Mikey's Birthday

 Today is Mikey's 33rd birthday!

As usual I'm having problems processing this! 

Seriously, where does time go?  It feels like just a few years ago he was a kid now he is an adult.  Did I blink?

I found some photo's of him from when he was little. I took so many photos of him (and the other kids when they came along). This was before digital cameras, I would use a 36 photo film every month. I used to send a lot to my parents. Also I wanted to record of my kids lives! I love being able to look back and reminisce about things.  

2 years old, I don't remember where this was

3rd birthday with David

20 years ago

with his brothers

After watching some kids show

At a river near here, the statue is a Kappa, a water spirit

kids Halloween party a couple of years ago

outside our old house

starting junior high school

on a walk in the mountains

Seeing what his Dad had!

Sorry the photos are out of order.

And it's snowing. Not a lot and not sticking, but we do have snow. I'm glad I don't have to go out! I tried to take a video but not sure if you can see the snow!

Back To Work

 Today Mikey and I had to go back to the other city to do one class. It's a volunteer class that we've been doing for a couple of years now.  Most of the students are older, mainly pensioners. I think the idea is to give them something to do outside of their homes. 

It's nice class, very easy to teach plus Mikey does most of the work!

One thing that we do is introduce different cultural things for each season (the class is only once a month!). Today we talked about New Years traditions. Mikey gets creative with the whiteboard!

Mikey drawing

Happy New Year!

This one gentleman always remembers Mikey's birthday. He's such a sweet old man!

Mikey teaching!

After we had to go to another community center to get the key for this week! 

On the way I was watching the mountains! Snow and rain are forecast for the next couple of days! It looks like there might be snow on some of the mountains already!

Those mountains look cold

The photos aren't that good as Mikey was driving.

On the way back Mikey took a wrong turn!

It gave me the chance to see a temple that we go past!

Lovely looking temple

The sign says Happy New Year

It's going to be strange commuting to work. For the past 30 years or so I've worked from home! Now I have to travel about 40 minutes one way! I know I'm not driving but I still get very tired. How long can I keep this up?

Bit of Baking

 I seem to be shopping a lot more than I use to!  At the old house I could send someone to pick up things that I had forgotten, here I don't have that luxury! So shopping again this morning!

This afternoon I did a bit of baking!

I made banana bread, just to use up some left over bananas!

Banana bread

I buy bananas, thinking to have oats with bananas but somehow never get round to doing that! I always seem to end up with bananas going black!

After that I made bread and butter pudding.

bread and butter pudding

I haven't made this since I was in secondary school!

I was telling the kids about winters when I was very little, maybe 5 or 6 years old. Most weeks Mom would make this stew with green pea soup mix. I always remember this green colored stew!  On a Friday Mom would make bread and butter pudding, using the crusts from the weeks bread! She would use custard powder, as she said a cheats way.  Just talking about this made me want to have bread and butter pudding.  So tonight's treat is a nice cup of tea and some bread and butter pudding.

Tomorrow is back to work, just one class! 

One Month

 We've been here for a month now.

Things are a bit easier!  Getting a sofa really helped me to have somewhere comfortable to sit, watch TV (on my computer) and read!  Having the heater right next to me and blasting it means that there is somewhere warm, other than my bed. 

I've decided that the first thing I need to buy are air conditioners with heating element! This house is really too cold but I know in the summer it will be too hot!  Having a good heating/cooling system is going to be important.  I don't want another year being uncomfortable!

I'm trying to see the good here.  David was telling me about some customers at the Internet Cafe where he's working. Some are homeless and sleep at the Internet Cafe. One thing with this house is that it is ours, paid for in full (we have to pay tax, about 50 pounds a month), we can't be kicked out if we can't make rent or if the owner wants the house back!  Also there is enough land for each one of us to build something, either on the land here or on some of the other land.  For that I'm grateful!

David has been trying to clear some of the field! He sent some progress photos!

more broken tools

I guess there wasn't much progress! The tools he found are over 20 years old, I'm not surprised they broke. I think we have to invest in some better tools.

I noticed seed potatoes the other day. Planting is between February and March. I really hope we can grow some. I plan to get into the yard this week, if the rain stops. I have to get the soil turned and get out weeds and stones!  I hope my back is up to it! Good exercise!!

Christopher

 Today is Christopher's birthday! 27!

The past few months he has really stepped up to help me with the moving. Anytime I needed anything heavy moved or dirty cleaning he took care of it.

Since we have moved here he has cleaned out part of the back yard, I'm hoping to grow potatoes there.

Also he has become a very good cook. On the days that I'm too tired to cook Christopher will make something for us. I know I can buy instant food or obento but I really think that homemade meals are a lot better!

Being the youngest boy I think he got left out a lot. Mikey and David are only 2 years apart. There's 4 years between David and Christopher!  By the time Christopher came along Mikey and David were already playing together a lot, they had their own little world and it was difficult for Christopher to join in.  I remember when David started school, Christopher spent the first few days looking for him, not understanding that he would be back later!

I spent the morning sorting photos. I couldn't find any new born photos. Actually since we've moved there are a lot of things I can't find!  I was looking through the photos, telling stories to Christopher and Hannah.  Hannah looked at me and said "in 3 years time I'll be the only one who is not over 30!"  That freaked me out! I'll be the mother of older adults!!!

Here are some of the photos!

About 3 months old

With Dad

lunch time!

All in yellow

back in the UK, Christmas 1999, almost 2 years old

with Granddad at 2 years old

and at 19 years old

with his Dad, 5 years old

day out somewhere

UK 2003

I love this photo of the kids

wearing a wig, and Hannah's coat and glasses!!!

with Lucky

UK 2017

19th birthday

with Granddad and cousin Becky

our trip to Kyoto

starting college

moving, David put soot on him

finding interesting things as he helped pack up my room

at work

We didn't really celebrate today. But we had cake, sat around talking, reminiscing.  Thinking about the future. Christopher is looking for a job, as much as I enjoy having him in the house he does need to make money!!

Hannah is packing up, heading back to her apartment tonight, she has work form tomorrow!  She's been raiding my food cupboard! 

Hannah packing up her goods!!

Tomorrow I start teaching. I need to get the outside cleaned up a bit. Another busy week ahead!

What A Day

 Today turned out to be a lot more busy than I thought it would be.

Shopping, dentist, vets and more shopping!

I managed to get up early again this morning, about 7:30, David made breakfast as he didn't have work last night!

After breakfast David and Christopher went to the other land to see if they could start to clear some of the weeds and bushes. I think they did okay until David broke the handle on the chain saw! I think he can glue it back on! I hope so as these things get to be expensive!

While they were out I started lunch. Very simple, rice, miso soup, salad and chicken!

After that was done David, Hannah and I went shopping. 

Hannah wanted to check out some clothes shops! She got a cardigan and shoes, somehow David paid for them!

We then stopped into a second hand store, the same place that we bought the counter table from!

This time they had a selection of sofas that were reasonably priced!  Most second hand stores were selling sofas at the same price as new ones!  This store had some at less than 8000 yen (about 50 pounds). We looked around a bit, buy, not buy, what to do! Finally decided to get one. I would like something nicer but for now this is good!

New to us sofa

Of course the cats got on it first!  I'm going to put some throws on it later!

After lunch Christopher had a dental appointment. During the holiday he was eating some chews and pulled a filling out! The dentist he went was one we used when we lived there many years ago. They have built a new clinic, very nice and modern. Christopher said that there was a consultation room, also the treatment rooms are separated, very different to the usual set up in Japan! 

New dental clinic

Then we had to wait for vet to open to take Fluffy.  Fluffy has some kind of allergy, she over grooms and scratches until she bleed, also her eyes are really bad with this gunk running out.

While we were waiting Hannah and I had a little walk around. The vet is on the street where we used to live, he used to be our next door neighbor.

The area has completed changed. But still a nice trip down memory lane. Hannah was about 5 when we moved from there, she has a vague memory of the area. The house we lived in was taken down many years ago, there is a very nice house there now!

where we used to live

We also found a small vegetable stand that operates on a trust system. The vegetables or fruits are left there with a money box. You take what you want and put the money in the box. 

the sign says what's for sale and how much

fruits and small money box

I used to love these when I first moved here. Some days I didn't have enough money to buy things, so I would take something, usually onions or carrot, and go back the next day and put some money in the box! 

We finally got Fluffy into the vets!  She's okay, got some tablets and eye drops!

poor Fluffy at the vets!

Another good day. One big problem is that it has gone very cold. It didn't get over 10C today, this house is very cold when the weather was mild, I really don't know how we are to survive if it gets colder!!