Jackie's Japan Journal: 2023

Looking back on the year, lots of memories, some good, some bad, most just things that happen.

Things started out on a low note, I got diagnosed with diabetes and we lost the house.

In the first five months I did really well on my diet, lost about 7kgs. I'm not sure what happened but after May I just couldn't keep it up!! And of course, I've put weight on over Christmas. Try again in the New Year, I need to get back to cutting sugar and carbs! I have a doctor's appointment on January 24th, I hope my blood sugar number is lower!

Losing the house has been much more difficult to deal with! I think that because affects all of us and not just me it's harder. Both David and Christopher will have to find new jobs. Christopher will have to learn how to drive and we will need another car. I'm trying to find positive things about the house and area but for every good thing, there are ten bad things. The house is about 33 years old and has never been taken care of. The toilet tank is broken and even if I can't do anything else I have to get that changed. They are building new houses on the neighboring land and I'm hoping that the main sewage has been connected to that area, if so then we can ask to connect our house as well. The tiles in the bathroom have been broken and are dangerous. This happened about a year after the house was built and never repaired. Most of the outside drains to the rainwater are broken and held together with tape. We still have a lot to do. My goal is to move in by October, we have until January 2025 but moving in January would be hard as it's too cold and that house gets very cold.

I need to get to the city hall and find out what we own, and whose name is on the deeds to the lands. There is a "land bank" run by the city hall where we can register the land, people can then buy or rent it from us. I would love to get that sorted as soon as possible.

The kids have settled into their own routines. University, work, and teaching English. Nothing has changed in that area. David got a promotion a his work, not sure what but it's a bit extra money. Christopher is still at the supermarket. Hannah is doing well at university, the highlight for her was her month-long teacher training. From April she has just one more year to do! Mikey has been very busy, teaching of course but also working for his friend's cotton candy business. This is the first year since the pandemic that festivals have been held, so of course very busy.

Mikey ended up in hospital for 3 days with gallstones. That was a shock. I think he has realized that he needs to take care of his health more, he is eating better so maybe it wasn't a bad thing!!

Summer was long and very hot!! It's getting harder each year to deal with the heat. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older or that the summers are hotter and longer. Most days I'm just exhausted by the heat and find even the easiest of tasks difficult to do. One thing I found was getting up very early, about 5am and doing the basic cleaning really helped. By 8am floors had been swept and mopped, dishes done and some days lunch started. Then I could just relax with the air conditioner, read or watch T.V. I feel a bit sad because I think that half of the year I'm stuck in the house. Going out is hard, even just to the local shop I get sick!!

Managed to see a couple of musicals with Hannah. She went by herself a few times to see things that I wasn't interested in. I'm glad that she wants to go out, and happy that she has her own money to use.

So 2024. Big question mark. I hope things get done, that we get the other house repaired and that the move is smooth.

Happy New Year to everybody!!