Today's breakfast

Yesterday I got some gifts.
Our neighbour gave us good bacon and fresh eggs. Good bacon is expensive, so I'm really happy.
At night, a student came to take my lesson with a bag of cut squash which is called KABOCHA in Japanese.

It is the first KABOCHA that grew up in her grandmother's garden this year. They think it might be trouble for me to cut it. So they already cut it for me. I set some pieces aside for next morning's breakfast  and put the other in the freezer.

Today I'll go to a private nursery school to read some English picture books. It is the first time  for me to visit there. I'm a little bit nervous and excited, thinking about what mothers and kids I'll meet today are like?

 

How to use a word "begrudge"

I learnt a word begrudge on the previous post.
Well, well, ----

Yesterday a student came, who is 8 years old. She also take dance lessons at a place.
She said.
"Hey, Mieko-Sensei guess what! I thought my dance teacher must have been 23 years old, but she is 51 years old. I can't believe it."

I said "I can't believe it either."

Her mother is probably in her 30's. Even even though the dance teacher "looked" younger than me, it cannot be helped, but the teacher looked younger than her mother.  "I begrudge her (the teacher is she.) youth." ( I know my limitation about my looks.)

Well, I don't know how she judged that she would have been 23 years old, but anyway the other day she knew her correct age from the teacher directly.

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Well today I went out to meet an owner at cafe with lunch. The bread was really delicious.

It's the time for my lesson. First a 5-year girl will come. What will she tell me today?

Today's news paper

Today it's sunny. I'll go out before noon to meet a friend.This morning I read today's news paper with a forced smile.

Well, what page of the newspaper do you usually read the first?
And, what page of the newspaper are you interested in the most?

First I check the top page to know what happens currently.
It was about OZAWA-ICHIRO who was Former Democratic Party of Japan leader. Is be able to make a new group? Is he still remain in Democratic Party?

And I read the page of living. I like the advice column. Today a man who is in the fifty's posted his worry.
He envies his promoted colleague, and he hate himself who has such a feeling.
Though I've heard in English the word "envy" doesn't use so much, I tend to envy someone. I envy you why you are good at organizing your house. I envy you why you are good at cooking. I envy you why you can afford to travel abroad  --- and so on.

The adviser said that
"People tend to compare others who are in the same generation. Because people think they are on the same level. But to tell the truth, there is a big gap among people. We can't do what others can do. We can do what others can't do. In another saying ever one has different ability. And it's called "difference", or gap. If you want to be a person who don't envy anyone, you must learn your limitation, or you must know your worth. If you want to break your limitation, you should do self-reformation hard.
Which way do I go, trying to break my limitation, or to learn my limitation.

This is today's breakfast.

It was cold today.

Today, for me it was cold.  I checked my diary on this day last year. (Since last year I've used a 10-year diary to keep my diary). Last year I changed  a wool carpet into a bamboo carpet for summer on this day. This year I don't do that yet, because it's not so "hot".

How was your weekend?

Yesterday  my big job was finished with success. I was invited to a seminar as a lecturer,  I introduced my English picture books collection, and demonstrated how I read English picture books with kids.  I had been preparing for this seminar for a few weeks. So I'm really happy to finish the seminar with success. Next month I'll do it again.

At elementary school, many people read Japanese picture books to kids as volunteers, but few people read English picture books. I hope more people read English picture books while they read Japanese ones. In Japan we don't have lots of chance to use English, and to hear English, to see people who use English.So reading English picture books to kids is one way to show kids using English naturally.

After the seminar, Yuki and I went out to eat YAKINIKU (grilled meat) to reward my job at night, (or I can say, it was just troublesome to cook dinner.)

Though I wrote I was happy to finish the job, on the other hand I think how I poor. I need to improve my English skill more. It's really difficult to keep my incentive of studying English. Writing this diary is one way to keep my incentive.

How was your weekend?

First I changed the decoration of the entrance hall.
Now it's rainy season in Japan. The typical things in rainy season are "hydrangeas" and "snails", I think.
Can you see  a wooden picture? I made it a few years ago at a art work shop.














On Saturday it was rainy, so Yuki's tennis lessons was canceled, it means that he was at home. So we went out for lunch.
The restaurant was interesting. Can you see a think like a beehive. We call it beehive. "It" is a part of pig guts. Though not so bad, I couldn't eat it, unfortunately. Instead of me, Yuki ate. Yuki is always good helper when we go out to eat something. Thanks to Yuki, I can try to eat various things. I think people who eat such pig buts are French, Chinese and Japanese people.



On Sunday, it was Father's day. Our two daughters called Yuki, and supported him to buy a new golf club, though before their calling he had already "clicked" a new club on the screen of his PC.  And he went to play golf on Father's day.

On the other had I went out an art museum where Finland exhibition was held. This time I knew that Finland is smaller than Japan.
Now Finland is getting popular, because of a cell phone company "Nokia". For young ladiws probably "marrimekko" is the familiar company in Finland. Actually I knew this textile company from my daughters. And for me when I hear Finland I think Arabia table wares.What image do you have about Finland?



And in the evening we went out to buy some things at a high-grade delicatessen section. We had a quiet dinner at home. It was a nice weekend. Let's enjoy this week, too.

Wednesday

Yesterday I played the piano at a cafe KARAKU, though there were a few people to come to listen to the piano, I could talk to each other and had a wonderful time. I'm a lucky person to have a chance to play the piano even though I'm not a pro pianist. Of course the sweet time after playing the piano is luxury time to me.

The master of KARAKU is from NAGASAKI, which is famous for ARITA pottery. He always order the table ware he uses in the cafe to his friend who is a famous craftsman,  NAKAMURA HEIZABU. These days Mr. NAKAMURA seems to decide to retire because he is almost 80 years old.

So the master said "the table ware here might be last stock.".

 I've thought I 'd like to get one of them someday.

I know my shelf is full of table ware, so I don't have more room. so it is the time to buy new one when one of them breaks.

This morning I took one of bowl which I don't use so often. I thought if I seldom use it I'll be able to throw away, and buy new one.

I used it for today's breakfast. It was used at my mother's house, long long time ago.

It's not so bad. I can't throw it away. It means I can't buy new one.

Patience is necessary to have a simple life.



Rainy season has started

Even in Utsunomiya rainy season has started. Though it's not rainy, it's "really" cool and cloudy today.
Durin rainy season I have to scrub our tiled bath room more often. (It's not a toilet. In Japan usually a bath room and a toilet are separated.). I always keep the windows open, but it's easy to get moldy.

Last weekend Yuki and I went out to a public museum to see  Utunomiya historical exhibition. As we expected, there were not so many people. The exhibition was really organized well. But unfortunately there were not so many people. It's a usual thing about public events except food events. Why? The main reason is that they are poor at advertisement. Actually we knew the event recently, and fortunately we could go there on the last day of the exhibition. I think they may use our tax a little bit more to advertise such an event.

A woman says an interesting thing.
If you want to make your dream come true, first you should image the dream clearly and strongly.
 --- I understand this part. The interesting thing is the second thing.
And, you should clean your house every nook and cranny. When you live in a clean house, you feel always refresh and excited naturally. This exciting makes your life active. It means you do every thing very hard, and you are going to your dream easily.
 ( I hope you understand my translation.)

Though I scrubbed the bath room today, Am I closer to my dream a little bit?
What is my dream???? If I were more positive, if I spoke English more fluently, if I were good at sports, if I were more rich. Though I have lots of things that if I were---, it's difficult to have strong images.

What is your dream?

Friday

It is the last weekday of this week.  I'm doing usual things including lessons, volunteer works and house chores. Doing usual things makes me satisfied. Because it means I have no problems especially health problems. Sometimes this changeable weather causes dizziness or a strong headache to me. But fortunately this week I have no troubles.

Now in my garden lots of herbs are growing well. Parsley, basil, SHISO-leaves, sage, and so on. Every morning I pick up some herbs and use for breakfast. Today I cooked salad with DAIKON, tomatoes and Italian parsley.

Some students said "here is covered with grass". Actually herbs are kind of grasses, it' s true. But I don't need weeding.

Today I went to work out. I couldn't go there these days. More than one week passed since I went there. I know I "don't like" working out, but I "want to " work out to keep and improve my health.
Do you know how I can "enjoy" going to work out? --- though I really like to eat out.

What are you going to do this weekend?

I have to attend a meeting of my English company, so this Saturday is the day for job.
On Sunday, I'll attend another meeting that my friend organizes, it's fun.

Have a nice weekend.



Saturday

Today, it was Saturday. It was a really nice day, not so cold and not so hot. Today Yuki was at home in the daytime. Unusually today's tennis lesson was cancelled.Though in the morning we had a guest, in the afternoon we decided to go driving to KARASUYAMA, which it takes 1 hour from here Utsunomiya by car.
There is a popular cafe with lots of flowers.

Actually it is a cafe & garden, but it's also a private house. The family open their garden.

The rose mainly to be climbing roses. (I'm not familiar with roses. These days I know that roses are classified into some groups by shapes; Hybrid Tea, Floribunda Rose,Miniature Rose, Climbing roses, and Spray roses.)

There are three members in this house, a couple and their mother. The husband is in the landscape business, of course mainly he takes care Japanese garden. On the other hand the wife loves roses. So little by little she planted roses in their garden. And at last she changed their Japanese garden into the rose garden, though some area still a Japanese garden with a wonderful Japanese pine tree.
And some area is for their mother who grows vegetables. They have a big garden.

The wife seemed to be busy. Fortunately we could talk with the husband.
He said --

Now it is the best season of our garden. You enjoy to smell roses. Actually I like a Japanese garden, there used to be a pond, a miniature hill, and so on. Now my wife occupied my garden. But it's not bad. Thanks to her lots of people come to see our garden and enjoy. It's fun. My mother also enjoys. Growing roses is a tough job. In winter the land here freeze. So before winter we need to care them a lot to protect them against cold winter.
Now they are tied to keep this shape. In winter we untied them and  prune them. It is also a tough job.
--

Actually the wife was entertaining guests, the husband was pruning roses, and their mother who looks like being about 80 weeding. All of them were taking care of their garden.



There is a famous sake brewery in Karasuyama.On the way home we drop by it, of course to buy SAKE.

Four days exhibition

At Ateria Inaka, which is a cafe & gallery near my house, a small exhibition is being held for only four days.  (From 5/31 to 6/3). The owner asked his friends who are craft men, artists, or shop owners  to offer 5 things for the exhibition. Luckily my elder daughter T was able to join it, though she is not a pro.

 These five earrings are all, but for her it is the day for her works to debut in Utsunomiya.
These are made from hand-made pepper, of course she made the paper. And they are processed to be stronger and be waterproof.

Others pro works are wonderful.  If you have time this page of facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ATELIER-INAKA/199217350163331#!/media/set/?set=a.311158408969224.74472.199217350163331&type=1

T's work might look like being armature. But it is the first step for her. I really thank to the owner of Ateria Inaka to give her this chance.

A rose garden in FURUKAWA house

Suddenly my friend E and I decided to go to Tokyo to see roses. This week is the fifth week, so I have more free time than usual.
The place we bounded was FURUKAWA house in TOKYO.
It was the first time for both us to visit there.
It's a wonderful house, isn't it? We wanted to look inside the house, but it was need to book. Though they have cafe, it opens at 1 o'clock. We couldn't stay there in the afternoon. ( We had to go back to UTSUNOMIYA.) What a shame!

 It is not an English garden. It looks like a rose exhibition. Every rose is taken care very well. My friend E is familiar with roses. She explained about roses. Thanks to her, I learn roses "a little".

This rose is called princes MICHIKO. It is named in honer of Empress Michiko.

They also have a wonderful Japanese garden with a pond. I saw some turtles there.

Of course we bought some souvenirs. I bought Japanese sweets, called "BARA(rose)-YOUKAN".

Monday

Now it's sunny, but until a few minutes ago it was raining with thunder for a while. We call such weather "TENKI-AME".

Here in Japan it is the season for roses. Actually there are some roses in my small garden.

 The weather is getting warmer, so strawberries started to get red.

It is the good season for gardening, and don't need weeding so much.

 Last week Yuki often went to Tokyo for his business, I sometimes take him to the station by car.
One day he had enough time to go on business trip, so we had breakfast at a cafe. The cafe is near the station, and it is so popular that it is always crowded with people. Recently they started morning service. So we went there before going to the station. They serve some kinds of delis.

Yesterday,(Sunday), our group open a booth at a event. Many people dropped by our booth. We could introduce our group activity enough. These days it tend to be vague the purpose of our group, but anyway I'll do something fun and useful to someone through English.  I think being with people who is fun and active makes everybody cheerful. So attending an event was a wonderful thing to me.



annular solar eclipse

Good morning. A new week has already started. This morning we enjoyed annual solar eclipse for about twenty minutes with neighbors in front of our house.

First Yuki and I was seeing the sun, and a neighbor who lives next to the door came,and other two came, and the neighbor who lives across to the road came, and another neighbor who is going to work stopped, and two men came.

So Yuki cut the special black sheet which is for seeing the sun.

When the sun started hiding, it's getting little bit dark and cool. So I served coffee for them. Yuki was busy to take photos, others were really exciting, laughing.

We had a wonderful morning.

Have a nice week.

Spices and cooking

Last Saturday, my elder daughter T came here with her friend. So I thought it was a good chance to challange the spices I got in America.

For you, all of them might be familier. But for me all of things are challengable thigs.

Chicken rub, and BBQ sauce -- I grilled chicken.

Rice seasoning mix--- I cooked Japanese rice and red rice with this spice.

Buttermilk ranch dressing mix -- I made turnip & HASAKU-orange salad.

Celery salt -- I baked quiche with SYUNGIKU-leaves

Kirkland organic no-salt seasoning -- I made asparagus salad.

Every boday enjoyed "American spice" dishes.

I also made pickles.



This day her friend took us apple pie. So I didn't need to prepare dessert.

And T gave me cute candy and her home-made coasters.

 Yuki, T, T's friend, and I talked lots, laughed lots. ---- We had a wonderful Saturday. If our younger daughter M were also with us we could have had more fun.

Our small garden in spring

Now clematis is blooming.
 I always think it's like magic. During the winter it shows only dirty brown vies. It looks completely died. But in spring it changes into green, and starts having lots of leaves and buds. And finally it blooms.

One rhubarb survived this cold winter. I planted some basil seedlings. On the other hand I see some SHISO-herb shoots.

In the backyard. lots of MITSUBA-leaves are shooting. The young shoots are "yummy". I have three kinds of mints, apple mints, spare mints, and pepper mints. Unfortunately lemon grasses didn't survive. So I planted new seedlings.

This time I didn't plant any vegetable seedlings. I hope various herbs cover the gland. If it succeeds, I don't need weeding so much.

Last Sunday it was Mother's day, Though I got calls from my daughters, they didn't come back. Elder daughter will come here this weekend, and younger daughter will send something when she gets the first salary. But Yuki bought carnations, which are a typical flower on Mother's day in Japan.

Here's our best respect, sir, Nick.

Nick is a wonderful and tough guy. He is ----, I dare not to say his age. He enjoys his retired life. He picked us at an airport. He gets up the earliest among us and prepares for "Yuki"s breakfast. ( We don't know whether Nick eats breakfast or not.)  And around 8, Nick and Yuki go out to play golf, of course Nick drives a car. As soon as they come home after the noon, Nick checks his garden. He is always looking forward to Jan's dinner. As soon as we finishes dinner, Nick starts to wash the dishes. He never let me touch the dishes.

Though he is into playing golf, he loves his garden. On the other hand he volunteers with his friends at  a dog center, He belongs to a club, which has two purposes. One is to assist for high school boys to play golf. Once a year the club hold a big golf game for them. The other  is to help children who are deaf.

When we went to Aiken,on the first day the big game was held, and he cooking hamburgers for high school boys. He cooked more than 200 hamburgers. Though he must have been tired, he took us to Augusta to listen to a concert. It took one hour drive.
Next day he also took us to Martlye beach, it took more than three our drive.

Thanks to Nick, we could go various places. Yuki drank lots of beer, but Nick never drank. Because he always drove.
Thanks Nick. Yuki and I love you!!! Please take care you knee. You should sometime take a rest at home.

People in Aiken

I'm not familiar with politics in Japan, ( or to tell the truth I'm not so interested in politics in Japan, I just do what I can do. So I pay taxes obediently)
So, I don't know about politics in America. But it seems to be an evident fact that America is a society with a big income gap.
According to the (Japanese) news paper, in America.  The income of 1% richest people account for 17% of national income. and the income of 10% richest people account for 50% of national income. ( I hope these sentences make sense.)

Anyway people I met in Aiken are all friendly and energetic.
In downtown I went to a tea shop and attended tea tasting. There Japanese tea was served, some ladies asked about Japanese tea very friendly, and some of them bought Japanese tea "Sencha".
At Martlye beach I met Jan & Nick's friends. They enjoy their retired lives with "Smart" car. though they also have a big car.

Roads are very wide, Benz looks small there. So "Smart" car looks tiny. Here in Japan Benz looks very big, and I've wanted "Smart" car, though it's expensive. (Cars are big, roads are wide, and even people are big.) I never saw people in hurry. The sky seems to be higher than in Utsunomiya.

Women are energetic and outgoing. If I spoke English fluently, I couldn't have spoke like them.

Men are outgoing and comfortable with people. Sometimes I find the word "a solitary death" on the news paper. Does this word exist in Aiken?
Well, well, let me return to talk about food. In the lesson yesterday, "Pork chop" appears on our text book. So I showed this photo.

Thanks to Jan & Nick, we had a good vacation. Jan, next time it's your turn to come to Japan, and let's go to HOKKAIDOU.