It's Started!!!!

 The temperature has started to rise. The average temperature here is about 24 during the day and a low of 15C at night.  Toady should get up to 31C, next week is going to be about the same.  I'm not ready for that!! No choice, I know that, but the longer it stays cool the more I can get done at the other house.  We are getting the power on this week but the air conditioners are old and never cleaned!!  I need to buy new ones but of course no money!

Went to the other house yesterday.  Didn't do any work because it was rather late when we got there. The hairdresser that I go to is on the way, so I got my haircut!  As much as I love my hairdresser I think I have to find another place.  The lady is 75 years old and still sharp but I can see she is slowing down.  I've been going there for 30 years now, which makes it difficult for me to want to change.

At the other house we had another go at spraying the bees.  Mikey's turn this time. Of course he got stung but just on the clothes.

The bee-killing get up!

On the way home we stopped at a few shops.  Just food shopping. I'm craving fruit but it's so expensive.

As I was coming out of one shop I saw a kid taking photos, looking up I saw a bird's nest with the mama bird and chicks.

You can just see the chicks

These look like handmade nests, not natural, maybe to encourage the birds to nest there!

I'm really trying to be positive, to change my energy and focus on the good not the myriad of problems I have.  I'm stressed but I know that isn't helping me at all.  Yesterday evening I was waiting for my students to come. I could feel the tension in me build up, I love these girls but they are so energetic and I wasn't sure if I could deal with it last night.  I sat in my living room, thinking about what to teach, looking for something to help me calm down a bit when I noticed Steve, our white cat.  The way the light caught his eyes made them look very blue, I took photos but they aren't that good! 

blue eyes

I sat talking to Steve, just mesmerized by his eye color.  Just those few minutes helped me to feel calmer and have a bit of energy to teach.  My lesson turned out a lot better than I thought it would.  These girls always make me laugh!!

B-Day

 The day to get rid of the bees!

Didn't go to plan.  The first idea was to tape some mesh over the vents.  Two problems, one, how to get the mesh to stick.  The material that the mesh is made out of doesn't stick very well to tape.  The second problem was how to get close enough to the vents with bees going in and out.

I decided that instead of trying to cover the vent to cover myself.  I thought it would be best if I did the spraying.  Christopher has an allergy to bees.  If I got stung then David could drive me to a hospital.  But David decided that he would do the spraying!

I was shocked to see that the bees were using two vents to go in and out, one on the front of the house and one on the side!  I think the hive must have gotten bigger!

I put a very thin gauze scarf over David's head and face, held in place with a cap, he was wearing long sleeves and gloves.  He used up all of the spray we had bought!  I went inside the room over where the hive is, the noise was incredible, it sounded like some kind of motor.  By the time we left, there were almost no bees.  I'm planning on going again on Friday and will give it another good spray!

One thing that cheered me up is the blueberry bushes have fruits on them.  Looking forward to fresh blueberries.  I hope to get enough to make jam, I've only made it once but would love to try again!  Fresh blueberries are very expensive here, actually, most fruits are expensive.  I would love to try and grow some fruits.  I'm wondering if you can buy mature trees!  Something else to look up!

blueberries just starting

Of course, now that the weather is warming up all the creepy crawlies are coming out.

I was trying to clean out the last small room putting things to throw away into bags to take to the city incinerator, when a Godzilla-sized cockroach came out.  I screamed for help, David came with a baseball bat and Christopher with a mallet.  Poor cockroach didn't stand a chance.

Exercise Part 2

 Back in February, a friend challenged me to do 40 days of exercise.  I managed to do that and found that it really helped my body.  The exercises I chose were very gentle chair exercises for seniors. Most of the videos I did were 15 minutes long. After the 40 days finished I kept up with the exercises, doing 3 to 5 days a week. I was surprised at how good I felt.  I have arthritis in my knee and lower back pain.  Standing or walking for more than 15 minutes would leave me in absolute agony. After doing exercises for a month I found I could stand longer and longer.  I remember one day I cleaned the kitchen, cleaned out the pantry, and then cooked lunch, about an hour and a half on my feet and I only started to feel a little twinge in back in the last 10 minutes or so.  I was so excited!  One thing want to do after we are settled in the other house is travel but I felt it would be impossible because of all the walking involved.

Then I got shingles.  Everything stopped.  I'm grateful that I think I got a mild case, some people I have talked to were sick for months.  For me, it's been just over 3 weeks.  I still have a bit of pain, but it's not crippling, I actually don't notice it until I'm very tired!  Also, the rash had faded to a red blotch. But three weeks of being inactive have set me back. I noticed yesterday that my back was hurting a lot after cooking and cleaning.  Today my knee is achy! 

Another lesson learned!  I need exercise. I need to stretch, move my body, and build some muscle.

I don't know when I will start again.  But I have to.  This is part of my journey to being healthy.  

Tomorrow we are going to the other house.  I know after that I won't feel up to doing anything extra.  Thursday I might try an easy chair yoga video.  

At the moment I'm making mental lists of the things that need to be done. I want to get packed up here as soon as possible, start cleaning the house, get utilities turned on, find out about the toilet and the land. Lots to do, but little time and less money!!

Steve being cute

It's a cat's life!! 

Sunday

I loved Sundays growing up.

I remember as a teenager I had a paper round. I would get up between 6 and 7 am, deliver my papers then crawl back into bed. I only had a few papers to deliver on a Sunday morning, less than 10, but the houses and flats were far apart.  One vivid memory I have is trying to deliver the Sunday Times, there were so many supplements and magazines that I had to take it apart and push each part through the letter box one at a time.  After finishing I would go back home and crawl back in bed, especially in the winter.

Mom always made a roast, and most weeks an apple pie, if she wasn't too tired she would bake a Victoria sponge as well.

Sunday afternoons were lazy times, we might have to do a couple of chores. As I got older one job I had was ironing, took hours!  Also, I would listen to the top 40 pop songs.  One Christmas I got a cassette tape recorder for Christmas, I think I copied the top 40 almost every week.

There was just something nice about Sunday.  Nowhere was open, nowhere to go.  It felt good to stay home!

When I came to Japan I was shocked that all shops open on a Sunday.  Spending a day at the shops or shopping malls was normal.  Libraries are open but closed on Monday.  The only places closed are banks, offices, doctors, and dentists.

I really try not to shop on Sunday.  Everywhere is busy.  I prefer to stay home or maybe visit someplace just to go sightseeing.  When the kids were young going to the library was fun.

Yesterday I had to go to the local supermarket to get a few things for lunch. I was going to ask David to stop by on the way home from his night shift but it was pouring down with rain.  David goes to work by bike and I knew he hadn't taken his raincoat.

The supermarket is where Christopher works, so we dropped him off and then waited for the store to open.  

There were people already lined up.  The store had a countdown to opening.  "5 minutes to opening", "3 minutes to opening" and then "The store is open".

When I got in I could see why it was so busy, big sales day.

Bananas were half price, 100 yen off a pack of ramen noodles, and rice was less than 2000 yen for 5 kilos.  There were other things on sale but those are the things that I noticed.  

waiting for the store to open

I'm glad I went as I could get some good bargains but I still prefer my lazy Sundays when I was young!

Gardening

 I really want my posts to be more positive but some things just get to me!

Yesterday we got a letter from the real estate agents saying that the neighbors asked that we cut the trees. First of all, I still can't figure out how the neighbors know which real estate agency we are using. Within walking distance of our house, there are at least 20 real estate agents!  I always feel that our privacy has been invaded!

Also, I know the trees need cutting, I'm not blind, just busy or sick.

The past few months any free time has been taken up going to the other house. The only time we don't go is when it's raining! I'm not going to garden in the rain. At times like this, I wish my Japanese was better because I would go and give them a piece of my mind.  They have never done any repairs that I've asked for. The bathroom sink was leaking, I asked that it be repaired, but had to wait over 5 years, by that time the rot had set in and the floor needed to be replaced as well. Then they charged me. I know going and yelling at them won't change anything but I would feel better.  I guess this is one of the pluses of having your own house.  Nobody can complain, and if they do I can ignore them!

Anyway, this morning Christopher and I went out and made a start!  One tree on the front worries me as the top branches brush against the power lines. I really think these trees are not good for a yard, they grow too big!

Christopher managed to cut down some of the taller branches.  I thought about taking down the tree but because of the position, I think we need a professional.  If it falls one way it could damage the house, the other way it could take down the power lines. If we were staying here I would pay for it to be removed but all the money I have now, after paying bills is going into the other house. 

I cut a few bushes, but not much because my back started to hurt.  I still have shingles, it's not bad but the pain is still there.  I know that I should rest but I'm feeling the pressure of needing to get things done.

Christopher did very well until the new saw came to pieces.  He forgot to lock the blade into the handle.

Oops!

I got some photos of what he took down. It's difficult to see how big.  The storage shed behind gives an idea!

This is just one branch

Can you see Christopher?

I planned to do some more tomorrow, but guess what?  It's going to rain!!!!

Shopping

 I like shopping, most of the time!  At the moment it's a bit stressful as the things I need to buy and the things I would love to buy cost a lot more than the money I have! 

Today I went to a large home center near here.  It's a DIY shop, garden center, pet shop (pet goods not animals), many lovely things for the kitchen, and a furniture store.  Christopher came with me I needed to buy some spray for the bees and some different cleaning agents.  It really helps to be able to read Japanese!

I wandered through the furniture store, just sighing at all the beautiful furniture, thinking how this or that would look in the house but realizing that I don't have the budget now and how to keep things nice with the cats!

Then I got sidetracked by the kitchen department.  I saw things that I might treat myself to once we are settled in.  One thing that caught my eye was these placemats

Nice placemats

I was tempted to buy them but I know that I would probably misplace them before we move.  I did buy some bee-killing spray and some gardening tools.  

Then onto a discount store. Not sure why it's called a discount store as it's not really that cheap!  This store has a supermarket in it.  They usually have good fruit there.  I got some grapes and cut watermelon. The meat is sometimes a bit cheaper than the local supermarket, today the mince was a decent price, so tomorrow's lunch will be hamburgers.

The last place I went was the 100 yen shop.  That is the most dangerous place for me.  Lovely goods at 100 yen. I go around putting things in my basket, thinking "It's only 100 yen", the problem is that those 100 yens add up.  Today I resisted temptation, just 500 yen, again cleaning products.

The last place I stopped into was a recycle shop.  The name of the shop always makes me smile.

recycle shop

I often wonder if the person who came up with that shop name knew what a fly is!!  When I first saw this shop I had the image of old things with flies hovering over them!! But the goods are good quality!

Nice morning shopping.  Just need a lot more money!
.

Ganbatte

 I've just started to read an interesting book called 'Ganbatte, The Japanese Art of Always Moving Forward' by Albert Liebermann.

Ganbatte (Ganbaru) can be translated as do your best, preserve, don't give up, keep going.  It's used to encourage people.  In England when faced with challenges we are told "Good luck". In Japan, ganbatte is used in similar situations, before tests, an athlete meet, or starting something new.  The author points out that good luck leaves things up to fate whereas ganbatte encourages people to do their best.

I've heard this word since I came to Japan.  I remember Hisao encouraging the kids when they started to walk. He would sit on the floor, arms open, saying "Come to daddy, you can do it, ganbatte"  I'm sure that in Japanese homes up and down the country, this scenario is played out!  From kindergarten to university, kids are encouraged by parents, teachers, and friends with the word ganbatte.  There is even a way to use it for oneself, ganbaru.  This morning Hannah went off to university with a heavy backpack.  She sent me a message saying that she had got to the station but was already tired.  My message to her was "Ganbatte", and she replied with "Ganbarimasu"  (has the same meaning as ganbaru).

Japan is a country plagued by natural disasters. I think this attitude of persevering and doing one's best grew out of having to constantly rebuild and start over again. Without this attitude, the Japanese would have given up a long time ago.

I remember when we had that massive earthquake a few years ago, there was a news report, CNN or BBC, I forget which one, that was showing people who had been evacuated to the local school gym.  The footage showed a long line of people, family groups, old ladies in little clusters, chatting away, waiting to get a rice ball and bottle of tea. Nobody was fighting, no hysterics, some were laughing and chatting, others more serious and somber.  Most had probably lost their houses, and others maybe their livelihood as well.  The reporter said that he was amazed at the stoicism of the Japanese people.  I think really comes from internalizing the idea of ganbatte.

So why am I writing this?  Basically, I need to have this attitude.  I need to be able to persevere and do my best as I face moving to the other house.   I can't change this, as much as I would love to.  Luck isn't going to help me.  My internal attitude has to be better than it has been for the past year or so.  Fighting internally against the move, moaning (on here and to my kids) isn't going to change things, it is just adding stress.  I think that the result of the extra stress caused me to get shingles.  Stress impairs the immune system, making one vulnerable to any little thing!  I also need to be a lot more grateful. If we didn't have this house I would have to rehome the cats.  And you can call me out on this when I start moaning again!

And to finish just a cute Fluffy photo.  Mikey was getting ready for work the other evening.  He couldn't find his wallet!!

Fluffy with Mikey's wallet

Looks like she was trying to hide it to stop him from going to work.