Before Valentine's Day 2

Yesterday we made heart trees.

And we made big hearts with origami. 

We were folding origami while watching this YouTube.

http://youtu.be/svvbF1PC5Bw

Why such a difference appears?

Before Valentines day

 

Valentine's day is just around the corner.

Have you prepared something for the day yet?

In Japan " as a custom" women present  tiny things for men to show their usual thanks (not love).

So I already gave a small chocolate box to the master of Karaku, and bought special chocolate for me and (Yuki) and stock it in the shelf until on the day.

Of course I've presented some tiny things to my students and my friends including audience at Karaku for this week.

This year I found a funny thing which is paper mask with lots of hearts.

It's caught a big hit, though nobody seems to wear it in front of others.

 

 

For students I've made Valentine card using "doilies".

For us the word "doily" us not unfamiliar.

A few years ago my friend living in America sent some doilies made by thin PVC.

They are really practical, I've used them carefully and repeatedly for some years. But some of them got dirty and I had to dispose them. Now I have some doilies, and this time I decided to use them for arts and crafts showing the picture book.

 

How do you enjoy Valentine's day?

Though it's a holiday.

According to our calendar, today it's a holiday.

It's a simple holiday, it means probably we don't have any special events in public.

On the other hand Yuki goes to work as usual, and I have some lessons from the evening. So for me it's a usual day, except not going to workout. (Because the gym is closed.)
So I thought it was a lazy morning.

So after I finished usual house chores, I started to cook Chinese cabbage with white sauce.
And I noticed I have no Fryer Dustboxes.
I try to make and preserve some fryer dustboxes when I have nothing to do or after read the news paper. However I always forget it.

All of things make me happy.
Though it's OK to spend a holiday alone lazily, I sometimes feel left out.( I don't know what is the suitable word to express this my feeling.)

And I got a call from my friend. in 30 minutes she is to drop by me.

Anyway it is a busy holiday morning.

Addition
Jan, do you see it?
When I peel an apple, the skin goes to the box and I throw away the box into the garbage box.
When I measure some powder, I use the box as a cup, and after cooking, I throw away the box into the garbage box.

In my kitchen or most kitchens in Japan we don't have the system "direct garbage" (I named) of you. So many people put a small garbage box at the corner of the sink, but I don't like the way.
 

Karaku in Feburary

Yesterday it was a day of KARAKU. it means I am an one-day pianist.

For two years I have been doing this activity with a local pro-actress "Masako-san".

We show about 30-minute show. First I play some tunes with piano, and she shows about 10-minute- performance, usually reading a short essay or some poems.

This time she introduced love letters written by famous writers, because as you know Valentine's day is just around the corner.

And I play some tunes again as a background music, it means customers at this cafe enjoy talking hearing my music. (not listen to my music)

And she show about 5-minute performance again. Usually she reads something I prepare beforehand.

And I play the last tune.

That's all.

 

It's not a job.I'm not a pro-pianist. However I got a chance to play the piano in front of audience coincidentally, and after that I can be served this treat without paying. So it's a kind of job because about a 800yen reward ( If I paid this sweet set) is offered for our 30 minute performance.

I'm a lucky person.

 

On the other hand Masako-san is professional actress, so usually she earns money from her performance. So in her case it's a volunteer job. Until now she enjoys this performance. Because she can read any things without banding royalty. In Japan we don't pay royalty to publisher or writers on volunteer reading.

 

So I'm a lucky person from this reason.

 

However Masako-san seems to be more busy, so I know until when she will be able to perform with me.

Anyway I have a good time once a month at Karaku.

 

A new sandwich cafe

Do you like sandwiches? Yes, I like them.
Recently a new sandwich shop & cafe has opend.
Yesterday I dropped by it.

And this is our breakfast.
Well, well, they said to eat them in a day when you bought, however we ate them one day later.
Don't mind--- probably, anyway until now I'm fine, and probably Yuki is fine.
 

Valentines Day is just around the corner.
In this season, fortunately or unfortunately I have to read a book of poem.
English poems are always "difficult " to me, probably "Hiku" in Japanese might be difficult to you, foreigners.
 

Sarashi

This is Sarashi.

Do you know how this is used?

In English it is called breached cotton, (I know now, and it's right literally.)

 

Fortunately I have kept the rest of unused SARASHI  in a storage.

 

When my children were baby, I used as their diaper.

Of course Akari doesn't use it. Nowadays we use paper diaper (though some naturalist use cloth diaper)

When my children were child, I often use them as big bandages to wrap their knees,  as a towel to cool their head against high fever, or as a belly warmer.

So all of them except Yuki owed it.

And finally Yuki needed it for this weekend.

 

Accidentally (not accidentally he practiced play too much) he twisted his low back.

I applied some cold compresses. I think the low backs must be better to be settled. First I suggested to put low-back-band. But it was a little bit too tight.

So I wrapped his low back with this SARSSHI.

It worked very well.

Not too tight, not too loose.

 

 

ACHA---

ACHA-- is Japanese, it means "oh no!"
I twisted my food, and went to see a doctor. And I have a chip fracture (this is the new word for me, and I know the word in Japanese, it is the first time for myself to get it.)

When???
yesterday.
Where??? don't ask me, just I walked as usual, a small road was a gravelly path. I twisted between a big rock board and gravelly area.
If you understand and imagine the situation, it means you are senior.

The doctor said, if you use your food very often, I put a cast on your foot.
I thought, my work is ---mainly sitting on the chair, so I won't need it.

However it's my mistake. My join job is house errands. No one is there in my house so I do all things by myself, just take a spoon.

 

I walk slowly though I can't stand this situation,

On the other hand Hiroko-san (my mother who is over 80), acts very well though she often says (I can't act like you.)

 

Well, well, though everyone says, when I'm in the situation I can understand the situation on the same people. (How do you say this sentence more familiar in English?)

 

Setsubun

Today, it is SETSUBUN, the day of throwing beans, the day of eating beans as many as your age.

Well, if you are interested in SETSUBUN, please get the information from the net.

Anyway we ate 6 beans each, though I took the photo after Yuki ate one (roasted soy) bean.

If we obeyed the rule, we would have to eat at least 55 soy beans, but it's too much,

So we rounded the number of our age to the 10, and ate beans equal to the number in the tenth place. (Does it make sense?)

Yesterday, I held a small workshop.

Read these books in Japanese and in English, and cooked some meals on the book.

 

This is Yorkshire Pudding. According to the book, Mary Poppins cuts it into squares for serving.

Though including me four participants were there, nobody knew real Yorkshire pudding.

However checking current Yorkshire Puddings on the net it seems not to be different from this. (the ingredients are not so different.)

If you know ordinal or old style Yorkshire Pudding, please tell me.

 

Instagram

I struggled with Instagram. Anyway I did it.
This is my Instagram page for my meals.
I didn't know that Instagram is able to be organized only by iphone or ipad.
I hope you who sometimes drop my diary, and fotolog members come to my Instagram.


This time I put my own photo on the profile place.
I had been hesitated until then, however, these days I had a good photo of me which was taken by my daughter. When I saw ONO-YOUKO exhibition, I did some performance to experience her works. The photo is one of my performances.

Last week I faced into this new computer with Windows 10. I have almost finished to organize it, and the PC and I are settled.


While I was organizing my files and photos in my old PC, I decided to let go of my books.
Now I'm waiting for cardboard boxes.
These days it seems to be very convenient.
I asked a bookseller to buy my old books, then they send some cardboard boxes and take them for free.
It's better than to put them into recycle boxes. Someone might read or buy my books.
I thought I would take them into the library, but most of them are paper books, so they don't deal with them.

Did you remember the word "dan-sya-ri". I still continue to  throw away 15 things in a week.
For me "dan-sya-ri" is more effective that KONMARI-method.

Fotolog site seems to be closed

Since I knew Fotolog site in 2004, I have tried to put my photo on it constantly.
First they were my crafts for teaching English, because at that time I was a fresh children English teacher.

Then I have  put an OBENTOU for Megumi  on it almost every day for two years since 2006 when Tomomi left our house.

 

Since my two daughters left here, I almost have had a empty nest syndrome, so I have put a photo of my lunchbox.

Then in 2009 summer, Lea who is a French girl, came to stay with us for three months.

Since she left here, I started to put my lunch box photo, again.
However, I knew how important our (Yuki and my) breakfast was, and the rest of breakfast became my lunch. (Until then, the rest of my lunch box meals was the breakfast.)

ONO YOKO : From my window

 

Have you ever heard of the name "ONO YOKO"?

 

If you know her name, do you know of her as an artist? a writer? a pacifist or John Lennon's wife?

For me she is a writer and John Lennon's wife. And The surprised thing for me is that though she is over 80, she is still active and tries to disseminate something to the world.

So I really wanted to see her exhibition, and went to TOKYO. The Exhibition is being held in Tokyo.

Fortunately my elder daughter T was available on the day.

 



 

 

 

It was a weekday, so not so many people were there.And the people there are in their various generation, and they are all "fashionable" because they seem to be interested in Ono Yoko, or a big fan of her. (Actually I also tried to wear something fashionable as much as I could)

 

I think it's difficult to have  such atmosphere the place and people make in Utsunomiya, even at the art museums in Utsunomiya. It's the reason why I like Tokyo, and it's the reason why Tokyo makes me a little bit tired.

 

Have you ever heard of the word "bag piece"?

The aim is showing inside without outlook.

---- difficult, to tell the truth, her works were all difficult to try to understand specifically.

So I enjoyed just with my feeling.

 

Anyway we can make this work by myself.

Just there are big black cloth bags. one is for an adult, one is for a child, and the other is for two adults.

 

I put it on.

 

And I performed.

The sigh said "do your daily action".

So I did.

Can you guess what I did?

 

 



I tried to shake someones hand.
I did my welcome pose.
And I bowed saying "YOUKOSO" in Japanese style.

My daughter T was laughing.
It's OK, making myself freely in this huge public place brought me a lots of fun, and laughing.

It was an attractive day in TOKYO.

We are struggling with the new telephone.

 

It is our new telephone. We  had used the previous one for about 20 years. It had still worked however it consistently made noise. So we changed it into this new one.

These days people they don't have home telephones are increasing, though we still use one.

 

What we want is to be able to call, and to be able to do FAX, -- I almost forgot, and an answerphone message.

 

However ---

 

How many buttons it has except numbers.

The red button is an answerphone message.

 

What are these under the message display?????

 

I don't like read the "thick" instruction manual.

Anyway I can call, and answer.

Anyway I can send a FAX --probably, but I don't know I can receive a FAX because it is put into the SD card.

Anyway I could set the answerphone.

 

We were able to get too simple telephone. But it was not enough. I had wanted a telephone with a just few options.

 

Too simple, or too complicated --- it's tough to catch up current technology.

Haiku

Have you ever heard of Haiku? It is the shortest poem in the world. It has only three lines. In Japanese the lines have 5,7, and 5 syllables. There is one important point about the Haiku. It usually has a Kiko, or a season word.

One of the most famous Haikus goes like this; Furu-ike ya / Kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto

Compare this with its English version; The old pond / A frog jumps in / The sound of water.

Of course the seasnoal word of this Haiku is a frog. It's a word for spring.

 

Well I sometimes attend a meeting of Hiku.

Next week I'll attend the meeting after a long interval.

 

I'll introduce my Haikus before the meeting in English.

I hope you enjoy my Haikus with your imagination.

 

 

 

On a curbstone / chillaxingly, quietly / sit in the winter sun

branches broke / strict winter as usual/ here is Utsunomiya

 

 

Snow

l

It was snowing until noon, now it seems to stop.

Because of snow, today's morning chores had been changed. I gave to go out by car.

I had some things I was going to to in the morning, like going to bank, sending mails from the post office, and so on.

Instead of them I decided to PC works, ---

however, "thanks to the snow", I had four calls from friends. All of them said "How's snowing? I thought you are staying home, because of snow. " then "I also gave up to go out, so let's talk on the phone for a while!"

I seldom talk to of them so it's OK. I'm happy. It means I spent the half of the day with chatting.

 

Additionally, Yuki is absent from work, because he is sick (not so bad). It's unusual thing.

So -- I need to nurse him, serving tea at 10, serving lunch at 12, and now it's time to serve tea and snack .

 

 

Anyway today I want to do DANSYARI of my PC --- it means I want to organize my PC files, because I need to use windows10.
My pc is unfortunalty getting old like me. Before moving to windows 10, I need to reconsider all files and old software programs.

PS

Today, it's Wednesday, though we have snow a little, it's sunny.

Yuki recovered and go to work as usual.

He has a good noise. He seldome reads my diary, but councidently, he read this report. And said "exaggerated, just served a cup of tea" ---- it's right.

Today's breakfast

This photo is not today's breakfast.

My face book showed this photo today, which was taken on the day three years ago.

The night before the day it snowed, so the morning on the day the roads frozen. Yuki went to work very earlier than usual. So I cooked quick-breakfast.

And even though it had been cold  we used to have cold home made yogurt drink with green kale powder.

 

This is the photo of today's breakfast.

You will notice hamburgers.

Today I had to go to the station very early, and on the way back home I bought these hamburgers at MOS-burger shop (not Mac).

 

Yesterday Yuki went to TOKYO on business, and he was going to come back here at night.

However he drank too much ( he said not too much, just a little), and he fell asleep, the train passed the Utsuomiya station with him. So he stayed at a hotel in front of FUKUSHIMA station which is 100 far north from here. And he came back to Utsunomiya on the first train. Of course kind Mieko picked him up.

 

Anyway according to the report written three years ago it was very cold. This year it's not so cold, though according to the weather report it is going to be cold next week. Nowadays I often cook  potato portage with TOUFU.

The white one is it. Hot soup suits winter even though it's not cold, doesn't it?

 

 

usual days

Now it's past one o'clock. As soon as I update this blog, I go out to KARAKU to play the piano.
Yes, today it is the day that I change into a pianist.
Now I've spent usual days with Yuki.

Yesterday I went to a fair in my city with my friend who is as old as I. The friend and I have been friends since I came here, it means about 30 years has passed since we've know each other. And nowadays we go the fair without our kids.
Here we usually buy KIBUNA which is a kind of good luck charm or an amulet and is dealt only in UTSUNOMIYA. It derives from a folk story in Utsunomiya.
If you are interested in it --- please drop this site. ( I think I get a permission from my friend.)

It's time to go to KARAKU.

Quiet life again.

Every member spends days reselectively.

Yesterday I had lunch alone at home.

 I couldn't eat it all up, because it was too big. Until a few days ago it was not enough for  5 embers, so I peeled two big pears. 

What a quiet day it was.

I started my job again. The first mission for my students was making good lunch charms. Some of my students have to take entrance exams to junior high, high school, or college. I bet they will do their best.

Hatsmoude

We visited a shrine where it takes about 30 minutes by car to do Hatsumoude.

Hatsumoude means that, it  is an event to pray for safety and peace for the year by visiting a shrine ( sometimes temple ) for the first time since the start of a new year.

We are served free a cup of Amazake  , and "can" strike the bell.

Yes, Akari is still with us. Tomorrow they will go back to TOKYO.

So I'm cooking their lunch and dinner box for tomorrow.

Do you know these phrases?

A friend who is from South Africa and lives in Utsunomiya , introduced an interesting website.

http://youtu.be/0CU1JFjbBeY

They introduce 12 Japanese phrases.

 One of them is "it can't be helped", whic is put out of my mouth often.  However there us a little bit difference in Japanese and in English.

If you are interested it, please check the website.

Well, yesterday we went to TOKYO and had a big feast.

Happy new year

All members saw the first sunrise from a window of the upstairs.

Happy new year!!!

And enjoy Osechi !!

From now on our daughters go shopping by Yuku's drive. I'll take a nap.