I have a question

What difference is there between "oval" and "ellipse"? Do you chose the word case by case?
in many picture books about shapes I have usually "oval" is introduced, but the other day I knew, at math lesson ellipse is used. Is it right?
http://www.mathsisfun.com/area.html

Are they same?, just the difference is depending on the world? (It means math world, or usual world)
If you are free, please teach me.

LIke a (wonderful) storm

My friend came to stay with us and went back, she was like one-night storm.
Now I'm alone in this house as usual, from the afternoon some students are going to come, it is usual.

I called some friends to tell her visit, every body said "Really? NATSUKASHI (I don't know the suitable English, good old memory? or It feels just like the good old days to see you again.)
And many years passed since "I" talked them on the phone.

Around 4 o'clock, "she" arrived there.
We went a restaurant "OKONOMIYAKI". There are 5 friends, thought someone came out as someone went in.
My husband picked us (me and her) up by car, but he also drunk, so "I" (I usually don't drink alcohol, and in Japan no one who drink or even "ship" alcohol must not drive a car) drive them home.
It was at 10, not so late but everybody went to bed, because she left home at 5 in the morning on the day, and my husband had to leave home 5 the day after the day. And I was tired.

The next morning, my husband left home at 5, I got up as usual time and prepare breakfast.
At 7 in the morning, another friend came with breakfast.
She took a walk to see her neighborhood, on the other hand I started preparing for my job in the morning. About at 10 o'clock another friend pick her up to tour this area, because since she moved to another city this area has changed a lot. I went to work.

At noon, 2 friend came to see her to have lunch. It was just a lunch bread for a friend. The other friend works from 2 o'clock. And my lesson starts at 4:30 o'clock.

At 2:30, everybody went to usual life. "She" left for her house, probably it takes 3 hours from here by car. Today she is working now. The other friends are also working. I'm at the computer.
Now it is my usual life.

Well, it is cloudy, so I washed a sheet but --- probably it won't dry. Tomorrow I'll go to a coin laundry nearby.

Monday again.

The title is---, too usual. While we are alive, days run in circles.

Well, have you visited my photos site? If you've come there, I'm really happy. These days I have a problem about the site, not a problem, it is my mistake. I forgot my account, and can't manage it. So finally I rebuilt new account and new photo site has started.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/choro2009/

Last week I was really busy, and I'm afraid I cancelled playing the piano at a usual tea room.
The other things I had to do was done.
This week, I have two "big" wonderful things. The first one is that, my friend is going to stay with us, though it is only one night. She lived there, and 12 years ago she move to another city. Since we met each other, probably 7 years has passed. Once or twice a year we talked on the phone, but this time we will be able to talk face to face, though both of use get old.(We are in the same age.)

Another thing is that, this week end I'm going to listen to RAKUGO with another friend to Tokyo. Of course listening to Rakugo is fun, but I haven't talk with the friend for a while. She was really busy to care her father-in-law, and this spring he passed away. Now she is also busy to care her mother-in-law, unfortunately her mother-in-law becomes senile.

My mother nursed her mother-in-law, her mother, and her aunt. (My father suddenly died with cardiac infarction, so she couldn't nurse him.) Fortunately my mother and my mother-in-law are fine. BUT though medical technology is being advanced, the facilities are not enough or getting poor or is left. So nursing is a big jog for women.

Anyway it is Monday. Today's breakfast was "cake". We (my husband and I) got it yesterday night, and we were alreday full so we couldn't eat it. Too sweet? Too high in calorific value? Sometimes are OK, I think.

Can you do it?

Look at the first photo, it is a box which inside is red and outside is blue. The box is assembled with 12 triangles. Can you turn it inside out without holding the triangles like the next photo which inside is blue and outside is red.

The third photo is another virsion, this is a little bit bended box.

Do you know these puzzles?

Among some friends of mine these puzzles are now current topics.

Let's enjoy them.

The first week has done

Now, it is Sunday, though Monday is just around the corner. I've done all things I planed.
On the other hand, I'm afraid that my daughter's workplace is not decided. Now a little quarrel, ,arguing , or discussing has started among her, me, and my husband, though she is trying to do some other job interviews. According today's newspaper, forty percent worker they started to work after their graduation from this year "if I graduated next year, I couldn't get this job". Yes, we are in the big depression. On the other hand a boy passed two big companies. It means her will to work there might be a little weak. (I hope this English sentence makes sense)


This week I went to TOKYO twice, The first one is to attend English club meeting. And Another one is to visit my friend's exhibition. The exhibition is wonderful. I bought her hand made wallet.
Next month her works are introduced by a magazine.

Today I went to my friend's farm to pick up last strawberries of this year. There were many people to enjoy picking them up. I read some English picture books for the kids there. Well, today I noticed in the pot, I found "one" raspberry. It is the first time of it to have a fruit.

And this week I got three interesting picture books. I knew two of them from a artist. And the last one is introduced by an elementary school teacher. All of them are not introduced by English or Japanese teachers. "Picture book" world is really interesting. Have a nice new week to all of them and me.

June

June came, and rainy season is just around the corner.


Last Saturday it rained, and yesterday it also rained but during the bad weather (for me, some kids enjoyed the weather) Sports day event was done in this area.


I know how hard to do PTA-job in the rain, it means not just to visit, to run hear and there in the ground to help kids with teachers. Of course teachers are also hard, but it is their job, and PTA-job is---just volunteer. Opt, I don't want to discuss what doing volunteer means--- later. (These days I often talk this issue to myself.)





Well, today it is fine. I have to go to a clinic for a monthly check. And on the way home from the clinic, I'm going to drop by some stores. Yes, it is a housewife shopping day.





Today I cut some stalks of the rhubarb in the garden. It is the first harvest of this year. I baked them with cream, and made rhubarb cream paste. Of course I baked bread.

All weekends in June I have something to go out. This week I'm going to go to TOKYO to visit my friend exhibition. Next week I 'have to' attend a meeting of a company I belong to. And next next week --- I'm going to go to listen to "RAKUGO" in English.

Do you know RAKUGO? Rakugo, the telling of long humorous stories, mainly in the form of dialogs.

Anyway June comes, and ---probably bug season comes. The other day I saw a small cockroach in the kitchen. Cleaning and ventilation is necessary against bugs and molds. Housewives are busy.

FUKUSOKU-DOBUTUS

Do you know the word of "gastropod"? In Japanese FUKUSOKU-DOBUTSU.
These words (Japanese and English) are the first words for me.

The other day a woman come to our study meeting.
Most of conversaiton is of course done in Japnaese, I try to write it down in English.

Mieko "This book is also useful and fun to introduce numbers to kids"
-- I read a English picture book.
How many legs on an octupus? -- eight legs on an octupus.
How many legs on a bug?---------six legs on a bug.
------ continue, and finish
But no legs on a slug!

Ms. H " In English slugs have no legs, don't they?".
Mieko "What? "
Ms.H " Slugs have a leg they have muscle in their belly, so they belong to "FUKU(belly)-SOKU(leg) Dobutsu(animal) "
Mieko "Really? How about snakes?"
Ms.H "No, they don't have legs."
Mieko "Why do you know creatures very well?"
Ms. H "My major was biology."
Mieko "I see, so you don't mind that you daughter pick up lots of worms in the garden."

When I came home, I look for the word in my dictionary, it was "gastropod".
The origin of the word is Greek. gastro meas belly and pod means leg.
Did you know that??

harvest season

Now, lettuce is occupied in the small garden. So every another day we eat lettuce.

we get some beans, we get some kinds of herb leaves. Now it is a green-leaf harvest season in the garden.

Well, yesterday, my elder daughter fail a company's final exam. (though she passed through the fourth exam). --- It can't be helped.

In her life, probably it is the first hardest time and it is the time she becomes independent.

Well, well, well---

The other day one of my friend bought a new electric gadget. Do you know "MV Pen"? And immediately I thought I wanted one too. It costs about 10000yen. The cheapest way to buy is net shopping by Amazon. I sat at the computer, and open the Amazon page. First I clicked some books I needed. Next--- anyway I stopped just put it in my cart.

Yesterday, it was of course Sunday. Suddenly my husband started to put his closet in order with me. Why? The reason is clear. He wants to buy new clothes for summer, especially tennis and golf wears.

"We" rechecked the clothes, "he" casted some clothes he "never" wear away. "I" changed loosen rubber bands of three training pants. And we went out shopping. he bought some clothes with family budget. And we bought a little bit good quality beef, and wine for our dinner.
They cost over 10000yen.

Now I'm going to buy the new gadget, it is not so necessary, though it is in the cart.

How are you doing?

About ten days have passed since I updated this site. I'm so-so. Last week I had a slight fever. My husband was afraid I could have caught by "Swin Flu", no, just a cold. And last week swin flu wasn't not confirmed in Kantou yet, just only KOBE, though this week in TOKYO swin flu was confirmed. Here and there gauze (recently instead of gauze, three layers nonwoven is used) masks are sold out. How about your city? or country?

Since this month I started to go to TOKYO once a week to attend a meeting again. The meeting is fun, but it makes me really tired physically. But the meeting and the members get me a lot of energy, and from this power I can manage my English picture book meeting here. It's difficult to get such energy here, on the other hand it's difficult to manage such family-like meeting here in Tokyo. Last week I hold a English story-telling in the public liberally, many people came. I was really happy. Of course I'm not a native English speaker, but showing the attitude to enjoy English probably get people (not only kids) stimulus. There are many people who have a English allergy.

Well, in Japan swin flu comes, and we are in recession. My daughter's workplace is not decided, she is a senior. I'm not sure she can share her 4 year's experience in the college at work. And she doesn't pursue her art course, she wants to work in general. Now it is her life, it is her choice, my husband and I are just watching. If she were in a good booming period, it would have been easy to get job. It cannot helped.

It is the time for students coming. I'll update again soon!

Happy Mother's Day!

How are you doing on this day? Me? It's an usual "free" Sunday.

I sent some presents for my mother and my mother-in-law. And this morning I got a present from my elder daughter by mail. From my younger daughter?? I don't know.

The other day I told her "it' OK to send nothing on Mother's day".

She said : The word of NO you said means usually "yes", so I "should" send something for you.

Do I get something from her today??? I'm not sure. Anyway I always thing she is the same as I.

On the other hand, in my elder daughter's case, she called to me yesterday from a my favorite import food shop and said "I am here, what do I need to buy for you?". I told her some thing that I just have out of stock. And at 9 o'clock this morning they were delivered as a present of Mother's day.

Well, today it is "hot", like a day in early summer. Every plant is fine. Red-leaf lettuces are growing big and enough than we can eat. Rhubarbs are also fine, we can take some good stalks sooner.

Last week in my lesson, everystudent make their own picture books to their mother.

Happy Mother's Day!

The long vacation was finished

Now the newest type of flu is becoming a big issue, are you OK?

Well, my vacation was finished, usual days has also started.

Last Thursday some friends came to my house, as I already wrote.

And

my mother came to stay with us. My husband and I took her to a hot spring and farmer's shops.

She said "I can buy as much as I want" --- yes, all vegetables and homemade sweets are very inexpensive, and she will go home by car with us, so she doesn't worry about the "big", "heavy" baggage, and she has many friends around her house, so she can give presents as many as she wants.

The next day we went to TOKYO with my mother and lot of baggage "by car".

My husband and our younger daughter went shopping to buy a "windows" computer. Our elder daughter uses Mac computer because she goes to a art college.

My elder daughter and I went to see a candle exhibition and had a good lunch.

(Well, my mother was busy in delivering her presents to her neighbors.)

The next day we met my mother-in-law.

My husband and I came back here.

In TOKYO many intereseting exhibions are held, "city life " is fun and exciting --but a little bit expensive, especailly with "young " girls.

Well, Well,

I got an intereseting spicy salt from a friend, as soon as I got, I baked potatoes with it. "Yummy".

In this area strawberries are famous, and these days liquire of strawberries is on the market. The alcohol content is just 8 percent, not strong.

And at a farmer's shop we "finaly" found "URUKA". It is a kind of fermentation food made from fish; usally AYU. They are not so populer, some domestic people love, and at some domestic shops it is sold.

Anywayit was a busy and good vacation.

a seven-day straint holiday have started.

GOLDEN WEEK (in Japan we call this long vacation) has started.

Until last year during the week I had been busy in doing house chores as a mother, as a daughter-in-law, and as a daughter.

This vacation, it is not for my family, for me.

On 29th my husband and I went to see a movie "Red Wall". I'm not familiar in Chinese history, but it was fun, all male characters were "cool".

Yesterday, some of my friends came here from "TOKYO". I talked about some seasonable English picture books --the theme was "strawberries". And I baked brownie for them. Main dish is "GYOZA". ( This area, it is famous for GYOZA, there are many inexpensive GYOZA-restaurants, they went "GYOZA restaurant" -hopping, among 4 restaurants.

Today two guests come to take my lesson.

Tomorrow, my mother will come to stay and next day we (my husband , my mother and I) will to go TOKYO with lots of vegetables (my mother will come to buy these things).

My husband and my younger daughter are going to go PC-shop, my elder daughter and I are going to listen to English RAKUGO(Japanese sit-down comedy???).

Next day I'm going to go to see an exhibition in YOKOHAMA, and come back here. ]

On fifth, it is a gardening day -- probably.

On sixth, it is even a holiday on the calender, but my lesson starts.

Have a nice vacation!

This weekend

This weekend, it was "really" cold for me. So I was suffering from headaches almost for all two days. It can't be helped because I have a migraine.

So I took medicine, and relaxed at home.

My husband went to rental a DVD, that I really wanted to see.

The Japanese title is OKURIBITO, it won a prize at eh Cannes File Festival.

The English title is Departure

I think it has a Japanese way of looking at things, I'm not sure you (foreigners) accept the thinking way. But if you are interested in Japan a little, please try to see it.

http://www.amazon.com/Departures-Theatrical-Release/dp/B001PR0YIA

While I was seeing this movie, I bit some strawberries that my friend grew, and ship coffee with added coffee liqueur.

Well, now, of course it's spring. I got two kinds of wild plants (SANSAI) that are KOGOMI and SHIRAKI. And I also got SHIMEJI mushrooms. Spring is the season for SANSAI. I made SANSAI spaghetti.

Next month, I talk about colors to kids.

What do you describe about the color of water? clear? colorless? transparent? white? aqua? light blue?

.

.

Enjoy my life -2-

Today, it is Friday, I'm fine.

In my garden, some flowers are open unobtrusively. Strawberries, Borage, or something. Some kids don't know that flowers of strawberries open in spring. They believe they open in winter, because they eat strawberries cake on Christmas.

Do you know that in TOCHIGI prefecture the domestic products of the strawberry is the top. A farmer who is our acquaintance, work hard in winter and earn the most money of his living expenses in winter and spring. In summer, I don't know where he is. In fall he prepares soil, green houses, and etc.

Yesterday I got this kind of chlorate from a friend who came back from HAWAII. It is the first time to eat KISS chocolate with Macadamia nuts. It's yummy! Have you ever eaten it? Can I buy it in Japan? My friend said it is limited edition in Hawaii. Is it right?

Well, in Japan 100-yen shops are really familiar in our life. The other day I went to one of them, and though I know we can buy most of things there, I was surprised again at seeing these things. I didn't know that we could buy even such display-goods at 100 yen shop. I've wanted these things to make reading picture time more fun. But unfortunately I couldn't find one thing. So I made (sewed) it using a towel and something. Can you guess what I made. It is the roughest. But sewing is fun -- if I do a few times.

Well, I have a question.

Yesterday I tried to solve a question with my students.

I did it, but --- I'm not sure the reason.

Q: Read each clue below. Draw a line to the letters that sound like the correct answer.

MT, EZ, ICU, AB, TP, IOU, IV

I borrowed some money from your piggy bank. --- fifty cents.

A: I owe fifty cents. -- answer is IOU

This math is not hard. It's ----.

A: It's easy. ---answer is EZ

What did the blind man say to the doctor who made him see again? ----

A. I can't see you.--- answer is ICU

What insect makes honey? ---

A. a bee --- answer is AB

What a Plains Indian used to sleep in? ---

A. Tepee --- answer is TP

I drank all my milk. Now my glass is ----.

A. Now my glass is empty. answer is MT

What kind of plant is that?---

A. Ivy---answer is IV.

Is it right?

Enjoy my life

How many times do you laugh when you talk with your kids in a day? or if you don't have kids how many times do you laugh in a day?

Today I had a chance to talk with AKIHIRO, who is famous as a book-reader and is also called "boor doctor". According to him, in Sweden mothers laught more than 100 times, it means for kids in Sweden, mothers are always laughing or smiling. In Japan, probably kids think mothers often five them a flown. When I went to school on parent's days, I was often "warned" by my friends, saying "smile". I must have stared at my daughters fixedly. Well, these days mothers are often "asked" (not warned) by a teachers, saying "please be quiet".

People who are laughing naturaly always attract people naturaly. Mothers who are laughing are easy their kids to become calm.

And laughing makes yourself calm and bring an enjoynable life.

In my daily life I most spend alone, so "laughing" must be a little bit difficult, but "smiling" is not difficult--- probably.

The other day I bougt another kind of liqueur.

Now a big flower is open.

I say to me, "enjoy my life".

Intereseting!

Are you interested "salt"? I'm interested salt a little. Japanese salt, Italian salt, herb-salt, -- I sometimes choose salt according the meal, like Japanese food, Italian food, or the cooking way like sauteed , simmer.

The other day I bout Russian crystal salt. What meal is suitable to this salt? The grain is really big.

Well these days it has been warm, thought according the weather report, from Wednesday it will become cold. Some flowers are blooming as usual spring. I don't know the name of flowers. But when I see, "Oh, spring has come as usual" I think and I'm satisfied.

Well, though we went to see cherry brossomes last week, the life is really short. the patels are alreay fall to the ground. Instead of cherry brossomes, we can see KOINOBORI. I put the picture on the wall. Golden Week holidays is just around the corner. This year we have no specail plans. My friends are going to come.

Cherry blossoms

Here is Japan, of course. And now cherry trees are almost in full bloom, here and there.

Here and there cherry blossoms' festivals are held. There are many food stalls. baked corn stalls are really popular. We've never bought them for my daughters though they had always wanted.

Why? I've always told them " they use frozen corn, so not delicious. And it's not a season for corn". (The true reason was they were expensive.)

This time probably it was the first time to go seeing cheery blossoms with only my husband and me. When we were young couple, we would go there with friends and hold a party. Sine we had children, it changed to a family event.

Seeing cheery blossoms recall us of being Japanese.

The first Sunday at home in April

Today, it is Sunday, and usual Sunday for me.

My husband and I got up later and had branch, --- pancake with pepper cheese, strawberry with fresh cream, and home-made yogurt. I baked pancake by flour and Muesli. It is good. Useing Muesli is intereseting.

My husband went out, I started gardening. I put some herb seedlings: lemon grass, some kinds of sage, camoile, and thyme. I found rhubarb coming out.

Last night we tried to go seeing cheery brossomes, but it was raining. Now we'll go again in the evening.

And today's dinner's menu is, grilled tuna (useing the part above the gill) , simmered bamboo-shoots, and brown rice. It is "Japanese".

We are enjoying our Sunday.

April has started

April has started, so my lessons also have started. Yesterday a woman came to take my lesson.--the first lesson in this term. It was a "cooking lesson" instead of an English lesson.

We made appetizer of brie cheese, tortellini salad, and strawberry pie with sour cheese.
It was fun.
I like reading new recipe, but seldom make new things. Because I cant' imagine the taste.
This time I learned the taste, the ingredients, and the way. So I did.

Thanks Jan.
Introducing my experience in your city is continued for a while.
I enjoyed to prepare for the trip before visiting you, and enjoyed there with you, and even now I'm enjoying.

Now cherry blossoms starts to broom. This weekend we are going to go somewhere to see cherry blossoms