lunch diary 0425

To tell the truth I was very busy in dealing with my mother's matter.

Monday; In the morning I went to see a doctor to prescribe my monthly medicine. On the way home I bought these delicatessen.

Then I talked to my brother, elder daughter, and my husband in sequence about my mother's matter.

Oh, I forgot to tell you. "We" also talked with my grand daughter on Skype. This time we really realized that our elder daughter got really wise and matured.

And our grand daughter also got grown-up, or feisty.  Yuki had been prepared to show a small magic to her. Of course he had expected to get the phrase "Great". But what she said was " So what? Probably they are connected by a needle or something ." Actually her guess was close to the secret of the trick. This spring she entered the first grade of elementary school. Unfortunately she hasn't go to school directly. She takes Online lessons.

TANPPO flowers, voice of my brother  hide his age

Tuesday I sautéed fresh spinach.

In the morning I had a zoom meeting  with the members of my volunteer work group. Then in the afternoon we found our upstairs toilet was leaking.

Fresh Spinach, see my face on the screen  sigh with disappointment

I also cooked turnip soup.

Wednesday I cooked fried rice.

While we were having dinner, I was listening to my mother's complaints, and Yuki was talking with our grand daughter on Skype.

Spring evening

two of us at table

with four people's voice

Thursday. It looks like a big Hamburg stake.  But it doesn't. It is a kind of big deep fried tofu stake. It is one of specialties of MOUKA city. I got it from our neighbor.

Hotter spring; my mother's back straighten, breath freely again 

Friday, they seem the same spring rolls of Monday's. It is not the same.

I deep fried frozen spring rolls by myself. 

On the morning I deep fried sweet sesame dumplings for our breakfast. The oil was still so fresh that I deep fried them with the oil.

The main was going to be cheese toast, but unfortunately it was burnt while I was watching the dumplings carefully.

Spring grasses; househusband think about   a new recipe

lunch diary 0418

Monday, I fried bean sprouts with chicken. I also simmered sweet potatoes and Japanese leek with salty stock.

The weather forecast said it would be warm. But it was cold for me.

Anyway today in this city an entrance ceremony was hold at each elementary school. We couldn't see cherry blossoms, but dogwoods are blooming.

Probably, when my elder daughter entered elementary school, she took back a dogwood young tree as a memorial present. Unfortunately it didn't take root in my garden. I thought it was the first and the last experience. So when my younger daughter entered, such custom was stopped. 

When we came here in this city, there was few apartments. So we had to rent a house. After that many businessmen and their family moved here. So apartments were built from one after another. It meant many family didn't have garden. It might have been the reason why such custom was stopped.

single violet

pick and put in

an empty cologne bottle 

Tuesday

It was the day of 10 times point day at a nearby supermarket.

So we bought Tonkatsu delicatessen. 

To tell the truth, on the day my mother was got in panic for about two and a half hours. So anyway I managed to go to KARAKU and performed, but as soon as I finished our performance, I had to get home.

Spring spinach

cooked by househusband

into homemade pizza

Wednesday.

I fried fresh spring cabbage and a little bit expensive sausages.

It was raining. For the first grader it might have been a tough day, or they might have enjoyed having their umbrella.

Citrus NATSUKAN

sprinkle sugar

wait until tomorrow

Thursday

I forgot to take the lunch photo. We had fried vegetables.

On the day we went to GYOUMU supermarket, and bought frozen domestic chicken.

I made my own "rub" which recipe was on this book. I didn't have dry oregano, so I picked up oregano from the garden. I prepared seasoned chicken, and oven-baked them. 

On the other hand, in the afternoon I went to a advisory office for elder-care issues. Getting an independent opinion seemed to let me clear my head.

 A dogwood blooming

leave the advisory office

with tears

Friday

I steamed big Chinese meat dumplings.
Can you see? It is not a microwave oven.

Today's Mom

forget the way to call

Look up KOBUSHI magnolia

What brought fun to us 0410

Last week  I had no special plans.  Because these days I frequently talk with my mother on Alexa video phone during the day. Am I busy? Probably I must be busy like a mother with her baby. I feel restless. For a change we went to a downtown butcher. There luckily we could see weeping cherry blossoms.

 

   

We got good stake. Can you guess how much each stake weighs?

 

On another day we went to a used store and bought these big mug cups on impluse.

Yuki wanted a cup for soup and Chinese soup. We bought these two big mug cups.

I organized the cupboard. Little by little the plates and utensils for the other family members and guests are discarded or put away on the top shelf. 

On another day I read three books without stopping.

Because I decided to update my computer. I thought it would take 30 or 40 minutes.

No way, it took 5 hours.

Well an acknowledge says "when you update your PC, if it takes a long hours your PC might reach to the end of its life".

As of now I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

lunch diary 0410

Monday

    

I cooked fried noodle with a big pan. Of courser it was shared by two of us.

I also simmered violet radish. It was the last time to get it.

Monday is called "scary Monday" by my elder daughter T and me. 

As I contacted to my mother with Alexa, she started a nonstop talking of her complaints. On weekdays, I talk with her for two or three hours  totally. But on weekend I don't because her two son are with her. Actually they were with her, but she didn't chat with them like us. 

Spring rain, venting her nonstop complaints, then calmness comes

Tuesday

 

It was the usual temperature in April

In the morning I went to they gym. At noon I talked with my mother. On the day my daughter wasn't with her. So she had to cook her lunch with the microwave oven by herself. It took long time do to it by herself. BUT she still could and can do it.

I simmered squash and red beans. 

 

Wednesday. I cooked TOFU with Chinese spice.

It was the day of getting 20 times point at a drug store.

So I walked there.

My mother seemed feeling good on the day. She made Hailu, though NIRA is a summer season word.

Over the garden, NIRA chive smell around dusk.

Why she made this HAIKU. In her garden now DAIKON-HANA (hesperis matronalis)is full of bloom.

  

Thursday

I got the first bamboo shoots from a neighbor.

So I cooked it classic way. In the afternoon I attended Yuki to go to a skin clinic because I was available. Yuki's rush got better. He is allergic.  So "I" get very nervosa when such a symptom comes up on him.  

   

Friday

We got big hamburger stakes. NO, they were big GANMODOKI made from TOUFU.

They are local specialty in MOUKA city. A neighbor bought them for us.

I just grilled them. We put some soy sauce and ginger on them.

A swallow crossing, something good happens, make me smile

What brought fun to us 0404

 I looked back last week.

It was the first time in one and a half year that my elder daughter dropped by our house. She didn't stay at night. Coincidently or luckily she had work here in Utsunomiya. So she came from Tokyo.

I cooked INARI-ZUSHI for her dinner. She had them in her car on the way home.

We went to see another cherry blossoms spot. 

It was near Karaku. So of course , it was a good excuse to have tea time outside.

lunch diary 0404

Now it is in April. Cherry blossom season is almost finished, though another kind of cherry blossom tree "YAEZAKURA" double flowered cherry blossom tree is still blooming.

Monday

I fried vermicelli,  and vegetables. I also soaked frozen dried Tofu and simmered them. In the morning I went to a gym. In the afternoon we went shopping for some things my mother needs.

water less cold; buy for Mom, new underwear


Tuesday




I cooked vermicelli again. I also simmered Violet Daikon.

Yesterday,  I finished shopping for my mother, but not yet. She requested a book. So we went shopping again. But it was a good excuse. We went to another spot of cherry blossoms, and I had a tea-break at KARAKU while he was checking a river situation near there.

Rain will come tomorrow,

Enjoy now

full of cherry blossoms.

 
Wednesday.

At midnight, there were heavy thunders in Utsunomiya.

Our elder daughter T dropped by. She had an interview work in Utsunomiya.

It was the first time in a half and a year that she came here.

I cooed INARAI-zushi, for her light supper. She could eat them on the way home while driving.

Spring thunder; with Inari-zush I made, she left

Thursday

As soon as we grabbed rice, we went out to a skin clinic.

Yuki had a rush on his back. He has an allergic tendency so that "I" am very nervous for  "rash". I wanted him to go to a clinic in the morning.  But he didn't. So "we" went to a clinic where he goes once a month. The doctor said, "Probably you were poisoned by something". Something? --- I thought grass, probably. Where?? I thought near the river. 

In the garden of a clinic, a cherry blossom tree  makes us calm.

Friday


I cooked sweet potato with beef. Usually I cook potato with beef, but it is not bad.

On the day it was cold. To tell the truth, it is difficult for me to catch up with the daily change of weather. On the day I felt dizzy.

a flurry of cherry blossom petals

makes me forlorn

kids marry

On weekdays most of the afternoon I talk and see my mother through AI speaker "ALEXA". So weekends is my rest week.

What brought fun to us? 0328

I really understand it is spring. Last week we enjoyed Japanese apricot blossoms and cherry blossoms. 

We went to a shrine. It was the first visit for us. And there we knew this shrine is one of the oldest shrines in Utsunomiya.  This tree is weeping apricot blossoms.

As I wrote it, it is a shrine, and also the Shinto priest family lives there.  So it is an ancestral shrine. When we got around there, we didn't find out the shrine, because it looked like a usual house.

Our purpose was not going to the shrine. I wanted to go to a gathering place for people who suffer from dementia and their family. I wanted to talk with the staff.

I had a good time. While I was talking with the staff and other people, Yuki was investigating fishing spots. Because a river was nearby.

Another day we went to see cherry blossoms at an old temple.



And another day, as soon as we got up, we went to see cherry blossoms at a hill park. There we joined early radio exercise.

Seeing cherry blossoms there is one of our annual event. And usually we come here early morning and have breakfast at a café. 

However this time we dropped by a convenience store and had breakfast at home as usual. Yuki said "Today I don't need to do dishes, don't I?" I laughed. He really seemed to become a househusband.

lunch diary 0328

 April is around the corner.

Monday

I went to clinics to get regular prescription drugs. Nowadays I'm  a little bit tired to talk with my Mom through AI speaker. It is a kind of caregiving. So I talked about my situation to the doctor. He said "anyway take it easy".

I got back at noon. And I talked with my mother as usual. While talking with her, I cooked carrot paste.

A cold spring day; though feeling heavy-headed, Mom and I are laughing

Tuesday

It was a warm day. I did 30 minute exercise at gym.

My mother wanted to listen a singer's song. But she didn't remember her correct name. So I searched it. And I operate AI speaker from my iphone, finally she could listened to her songs. Both of us were born in the same era of "syouwa". But her Shouwa is in the 20's and 30's. My Shouwa is in the 40's and 50's. So I don't know her Shouwa. Well My elder daughter was also born in the same era of Syouwa. Of course she doesn't keep our Shouwa straight.

I cooked Japanese radish.

Spring: Mom's syowa songs, be searched by AI

Wednesday

In the morning, I was busy. But I don't remember why I was busy.

Mom was in the bad mood. 

Mom and I, sneeze at the screen; flying pollens.

Thursday

I cooked Chinese noodle.

I also cooked squash.

Yuki came back earlier than usual. He felt back pain.

Househusband and Housewife, apply a compress each other; Nazuna weeding


Friday
[

I cooked fish fry.

As soon as we got up, we went to see cherry blossoms, and there we did radio exercise.



Cherry blossoms start blooming, join morning radio exercise at the hill.

7