Japanese Home Remedies For A Cold

 My overdoing it the other day wasn't me overdoing it. It was me coming down with a cold.

Fortunately, I didn't get too sick but felt bad enough to stay in bed for a day!

When I was a kid, in the 1970s, getting a cold was normal, as was having the flu and ear infections! I remember my Mom rubbing my chest and back with Vicks Vapour Rub, or having my head over a bowl of boiling water with Vicks in it to ease congestion! (Has the name changed? My computer keeps changing it to Vicksvapo rub).

Another thing my Mom insisted on was vitamin C tablets and eating at least one mekan a day (Satsuma in England). Also, these seasonal illnesses were seen as an inconvenience, not anything really bad!

Japan also has a few home remedies for colds!

Japanese remedies often combine food-based treatments with preventive habits. Wearing masks at this time of year is normal. Even before COVID, wearing a mask when out and about was an everyday thing! David and Christopher have to wear masks at work as they are dealing with members of the public.

Some common remedies are Umeboshi, the pickled plums that are common here. It's believed to have alkalizing effects that aid digestion and fight fatigue.

A natural cough and throat syrup is made by soaking daikon (Japanese radish) cubes in honey. 

Shoga-Yu, hot ginger tea, really warms the body! Christopher makes this for me when I feel cold or catch a cold.

Okayu is a rice porridge that is easy to digest and provides hydration when appetite is low.

Tamago-zake is hot sake with egg. This is a traditional drink made by heating the sake and mixing an egg into it! I had it once, but couldn't keep it down. I've never tried it again.

The only one of these home remedies I try is the hot ginger tea. I also drink a lot of tea, both black tea and green tea!

Does your country have any good home remedies for colds? Drop them in the comments!

Yesterday I was at a different community centre, doing a volunteer class with Mikey. I noticed these planters, they look so colourful, even in November, the flowers are still blooming.

Lovely flowers

Today, when I was out, I saw some autumn leaves. The leaves are changing very late again!

I love the bright red leaves!

I Over Did It Again

 Why do I keep doing this to myself? I know my health isn't great and that I should really be careful, but I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing, I ignore the slight twinge in my back and legs, and then pay for it the next day!

Friday and Saturday, I spent time in the garden, not hours, maybe 30 to 40 minutes each day. I feel overwhelmed if I look at the whole garden, but I've found that if I focus on one small area, I can do a lot!

On Friday, I chose a spot near the driveway.  I want to plant some bulbs there. But the weeds were growing on the driveway, and the soil was all over, not just on the flower beds. I pulled out weeds, swept up the fallen leaves and scraped as much of the soil up as possible. It looks a lot better.

Before

Where the red line is is the end of the flower bed!

All the weeds that are growing in front of the line are growing in soil that has been made from rotting leaves.

After

I managed to uncover yet another decorative stone. There are so many in this garden, at the moment they are a dangerous as you can't see them. I've smashed my toes against a lot of them.

I also found these flowers, they are very cheerful and bring a nice bit of colour to the autumn garden!

Aren't they pretty!

Once I came in yesterday, I decided to find a book to read. 

I have some bookshelves on wheels that slide into the bottom of my closet. I pulled out one bookshelf and it fell to pieces!

My poor bookshelf

I shouldn't be surprised. It was rather flimsy, and I've had it for about 15 years! 

So instead of resting and having a nice read, I spent a good hour moving books around.

After all that, I didn't find what I was looking for!

Today I've just rested. I feel a bit better. I really hope I can get a few things done this week. 

I have a nice weekend planned with Hannah next week.  We are going to spend a day in Hita! If I have energy, I might go to a place near here that has a lot of temples. I've been wanting to go for a few months, but had to wait until the weather cooled down!

Here's hoping that this week will be good!

Cookbooks

This post contains an affiliate link.

Does anyone else read cookbooks?

I don't mean just finding recipes, but actually reading the book like a novel.

I love to cook and bake.  I like to experiment with new recipes, finding new twists on traditional recipes.

One Japanese book that I really like is Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu.

https://amzn.to/4i3D1AH

Sorry about the photo, this is my copy!

I love this book because it isn't just a collection of recipes but her story.  She tells her story of coming to Japan, meeting her husband and moving to his farm. A real Japanese farm.  She goes into detail about the different ingredients used in Japanese cooking. 

The book has a lot of lovely photos, not just of the food but the people and places where she lives. 

One of my favourite recipes from this book is Country Soup With Vegetables (Kenchinjiru). It's a lovely, warming soup full of root vegetables, including burdock roots (gobo) and Japanese radish (daikon).  This is one of my go-to recipes when it gets really cold. I make a big pot for lunch, then leftovers for dinner.

I've had this book for many years, over 10 years at least and still find recipes that are interesting to try!

I highly recommend this book; not only are the recipes great, but the author's story is also interesting!

The Garden

 BIG SIGH!

It's just not getting done.

At the moment, I'm the only one who has time to do anything in the garden. That would be alright if I wasn't trying to deep clean the house, declutter and if my health was a lot better.

My back is still painful, not as bad as before. I can walk longer without pain, about 15 to 20 minutes. Standing is still a challenge, but I can cook and wash dishes without feeling as if I'm going to pass out from the pain! A lot better than a few weeks ago, I was at the point that after standing for 5 minutes, I felt faint and was sweating because of the intensity of the pain!

But I don't have the energy or strength to make a big difference in the garden. 

I try, every other day I go out and pull weeds, sweep up leaves and pick up any trash lying around! There always seems to be trash. I think a lot of it falls out of the cars. Also, sometimes animals get into the plastic trash bags and throw trash around. We have a net over the bags, but somehow the animals still get in!

At least the weather is good, actually rather warm today, 22C at the moment. It's warmer outside than inside!

After my little attempt today, I took a video.

The machine that rumbles past really surprised me. I hear that going past two or three times a day. I always thought it was a big, heavy machine because of the noise it made, but it was rather small and cute!

The other thing that I found surprising was the little bee on the flower toward the end of the video. It's November, but still warm enough that some insects haven't started to hibernate.

Teaching

 I only have a few classes each week at the moment.

Yesterday, as I was teaching a 5th-grade kid, I realised that I was actually enjoying myself.

I think the last few years of teaching, I got burnt out! Every class felt like a chore, and I was just going through the motions. All the joy of teaching had been sucked out of me! 

My schedule was usually very full. Most days I would start at 4 o'clock and go on to 9 or 10 o'clock, with just a couple of minutes break in between. This would be Monday to Friday, Saturday would be all day! It was good, physically easy, but mentally and emotionally draining. When I was younger, it was doable, but as I've gotten older, it felt more difficult to get the enthusiasm that I needed!

Having just a few classes has given me a break, a chance to reflect, to recharge. I'm hoping in the next few months to get more students, but I don't want to go back to full-time teaching. 

I don't have any pension or savings, so retiring is out of the question. I could just sponge off my kids, but I feel bad taking their money for my own things. I want to travel, buy nice things, and have money for emergencies. So back to teaching!

In the other city, we use a local community centre. When we went yesterday, there were these beautiful flowers in the entrance.

Aren't they lovely

I also took a video of Mikey teaching a couple of little kids. These kids are so sweet, but it takes a lot of energy to teach them!

I did ask permission to take the video, also, I panned away as the kids turned round, I need to practice taking videos!

The Epic Cockroach Fight

 And dance!

I thought I was safe, that with the weather getting cooler, day by day, the chance of encountering a massive cockroach was virtually nil. 

I was lulled into a false sense of security. I told myself that all these awful critters would be hibernating now, it would be safe to go into the kitchen or bathroom without standing at the threshold checking corners and floors!

I was pottering around in the kitchen. Trying to wash dishes and figure out who wanted what for dinner. Our main meal is lunch; dinner is always a bit hit and miss, depending on people's schedules. Most evenings, Mikey is out and will either get something out or just a quick meal when he gets back. Christopher and I usually eat leftovers from lunch. David makes himself something when he wakes up.

As I was frying some hamburgers, I saw something move on the wall next to the stove. I wasn't panicked, as we've had a lot of harvest spiders. It then started to move rather fast. I turned and saw a massive cockroach!  It must have been at least 7 cm long (about 2 inches!).

The drama begins!

Mikey was just finishing some noodles he had made for himself. I shouted for him to help, he stood up and just looked at the cockroach, asking what he should do. At this point, I'm dancing around, I can't keep still, I take a step toward it, then two back, two forward, three back. Hannah poked her head out of my room and asked if I was choreographing a new dance!

I told Mikey to get rid of it. He got some tissue to try and grab it and throw it outside. But it's faster than Mikey and drops down on the counter behind the stove top. I dashed in to grab the food off the stove. It then went under the oven. Mikey said, "It's gone," but I know it's there and will come out again, so we moved the oven.  Under the oven was this old oil, I think it spilt out when I did a tray bake. The cockroach got stuck in that, but could still move rather fast. It fell on the floor, then got swept outside!

It's November, we should not be having these things; summer is bad enough! 

Moving the oven was a good idea, even though it wasn't planned. I didn't know there was oil underneath, as it was in the middle and not visible. I tried to clean the area, but it's too deep for me to reach. I honestly don't understand the design at all. Behind the sink, counter and stove, there is a deep shelf that is basically dead space. I had the oven on there, but it's too far back to use properly. I have to throw things in, and lifting hot pans out is dangerous.

The shelf behind the counter

With the counter, it's too deep.

I have no idea why my mother-in-law had this put in; she was shorter than me. If I have to stand on tiptoes to reach it, there's no way she could reach it!  One more reason to rip out this kitchen and start again!

I just had a weather alert. There's a frost advisory for tonight. I hope that deals with these insects!

A Simple Day

 Today started early, 5am! I get up that early to make obento for Christopher and his breakfast. It doesn't take long to do, but I'm not a morning person. In the morning, I'm in zombie mode! I open the fridge and stand staring at the contents, having no idea what I want or why I opened the fridge in the first place. This goes on for most of the time I'm preparing the obento and breakfast. This morning I thought I was going to make breakfast for Christopher and myself, but I ended up making breakfast for everyone!

Later on, David took Hannah and me shopping. We went to a few stores, including where Christopher works! The store was very busy, I doubt that Christopher could have a break today! He was on the register, we managed to say hello, but that was all!

We bought some groceries for Hannah. She shops once a week, but she has to walk to the store and back again. Taking her shopping gives her a bit more choice and also saves her a bit of money. She has started to make up meals once a week and keeps them in the freezer until she wants to eat them. This helps on the days that she is very busy. She can have a good, home-cooked meal ready in about 30 minutes, much better than relying on instant meals or buying obentos from the convenience store.

On the way back, I took a short video; unfortunately, David was shouting! I gnore him. He was doing it because I was recording! I really like the scenery around here, also the sky and mountains are rather dramatic. It's been raining on and off since last night; the clouds were low over the mountains.

I'm Back

 Wednesday evening, Hannah called in a panic. She was exhausted but couldn't figure out why! The medicine she takes for epilepsy makes her sleepy, and her mind gets foggy, but she said that she felt like she did before a seizure.  Mikey took me to her apartment, where I stayed for two nights. Hannah is now here for a couple of days.

I don't mind staying with her; it's quiet, with no cats fighting. However, I had a long "to-do" list. One good thing about staying there is that I got a chance to read! 

On the first day, I cleaned, did laundry, and washed dishes. It's so easy to clean up after one person, I was finished by 9am! I spent the rest of the morning, while Hannah was at university, just reading. She came back for lunch. Neither of us felt like cooking, so we walked to a local restaurant.  I almost never eat out, so this was a nice treat. The restaurant we went to is termed a family restaurant. One nice thing about it is that they have a set lunch menu for a reasonable price.

set menu plus pizza

This includes a drink bar, where you can help yourself to different hot and cold drinks and a soup. Both of these you can get as many refills as you like. 

Hannah had the same, but she had rice with hers.

All this for less than 2,000 yen, about £10. Not bad.

That evening, the moon was really beautiful. I tried to get some photos, but the camera on my phone isn't that good. 

The moon was very low and really orange.

We came back late last night. As much as I don't mind staying with Hannah, I was glad to get back to my bed! Hannah has a floor sofa that pulls out to a bed. It's okay, but not that comfortable!

My "to-do" list is waiting, so I should get to work!

COLD

 I prefer the cooler weather to the heat we've had over the past few months. It's nice to move without dripping with sweat! But this house isn't built for the cold weather. 

The past week, the temperature has been steadily dropping, hovering around the 20C mark. Outside, in the sun, it feels really nice. Inside, however, it is very cold. This house has no insulation, also there is no sun on any of the windows. So as soon as it gets a little bit cool, inside it is very cold.  It is uncomfortable. I need to save money, so I'm trying to not run heaters. I never thought it would be a choice to eat or heat, but here I am! 

I don't have many winter clothes; the few that I have are rather tatty.  I might have to buy a cardigan at least. I've seen a few online that look nice, but I'm reluctant to buy as getting the right size is difficult, either too big or too small. There aren't any stores near me that cater to larger sizes, so online is my only option!

Yesterday, I went to the other city to teach. We are using the local community centre to teach. It's nice, but there is only one room, so Mikey is at one end, I'm at the other.  I'm not sure what happened, but the girls were making a lot of noise, 1st year junior high school girls, so very giggly.  Christopher, who had come to go to a couple of stores nearby, said that Mikey looked like Snoopy. That started the girls to really laugh. I don't think they did much studying after that, but they enjoyed themselves!

Mikey, does he look like Snoopy?

Without the hat

He really needs to get his hair cut!

Culture Day

 Today is another national holiday, Culture Day.

This holiday started as the day to celebrate Emperor Meiji's birthday in 1868. After WW2, Japan's new constitution was promulgated on November 3rd. The new constitution emphasised peace, democracy and cultural development. In 1948, the date was officially renamed Culture Day.

One way this day is observed is by an award that is given to people who have made significant contributions to science, the arts or academia. This award is presented at the Imperial Palace by the Emperor.

This time of year, many junior high and high schools hold culture festivals. These are very diverse depending on the school, but there is usually a choir and bands playing. There might be dances performed by the students or plays. Some are open to the public, giving people a chance to see the school and interact with the students.

Some museums offer free or discounted admission on this day, a nice day for the family!

I remember when the kids were little, we would go out to the countryside to see the beginning of the autumn leaves. On the way, we would usually come across little markets, beside produce being sold, there was usually some sort of craft on sale, and hot food to eat. I always looked forward to these days out. The weather would be cool enough to be outside, but not really cold.

I was looking for a photo of Culture Day, but wasn't successful. So a cat photo, again!

Alfie mid yawn

David is a cat

Hannah asks for photos of the cats every day! That's why 90% of my photos are of the cats!

Goals To End 2025

 I usually let the end of the year slip by, thinking that it's best to wait until January to start any new goals. I think part of that was being very busy with organising Christmas and New Year's. This year I'm going out on Christmas Day. I don't know what schedule the others have, so I'm not planning anything. I'll do a nice dinner one day over the holidays, but I'm not going crazy.  It's kind of sad, but with adult kids and no grandkids, there isn't any real reason to go crazy.

My goals for the end of the year are to stick to my diet and add more exercise. I've been doing alright on my diet. I've basically cut carbs from my morning and evening meals, I haven't had any sugary foods, and I've stayed away from snack breads.  I eat fewer carbs at lunch time, I try to fill up on vegetables and soups! For exercise, I want to start walking more!  

The other couple of goals are to really get into my Japanese study, make a habit of studying every day. I want to be able to read, write and interact with people. I hate that when I'm listening to people, I'm wondering if I am understanding them properly. Also, trying to get my ideas or wants across is hard. I stumble around in my mind, looking for the right word or wondering if my word order is right! Japanese is hard, but not impossible to learn. It just takes dedication and having the habit of studying. I'm lucky because I'm immersed in the language every day. Also, I can watch videos in Japanese. 

The other goal I've set myself is to read a classic book. There are so many books out there. I have over 6000 books on my Kindle, and I also use an app called Everand. The app costs just over 1000 yen a month (about five pounds), I can save whatever books I want on there.  At the moment, I have about 400 books on there. Plus all the physical books I own. I read a lot. I enjoy reading, getting lost in someone else's world for a while is nice. I enjoy nonfiction books as well. I've been reading about Japanese history recently, which is rather fascinating! So I thought a good challenge would be to read a classic book. I haven't decided yet, but either Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre. I might try some of the Christmas classics by Charles Dickens as well. Somehow, I know the basic outline of these books even though I haven't read them. 

Those are my goals for the end of the year. I thought about adding more, but decided to keep it simple. I don't want to overwhelm myself. I already feel overwhelmed with this house and garden, I don't want to add the stress of crazy goals when the idea is to help myself!

Cat photos to finish.

Just cats having a good life!