Daivd's Birthday

 Yesterday was David's birthday.  Twenty-nine years old!!!  I don't know why but I'm always surprised at the age of my kids, I guess I just feel that old!  In my mind, I'm still a spring chicken, but my body feels like 90!!

We had a nice lunch.  One problem with David's birthday is that it falls on the Obon holiday when relatives get together.  Supermarkets have a lot of lovely food but it's a bit more expensive.  I had saved some money so I could buy a lot of nice stuff, sushi, roast beef, pizza, etc.  We also got cake, it was far too hot to try and make one!!!

lunch

cake

It was nice just to sit and talk.  When David was younger we had to go to my mother-in-law's for lunch. David told me yesterday that he thought that they were celebrating his birthday, he couldn't figure out why he got two parties. 

Few photos!

After Alan got covered in sugar

UK 2002

With Granddad

Took 3 hours to get this photo

with his dog

UK

All the kids yesterday

photo bombed by Christopher

Poor Fluffy

 We noticed that Fluffy was over grooming herself.   She would clean and scratch herself for hours, she was getting marks where she had scratched so deeply.  Hannah bought a cone for her to stop the scratching but we had to take it off so she could feed, as soon as it came off she would start scratching.  She was rather lathargic and on Saturday Hannah noticed Fluffy's tail was covered in open sores.  Hannah got her to the vets on Sunday morning.  Trying to get Fluffy into the carrier was a nightmare!  She would run off and hide, then when Hannah got her she would scratch and scream.  Fluffy has never liked to be handled so I was a bit worried about her at the vets.  According to Hannah she was very well behaved.  She sat there like a princess.  Turns out she has a flea allergy.  We try to keep the fleas a bay but even one on her can start an allergic reaction.  She was given a shot and some medicine for the next week.  She has to go back next week.  Came back with a new cone and spent the day sulking behind the curtain, but she did come out to get some chicken at lunch time!

Not a happy cat!!

Obon Holiday

 Next week is Obon Holiday.  It's the time of year for our ancestors to return home.  It's a Japanese Buddhist custom where the ancestors are honored.  It has become a time when people return to their hometowns.  It's not a national holiday but most places close for the 3 days, the exception is the retail and entertainment industries, it's a good time to make money.  Most trains, shinkansen, (bullet trains) and planes are packed.  Even though most people return home some take the chance to travel, Hawai and Guam are popular destinations.  

When the kids were young we would have lunch at my mother-in-law's.  I never really enjoyed it.  Sitting there for two or three hours, sometimes with no air conditioning, kids getting bored after eating and the constant expectations to help out made it an ordeal to be endured.  The first few years I offered to bring something from home to help out but that wasn't done!  Then I had to deal with Hisao's uncle, who I really liked, trying to get us to drink alcohol.  I don't like most alcohol, and Hisao was driving we would refuse but he would keep on and on.  Of course, the more he consumed the more he pushed!!

Now Obon is a nice holiday for me.  We close the school for about a week, most students go to visit their parents or grandparents, so there is no point in opening.  It gives me a break, time to gather steam for the next few months!

Hannah was playing with her phone the other day.  She has a filter app that she likes to use, here are some of her pictures.

No filter on this one

very different with a filter

Not sure what animal I am

Cute!!

Typhoon

 We got lucky, very lucky.  Typhoon six was very slow moving and powerful.  For over a week it was over Okinawa.  Power cuts, floods, downed trees, signs and traffic lights.  The typhoon then moved to southern Kyushyu.  They also got hit bad, local flooding and a lot of wind damage. It then moved up the west coast of Kyushu, by the time it was level with us it was a bit weaker.  We got a load of rain and a bit of wind.  I prepared, I always do when there is a possibility of a typhoon hitting.  Anything that could be blown away was bought inside, closed up the shutters and stocked up on bottled water and cup noodles (we have enough for a month).  Hannah's university changed her classes to online, just in case!!  The only good thing was that it felt a bit cooler for a couple of days, but so humid!!

Today I went shopping.  First time I've been out for over a week.  I wanted to get something for David's birthday next week.  I took Hannah to help me out!  We went to a clothes shop that caters to the whole family from babies to elderly style, also bedding, towels etc.  Hannah loves this store, she goes in for one thing and comes out with about 7 things!!  Even today she bought a dress, necklace and pair of shoes.  I got a few things for David.  One problem is that it still hot here and will be for the next couple of months but the store already has a lot of autumn clothes!!  The summer things were on sale so it was easy to get a good bargin but not much choice.

Just to make a change from cat photos here are some of the area I was shopping in this morning.

The pink store is the clothes store

Everywhere we can see mountains

FLYZ is a recycle store that I like to check out

This and That

 A few things have been happening the past couple of days!  Nothing major.

Christopher has gotten over Covid.  He was rather sick for four days.  Two days with a fever of 39.9C.  Even with strong medicine from the doctor, his fever was still too high.  Finally broke Thursday evening. He had an awful sore throat, he was living on tofu and jelly, he couldn't swallow anything else.  Saturday evening he came into the kitchen and asked if I wanted a good laugh.  He showed me his front teeth, he had lost a filling!  So this week he has to go to the dentist.  Poor kid, can't get a break!

We might get a typhoon this week, maybe Wednesday and Thursday.  This typhoon has been dancing over Okinawa for the past few days.  When it hit there it was very strong,  the winds bought down trees, traffic lights and massive signboards.  The forecast was for it to go along the Pacific Coast of Japan.  This morning however the forecast has changed and it's going along the coast of Kyushu.  We shouldn't be hit too hard but we really don't need a load more rain.  The heavy rain that we had at the beginning of July has loosened a lot of the soil, another load means the possibility of landslides will be very high!

It is still hot here.  Last week 3 or 4 days were up to 39C.  Today it's 33C and I don't feel it's that hot.  If it stays like this for the rest of the summer maybe I'll survive.  

Poor Hannah still has university.  From Saturday to Thursday this week.  During her lunch break, I send pictures of the cats, cheers her up.  She likes her course but getting there is hard in the heat.  On the days that he is free Mikey drives her there, about an hour each way.  If not she has to walk half an hour from the station and then back again. Her backpack is rather heavy and she feels very hot and sticky when she gets to the campus! Seeing the cats makes her happy.  These are some from the other day.

I was trying to get each cat

David asked what I was doing, I explained that I was sending cat photos to Hannah.  He said you can send one of me.  I told him that I didn't think it would cheer her up!!  He said I can be a cat and did a cat pose!

Cat pose?

When Hannah saw the photo she texted me saying it looks like David is having a fit!

A Bit of History

I'm still learning about this city.  We've lived here for 14 years but I know very little of the history.

The other week David went to the local shopping mall, in the parking lot he found a memorial dedicated to unknown soldiers that died during the Sengoku Period, literally the warring states period in the 15th century.  According to a plaque at the memorial a factory was built in the area where the shopping mall is now.  When they opened the factory they neglected the memorial, no prayers were offered for the unknown soldiers.  For a few years the factory was plagued with many accidents.  The factory owners decided to hold a memorial service for the soldiers, after the service the accidents stopped.  Maybe coincidence!  Christopher said that it was more likely that they finally learned how to run the factory without accidents!!

This is the plaque explaining the history

David said it's a nice little oasis in the middle of the parking lot.  Once the weather has cooled down I might go and see it for myself!

Miserable Summer

 The past few years every summer has been rather miserable.  This year, however, seems to be harder.  I think it's a combination of things, my health, age and having sick kids have all contributed to me feeling rather out of things.

I know that it isn't as hot here as in other parts of the world, but for me this too hot. It's 8:30 in the morning and already 30 degrees.  I've done a few jobs that needed doing but as always there is more to be done.  David has taken over cooking lunch, for which I am very grateful, I know I couldn't cook everyday!  My health is not good, my knee hurts again, I'm obese and have diabetes.  I'm tired all the time and have very little stamina.  I have lost some weight and I really hoped that would help, maybe a little bit but not as much as I had hoped.  The other day I was helping Mikey put things in the car, I was outside for about 10 minutes and felt awful, nausea and the begining of a headache.  When I came in I drank a load of water and sat infront of the fan for a while, felt much better.  I was suprised at how quickly I felt bad.  I use to be able to stay out for half an hour.  Is this part of getting old, if it is then I'm not looking forward to the next few years.  I am trying to use this time to do a few things.  I've spent time trying to organize lesson plans for the next few weeks, finding interesting worksheets for Halloween and Christmas.  Trying to study Japanese.  Also planning what to do with the other house, figuring out what I can change, what I can afford and what can wait.  I'm really looking forward to autumn, getting things done.  Time to make a 'to do' list.  I love crossing things off a list!

The cats have the right attitude, just sleep when it's hot!!  They race around at night and sleep most of the day!!!