a season word and Haiku poem 0726

Suddenly real humid Japanese summer has come.

Today's season word of summer is MIZUYOUKAN.
The other day I made MIZUNADUKI instead of MIZUYOUKAN.

The ingredients are almost the same of MIZUYOUKAN.
It seems to come from the image of Japanese shaved ice with Sweet beans.

Yesterday, I made a little bit busy schedule, I attended a meeting and after that I had to go to the library. So I bite two rice balls I made at home at a parking lot as my quick lunch, and I did all things I decided to do.
Then I have a good sweets time at home with ease.

In a flurry Run after daytime errands; Sweet jelly beans

Dry, dry, dry ---what?

Peppermint leaves are being dried.

Loquat leaves are being dried.

What are they used?

I made loquat leaves water last summer for my granddaughter, It worked for heat rash.

This year I use it for myself as skin lotion.

Peppermint leaves are used as herb tea to add other leaves.

So mulberry leaves are also being dried. 

 

I make my original herb tea using the peppermint leaves, mulberry leaves and this inexpensive herbal tea sold at stores/.

I also dry sliced of Japanese radish. After they are dried perfectly, it is easy, I just soak them into the liquid of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and a little bit salt.

 

I enjoy my easy life? I kill the time of my free time? I am hard to reuse the plants in my garden?

 

Well, well, so to pick the leaves, I "have to " go out to the garden.

So I have to weed the garden. It is one of my worst errands.

 

I bothered to go ourt by bus for my walking exercise

Do you  do walking exercise?
If you do, where do you do it, around your house, or to go to somewhere by car and do it?
I usually do walking exercise around my house, because it is economical, and easy.
However I think, it is good to do it seeing completely different scenery from usual ones.
So I bothered to take a bus and go to an art museum.
There this exhibition was held.

 

To tell the truth, I was not so interested in it. If I have had a complementary ticket, I would go there willingly. This time I didn't have it. So I payed 800 yen for it.

Luckily it was more interesting than I expected.

Of course I walked and see lots of works in the museum.

Well, it was time to do my walking exercise. I started walking for "a" bus stops.

What does it mean?

Buses which run from there to the bus stop near my house run ever 20 or thirty minute.

So  I decided to walk to a bus stop I could catch the bus without waiting.

If I felt tiredness I was going to take a rest at a café.

However most of shops were closed, we call such a street "shutter street".

So unfortunately I didn't find any cafes.



 

I kept walking. Finally at a bus stop I saw a bus coming .

I did over 8000 steps.

The round-trip bus fee was 440 yen.

So the walking exercise cost 1240 yen on the day.

But I had a good afternoon.

 

 

 

walking diary 0722

I continue walking exercise.

These are morning flowers, they wrap themselves around hydrangea.
Morning flowers bloom in summer, and hydrangeas bloom in rainy season.
It shows transit of seasons perfectly, doesn't it?
5700 steps.

Well, do you know that a morning flower is a season word of autumn in Haiku world.
Well, the number of Yuki's commuting to his office is less than 20.

Finish and begin Both of them are the first time; Crests of clouds
 

 

These are nyctaginaceaes. They bloom in summer.
Though the rainy season is lingering, it is in summer. This flower is also a season word of autumn.
On the day I went to the library and dropped by a bakery. Without my will I happened to have sweet.
8000 steps.

 

On a whim Reach out for sweets South wind blows.

 

What great lilies they are!
I went to my friend who lives nearby. It was too near than I expected, so I detoured to come back to my house.
5000 steps.
All too soon Get to the goal on a foot; lilies bloom.
 

my lunch diary 0722

Monday has started. Looking back the last week, I'll write my lunch diary with Haiku poem.

Monday, it was a holiday on our calendar, but for us it was a usual day.
I served the pre-cooked meals I made the weekend  on a plate for my lunch.
I knew I would need more protein at dinner.

Well, I wrote " it was a usual day", but I had no lesson. So I decided to go downtown by bus while walking because it didn't rain.
Somewhere to go Looking at a timetable Rainy season breaks



Tuesday. This is fried-rice with bean sprouts.
Here in Japan bean sprouts are a king of cheep vegetables. I often stock them in the fridge, saying anyway one kind of vegetables. ( I don't know what kind of vitamins and nutrition are included)

Cooking fried rice With sprout beans always kept Grizzling rainy season


Wednesday. My pre-cooked meals were done. What should I do tomorrow?
So I cooked pre-cooked meals again.

With big laugh, Having a good sweat at gym, A sunny day in rainy season


Thursday, I was feeling how long this week was. I went to take a acupuncture therapy which was not covered by my insurance. It means it was not inexpensive. But I had a good excuse "sometimes I need a luxury time". The therapist and I are good friends, so  I was there with her for more than 3 hours including chatting time It cost almost 6000 yen. So Was it not expensive???? compared with having my hair cut and dye at a beauty salon?

Acupuncture Necessary luxury Poppy blooms

Well, poppy is a season word of summer, the plant of poppy is connected with something medical.



Friday, it is the cleaning day of my fridge. I stir-fired all of things in the fridge including TOUFU.
And I need more green vegetables, so cut some SHISO-leaves at my garden.

Sky changes so often  Adjust ourselves with laughing  Picking Shiso-leaves

I bothered to go to a distant library

I don't watch TV so often. But I often listen to the radio. To say more correctly I listen to the radio program through the net radio program. We can listen to the programs which were broadcasted anytime for the week.  So when I have lunch alone at home, I usually  listen to a radio program which was broadcasted the night before. It is a serial reading program for two weeks.

I couldn't wait for coming the last.
So I bothered to go to a distant library to borrow the book.
It was

Do you know it?


Now I know the story, so I can listen to the program with ease.

Though not so good.

 According to the weather report, from today sunny days will start.  To tell the truth, I have been in trouble with dizziness. I am not in good shape.  But I am all right.
My mother , who is aLmkst 85 also has a trouble with "lightheadedness "' (which is. Different from usual dizziness). I always encourage her saying that it is not illness,so, don't seek 100% health, gry to get along with it". I know it is difficult, so she always complains when we talk on the phone.
I tell me the same thing . So I say to my self that "you are all right" and do usual things.
However, I feel bad worse.
The major reason is this prolonged  rainy season.
When I feel bad, I don't have interest in anything, and not to keep our house tidy.
So I get a kind of shot by myself. The name is " to organize my closet" .
Well, when I am in a good mood, it is easy to discard glitches I don't use ,  up this time, i could only discard two pairs of socks. It can't be helped. Anyway i reorganized my closet.
I hope coming sunny days make my feeling better.

My lunch 0715

This is my lunch diary.

   

Monday, it was "Steak day".
When I talked with my neighbor, without any reasons we decided to have lunch together in my house. So "we" walked to my familiar butcher, bought beef steak meat there, and I cooked them. It cost 800 yen a person. Of course I bought another one for Yuki. Though Yuki came back late as usual, he had the tasty steak with beer instead of peanuts.

Over the fence  Luncheon chatting with steak;  sunny spells in rainy season


Tuesday. It was the day of Karaku, where I play the piano once a month.
In the morning I practiced the piano at home, and  for my lunch I had quick stir-fried vegetables.

The monthly pianist Getting into the best clothes; Smell of lavender



Wednesday. I was presented zucchini again. This season unfortunately we seem to have a bad harvest of cucumbers because of lack of sunny days. Instead of cucumbers we seem to have a good harvest of zucchini. Though I don't dislike them, sorry, I've had enough.
Well, I tried to make Haiku poem using zucchini, but zucchini is a seasonal word for autumn.
The other day my mother's wallet was broken, so I bought and sent a new one.
New wallet Cheer my mother up; sunny spells in rainy season.




Thursday, I went out at around 10, doing exercise, and going to the library. Before dropping by a supermarket, I took a rest at a bakery café, And I ate this sweet. It was too sweet for me.

 Reach out unconsciously Enjoy sweets in front of me;  Raining gently and continuously



Friday; In the morning I had to attend my company meeting with lots of English books.
When I got home, it was before 2 o'clock. I cooked frozen spaghetti with the vegetables in my fridge.

My empty bag, Call it a day; Grilled eggplant

Walking days with Haiku 0715

I've already written about my trip to Karuizawa, but I'll write again as a walking diary with Haiku.

 

 we had a one-night trip to Karuizawa. There I walked 13208 steps.

Karuizwa Wrapped by sophisticated aroma; hydrangea blooming

 

 

 

 

There we had an opportunity to attend a gospel service at a church. I walked 9200 steps.

Karuizawa Soak in the exotic atmosphere; Cumulonimbus

 

These flowers are called Nikkko- kisuge. Nikko is a place in our prefecture.
I don't know why the name includes Nikko. But Nikko is very famous for full of Nikko-kisuge.
On the day, I walked out twice to avoid sunshine. So Totally I walked 5662 steps.

Avoid the sunshine, Aim for 5000 steps totally; Nikko-kisuge
 aiming for 5000 Keeping walking exercise;

 

 

 

This flower "rengeso" is called Japanese milk-vetch. It is classified as a spring seasonal word in Haiku world.

On the day I avoided the sunshine, so I walked 6000 steps in the evening.

Dropped by at a store Sweat made me cold too much Dark rainy season.

 

 

 

a sseason word 0711 mid-year gifts

Thankfully, I got some mid-year gifts from my friends who lives far. However I don't do that. Instead of doing it, I'll send Japanese bears in the late of August. This is the seasonal fruits in Tochigi.
Anyway, when I get one, usually I call to the friend and start a long phone call. It is a good reason to talk for a long time though it is on the phone. The last phrase of our talking is always that "we will see directly someday)



Long phone chat When we could meet Mid-year gifts

Two friends's works were awared thier prizes.

Last weekend, we went to the city art museum. There Citizens' Art Festival is held now.

 

Usually the art works displayed at the citizen's center, but this year, to cerebrate 40th anniversary it is held at the art museum.

This time two of my friends won their prizes.

It was a wonderful thing, though I felt a little bit jealousy.

However I know their constant efforts. So they are great.

 

I went there with Yuki.

In a good meaning and a bad meaning, he seemed to be influenced and encouraged .

He seemed to improve his photo skill, and he said "anyway the quality of camera is important".

 

After this we dropped by at Karaku, and had lunch there.

Both of us are familiar with the owner, so it was a really cozy place for three of us.

 

My lunch with Haiku 0708

Monday : on the way home from Karuizawa, we took a rest at a rest area on a express road. Here in Japan, the express road fee is not free, very expensive. On the hand the rest areas are full of services, nice restaurants, cafes including Starbucks, souvenir shops, fresh markets, gas station , light food stands so on.  We had light lunch at a food stand. On the way home we went through a  seaside prefecture which has the sea. (Our prefecture, Tochigi, doesn't have the sea). So I had Shirasu bowl.
Shirasu, is a very tiny fish, we eat the whole of them , which means from head to tail (Jan , do you remember them?)

Whitebait bowl, Though the sea is far ( from our house); At starting point for climbing





Tuesday, I had to go some places. So I made lunch and had it at a parking lot in the park.
At parking lot Having my lunch with watching car TV: Lizard's tail




Wednesday I went exercising to the gym two days in a row.

Having a good sweat Stir-frying vegetables: Summer breeze



Thursday it was raining all the day. I tried discarding 10 things like mostly expired bread flour, jam and so on. I baked these bread. It was easier than I thought.

Rainy season; Against humid and hot Bake bread



Friday I found Toufu in the fridge, it was almost expired. So I cooked it with hot shrimp sauce.
Spicy tastes made me brisky.
Crammed in the deck  Handing the laundry out ; Rainy season

walking diary with Haiku 0708

 

When we went to Tokyo, it was really easy to do walking exercise a lot. On the day we dropped by at an exhibition, so we walked more than 9000 steps.

Everyone busier 10000stpes easily; one summer night

 

 

 

When I did walking, I found "herb" mint in a weedy road-side. I though I should have scissors.

I walked 6000 steps.

Weedy road-side Meaningful herbs there; Peppermints.
(pepper mints is a seasonal word)

 

 

It is the same road for me to walk, but the grasses are different.

I found ladies' tresses.

It was my grandmother's favorite.

I walked 6340 steps.

 

Older my mother Much order than her mother in-law: Ladies' tresses

 

Before starting our retirement life at Karuizawa -4-

As we take you, we stayed Hoshinoya hotel. Why I wanted to stay there, we could enjoy all the day without going out of the hotel area.
The important thing is the mean of the hotel area. The area is very large, they have their own cars, so when we want to to a little bit far, we can be taken by their car, it means we seem to have our chauffeur.
And in the area, there are other three hotels. At hoshinoya they have Japanese a style restraint.  So if we want to have Meals at Western  style restaurant, the chauffeur takes us there.
We had breakfast at another hotel.

Then I joined morning yoga, while Yuki was enjoying morning hot spring.

And we relaxed there in the morning, and had light lunch with famous coffee and bread.

Then we came back to Utsunomiya.

Before starting our retirement life at Karuizawa -3-

We did walking. The first day, we did more th before starting our retirement life, an 15000 steps.

Around this area, there are two famous churches. We dropped by. Coincidentally we could join the gospel worship at a church, and at the other church, we could see a wedding. 

Next morning, Yuki got up ealier than me, and he took the picture of morning burn. He also took a walk around a park of Wild bird forest. On he day, Yuki did more than 15000 walks,I did about 10000 walks.

Before starting our retirement life At Karuizawa -2-

Of course, we had a good dinner. Karuizawa is surrounded by mountains.

So the main ingredients are mountain vegetables,. It is same of Todhigi's situation,

However, we enjoyed the perfect Japanese cuisine.

When we have dinner together, usually it takes 20 minutes or less. It meanas, cooking time is longest,  and easing time is the second longest. Eating it is the shortest. 

This time, it took 2 hours to eat it up.

Yuki is not used to serving each dish in turn ( or, it is said that he doesn't like it) m so he often took a nap while eating. I know it, so just I watched him with grinning.