Melting

 That's how I feel when the weather warms up.  I sweat a lot, especially on my face.  The past couple of years it's been worse because of wearing masks when shopping.  I have to stop and wipe my face every few minutes, once I'm in the car I take off my mask and blast the air conditioning.  This has made shopping even more miserable.  I have knee pain that makes walking hard but add to that this sweating I honestly don't want to go out when it's hot!  I did some research and found an antiperspirant for the face.  Great if it works.  I ordered some from Amazon, it arrived on Monday.  Not sure about it at the moment, only tried it in the house.  The first thing I noticed was the strong smell, it doesn't last, which is good.  Also it feels sticky when first applied but I found sitting in front of a fan until it dries stops the sticky feeling.  It's not 100% but I could cook without sweat dripping into my eyes.  Next test is using it when I go shopping, see how it holds up when wearing a mask!

This is the antiperspirant

If anybody knows of a different product drop me a comment!

Overwhelmed

 I've just finished a weeks holiday and I feel more tired than I did before.

I spent most of my holiday cleaning and doing the garden, but it's never ending.  The kids help but they are busy with work and university.  Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon! But I'll keep on.   I tell myself that one day it will be finished, at least I hope so!

Hannah has decided that I should study Japanese, which is true.  I understand a bit, especially daily conversations but I can't read or write.  Japanese has 3 different writing systems.  Hiragana, katakana and kanji ( the Chinese characters).  I still struggle to read, I can figure out things but not smooth reading.  Hannah has been making me prints to practice.  

Katakana and hiragana prints

I thought this would be a one time thing but she keeps sending me them.  Her train ride is an hour so she spends time on her phone making these and then sends them to me!  It helps.

The cats are driving me crazy.  They are indoor cats but they do escape sometimes.  Problem is we have stray cats coming around and I worry about the cats fighting. The one stray we took back to it's owner but a few days later he came back!

Fluffy

The picture of Fluffy is typical of her.  She sleeps on the edge of things and tends to fall off.  She doesn't get hurt but it gives me a fright!

Hannah's Birthday

 This week was Hannah's 20th birthday! 

Every birthday I let out a big sigh.  I've always worried about Hannah's health.  She was born extremely premature, I was just 26 weeks pregnant and she weighed 900grams (1.8lbs).  She only had a 30% chance of living! Now she is 20 years old, enjoying university and working part time.  She got lots of presents, we had a yakiniku and sushi party!  We sat, ate, talked and laughed for a long time.  Next day Hannah went into the city with her friend to watch a movie. So she's had a nice week!

Looked through photos, found some of Hannah, enjoy! They are not in any order, sorry!

On her birthday!

Yaki niku

All grown up!

about 9 months old

with Dad, 1 years old

with Grandma

and Granddad

Outing, forget where.

Playing Cinderella

6th birthday

rocking out

7 years old

Trying to get a family photo, took 2 hours!

In England, waiting to see Phantom of the Opers

messing around

couple of years ago at a beach

Playing with filters on the phone

Golden Week

 Yesterday was the first national holiday of Golden Week.

Golden Week consists of 4 national holidays,  Showa Day, Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day.  This year April 29th was the first holiday and the next three are on May 3rd, 4th and 5th.  A lot of places close and people take advantage of the long holiday to travel.  This year is going to be crazy as it's the first time in two years that there have been no restrictions on travel.  Yesterdays news was showing airports that were crammed with people going abroad.  Also many places in Japan will be packed.  

I have a long holiday this year but I don't want to go anywhere. Traffic jams and long queues are not my idea of fun.  My plan is to read, clean (as always) and make some materials for teaching!  I want to get in the garden but the weather is not good, yesterday I woke up to heavy rain and then very strong wind.  Today is sunny but the garden is full of water and mud, it'll need a few days to dry out!

Oh **** **

 Yesterday was such a great day.  I managed to do some chores I had been putting off, cooked a nice roast lunch and healthy dinner, wrote on this blog and even helped Hannah with her English homework.  In the evening I was sat on the sofa, watching TV, chatting with the kids as they wondered in and out.  Then it happened.  Not a big thing but not nice.  As I stood up from the sofa I lost my balance and fell.  I smashed my left leg into the corner of the sofa and my foot on the floor.  My right knee that I have problems with was jarred and at a funny angle.  I now have a lump and lovely bruise on my leg and bruising under the nail bed of my big toe.  The problem started when I went to bed. I usually sleep on my left side but because of the bruise that was too painful.  Turned to my right but that made my knee ache, tried sleeping on my back but my sinuses are bad because of hay fever.  So I spent most of last night tossing and turning looking for a comfortable position.  Finally after 1am I started to doze off when Alfie cat decided that was the best time to start meowing and scratching at my door, so I got up to let him in and the whole process of finding a comfortable position started again.  

Alfie the one o'clock door scratcher!

Jokes And Tall Stories

 We all have a crazy sense of humor in this family.  It helps when things are stressful to be able to laugh over small things.

The other morning I was saying about my age, that in a few months I'll turn 60.  David said that I was growing old like a tree.  A first I thought it was a compliment, that I was growing strong and graceful. Then I saw the big grin on his face and realized that he meant I was putting ring on every year!  I threatened revenge.  He made that easy for me by taking weird selfies with my phone!

David pulling faces!

Mikey loves a captive audience.  I try to avoid being in the car on long rides with Mikey as he tells these awful jokes.  But the other day I wanted to go to the supermarket that is in the next city, 30 to 40 minutes drive!  I braced myself.  This time though he spent the time telling me about Japanese history.  About a slave that was bought and kept as an animal.  He was the first black person in Japan.  Nobody knows what happened to him.  Where he was staying with his master was burnt down, the master was killed but nobody knows what happened to the slave, did he escape or was he killed as well.  Then we started talking about Hidden Churches.  There is a town near here that has some, I'm hoping we can go and see them.  The last story that Mikey had was about darts.  He said that the game of darts started from butchers.  That they would sharpen the bones and throw them at the cattle. The eyes are the hardest part to hit and that is why the center of the dart board is called a bulls eye.  I'm listening to this andsaying that it's very interesting and also wondering how Mikey knows such things.  He then smiles at me and says "Of course if this were true it would be very interesting". He had made the whole thing up and I had fallen for it...........again!!!!

Intimidated

 Some of my students love my cats.  They are always asking to see photos or pet the cats.  Some want to see the cats but are afraid and others have allergies.  Also some kids are using this to put off study, which I understand, they are tired after school and probably would rather just relax.  When it's just a few minutes or the kids try to use English it's okay but sometimes it drags on and on, eating away at the time.  So I was thinking how to let the kids enjoy the cats without taking up time of the English class and decided to make a little blog.  Loads of photos, some stories of the cats antics and if I can figure it out some videos.  The kids can look at them on their time and if I keep the English simple (or translate the more difficult bits) it will give them some reading practice.  I was wondering are cat blogs a thing, would others than my student look at it, could I make a bit of money from it.  I looked up cat blogs and there are millions.  Most of them are geared toward taking care of cats, what food to give, best toys, how to help cats who are scared or recovering from being abandoned.  I have no advice to give.  I'm still learning about cats in general and my cats in particular.  I felt intimidated by these experts but then my blog has a different purpose!  So I am now wondering what to do.  To cat blog or not cat blog, that is the question.