusyu, before bustle of children, full of quietness

--- Children's summer vacation is just around the corner. During summer vacation as soon as the sun rises, we are covered with bustle of children.

 

Bakusyu  contrast green rice plants with golden wheat

We see grenn rice plants and golden wheats at same fields.

 

 

The last day of a strawberry season in this year

Last Sunday I went to a strawberry farm. The farm opened for a group to pick up strawberries for free.
It was the last day of a strawberry season for this farm. They don't get the strawberries on the market .
So they clear the strawberry farm, and start to grow new seedlings for winter.
There were still lots of strawberries, which were small.
Everyone enjoyed picking them up.
I just attended to assist the event, however when I saw lots of strawberries in sight, I couldn't help picking them up automatically. And I was one of three people to pick them up the most.

The owner is a young man, who took over this job from his father.

And now he tried to make regular sweets using his strawberries.

 

 

Since this group started this event, 18 years have passed.

The organizer of this event is my friend. She wanted to encourage the seniors living in this area.  And some seniors who have own strawberry farms offered the help. And now the seniors are too old to do it, and their children continue to held this event once a year.

 

beneficial of a kind of money coupons

This year, I also got a kind of limited money coupons.
I applied 2 months prior to them with an advance payment.
And it costs 10000 yen, and its real value is 11000 yen.
However the place we get them , is a concert hall.
It means we hear a concert or talk show for free.

 

This year it was a talk show. It was held on a week day, however it was full of people (ladies) and from the young (but it seems to be in their 30's) to the senior.

 

The speaker was a familiar singer (or actress, or performer) for our generation.

 

 

I was really surprised that she is no 66.

I thought she would be about 70. Because when I knew about her name, she had already an adult lady. My mother and my mother in-law remembers her name as a singer and the most famous song.

 

And I thought she is "still" shingle, but, she said that she married when she was 59.

Did she fell in love? No, (well, of course she loved partner). The reason to get marry was to support the partner's mother.

 

Her philosophy is Ka,Ki,Ku,Ke,KO.

Ka means Kansya, thankness  We are always supported by surrounding people.

Ki means Kihin, gracious         While we accept our aging (not against), keep gracious

Ku means, Kurou, difficulty    Living  is challengeable and has some difficulty.

Ke means, Kenkou, health       Physically and mentally we keep our health.

Ko means, Koukishi curiosity  Getting old is always an unknown world, so go ahead with curiosity.

 

How overwhelming it was!

The concert was really overwhelming.

What concert?

 

 

Have you ever heard of the name Tateno Izumi?

I found the article about him in English.

 

He used to be a very famous pianist as one of able-bodied pianists.

Suddenly his right body got numb.

However he is still active and famous as a professional pianist with only left hand.

The performance was great, the sound was beautiful, however probably the most suitable word to describe the concert was "AKKAN ", probably in English overwhelming.

He was born in 1936, his right body is numb. However he is still active and continues to play as a professional pianist.

 

Yuki and I went to this concert together.

 

Additionally I was going to go to the concert in Kimono.

However because of my shoulder hurts, I was not able to have my left hand behind the back, so I was not able to wear KIMONO.

My shoulder and left upper arm hurt!

Visitng my firends' garden

This year I could visit my friends' garden again.
Her garden was beautiful as usual.

She is the first person I became friend when I came to this town.
So We've been friends for more than 30 years.
When both of us worked, we managed to try once a month to have lunch.
Though we had continued to do it, since she retired, when she was into her gardening she got very busy, and she debuted in a garden world.
So it was going to have more time together for us, we seldom talk each other.

Anyway I went to her garden and had an opportunity to talk with her.

 

 

 

 

I wanted to talk much more, however, while my staying visitors who want to see her garden drop by one after another, So I gave up and left her house.

 

I got lots of fennel. I have them in my garden, but they are not so good.

When I came home, I marinated fennel.

They suit to various foods.

season word 0531 Japanese folding fan

 

BYAKUDAN, I learnt the aroma of it, from the folding fan of my grandmother

 

Flip-Flap, my father waves in his face, black Japanese hand fan

 

---------

The folding fan sounds elegant, and hand fan sounds functional,

So I use the word of folding fan on my grandmother's one, and the word of hand fan on my father's one.

 

Did you know that the origin of folding fan is in Japan.

They were exported and in Europe they use silk clothe instead of paper. And the European ones were imported to Japan.

I found an interesting article.

 

frog cards -3-

It seems to have been a while to update the frog cards.
As I told you, the original cards are written in Japanese. We have lots of particular Japanese expression. It is really difficult for me to explain them in English.

Rainy season is just around the corner.

 

Can you see a frog?

my volunteer activities at the library in May

My volunteer activities at the library in May are finished.
This month I did volunteer reading twice there.
The first was done on a week day.

 

For these months more than five pairs of  kids & mothers and some adults (seniors) had come.

However this time there one pair and one senior.

To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed. I had thought this weekday activity had been rooted though it isn't advertised in public.

It can't be helped.

Anyway three people, later four people joined me.

We had a good and cozy time.

 

The library suggest me to advertise this week-day event as  "kid-mother day".

However I won't. I hope some seniors (there are many senior men sitting  and taking nap in the library)  to join naturally. So I won't put limits.

 

Well, the other reading time was done on Sunday.

It is advertised in public on the library HP.

And

As soon as I started, many people came in.

I was very surprised.

 

While I'm wondering whether I need to continue this activity or not, the people who joined me always encourage me.

 

Rose jam

This year I could visit the house "kairo -no-niwa" again. I was looking forward to visiting there.
The couple of owners welcomed "us". "Us" means --- this time I visited there early morning with Yuki. On the day Yuki had to go to Tokyo on business, but he had time to drop by. So we visited, and the husband of owners picked roses. Yuki was able to do it, but he was wearing business suits.

 

 

I'm not familiar with roses, but I know there are many kinds of roses.

All rose petals can be eaten, but soft petals are suitable for jam.

Perhaps the main rosses I picked were "royal bonica"???

And this year the owners recommended us another kind of rose which was a big rose.

 

I drove Yuki to the station, and came back home.

A friend also came and made  rose-wine, and rose jam. 

 

 

We also enjoyed reading an English picture book "sleeping beauty"

And enjoyed a herb world about roses.

 

 

And --- at night, we enjoyed "rose bath".

I would like to grow "edible roses" --however ---
OK, "we" add it to our  to-do list of our retirement life.

 

season word 0524 sericulture

 

Is the word "sericulture" familiar with you?

Once there used to be many farmers who have silk worms in Japan. And you might know Japan used to be a very famous country to export high quality silk.

Now there are not so many such farmers. And as a traditional Japanese culture, Empress Michiko keeps some silkworms in Imperial Palace.

 

As long as I can remember, I haven't seen real silkworms.

Silkworms eat mulberry leaves. Mulberry leaves are "Kuwa-no-ha" in Japanese, and some people drink Kuwa-no-ha tea like green tea. I've also drunk it.

 

On the other hand "mulberry-tea " is very popular in herb word.

At first when I learnt herb-tea, I didn't know that mulberry tea is Kuwa-no-ha tea.

As I learnt herb-tea, so this year I plant a small mulberry seedlings. And they are having fruits.

 

 

 

 

Seeing  tiny mulberry fruits, carry me, a nostalgia feel

Mulberry, though it's one of classic herb-tea, regular Kuwa-no-ha-cha

 

 

our group collection of "Haiku" poems.

This is our group collection of  hahiku poems.
Unfortunately my hiaku are not involved, though I'm counted as a member of this haiku group.
Probably 7 years ago, coincidently I had a chance to visit their exhibition of haiku & photo.
The original world of haiku has lots of "strict" or "difficult" rules,  but, the group try to make haiku in a free style. It means that it is all right not to be strict to the 5-7-5 style and  to include a season word.
I liked the style, and became a member.
The other reason was that, at that time my mother used to enjoy haiku. So I thought when she came here, I would take her to the meeting. Unfortunately I haven't done it yet.
Though I'm still a member of this group, I can't join them for several years. Their meeting is held on Sunday once a month, and nowadays I'm busy on Sundays, as a grandmother, as a daughter.
For these 7 years the situations of my situation and my mother, my mother in-law, and my daughters have changed a lot.
So unfortunately my poems are not included.
However I'm keeping the contact with them.
Because the leader and the sub leader got married (though they are in the same generation of mine) and started a restaurant.
So I sometimes drop by to have lunch.

 

 

The other day I dropped by and got this collection of their poems.

When we have a chance to talk with a profesional musician --

This Saturday, a jazz concert was held at a public art museum at our prefecture.
Of course the main event was not the concert, it was was a special exhibition of two painters. The painters were two of first artists who went abroad after Edo era and got popularity in the U.S.A.
So to make the exhibition more attractive, a jazz concert was organized by the art museum.
The art museum is managed by our prefecture, which means they have enough budget to organize such a concert.
So we can listen to it by just paying the entrance fee, and the musicians are not local ones. They are very famous in Japan. Especially the bassist is very popular.





The place is not a concert hall, so we so everybody can enjoy their performance at the same level.
This time we could sit behind them.
And after the concert, naturally, the audience had a chance to talk to them. So, of course,Yuki went to talk to them. He is a big fan of Jazz.
When we went to concerts, usually the performers are on the stage, so the world of audience and the world of performers are separated.
However when we are on the same level, we feel the performers more friendly, and more closely.




Let me tell my feeling.
These days some people I know held their concerts. Of course those concerts are great and I'm happy to their success. I'm proud of knowing them. At the same time, I feel that they have gone to a different world, and I tend to feel sorry for myself. (not being jealous to them)  I feel disappointed to remain in the same stage in life. Because probably, they don't look at me now, they look at far higher or more different stage in life.
On the other hand, when I talk to a person who is usually in a different or higher stage in life, I become optimistic and want my life to move on to the next stage, go into a different world. Because the eyes are really kind, and don't show any self-important attitude to us.
Well, what I can do or what I have to do from now is to do  what I can do now.


。

season word 0518 sea turtle

 

Sea turtles live in the sea.

And probably the "living beings" we sometimes see at the pond, lake or river are "tortoise".

Is it right?

 

My mother-in-law lives in a senior care center. There is a big pond, and many "tortoises" are there.

 

The tortoises in the pond,  the great-grand daughter looking with a big smile, makes my mother in-law smile sympathetically

 

Steps of tortoises, as fast as my mother in-law's , suddenly I found

a little bit lonely? cheerless day

Yesterday it was the day of volunteering at the library.

 

I was waiting for some people to come.

One pair of a mother and a girl came.

One adult came.

That's it.

It was OK, we did a calm and relaxed reading time.

However I felt a little bit lonely? disappointed. Nowadays, at least 7 pairs and some adults had joined me.

I know, "it can't  be helped", "that's life" .

(Jan, this time I added another phrase)

 

Additionally, I was going to held a workshop at home in the afternoon.

Two guests were going to come here, however both of them canceled on the day.

 

I know, "it can't be helped", "that's life".

 

So the afternoon was a little bit lonely, and a cheerless day.

 

For the afternoon, I prepared this shortbread.

It was easy, what I did was to  put all ingredients in to a food processor, and put the dough in to the pie-dish, and bake it.

 

Thanks to it, Yuki had a good breakfast.

 

 

My Mother's Day

This Sunday it was Mother's Day, wasn't it?
Both of us didn't do anything for our mothers, though we call them constantly on weekdays.
Both of our daughters face gave me a call from early morning in turn. Our eleder,daughter seems to spend food good days luckily.
And my son in-law sent  this pot of flowers. He seemed to chose it by himself at a nearby floweshop and send it to me. So our younger daughter (his wife) asked me what flower he sent. I sent a photo. It is themselves. That's them.

Of course, last week , it was Mother's Day craft lesson.
Five students made cards and original coupons. I hope they , especially junior high school boys , would have presented them. I'll check whether they did or not, this week.
Today it is the volunteering day at the library.

Monday has alreday started!

This morning we turned on the heater as usual, and now -- the all windows are open. It is very hot.
Every around me says "it is difficult to adjust to the sudden change of the weather these days."

Today for me it is a kind of relaxing day.
After quick cleaning (which means I skipped cleaning the floor with the wet rag), I went out to take one and a half hour acupuncture treatment to ease my stuffed shoulder. (It isn't covered by our health insurance). And went to the gym to do exercise. Then, I dropped by a bank, and a super market.
Now I'm home (so I'm writing this diary).
I've already eaten my lunch at home.
After this, I update some blogs, practice the piano, and go out again to take one and a half hour face treatment at a esthetic clinic.
This is my schedule of today.

Not so bad, to spend money for myself (against aging.) until, we are working.

What do you think of it?

It's cold,

Today, finally the sun comes up, but it is still cold (someone says it is cool) even in the middle of May. Of course I turn on the heater .

Yesterday I revised the freezer, and tried tiding away.
I thawed a bag of mashed pumpkin, and put rice powder, toufu together.
I made some pumpkin dumplings.
As soon as I finished boiling, add some bean powder and red bean paste.
Yesterday it was cold, so hot dumplings were tasty.

And this morning, as I wrote it at first, it was a cold morning, so I made a "sweet" soup with the pumpkin dumplings.

season word 0510 bitter melon

 

Do you know Goya or bitter melon?

I think it is a summer vegetable, and it is a summer season word.

Why it came up in the paper???

 

Goya, this sounds are consisted with GO and Ya, and Go means five  and Ya means eight in Japanese.

So May 8 is called the day of Goya .. I hadn't known that before I read this article.

It is just a word-play.

 

However it is the suitable season to plant Goya seedlings.

Not only for getting fruits of Goya, but also making green curtain for shading in summer.

 

Seedlings of Goya, enjoying their glowing, green curtain

While planting, enjoy the word-play, with Goya(5/8)

 

At Karaku

 

Yesterday, it was the day of Karaku.

Thankfully the regular audience came. And new two groups came.

As you know I'm not a professional pianist. So it is not job. I enjoy playing the piano, and I want to share the fun with audience. Luckily a professional performer joined me and read aloud some poems, however she also does as her hobby.

So the audience enjoy watching and listening to us with tea or coffee at Karaku.

( I hope our skill is not so bad)

Three of regular audience are senior ( it means they are older than me.)

And every time they go back, they say "I'm looking forward to coming there next month".

Each of them sometimes eat lunch there, but usually just order a cup of coffee.

Recently I noticed, how difficult for (some) senior it is to go out regularly.

And I also noticed sometimes "reasons" are necessary to go out for seniors.

 

I hope if there were such a place nearby on foot, I would go there as a audience.

 

Concerts are good, of course good quality concerts are good. However one-coin concert with good tea is also fun.

 

 

Probably I have lots of things to do ---. but

Well, well, actually today I'm going to play the piano at Karaku in the afternoon.
So I have to practice the piano --- but not yet.
Anyway as "we" woke up, we took recycled garbage out , and had breakfast.
Yuki went to work later than usual.
And I started to clean and organize the room more slowly than usual.

Next week I have three workshop which are organized by myself, so I have to prepare for them.
Usually I am the person to prepare everything beforehand.
I did it mostly before this big holiday, but the last part has not been finished.

Not so tired, just no power comes out.
It's OK, we sometimes have such time, don't we?

Yuki told me to come back earlier than usual. It means he will have dinner with me.
Well, probably today , it is also the day to be a break from kitchen. (Thanks Jan, I learnt this word.)

Quiet days have come back!

A long holiday has finished.

Last night we had take-out shushi.

And this morning we had usual quiet breakfast 

For a while we have usual days of two of us. 

Outside , all the day

Finally it got sunny.

We were outside all the day.

we had homemade pizza for lunch in the garden.

We went out to to join a local festival. 

Ah-chan made cotton candy.

And finally we did BBQ in the garden for our early dinner.

Inside BBQ

It has been rainy.
Last night we had inside BBQ.

Now I hear thunder roaring. 

However in 2hour we will go out somewhere . Where??

Season word 0503 constitution day

The later of the big holiday has started.

The first day is called ConstitutionDay.

This year, all of us could have time with four generation families., luckily. 

Big holiday, seeing family history, spanned 4 generations 

Well, now we are in Utsunimiya, and a noisy holiday has started.

Big holiday, filled with laugh and noise, temporal 6-member family 

With our mothers

This big holiday includes "children's day".
What is the day for?
Anyway both our mothers were looking forward to seeing their great granddaughter.
So the first day of staying Tokyo was with Yuki's mother.

It was the first time for our grand daughter to have sushi at sushi restaurant. 

And for Yuki's mother it had been a long time to eat sushi.

After 5 of us had lunch together, we separated. Yuki took her mother to a department store attended her for her shopping. Three of us went to a big park, I was sitting under the tree while my daughter and grand daughter were playing there.

The second day was for my mother. 

Three of us had stake lunch. Then Yuki went browsing steeet to kill the time, and I attend my mother for her shopping. 

Both mothers seemed rally enjoyed lunch and of course shopping .

My mother-in-law bought lots of sweets to present er friends in the senior center. My mother also ought lot she of sweets for her neighbors. To present something to someone seems to be fun and bring a good conversation.

As soon as we went back her house, she called her friend and said.

" hello, now I have just come back. I bought delicious snack , so please come in. Don!t mind. My daughter will go home soon, is they will not be here"

Of course we left her house quickly and went back here to Utsunomiya.