I Must Be Mad

 Friday and Saturday I felt really ill.  Fever of 38C, sore throat, earache and constantly snufflying.  I only had one lesson on Friday so I could rest but Saturday was very busy.  Every 2nd and 4th Saturday Mikey has classes at the local community centers.  He also has a lot of lessons here, so on those days I teach Mikey's classes as well as my own.  Of course last Saturday was the day he had to go to the community center.  Hannah taught one lesson but she had part time job during the other lessons.  I managed okay, gave the kids worksheets to do, which helped.  The hardest one was two 5th grade girls, they are lovely girls but they have so much energy.  Mikey did my last lesson so I could go to bed early, about 6pm!  I slept very well, I had taken a load of medicine.  Woke up early Sunday morning feeling a lot better.  Got a few chores done and decided to tackle the jungle aka the garden.

The entrance to the back garden

When I saw how bad it was I wanted to go back inside but I know if I do that it will never be done.  Christopher helped me.  I managed to chop down and dig out loads of weeds.  One is very invasive and stings even through the gloves I was wearing.  Spent about half an hour, which I know isn't enough but by that time I ached and was soaked in sweat,

HELP

Today I went shopping.  I needed to buy another fan.  I thought we had enough but when I was checking them I found a couple weren't working.  

Now I'm exhausted.  But still a lot to do, always is I guess.  We haven't been to the other house for over a week.  I'm not sure that I can actually do anything as it is getting too hot.  One thing I noticed was a few bushes of blueberries.  Hope to go and get some.

Poor Fluffy

 The top of our stairs has a banister which is basically a low wall.  From the upstairs corridor, it is about a meter high but the other side drops into the stairwell.  Of course, the cats love to sleep on there, it's about a cat wide, so they just fit.  I think it's cool as three windows blow a lovely breeze onto it.

The other day I was sitting in the living room when I heard a crash.  Fluffy came in with blood pouring from her nose.  She had fallen down the stairwell.  David and I managed to get her and clean up her nose, which of course is all swollen.  I was a bit worried at first, especially since she wouldn't eat, but we gave her some special food and she ate it.  We kept an eye on her for a couple of days but she seems fine.  One problem with Fluffy is that she is always falling off things.  She sleeps on the table a lot, but always on the edge, not the middle, so of course falls off.

Fluffy on the banister

Looking cute

Summer Colds

 Summer colds are so miserable.  I've been suffering for two weeks now.  My throat is sore, and I keep losing my voice. Kids are happy as it is peaceful and I can't keep asking them to do things, but teaching is difficult.  My headaches all the time and I feel miserable.  To make things worse I have a lot to do.  Somehow the cats got into the understairs cupboard and ripped boxes and bags so I need to clean it out,  the rooms that I use for teaching are a mess and I have to figure out how to teach much/many to my student this evening.  But all I want to do is sleep!!  

Then there is the disaster that is the garden, the weeds are taller than me!  I do think about doing it but whenever I have the time it rains, good excuse!  If I don't cut down the trees and hedge soon my neighbours will start to complain.  

So should I just rest to feel better or push myself?  I've been resting a lot recently but feel no better!!!  I don't want to go to the doctor as I have a hospital appointment next week and that is all I can deal with.  I'll try and get something done then rest.  David is making lunch which helps a lot!  Christopher has hung the laundry, so just the floor to sweep and the understairs cupboard to clean, the rest will have to wait.

David keeps taking my phone to take selfies so I am going to post them here!

I like the ones with the cats, he is trying to copy the cats expression.

Sixty Two

 That is how old Hisao would of been today.  I was wondering how we would of celebrated his birthday, maybe a trip to the city to try out a new resturant. It would be a low keyed celebration but fun.  So that is what I'm going to do, keep things simple but try to have fun.  I'm thinking of waiting until Sunday to do anything as today is very busy and I'm not feeling good, allergies and a cold!!  So on Sunday I'll prepare a nice meal and make a cake (or buy a cake depending on how hot it is).

Just a few random photos!

Today is also the day that my brother in law commited suicide.  That made celebrating Hisao's birthday hard.  When my mother in law was alive she would give money to the Buddhist priest to come and say a special prayer,  she didn't celebrate the son that was alive.  I guess it was her way of dealing with guilt.  Mental health is still not talked about,  it's getter better but still years behind the UK.  So I'm guessing that when my brother in law was struggling there was no help available. 

It's That Month

 June, the month that has so much heartache for me!   I go through this every year.  So many memories, my husband's birthday, Mom's passing, my brother-in-law's passing, and our dog's passing. My cancer was this month as well. So much pain in one month.  So I want to try and make some good memories for this month, do something fun but to begin the month I got sick, just a stupid summer cold but it made me more miserable than I already was.  Feeling a bit better so wondering what to do.  The problem is no car so can't go anywhere, Mikey is using the car today.  Also there are a load of things that I have to do!  After the problem with the electricity, for which we had to call an electrician in and spend almost 300 pounds to fix, I noticed that the kitchen needs to be deep cleaned again.  The dining area floor needs to be done; of course, all the daily chores still need to be done.  So I guess fun will have to wait a bit!!

One thing that I am enjoying is the blackberries that have grown.  This year I have a lot of fruit.  I've made muffins and will make some more later today and the other night I made a smoothie, which was very nice.

blackberry smoothie

So off to start the kitchen!!!

Another Problem

 The sink and small counter leading to the stovetop are made of metal.  Since Saturday we have been getting small electric shocks whenever we touch those areas.  At first, I couldn't feel it but I was washing dishes this morning and felt a tingle from the water!  There are no electric outlets in the area, the nearest two are on different walls.  I have no idea what is going on!  David is trying to contact someone who is an electrician.  If not, we will have to contact the real estate agent and get yelled at for the cats' mess.  Since they are already kicking us out I really don't care what they say.   What a life!

Our cat Fluffy is driving me crazy!  She finds the narrowest places to sleep and of course, falls off.  She also steals food whenever she gets the chance.  I made some blackberry muffins.  My oven is very small so I can only do one tray at a time. I left the bowl on the countertop, half an hour later found Fluffy licking the bowl!!  Even after I moved her she went back two or three times to get more.  She then sat by me as I was eating, giving me sad eyes so I would give her food!!

This was the other day.  I had made some tuna sandwiches and had a bit of tuna leftover.  I put it on the table, turned my back and Fluffy had her head in the bowl!!  She gets cat food and eats okay but she loves people's food.  Non of my other cats do that!!

Downsizing

 The house we are in now has two large Japanese-style rooms that we use for teaching, a large open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area, and four bedrooms.   The house we have to move to is about half the size.  There's a large Japanese-style room that has the family Buddhist altar, two small bedrooms, a kitchen/dining area, and a small living room.  There is a massive two storey storage area next to the house which we are thinking of converting to extra bedrooms.  But even with that, we have too much stuff.  So we have to downsize as much as possible.  We've already started.  Today Mikey took a car full of books to the recycle place, the books will be turned into recycled paper, which is good.  Most of those books were the kid's textbooks from elementary and junior high school, loads of out-of-date books from teaching.  The big problem for me are all the kid's books that I still have.  They are in the room that I use for teaching, some are picture books that the students can look at, some are story books, Mikey reads them to the younger students, translating to Japanese as he goes.  

Some of the books in the teaching room

Most of these I will give away to other international families.  At least I hope to!!

Doing this is driving me crazy!  I think we have done a lot to move to the other house but then I realize that there is still a lot to do!!  Sometimes I feel that we will never have the other house ready to move into.  I guess we just have to keep on.  I don't have much confidence that I can do a lot in the summer but have to try!!!