How many things you want to do do you have?

One of my younger friends, who are in her late 40s, sometimes tells me, "I did one of my 100 things I want to do".
When I hear that at first, I just told a joke about her activity.
I started to play the recorder -- actually I'm involved.
I finally went to "the shop".
I climbed a (low) mountain.
---- like that.
Some things are very easy, and  the others are a little bit difficult.

She is surely pursuing her "dream".
As the number increases, I'm interested in her activity, and I'm also influenced.

Her 100 things she wants to do is not completed. Probably there are more than 50 items.
So while she is pursing her "dream", she also adds her another dream.

It is interesting.
So I tried to do it.

And I was very surprised. Because the number didn't reach the number of 50.
I'm really observed or realistic person.

How many things do you list up what you want to do?

season word 0823 water gun

 

Water gun is MIZU-Deppou in Japanese.

MIZU means water, and Teppou(or Deppou) means gun.

This year I saw the label of "WOH-TAh- GAN" in Katakana instead of MIZU-Deppou at toy stores or do-it-yourself stores.

 

"I" also made MIZU-Deppou .

 

 

It was fun.

 

However, we used plastic straws.

Currently, plastic things are becoming a big problem as an environment issue.

Starbucks have  started to stop using plastic straws, A Japanese big food company Skylark also have started to stop using them.

On the other hand, plastic bottles and plastic straws are main material for kid's crafts.

Of course when I was a child there were not such materials.

Ever period, kids use the current materials for their craft.

What kind of materials will appear when AH-chan become an adult?

about EEl

Definitely I love UNAGI (eel).
And my mother, my mother in-law also loves one.

This summer,  there seemed to be a shortage of Eel.
One reason is that, currently not only in Japan, but also in other Asian country (China, Taiwan, and Korea) they knew the taste and started to eat them.
The second reason is that; we can eat Eel not only at Japanese restaurants but also at family restaurants or delivery service.

When Ah-chan got a preventive shot at hospital, we had lunch outside. She could stand up the "scary, and hard" shot. So as a reward she wanted a toy at a family restaurant.
(In family restaurants, they advertise attractive toys with kids lunch)
There I ate EEL.

About 1000yen.

As I told you yesterday, when I had no apatite, I ordered EEL to the delivery service.

s

 It was a little bit expensive, because it was delivered. About 1800 yen.

And today, Ah-chan has fever, so I took her to the hospital, and on the way home we had lunch at a family restraint.
Unfortunately, eel was sold out.

Additionally, when we visited my mother, we often eat EEL at a Japanese restaurant.
It is usually about 2500 yen.

Home delivery KAMAMESHI

When I was a child, typical home  delivery meals (foods? dishes?, I hope someone tell me.) were Japanese noodle, Sushi, and Eel bowls. When I was young, delivery pizza was common. And --
currently, many kinds of meals are delivered.

Since tomorrow, usual days have started, though there are still four members. Last night I was a little bit tired, so I was going to cook something easy for three members. Unexpectedly Yuki came back earlier.

So we ordered "KAMAMESHI".  It was the first time for four of us.

Kamameshi is a Japanese rice pilaf cooked in an individual  iron pot.
It is often served as EKIBEN at station. Ekiben is meals sold at station.

There are various typs of Kamameshi.
This time we ordered Eel-Kamameshi.

They were tasty.

seasib word 0816 test of courage

 In Japanese it is said "kimo -dameshi". Kimo mease liver and dameshi means test.
Test of courage and KIMO-Dameshi are the same meaning, but the sounds seem to be different.
KIMO-Dameshi sounds more spooky.

Even the chill of KIMO-dameshi,  bent down, to this fierce heat
KIMO-dameshi, how scared I am, I have never done it.

How do you say --- this action?

Now, we are in summer vacation. Later I'll tell you how to spend this vacation.
And from next week, my daily life will have started.
Next Tuesday, it is a volunteering day at the library.
I'll read some English picture books, and about one book I'm thinking about an activity.

I prepared cups with a number.

1. please spread the cups randomly.

2.While I'm reading the book, I shout a number. So take a cup of the same number and stack the cups.

3. Thanks. Well, now I'll read the book again from backward, When I shout a number, please remove the cup with the number.

Does it make sense?
If some one  help me, I owe you one!

air-conditioner sick

Have you ever heard of the word "air-conditioner sick"?
Now my husband Yuki is suffering from it, and finally he took a sick-day. It is really unusual.
Last month he took a sick-day from summer cold (our grandmother brought it). He seldom takes such sick-days.
It means the heat of this summer is unusual, and our situation with our daughter and grand daughter is also unusual.

"Air-conditioner sick" seems to be used only in Japan. It is a particular syndrome in Japan.
According to Japanese Wikipedia,
--------
 Air-conditioner sick doesn't exist as one of illness in the medical world. However it is right many people in Japan  feel unwell including slight fever or headaches when they stay in the area where air conditioners work very well for long hours and after that they stay in a very hot sites, and they have to experiences such a temperature difference repeatedly.
The relationship of this bad shape and air conditioners is not clear scientifically . However in Japan many people are suffering from air-conditioner sick in summer. Japanese doctors use this term. Additionally this term isn't accepted in the world not standard.
Probably our thermoregulation immune system is different from others.
--------

Yuki said,
in Yuki's office, about half of Japanese workers wear long-sleeved uniforms on the other hand most of foreign workers (there are many foreign workers in his office) wear short-sleeved uniforms.

And he often heard that some people are suffering from air-conditioner sick, but never heard that foreign workers suffer from it.

Well, well, it is an additional thing.
The other day I had to kill time at a shopping mall while  our daughter and her granddaughter were  participating in a meeting. I forgot to bring my jacket. It was too cold to stay there without jacket. And fortunately many clothes were on sale. So I bought a new jacket.

season words in June

Kids' summer vacation has started, so everywhere every morning in July kids and senior people get together to do radio gymnastic exercises in each local community.

 

 

If you are interested in it, try it!

 

Another season word is "stag beetle".

 

 

Can you find stag beetles in woods or parks naturally?

Nowadays many kids think they are bought.

 





 

 



Eel and river fish

Yesterday, we went out. The main aims was playing near the river. 

However, it was too hot, we ( more collected three adults) gave up being outside.

So, we se eels and river fish, which are speciality of this town. 

We did one hour drive to play near the clean river and buy these things 

While driving Ah-chan was sleeping. So we didn't know whether she enjoyed the drive, but, anyway we were really satisfied with this dinner.

Hot, hot, hot

Hot days have been continued
Though it is said that it is unusual, nowadays, every season seems to be unusual everyhere.
Since our daughter and grand daughter came, 20 days have passed. All of us are getting used to be this life.
Serving breakfast is Ah-chan's chore, she decides, which bread is for whom, how many kidney beans should be put on each one's plate.

Today she made rice balls.

Sounds fun? Sounds noisy? Sounds troublesome? 

Kitchen seems to be messy? It seems to be exciting? 

According to the weather report , the hot day will be continued during this month.

It is OK to coninute the not days. However , in our house only two aireconditoners work at the same time. It sometimes causes a problem, especially Yuki is at home.-- someone has to bear to stay in the room without air conditioner, if he or she wants  his or her personal time.

seasonal word 0712 report card

 

It is a season of report cards.

Every the end of a term, students are handed in their report cards.

Actually I also -- not am handed in, have to hand report cards to my students.

I thought  until high school students, their parents knew their scores.

However, I was very surprised that I got a report card from university when my younger daughter was in university.

==== And they did individual interview with parents checking up the report cards.

I wanted to say that "it is not my business" ---- but I couldn't do that. Just I was listening quietly to her professor with patience. Her score was on the whole, not so bad. However the contents were --- A or D. It means what she was not interested in, her attitude to study seemed to be very bad.

It can't be helped. It is the "her".

 

--well, well, it is a nostalgic memory.

 

At Karaku

Yesterday it was the day of Karaku. I went there to play the piano. It was my only day after 10 days.
I always complain about being lonely. I know I'm not very good at spending my leisure time by my self.
On the other hand, I used to spend "nosy" days.
So I remembered at Karaku that the day of Karaku was a relaxing time and my day without kids.
Since I started to play the piano there, more than 20 years passed.

Yesterday I enjoyed sweets after the performance as usual.
And I bought some cake for my family.
---- actually at that time I would often buy sweets there for my kids, though I seldom buy ones for Yuki.

summer cold

Now there are four members in my house. From Ah-chan's view,  her grandfather, her grandmother, her mother and her.
When she came, she was already caught  a "slight" summer cold with a runny nose.. though according to her mother, that was the way small kids being are. Actually she and her mother were fine.

First I caught a cold. I had sore throat for 4 days. Today it is not so bad.
Next Ah-chan ran a high fever on Saturday morning.
And  on the afternoon, her grandfather caught a cold with a sore throat and a slight fever.
Though her mother had no problem, she cringed to her. So she did not anything to help me.

So this weekend all of us were staying home.
And yesterday ( it was a weekday) her grandfather took a sick day from work. Probably three years passed since he did it.
He was not used to getting sick, so he was in very bad mood. Of course Ah-chan was also in bad mood.
I'm not used to being in such situation. It made me being in bad mood, too.
On the other hand, my daughter is with "great presence of mind" (Does it make sense?)
It makes me mad more on the other hand I really admire her attitude.


Anyway he went to work, today Tuesday.
And I'm going to Karaku café to play the piano.

Three month new life has started!

For while my daughter and our granddaughter live together. In October they are going to leave Japan for Thailand. Her husband has already left Japan and started a new life there.

 

Though our granddaughter Ah-chan went to kindergarten in Tokyo, here she doesn't go to such school. She spend all days with our family.

From late July to early September they have summer vacation at school. So we decided not to let her go such school.

On the other had we let her join some after-school programs. On Mondays and Thursdays she goes to sports club to swim and do exercise. On Tuesdays and Fridays she goes to educational school to learn math and Japanese.

Usually my daughter take her there, I do lessons at home.

What are we going to do in the morning.

For a while my daughter is busy in paper work for leaving for Thailand. They have to take health check , get some vaccines, and etc.

So for a while I need to take them places they have to go by car. My daughter can't drive.

 

Anyway our usual day has started since before 5 o'clock.

 

laughter yoga in June

Our laughter yoga in June was finished. Three members took part in it.
Unfortunately a regular member couldn't come because she had to go to hospital.
Mothers sometimes aren't able to participate  in meetings because their children sometimes get sick.
The elderly sometimes aren't able to participate in  meetings because of their sickness.

Anyway the other three members enjoyed the laughter yoga.
And I served this rhubarb syrup.

 

In this season some people make Japanese plum syrup. I used to do it.

However this year, I got lots of fresh stalks of rhubarb, so I made this bottle of syrup.

Well, well, I planted rhubarb in my garden. However  it doesn't grow well.

--- my favorite phrase "It can't be helped".

 

Discarding 10 things

How are you doing? I'm OK.
I've been continuing to discard 10 things.

The other day we went to Tokyo, and helped my mother  in-law with changing seasonable clothes. To tell the truth I thought most of her clothes should be discarded. However I never say it. We (Yuki and ) know, once I ask her whether this dress is needed or not, the chores won't be proceeded. Anyway we changed 7 big boxes of clothes.

And I know, before I mention such a thing, I should discard my clothes.
So I did it.

I did "discard", but not took them to the garbage corner, oar not a used shop.

I went to a café.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There I had lunch, and

I joined a changing clothes meeting.

 

 

 

 

Everyone who brought some clothes has a right to get any clothes.

I didn't need to change clothes, just brought some "new" clothes which are not used.

It was fun to talk with the participants.



 

a season word 0614

 

Do you know the word "water clock"?

Water clocks are one of the oldest time-measuring instruments like sun dials.

 

Or have you seen a water clock?

Though I haven't seen it, there is a modern water clock in Osaka.

 

Osaka is a very famous city as a noisy and cheerful city. Or you might have heard it, "in Osaka, every one spend all money on food."

 

Water clock, the combination with Osaka city, ridiculous

 

I also found this site in Japanese.

 

 

Handmade water clocks, enjoying with my granddaughter, brings a warm feeling

 

 

pre-cooked dishes

I'm continuing to cook pre-cooked dishes for a week.

One reason is I ordered a box of vegetables to a farmer once a week. So without my feelings a box of vegetables come once a week. I don't want them to be wasteful

I got fresh DAIKON with leaves, so I also cooked them.
And this time I got too many eggs.

So I made lots of crape, and froze some of them as our snack.




And I managed to go out to buy some organic lemons, and made lemon custard cream with the eggs.



I have cleverly used them up. What a good housewife I am!

dairly life --ironing

As I often (probably) tell you, I don't like ironing much.

I want to live carefully? or graciously not against time. And probably it is the time to be able to do it because of my age.

However I want to do something trouble.

Well, well, though it is in a rainy season, I like wearing shirt in this season which is of course, ironed.

 

Yuki usually wears a polo-shirt. So I don't need to iron his cloths often.

Sometimes he wears a Y-shirt, but they are usually permanent-press ones. (This time I learnt this word). So I don't need to iron them so often.

 

However my summer  shirt is made of cotton, and I've used them carefully. So it is very old.

To keep them good,  after I wear them, soon I wash them by hand, and iron them before dry.

Or sometimes I take them to the cleaners.

 

I'd like to change them into cotton permanent-press ones. I see ones for men's, but I don't find for women's.

So I can't discard them, and continue to use carefully while ironing.

 

The other day I saw this article in Japanese.

 

 

Currently the production is falling off, because very cheap cotton shirts go on sale.

And I know the cost of cleaning a men's Y-shirt at the cleaner is lower. (Only men's Y-shirts)

 

I don't like ironing, but I like to see senior men wearing Y-shirt neatly.

So I hope to keep the production without rising the cost.

 

my left shoulder hurts!!!

Though I'm fine, my left shoulder hurts.
It is called frozen shoulder syndrome, stiff shoulder due to age, or in Japanese 50 years old shoulder.
Of course I went to see the doctor, and he said "I'm afraid that it is stiff shoulder due to age, so it will take about one year or more to get well. It is getting well naturally."
He also recommend to take manipulative treatment.
I started to take Japanese herb medicine.
It works as a painkiller, but the main effect is to warm the body.
 

 

Of course I have to do exercise.

So I bought this "traditional" tool to make our body warm, and to strength our knees while stretching our arms.

 

 

It seems to be called bamboo stepper.

Do you know the word?