October

 An interesting month. 

The weather has gone from summer to almost winter! Most days are still warm but the wind can be rather biting. Nights and early mornings are very cold. I think we need to pull out the heaters and electric blankets!

I'm glad I could get to the doctor about my back. It got to the point that I couldn't stand for 5 minutes without being in agony. The painkillers are helping, but they make me very sleepy. Still bettter than being in pain all the time. This morning Hannah called me, she is feeling rather out of things. One side effect of the epilepsy medicine is brain fog and feeling sleepy. We were comparing how bad we felt with these side effects. We decided that we both felt like zombies, moving but not focusing at all!

Another thing I'm glad about is buying the new wet/dry vacuum cleaner. It's saved my sofa and the carpet in the dining area. I've yet to try it on the tatami mats but I'm hoping that the smell will go!

In between back ache and allergies I've been trying to organize the tatami room to teach in. I've also spent a few days in the yard, trying to pull some weeds. 

On the teaching front I've been looking at new methods to teach, looking for sites that have worksheets available. There is so much out there. I'm thinking of using short videos to help supplement text work. I keep asking Hannah about the curriculum for junior high school. The books I have are a few years out of date. The new curriculm has a lot added to it. One thing that has changed in recent years is the fact that English is now taught from 4th grade. The kids are expected to know certain words when they start junior high school. One problem with that is that there are very few elementary school teachers who can speak English. It's all a bit hit and miss!

There are 65 days until 2026. I want to make the most of these days. Usually I just coast along the last couple of months of the year, not really trying to make changes or do anything to improve my life. I feel like there's something magic about January 1st, like all the problems I have, all the things I'm determinded to do will somehow magically appear on that day. For example, my ability to stick to a diet will just appear as the clock strikes midnight. But expericence has taught me that won't happen! So, I'm going to spend this afternoon reflecting on what I want to achieve before the end of the year. Some small, doable goals to end the year on a high note!

Just a few photos from October

The Christmas Tree at the station

Still have a lot of work to do in the storage place

A lovely full moon

And, of course, cats

David's Turn

Recently, one of us has been to the hospital, doctors or dentist every month. Since the beginning of the year, someone has been sick enough to need medical help.

Of course, my medical needs are ongoing. Every three months, I need to be tested for cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. Hannah has to go every month to get her medicine to control epilepsy. The lads are kind of healthy, but it's flu season, so I'm sure somebody will get it, or Covid.

David works nights; he usually gets home about 10am. I was out yesterday morning, getting my haircut. When I got home, I could hear David on the phone, which is unusual. After he had finished, I asked if he was alright. He was very pale, and the day before, he had complained of having a very bad headache. He told me that a tooth had broken, and he was in a lot of pain from that. He had made an appointment at the dentist for 1:30.  

Just after one o'clock, Mikey drove him to the dentist. David was in such a state that he couldn't drive.  They came back an hour later, David was in worse agony than before.

I'm not sure what happened, as David couldn't really talk. From what I could understand, it looks like the local anaesthesia hadn't worked.  He has to go back again today. I really hope he can get treatment and recover from this as soon as possible. He looks really bad, he is pale, and his face is swollen.

David on better days!

I finally got my haircut! I was starting to look like "The wild woman of Japan!" It's a bit shorter than I would like, but it will grow! I didn't bother with a colour this time for two reasons. One is that the colour I have starts to look more purple than brown after a couple of washes, also my hair is very dry at the moment.  I think letting it rest this time might help. Maybe I should just embrace the grey. 

Shorter hair

I'm really not photogenic at all. Took a few attempts to get a decent selfie!

Yesterday....

 I think I overdid it!

Yesterday morning, for the first time in ages, I felt alright. Not great, my back was still painful, but my allergies had calmed down, and I even managed to sleep for 6 hours straight. I didn't have to wake up early, so I hadn't set an alarm but woke up naturally at 7am. I had breakfast and thought about having another doze, but I wasn't tired, just sleepy from the painkiller.

So what to do with this bit of energy! I decided to go out and pull some weeds. I asked Christopher to help move some heavy things from the front porch. I wanted him to help with the weeds, but his allergies were bad!  I did about 20 minutes, even though I did a lot, it doesn't look like it! It's that bad! After that, I went upstairs to find some textbooks for my new student. That took a lot longer than I thought it would, as we had to move boxes. I can only get things from upstairs if there is someone to help me; the stairs are very steep, almost like a ladder. To go up, I have to use my hands; coming down is a bit scary. There's no rail or anything to hold on to! I can manage, but I need someone to carry stuff down for me. 

After rummaging around for about half an hour, I found what I was looking for, plus a few other books that might be useful. 

This is part of the storage room.

Part of the storage room

I was able to make lunch, but after that I spent time reading and watching TV.

I'm glad that I could have a good, productive day, but I am feeling a bit achy today!

Hannah had a good day yesterday! She went to the city to see Phantom of the Opera by herself! 

We have tickets to see at Christmas, but she bought herself another ticket to see it before!

She had an incredible time! 

The show started at 1 o'clock, so she had lunch before.

Good lunch

Her seat was at the front, 4th row, in the middle. 

The last scene is very emotional. I've seen this version and the West End version. I found the endings to be very different. Both are sad, but the emotion in the Japanese version seems stronger! Hannah said she could see the tears on the face of the Phantom!

Few photos she sent me.

The Christmas Tree at the station

Outside the theatre

View of the stage

Also, the mall that the theatre is in has a variety of restaurants and cafes that have special "Phantom" themed menus.  We might have lunch there when we go in December.

Back To The Doctor

 I went back to the doctors yesterday and got a month's worth of painkillers.  I really want to have physiotherapy, but they were fully booked! I have an appointment for next week!

After the doctors, I did a bit of shopping.  With prices constantly rising, it's hard to stick to any kind of budget. I don't buy anything that would be considered a luxury, but everything is expensive. Even coffee has doubled in price since the spring! 

I've noticed these signs in a few shops since the summer.

A sign in one of the supermarkets

The sign is basically apologising for the staff having a drink while they are working.  There has been a rise in staff being harassed by customers. Even something small can set off some people!  The past summer has been brutal; even with air conditioning, you need to have access to water. Unlike cashiers in the UK, there are no stools; the staff have to stand for the whole shift! That can get very hard, so I think it's reasonable that they are allowed to have a little drink now and then!

Another thing I noticed the other day was a couple of  "Halloween Trees".

Halloween Trees

I think the space in the middle is for someone to stand to get photos. Nice idea!

Today is cool, raining on and off, for me, nice weather!

I'm going to enjoy this weather before the real cold weather starts.  The house is already very cold overnight! 

The cats have decided that it's snuggle weather!

Snuggle time!

Never Ending

 Today was a big sigh day!

No matter how much I clean and tidy up, or get everybody to help, there is always a lot more to be done!

The kitchen is a constant mess, with dirty dishes in the sink and drying dishes on the rack because there's no storage space.  I tried to use the units under the sink, but they smell terrible. I've cleaned them out many times, put in baking soda to absorb the smell, but it's just as bad the next day! I think there might be a leak or backup in the drain system, but without tearing out the whole unit, it's impossible to do anything about it. If the sink unit were separate from the gas stove, I would try, but it's one long unit.

The kitchen

There are cabinets on the wall above, but they are of no use to me as they are too high! I have a small cabinet that I'm using for pantry items and dishes, but it's not big enough!

I'm upset as this is a large space, but so badly designed! The oven is on the back (the red thing with pots on top), and it's hard to reach. When it needs cleaning, I have to ask David to do it as I can't reach the back of it!

That is one constant problem. The other is clean laundry, which is piled up in my room. Again lack of storage. I have a chest of drawers for my clothes. In the other house, I had two, one for things I'm using, the other for off-season clothes. I liked having things available because, as the seasons change, it's hard to know what you'll need. Today it was rather warm, so just a T-shirt was alright, but now it's getting cool and I need a cardigan! I have one, but the others are in the storage place, which means going outside and then rooting around to find the right storage box, then moving things back and forth. A lot of work to get a change of clothes.

This house is half the size of the last place, not only in the number of rooms but also in the size of the rooms! 

I guess just keeping on. I really hoped by now some of the problems with this house would be sorted, but nothing has really changed! Just no money!

I don't know what to do about this house! I really don't know if it's structurally sound. It's easy to change out the kitchen, toilets and bathroom, just costs a lot of money. But I wonder if I would be wasting money! To build a new house would be lovely, but I can't get a mortgage. 

I'm going back to the doctor tomorrow. I need more painkillers for my back. It feels a bit better but still some pain after standing or walking for a while. I would love to be pain-free!

Doing vs Being

 A couple of weeks ago I wrote about not having any more zero days, where each day I should do something to fulfill whatever goals I have.

But I've also been thinking about being. 

For most of my life I've always been a doer. I've felt, still feel, that I have be productive everyday, either working to make money or taking care of people, pets, places and things. I would write a "To Do" lists just to get a thrill of crossing things off! Once I wrote my "To Do" list after a very busy day, then sat and crossed out all the things I had done that day! Doing this makes me feel as though I'm earning my place in the day!

Recently, however, especially the last couple of weeks when my back was so painful that standing for more than a few minutes was impossible, I've been wondering is doing all the time really neccessary. Do I need to push myself to get up and hit the road running each and every day. Is it alright to slow down a bit? 

I've been watching a couple of Japanese ladies YouTube channels. They are about my age and are embracing a slower way of life. They take care of their homes, the people around them, one of the ladies has 8 cats to take of. But at the same time they take time to enjoy the nature around them, nice cafes, walks in the countryside, baking treats and home cooking without enforced schedules. I like how their videos show a purposeful life without constantly striving to achieve something, just being present in the moment and sharing the joy that comes from that! When I have chance I'll ask their permission to add a link to their channels on here.

I still think acomplishing something everyday is important, it's easy to let time just slip away and as I get older and relise that I have more days behind me than ahead I want to make the most of the time I have. 

When I was in so much pain with my back I had to change my priorites, I couldn't get out in the garden, sort out my closet or even keep the kitchen spotless. At first I felt guilty that I wasn't doing more, but then I felt that I am doing something. By resting I was allowing my body to heal. I also read a lot and tried to research about how teaching English has changed since I started and what new skills I would need in the future. 

I still feel doing something everyday is important. Even on my worst days I managed to wash a few dishes, sweep a floor, sort socks etc. But now I'm looking for balance. I'm going to allow myself time, everyday, just to be. This morning I sat on my bed and listened to the noises outside my window, the bird song, some animal rustling in the undergrowth. It felt peaceful until the thougts started, you should be doing something. I told myself, I am doing something, I'm finding peace in this moment!

If there are any mistakes in this, I'm sorry! I've been using Grammarly but it doesn't seem to be working!

A nice peacful photo to finish with.  Chrittopher took this, it's near the bus stop that he uses.

Lovely view

Typical

 Yesterday, for the first time in ages, I was able to get some chores done without feeling like I was going to pass out from the pain in my back. Today, as well, I spent a couple of hours cleaning and pottering around. I'm still getting some twinges, but nothing as extreme as before.

But, of course, it's not plain sailing with my health! My allergies have started, and I might have a slight cold! Typical!

Never mind, this too shall pass!

The weather has become rather chilly! I'm happy about that, finally, the season and the weather match!

The one problem with the weather cooling down is that the cats are fighting more! When it's hot, they don't fight so much, but as it cools down, they start again! I think I got up every hour last night because someone was fighting!

But they are still cute!

Steve and Mama

Steve has to go on a diet. He is very food-centred and rather chunky! The other evening, the cats were crying and getting restless as they hadn't been fed! David was in the dining/kitchen area. He went down the corridor towards his room, which is the same direction as where the cat food is stored. All of the cats raced after him, led by Steve. I went to see what the cats were doing. The other cats were lying around, but Steve was sitting staring at his food bowl, looking rather disappointed!

The other day I went to another 100 yen shop. In this area, there are two 100 yen shops, Daiso and Seria. I usually go to Daiso, but the supermarket I wanted to check out (where Christopher is working) has a large Seria!

Lots and lots of really nice things. I spent a good 30 minutes looking around, would have liked to spend longer, but I needed to get back to make lunch!

There was a corner that had all cat-themed items, socks, notebooks, and pencil cases. So many different things! I bought a couple of things for Hannah, but I think she should come and find some things she would like!

What I bought for Hannah

The little bag is for her obento box, the other item is a little tray!

I managed to take a couple of photos, really cute stuff!

A little coin purse and notebook

Different cat items!

Not only are the cat drawings cute, but I love the subtle colours!

I'm going to do my chair exercises now and then find something for dinner!