Good morning 0528

 Yesterday I took part in an online English conversation meeting . There were four members who are all Japanese.

The topics are "park".

◆How often do you go to a park? What do you usually do there?

We sometimes go to parks to see seasonal flowers such as wisteria, azaleas, roses, and so on. And when some events are held there, we also go to enjoy them.

When our children were little, and when my granddaughter used to visit often, we would often go to parks because they wanted to play outside.

◆What kinds of things are not allowed to do in parks?

At small parks, playing catch is not allowed. Fireworks are, of course, prohibited too.

Even at big parks, fireworks are prohibited, and BBQs are basically not allowed. However, it seems that they are permitted in some areas.

◆Have you ever been hiking in a National Park? How far did you hike?

I once hiked in Oze National Park. I don’t remember how far I hiked, but I walked for most of the day. It was when I was a student.

◆Have you ever been to an amusement park? What’s its name and what is inside it?

My most recent memory is of Tobu Zoo & Amusement Park. we enjoyed the rides and the goose parade. It was quite interesting. I’m not sure if they still have it now, because it was quite a long time ago.

We used to go to Tochinoki Family Land . Even now, its roller coaster  seems to be popular.

◆Are parks generally clean where you live, or do they have a lot of trash and litter?

I think they are generally clean. In the small neighborhood park near my home, there is a sandbox. It is always covered to prevent cats from using it. Picking up litter and weeding are done regularly as part of our local community activities, so the park is kept clean.

Parks managed by the city, such as Hachimanyama Park, and those managed by the prefecture, such as Tochigi Wanpaku Park, are also kept clean, I think.

◆What kinds of plants and animals have you seen inside your local park?

In this season, we can see wisteria, azaleas, and roses. Soon, hydrangeas will bloom as well. There are many different kinds of flowers. The nearby Chuo Park may have the greatest variety.

As for animals, at Hachimanyama Park, we can see peacocks, cranes, and rabbits because there is a small zoo in it. 

Good morning 0525

 

by Yuki

The snap peas in our garden have started to bear pods. We are surprised to find we can harvest more than we expected.

by Mieko

This photo is Dorayaki. Dorayaki is a typical Japanese sweets. It is a kind of soft pancake like sweet sandwiches.

Good morning 0518

 

by Yuki

by Mieko

This week has started. Yuki is having some side effects, but he is doing all right. He is planning to go to a jazz café to play bass, piano, or guitar. According to him, he can’t play the instruments as well as before, but he can still enjoy playing in sessions with others. That’s a good thing.

I have a rehab appointment at the orthopedic clinic.

Good morning 0514

 Yesterday I joined an Online meeting.

The topics are..."Health and sickness”

◆How healthy do you feel right now?

What troubles me most is my frozen shoulder. I can raise my arm, but I can’t move it behind my back. In Japanese, there’s a common expression “forty-shoulder,” but even at my age, the doctor didn’t really use the term “sixty-shoulder.

◆Have you ever broken a bone? What happened?

I have never completely broken a bone, but I sometimes get avulsion fractures.剥離骨折 It has nothing to do with aging; I’ve had this since I was young. At first, I sometimes thought it was just a sprain, but it turned out to be an avulsion fracture. When I go to the hospital, I’m often told it’s an avulsion fracture. I’ve learned how to tape it properly, so it usually heals on its own. I just have to wait for it to heal naturally.

◆Do you take vitamins or mineral supplements?

I used to take various supplements occasionally, including ones for knee pain prevention. However, last year I was found to have low bone density, so I now take a prescription from my internist. It’s an activated form of vitamin D3.”

◆What do you think about Chinese medicine?

I like traditional Chinese medicine, or kampo in Japanese, which is a slightly different system from Chinese herbal medicine. I take it under a doctor’s prescription. For example, for hay fever, Western medicine alone wasn’t quite effective enough, so my doctor added kampo to adjust the treatment. I also take kampo for chronic coldness in my body. Nowadays, many clinics include kampo under health insurance, which is very helpful.”

◆What things do you do that might damage your health?

The things that might affect my health are mental stress, fatigue, and changes in temperature.

◆How often do you eat junk food? What kinds of junk food do you eat?

I like rice burgers at Mos Burger, and I enjoy ginger cookies from Gyomu Super. I often make fried udon at home rather than fried yakisoba. I’m not sure if that counts as junk food. So I guess I eat some comfort foods, but not much typical junk food.

Good morning 0513

 It’s a nice day again today. After the pollen season, I often air out my futon. YUKI does it too, no matter the season.

Airing futons is part of Japanese culture, but these days people living in newer condominiums are usually not allowed to hang them outside.

Today, I’m going to practice putting on a kimono so I can wear one when I meet my friend this Saturday. If I can manage it well enough, I might go to a department store in it today with YUKI. If not, I’ll just go in the same outfit as yesterday.

Good morning 0512

 Today is my performance day with a friend at KARAKU Cafe. It’s a beautiful day. I’m going to wear white pants today, which is unusual for me. When I wear white pants, I feel a little more refined, and because I don’t want to get them dirty, I pay more attention to my movements.  But this year, I’d like to wear them more often—even when we go to an Italian restaurant.

Good morning 0511

 

by Yuki

by Mieko

A normal week has started. Last week, YUKI couldn’t have chemotherapy, but today his condition isn’t so bad. It’s difficult to balance the treatment and its side effects.

Good morning 0510

 In about 30 minutes, we will go out. Where? To the laundromat.

This morning, as soon as we got up, we took our futons and sheets there, and now the machines are running. We need to go and take them out soon. They probably won’t be completely dry yet, so we’ll hang them out to air. Fortunately, the pollen season is over, so I can finally air out my futon.

At the same time, our washing machine at home—without a dryer—is also running. Today is definitely a laundry day.

On the other hand, I organized our clothes. Decluttering Yuki’s clothes is easy, because I just threw away his M-size items—mainly business shirts and golf shirts—with his permission, of course. 

In my case, it’s not so easy. So I checked what I wore this week. These days, the temperature has been different every day—one day I wore a sweater, another day a cotton long-sleeve T-shirt. I had already sorted my clothes into winter and summer, but this time I added a mid-season category. I also reviewed outfit combinations and tried to get a clear idea of what I actually have and what I really wear.

Now, it’s time to go out.

Good morning 0508

Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers 

Yesterday I talked about the article “Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers” with a friend in English. She asked me about the issue, but I didn’t know much about it. Apparently, it is mainly happening in big cities like Tokyo.

However, I think a similar situation is occurring not only in big cities but especially in rural areas as well, though not going bankrupt. In rural areas, the population is decreasing, so the number of customers is also declining. Of course, large chains and big salons have not expanded much into such places. Beauticians or barbers own their shops and run them by themselves. In many cases, that is enough because there were not originally so many customers there.

Since young people often do not inherit their family farms, they tend to leave rural areas. As a result, most customers are elderly people, and many salon owners are elderly as well. Therefore, both customers and salons may gradually disappear over time.

In mid-sized cities like Utsunomiya, however, I feel that the number of salons is actually increasing. Most of them are not large salons. More than half seem to be individually run, and many are operated by husbands and wives together. Sometimes only one of them is a barber or beautician, while the other works to support their living expenses. In addition, these salons are often opened in part of their own house, so they do not have to pay shop rent.

Going back to the earlier point, expensive rent is probably one of the reasons why it is difficult for beauty salons and barbershops to survive in big cities.

In addition, more hairstylists and barbers are now visiting nursing homes or elderly people’s homes to cut hair instead of working only in salons. They are called visiting hairstylists or mobile hairstylists, and part of the cost can be covered by Japan’s long-term care insurance system.

Although the number of salons themselves may be decreasing, hairstylists and barbers will probably continue to have stable jobs because people can rely on their skills, even as AI becomes more widespread.

Good morning 0507

 “All right” is always how I start this blog. And actually, we are all right today, too.

But to tell the truth, lately either of us has often been in a bad mood. This morning, it was Yuki — probably because of the heaviness and fatigue he feels in the mornings.

Still, the long holiday is over now, so our usual routine is starting again: hospital visits, shopping and sometimes lunch out, and the gym. We have things to do, so maybe from today we won’t even have time to stay in a bad mood.

So, although it may sound a little strange, we are all right.

My friend stopped by with some flowers.

Good morning 0506

 It is the last day of this five-day weekend.

Yesterday, our younger daughter M and our granddaughter A came to visit. Unfortunately, YUKI wasn’t as energetic as usual, so the three of us ladies went to a supermarket and bought some delicatessen food.

Since there were five of us, we needed more food than YUKI and I usually buy.

Our elder daughter joined us via video call. Starting next weekend, her solo exhibition will be held in Tokyo for one month. YUKI and I won’t be able to go, but M, A, and another friend are planning to visit on the first day.

Good morning 0504

 A new week has started. We’re in the middle of a five-day weekend, and both of us are spending it rather lazily.

Fortunately, Yuki was able to receive his chemotherapy last Friday, even though it had been scheduled to be skipped.
Based on his previous treatments, he might develop a fever around this time, but so far he hasn’t.

The current chemotherapy seems to be working and holding the progression back, and the doctors are pleased. However, we have mixed feelings and can’t simply feel happy about it. It feels as if this might be the last treatment that can prolong his life, which is what the doctors seem to be implying.

Still, yesterday he participated in a jazz session at a jazz café. He’s trying to enjoy every moment. That said, depending on how he feels in the morning, we never know if he’ll be able to go out—so we’re just taking it easy.

Meanwhile, I find myself becoming increasingly anxious about living alone someday. Our children live far away, so I can’t really rely on them to come quickly in an emergency. It feels too early—both in terms of age and finances—to move into a care home.
My mother-in-law decided on her own to move into one at the age of 80.

When I start thinking about these things, my anxiety swells up and sometimes leaves me unable to get out of bed. That was me yesterday.

Still, somehow, life goes on.

Good morning 0430.

 It’s a cool day today, so I have the heater on. Yuki has started wearing setta as indoor slippers

Setta look like flip-flops, but they are traditional Japanese sandals, often made with tatami. They are usually worn by men with kimono or by monks.

I thought they might help keep his toes in place and give some stimulation, so we decided to try them. He’s also wearing special socks for them.

Haiku in April

 The results of the April online haiku meeting  are out. I submitted three haiku though it is a rule. this time  only one was chosen. Can you guess which one?

I tried translating them into English.

Mother’s back—
in open-air bath steam,
all hazy

Falling cherry blossoms—
a Hannya mask hidden
within my heart
Hannya: a traditional mask symbolizing hidden anger and sorrow

This cherry blossom—
again, the two of us
in a wheelchair now

Good morning 0428

 It is sunny today, and we are glad. Yesterday, as I wrote, it was rainy and very cold. After we came back home from the hospital, neither of us felt well, so we lay down and rested, even though the hospital itself was warm.

We carefully looked at the images together with the radiologist. Thankfully, there is no metastasis this time, and the tumors in the brain are now almost undetectable. It seems we can continue living with the cancerfor a while longer. For now, it feels like we’ve managed to hold on.

Worrying every time like this is exhausting, but it can’t be helped.

A friend who lives in Tokyo suddenly sent me a message this morning and asked, “Are you watching TV?” Apparently, Utsunomiya has been ranked No. 1 as a place to relocate. I didn’t see the program, so I’m not sure whether that ranking was for people from big cities or from more rural areas.

Living costs may be lower than in big cities, but it is hard to live without a car, and it is cold here.

From my friend

Good morning 0427

 It’s rainy today. It’s the kind of weather that makes going out feel like a hassle, but since we’re going by car, it’s not a problem.

I find it interesting to observe people at the hospital. It’s a large hospital for this area, so some people come from quite far away—more than an hour and a half by car or train.

Some people are dressed very casually, as if they’ve just popped out for a quick errand, while others are fully dressed up, as if they’re going somewhere special. You don’t really see anyone wearing kimono, though. There are also many family members accompanying patients, so you see a wide variety of styles.

Since it’s raining today, I’m thinking I’ll need a spring coat—even though I’ll be in the car. Of course, I’ll end up taking it off once I’m inside the hospital.

by Yuki

s

Good evening 0426

 I haven’t posted an update on this blog for a while, but we’re doing well.

First, I’d like to tell you about Yuki’s situation. Last week, he was able to receive chemotherapy. He also had a CT scan, and fortunately, his tumors have not grown. In fact, the tumors in his brain have become remarkably smaller than we or the doctors expected.

To be honest, in the first half of April, we had a lot of concerns, as he had a slight fever and his white blood cell count was unstable.

Tomorrow, we will see a radiation oncologist, and the day after tomorrow, we will see an ENT specialist. We will be busy going to the hospital, but it also means we will have a chance—or rather, we will need—to eat lunch out. It’s enjoyable, although it does make "me" worry a bit about our budget. Still, we are simply grateful that we are able to go out at all.

Today, I went to a temple in the morning to copy sutras. I need to concentrate while copying sutras. It might be a kind of mindfulness practice. I had a good time.

In the afternoon, Yuki went to the gym to ride a stationary bike. He also used some other machines. He can’t walk smoothly, but riding a bike and using some machines are fine for him.

Today, we had all three meals at home.

Good morning 0414

According to the newspaper, TOTO announced on the 13th that it has suspended orders for unit bathrooms for homes. This is due to a shortage of solvents made from naphtha, a petroleum-derived material. The impact of the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused by military conflict involving Iran is spreading.

On the same day, TOTO notified wholesalers and other partners of the suspension. The timing for resuming orders has not yet been decided.

TOTO is a very popular company, and the materials used in our renovated bathroom are from TOTO. We feel lucky.

Good morning 0413

 

by Mieko

Haiku

Warm spring heat— weeding is still a joy, for now

Tulip bouquet—what joy it brings me at this age

New screen　a green feather pin on the MC’s chest

*a green feather pin used in a Japanese fundraising campaign for forest conservation in spring

by Yuki

collecting reward points

 Do you collect reward points, like Amazon points or supermarket loyalty cards? I do, but these days I’ve simplified my system. I used to have more than five supermarket loyalty cards, and they were all prepaid cards, but now I only have one.

 I still go to other supermarkets, but there I mainly use my credit card and collect reward points.  I’ve given up collecting points from individual stores, and instead I mainly use my credit card to earn reward points, which I then use for other purposes.

 My main credit card is issued by a telecommunications company, and I usually use the points I earn to pay my cellphone bill.

 On the other hand, I’m a member of Amazon Prime, and here in Japan members can enjoy many services, such as free shipping, so the membership fee is definitely worth it.

 I can also listen to Amazon Music and watch Amazon Prime Video. However, although these services are very convenient.

 I once had a credit card used fraudulently—not by skimming, but in some other way—and fortunately the card company noticed it and stopped the transactions. Still, I had to get a new card and update all my payment information, which was quite a hassle.

 I’ve also heard that Amazon accounts can sometimes be used without permission. 

Because of this, although convenience has improved a lot, dealing with security has become stressful, and recently I’ve started to wonder whether I’ll be able to handle things properly if something like that happens again in the future.

Having store cards are safer, I think recently,