I'm at clinic.

Good morning. It's about 9:30 am.

I'm waiting for my turn. These days I have not been in a good condition. I have had Chinese medicine and did this week's job.

However my condition is griping worse , and from this day 5 weekends has started. So only today the clinic us open.

I got here before 9 o'clock.

Every this session my condition tends to be bad because of allergy. 

My allergy causes tiredness , horse voice,  and sometimes a slight fever. 

I hope this condition is caused by my usual allergy.

This afternoon Akari (and her family,it means my daughter and my son-in-law)

So I got up earlier than usual.

Even though I won't be able to cook well, they will manage to do our meals. 

What's this?

Have you ever seen this gadget?

It's a machine of making grape fruit juice.

This Sunday Yuki and I went out to down town.

Though in some cities near Utsunomiya, and some towns in Utsunomiya they have been still in troubles, the situation of  downtown is OK.

In downtown a small fair was held. We dropped by.

She is drawing a portrait---- who? Ours.

We had a calm weekend.

It has been rainig.

Though typhoon doesn't hit this area directly, it has been raining since this Monday.

Even though there are only two members, for these three days we have lots of laundry they don't get  dry yet because all of them are dried in the room. I don't have drier. So since this morning the heater and the dehumidifier have been working.

I thought I would have gone to a laundry shop nearby, but it's raining hard, so I gave up.

 

Yesterday it was also rain, but thankfully three regular listeners and a man came to listen to KARAKU.

Do you know Paul Klee who is a painter? Recently his exhibition was held in our city art museum.

His paints are so popular in Japan, so a famous poet gets afloat  some books and picture books with his poems.

Yesterday my partner who is a recitalist and actress read some poems from this book and I played some tunes on piano along her reading.

 

I like this style, and the atmosphere. The time spends very slow.

 

 

Too much garlic

These are appetizer for this week. I get a box of vegetables once a week from a farmer directly. So I cook them as appetizer at a time.

 

Usually I cook green leaves with sesame, or KATSUOBUSHI(dried bonito). I'm a little bit tired of the tastes. So this time I cooked KUSHINNA-leaves&stalks with olive oil & garlic.

 

Today I made fried noodle (you mentioned that you can say it chaw mein). Then I added olive KUSHINNA.

 

It tasted good, but--- now I feel full of garlic tasted in my mouth.
On no! In an hour I have to go out. Today it is my recital day at KARAKU tea room.

It's strange.

September has already started. This month I decided to subscribe to the newspaper for kids.

It's very interesting. For me it's really easy to understand our political things.

And the English page is fun, but---

 

sometimes it's not so good.

This time stalls of food stands in summer festivals are introduced.

 

cotton candy, shaved ice, shooting gallery, goldfish scooping--they are OK. (though these days mable scooping  is more popupalr than goldfish scooping.)

 

However --- chow mein ---. Probably fried noodle is easier to understand, but it 's OK, because in Chinese it's called chow mein.

 

The strange thing is the KATAKANA sound. It's  ch- o- m-ai-n.

I think if we try to write in KATAKANA, it's ch-au-m-ai-n.

What do you think of it?

 

 

 

 

Where has the hot summer gone?

The hot summer seems to have gone, on the other hand a typhoon season has come.

I'm relieved to manage to survive against or with the hot summer. This summer, it was very very hot.

While the cool season came, my thumb started to hurt.

So I often do OKYU-- moxibustion.

It's not so bad.

 

Anyway, Monday has started. I cooked appetizers (often they become my main) for this week.

Now it's in a season of eggplants. Luckily I often get lots of eggplants.

Sometimes I grill them, sometimes I simmer them. This time I deep-fried them and soaked them with soy sauce and Dashi.

Our usual day has started

You see two pairs of chopsticks. Our usual quiet day has started.

Yuki went to work, and I -- don't have lesson today, I'm going to the gym ( so my vacation has still continued.)

 

The bright noisy sound has gone -- I miss her and I relieved.

The very hot weather seems to have gone. Today it's rainy and cool. I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt. This coolness comforts me.

Yuki and I really enjoyed with our grand daughter. We are really  happy.

 

 

Last summer, she was born, and now she can play with lots of things.

==== for her just riding on it is fun, we don't need put a coin in the box.

 

See you Akari!

Before OBON vacattion

 Next week we have one-week vacation called OBON vacation.

Lots of people go traveling or visit their parents or grandparents.

It means another busiest week with our granddaughter will come.

So before the busy OBON vacation, fortunately Yuki could take a day off, so we visited a hot spring nearby. 

In the late evening we got there, and walked around the inn.

There we took foot-bath, and had beer in a cafe?bar? .

And we stayed there one night. We had a traditional Japanese breakfast-- I forgot when I had such a breakfast. I have stayed a hotel or an inn sometimes for these years, nevertheless, probably all of them served or we choiced Western style.  

Then we started hiking. We walked for 20 or 30 minutes and met a waterfall in the forest.

In this area there are some small but beautiful walls.

 We saw two waterfalls.

It was before OBON vacation, so there were not so many people and we could stay at a reasonable price. If we stay there in OBON vacation it costs more than double for the weekday price.

Well, well, another busiest (or happy) week with Akari will wait for us.

Before true OBON vacation, Yuki is going to golf  this weekend, and I have to attend two events with my students, though the events are fun for me.

Akari got one year old -4-

One hear has passed since Akari was born.

When M came back to this home last summer she said " I will go back to Tokyo as soon as possible but anway I have to stay here in one month". She was so --- offensive, or she says " at that time I was till your child, I was rebbelious." Now she is a mother  --- she is very clever, it means she takes more easy way, So she often come back here. Of course there are some reason. One reason, another Akari's mother is not so in good condition, so she has to go to Sendai. However it's a little bit difficult to go straingt to Sendai, so first she comes here and stay one night and she goes to Senday by burrent train to and from. And  --- she stays with us for a few days to take a rest.

 

Anyway I made this photo book as a memory.

I downloaded an application in my ipad and ordered this photo book using photos on my ipad.

It was very easy and not so expensive.

I added some HAIKU (short Japanese poem) in each page.

On the other hand M made photo book to go to a photo shop.

 

One year changed us a lot.

To tell the truth, Yuki and I are very happy when they come back here, however, I don't like vacuum after they go back to Tokyo.

And probably I do to much for them and after they go back to Tokyo I'm really tired.

 

So this is our today's breakfast.

 

 

 Well, well, our usually life of two of us has started.

--- though in one week OBON vacation comes.

Akari got one-year old. -3-

During M's staying, she usually takes a lesson of architect at school for one day here in Utsunomiya.

So I was taking care of Akari on a weekday.

 

First I went to a baker to have morning snack at 10 o'clock.

Akari ate baby rice crackers.

Then I went to the library.
On the day from 11;00 to 11:40, story time was held for babies--- of course in Japanese.
Additionally  on the third Tuesdays from 11:00 "I" do story time in English for babies.

She listened to the storyteller hard, and played or read books.
Then we had lunch at restaurant.
At this restaurant they serve low-allergy menu, it means eggs, milk, wheat are not included. These days during having baby food they recommend not to eat eggs, mile and wheat much. So there Akari "ate" rice-bread, soy milk stew and baked potatoes,  I ate "stake".
Additionally the price of Akari's food and my food were alomst same.

Akari got one year old. -2-

During M & Akari staying, Yuki had a holiday.

So we went to a mountain to escape this hotness.

There --- we got on a lift.

It is a ski resort in winter, and during the summer it is opened as a lily park. And to climb the mountain ( or hill) one ski lift works.

We didn't expect that AKARI was accepted. HOWEVER, she was accepted.

So all of four got on a lift and went to the top of the mountain.

On the top of mountain it was really cool.

So we decided to climb down the hill on foot. (Her baby car also got on a lift together, this was another surprise.)

 

You can see M, the baby car and Yuki.

I took the photo on the half way to the "goal" ( it means the rest house).

For young mother "M", and the person who is getting used to walk on the golf course, this walking must have been not so bad. HOWEVER for me --- it was foolhardy.

--- My stinginess ( or my thrift) brought this result.

Well, well the scenery is really good.

However the fee is 1000 yen a person (It's OK, because I got two free tickets), and the fee of one way lift is 700 yen  a person.

(Additionally it doesn't cost money to carry a baby car. But it was funny and strange. because, four of us, though Akari was carried in M's arms got on one lift, and the baby car , itself  got on another lift with no one.)

 

It was a good hiking course, so many people climbed up and down with sneakers.

So probably next summer "I" will use a lift to and from.

Akari got one year old. -1-

Since I updated this blog last time, one week has passed. It's August!

During the last week,  our younger daughter M and our grand daughter Akari was staying here in Utsunomiya.

We celebrated her one-year- birthday.

 

This is her lunch.

I cooked simmered vegetables (tasted soy sauce a little), grilled hamburger stake ( not only for her but also ours) and made cold potato soup.

 

They and Akari's father came here to Utsunomiya around noon, so in the morning I cooked some (for me lots) of dishes.

 

The main was hamburger stakes, because Akari also could eat it.

The hamburger for adults were "huge", because I bought 1kg grand pork, and  ----" this is a very important point ". Yuki said,--- Yuki kneaded the ingredients of hamburger. In his life it was the first time, and I hope it wouldn't be the last time.

 

And the special is --- the cake with her likeness.

Near my house there is a Japanese sweet shop, these days probably the owner's son help his parents and he is good at cake. So now the sweet shop serves Japanese sweets and cakes. And he makes such a cake with likeness.

Akari doesn't eat such cake yet, and unfortunately she didn't seem whose face it is on the cake. But Akari's mother (our daughter) and father seemed very happy.

It is not a Japanese custom, but I like this idea.

Akari's birthday is July 24. It is a weekday, so Akari's mother and father celebrated the birthday instantly the early morning at their house in Tokyo,
Next day they came to Utsunomiya, and we celebrated her birthday again like this way.
Then next day they went to Sendai. There another Akarai's grandmother and Akaria's parents celebrated her birthday again.
It means she got three year old in three days.
In Senday, Akari carried "ISHOU MOCHI" which is huge rice cake on her back and belly.  To be collect they tried to her to carry them but failed.
It is a Japanese custom in some area ( I knew this custom when I came here to Utsunomiya). It means the baby will never suffer hunger.
And on the same day M and Akari came back to Utsumoiya, Akari's father came back to Tokyo.

Hot hot hot

These are our main dishes for this week. Most of them have already gone.

I made them this Monday.

Most of things are cold, and they are really suitable for our breakfast and my lunch &dinner.

Especially cold pumpkin soup were good.

 

Since I updated this blog a week has passed and we have had hot days.

I know Japanese summer is hot, but this year it suddenly got hot. So I see the news that some one die by heat stroke on the newspaper. Probably more people die than usual.

 

Last weekend I had two events.

One was to read English picture books at the library. Last weekend was three-day weekend. However ten couples ( I didn't except it) attended to it.

 

 

Another event was another kid's event which was organized by my company, so I had to attend it as a teacher.

Anyway I made it.

These days my snack is this one.


Carrots and honey juice.
It is really tasty though it's  a little bit troublesome to pill carrots and wash the mixer.


Well, well, I got this bunch of lavender. I'm drying them. It is spreading the good smell. It makes me forget this hotness.

It's really difficult.

 

This is the text book I use for high school students.

We have to explain about these pictures which are popular in Japan, but probably are not familiar in other countries.

Can you explain these pictures?

 

The answers are ---probably---

1, It's a kind of buzzer, you push this button in order to call the waitstaff anytime you want service.

2, It's a kind of spatula, it is designed for cutting and eating okonomiyaki or monjayaki not just for cooking it.

3. It might be interesting. You press the button to make a flash sound so that people don't hear any bathroom noise.

 

 

Well, about No,3 -- I did a search and found this explanation. I really thought "Oh, I get it".

Too hot

Since the day before yesterday, it has been hot-- too hot. Four days ago it was so cold that I wore a sweater -- you might be surprised. But on the day I went out and saw a man wearing a sweater, so I knew that I didn't need to pretend to be OK without wearing sweater. It's right, isn't it. It was cold, so I wore a sweater --it is self-evident.

Anyway it's too hot. So I picked some herbs from my garden and made herb tea and let it cool.

While I was picking some herbs, I also picked DOKUDAMI (someone says it's a kind of Japanese herb, and other people say it's pesky weed. For me, this time it's an important herb without pesticide.

I picked some, and washed them, and pickled them into vodka. in three weeks, it will come a natural bug spray for AKARI. Yes, the pretty & noisy, smiling&crying AKARI comes. She will be one year in this month. How fast time flies!

 

Last Sunday Yuki and I went to downtown. It was the day that Utsunomiwa city was bombed out in the air rise. I heard about 800 people were killed. Paper lanterns were floated on the river to hold a memorial service and not to forget the war.

These days in Japan we discuss about Article 9 of the constitution. It is too difficult for me to say something. But we had the war, we did the war, it's true, And we shouldn't wage war again.

  

 

 

It's Friday

No I've had lunch which are the leftover of our breakfast and Gyouza I filed.

If you are Japanese, it looks strange. 

Well finally Friday has come.

To tell the truth it was difficult for me to adjust the change of temperature. Yesterday I was almost in bed, though I did my lessons.

Today I'm getting better and the weather is getting warmer, so I could go out to do my workout at a  gym.

On these early weekdays I went out alone.

I went to see a movie alone. Though you might be surprised it was the first time for me to see the movie. The movie depicted Hansen's disease, and the patient is acted by my favorite senior, so I really wanted to see the movie. Of course it was impressing.

It was Monday morning so 

There were only six senior ladies including me. Utsunomiya is a provincial Ccity, in the media is so we don't have many theaters. There are two big theaters, which are first-run theaters, in the big shopping malls. So I think if I went there alone, I would feel lonely. On the other hand the theater  I went this time is a small theater. It seemed to be a private space.

Seeing movie for myself is added as one of my hobbies and one of my relaxing ways. 

Do you think fast-food restaurants are reponsible for obesty?

 

Now I've eaten up plenty of "meat" for my lunch. Probably it gave me enough energy to work from now to the night.

It became "minor (not great) news a few weeks ago in Japan that using trans-fatty acid into foods is going to be prohibited in three years in Japan. I don't know why in Japan it wouldn't have become great new. I think business community ( especially food business community) would have applied pressure to spread the news.

On the other hand these days we see more coconut oil, and flax oil in the supermarkets. It's interesting.

 

Anyway what do you think fast-food restaurants will be like in 3 years?

Can they pursue more healthy food?

 

 

This breakfast is served at MOS -burger. We call this rice-burger. Probably it's a kind of fast-food or junk-food. However I like it.

Sometimes I like such a fast-food, it's convenient and tasty.

I know that having breakfast at such a fast-food restaurant, I don't feel hungry until noon, on the other hand , when I have my "healthy" breakfast at home and go out, I feel hungry past 10:30.

 

 

 

 

This is today's breakfast. Today I'm at home, so I ate lunch at noon.

 

 

What do you think public transportation will be like in 30 years?

In 30 years, I will be over 80 or you can say I will be near 90. So it's difficult to think about it.
For these 30 years public transportation has changed a lot. Many people have cars, especially in provincial area it's difficult to live easily without cars. However it's only a matter of time before many  senior people can't drive by themselves.
So I think auto driving electric car for one or two people (does it make sense?) will be popular in 30 years. If it comes true, I will be able to go out by myself without drivers.
What do you think of it?

Moxibustion

Today I learnt a new word "moxibustion" from a dictionary.

We usually call "OKYU", so sorry  in this blog let me use the word OKYU instead of moxibustion.

Additionally I also learnt we use MOGUSA leaves on OKYU, and the English word named after MOKUSA (MOGUSA).

 

Monday this set was delivered, of course I bought it on the Internet.

I had been in interested in OKYU, while I thought it would be "troublesome".

However I decided to try it. And I also want to do OKYU to Yuki.

Okyu is smilier to acupuncture. We use hot MOGUSA instead of needles.

Can you see smoke? Though there is a non-smoke type, I used a traditional type.

Than I expected it was easy to do it.

I used OKYU for senen-kyu which has been very popular for a long time in Japan.
This morning before Yuki went to work I did 5 minute OKYU for Yuki.

And this afternoon I did 20 minute OKYU for myself to make myself relax.
Are you interested in it?