Happy New Year

 I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

New  Years Eve we had lunch together.  Yakiniku, which is meat grilled on a hot plate at the table and sushi.  We sat and talked, remembering past new years and wondering what 2023 would bring.

Lots of meat

Mikey likes to cook this!

New Years Day Hannah and I went to see Sister Act the Musical.  I'm always amazed at the quality of these productions.  The actress playing Mother Superior is in her 70's.  She was very good!

The poster for Sister Act

New Years decorations in the theater

Lunch

We had lunch at Mos Burger, fast food but there was some vegetables!  Most resturants were closed!

The day after tomorrow is my appointment with the diabetes doctor.  Not looking forward to that!

Bad News

 But first lets start with something good!

Christmas was nice, very simple and rather unusual this year!  Both Mikey and Hannah had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Felt strange to have people out on those days but it's the 2nd time in 30 years so I really can't complain.  We exchanged gifts, had nice food and watched daft TV.  I could rest a bit, which is always nice!  

The bad news!  I had to go to the hospital today for a blood check, get them every few months since having cancer.  I asked the doctor to include a test for diabetes and today my numbers were far to high.  So looks like I have diabetes.  I'm hoping that it is just because I went mad a Christmas but don't know!  I have an appointment on January 4th with a diabetes specialist.  So back to no sugar and I have to look at cutting carbs.  I really struggle with that.  The Japanese diet is based on white rice, so most meals will have that.  I'm going to buy brown rice, even though it is a lot more expensive than white rice.  Bread I don't know what to do as the idea of whole wheat bread is unknown.  Not eating rice is okay but I love bread. I guess start looking for ideas online.  I'm sure I can find something!

Look out for lots of moaning!  This is not going to be easy!

Lovely pizza, guess I won't be eating this again!

Hannah got a game from David.  She had to make characters.  She decided to make Granddad!

Really looks like Dad!

Snow

 It's been snowing all night.  Looks lovely but very cold. We don't get snow very often.  If we do it is usually on the mountains and only stays for a day. According to the weather forecast this is going to be the next couple of days, maybe a white christmas! That would be something.  I think the the 30 years I've been here we have only had one white christmas.

Front of the house

We've taken in another stray cat while it's this cold.  He's in the cage, sleeping.  Must be happy to be warm!

Fluffy was not impressed by snow!

Fluffys first sniff of snow!

I'm hoping to bake this afternoon.  Do some cookies and cakes for the weekend.

It's going to be a strange Christmas as Mikey won't be here for most of it and Hannah has work all day on Christmas Eve. 

Lunch is almost done.  David has made a nice dhicken stew, very warming!

Ten Years

 Today is ten years since Hisao passed away.

In someways it's gone fast, in someways slow.

There have been good things that have happened but also a lot of struggles.

All of my kids have finished school.  I'm really happy that I don't have to deal with the schools anymore.  I must admit that Hannah's elementary school was very good with her.  She was only 10 when Hisao died and was having a hard time.  Her classroom teacher allowed her to leave the classroom at any time if she was feeling overwhelmed.  There was a room set up to help students that were struggling.  Hannah could go and sit there, the teacher would make her a drink, talk if Hannah needed to.  

All of my kids have jobs, not the best jobs but they are working.  David tried the army but his health was bad,  he ended up with stress fractures on his knees!  Mikey is still waiting to start his magic career full time, was supposed to be in 2020 but we all know what happened that year.  Christopher is working at the local supermarket, he has changed shifts, working the evenings instead of early morning.  And Hannah is still at university and working part time.

Going to England 5 years ago was great.  Nice to see family, meeting my niece for the first time. Spend time sighseeing.  We have a lot of good memories from that time.

We managed to go to places, local museums, parks, the next city a few times.  As Hannah got older she has become obsessed with musicals, so before the pandemic Hannah and I would go and watch musicals.

I'm sure I've missed out a lot of things!

The struggles were a lot as well.  Trying to rebuild our English school, finding our way with the tax office etc,

My mother in law passed away in 2020. Which means all of the land and house is now in my name and I have no idea what to do with it all.

Also Christopher's dog died the same year.  She was 12 years old.  She was such a lovely dog, very friendly.

Next ten years, who knows?  I know I never expected to live through a pandemic or another war.

I am trying to keep postive and look at the good things I have but sometimes it's hard.

Found some older photos, from when the kids were little.

with Hannah, she was 8

in England

Hannah's first Christmas

with Mikey

viewing the autumn leaves

hug from Christopher

and David

with Mom and Dad

Early Christmas Present

 Yesterday I got a lovely present from Hannah. A laptop computer!  She said she would buy one for me but I thought she was joking.  But she wasn't.  It's nice to be able to sit in the lving room and use my computer, before I was in the office which is cold (and too hot in the summer).

David setting up my new computer

My kids are very generous.  They all pay into the household budget, which really helps but they also buy things or give extra money when needed.  They all buy things for the cats as well.

I managed to get most of my Christmas presents, just need a couple more things.  Ordered a chicken for Christmas dinner but still need to decide what to do for Christmas eve!

December

 The first week of December has passed and I haven't done anything for Christmas.  By this time, I usually have a few gifts bought and others ordered but this year I'm just don't feel like doing anything.  I haven't planned menus for the festive season and just to make things more difficult Mikey is working most of the days leading up to Christmas and every day between Christmas and new year, which means no car.  Today I'm going to try and get a few things and then order stuff online.  I just don't have the energy to walk around loads of shops.  I used to love Christmas shopping but the past couple of years it has become a chore instead of a fun thing to do.

Also, I've been feeling rather run down the past week or so.  I think it has to do with the sudden drop in temperature.  November was very mild, the last Monday of November it was 24C, three days later the high was 8C.  I've had to put on the heaters even though I don't want to.  The living room warms up a bit because of the sun on the windows but the other rooms are rather frosty.  David bought electric blankets for everyone, so our beds are nice and toasty!

David has been taking selfies again with the cats!  He used to run away from the camera.  Not now!

Love that they both have the same expression!

Fluffy makes a good neck warmer!

 

Christmas Tree

 Last year I didn't have a Christmas Tree.  I left it too late to buy one, the first week of December all the Christmas stuff was finished.  This year I bought on the beginning of November.  Today Hannah and I put it up.  It's small but looks good!

the tree is up

I have to find the lights and I have other decorations to put up.

Doing this made me a little sad and very nostalgic.  I used to do three trees, the biggest in the living room, smaller one in the room I use for teaching and a small one in the entrance.  I don't bother with the living room or entrance as they wouldn't survive the cats.  Just a small one in the room where I teach.  Now the kids are grown Christmas just doesn't have the same appeal.  It's always been hard here as it isn't a holiday, but I tried to make it special.  Of course, Hisao dying one week before Christmas has made the last 10 years harder!  And this year with the cost of everything it's going to be harder but I'm trying to shift the focus to having fun family time, maybe get the board games down and play them!

I'm now 27 days with no sugar.  Down one and half kilos, not a lot but am feeling a lot better.  Couple of good things, one was I made chocolate chip muffins the other day.  I had one and was satisfied with that.  Usually, those kinds of things sing my name! But this time just one was enough!  Also I managed to walk from the dentist to the supermarket and back home.  The first time I've walked that far in years.  So slowly getting better!