Trying To Make Some Changes

Last year I wrote about trying to move more.  For a few month I managed to do that, cleaning around the house and yard, walking with Christopher and the dog, going to my mother in laws house and cleaning there.  But the summer came and I can't move in the heat and humidity without getting really sick.  Even in the house I ended up with heat stroke with a fever, headaches and nausea.  I tried to go to the supermarket and shopping malls to walk in there but it didn't really help.  As the weather has cooled down I'm trying again to move more, again walking the dog most evenings but I need more.  I realized that I can spend a day just sitting, which is very bad.  I'm on the boarder line for diabetes, which really scares me.  I watched this documentary about this disease and how awful it can get!  But at the moment the thought of dieting or eating healthy just doesn't inspire me.  I'm tired of not being able to enjoy the foods that I want to eat,  I'm tired of feeling guilty for eating a piece of cake or cookie.  I know that until my mind is in the game any attempt to diet will end in failure and me being more miserable than before.  So to help get more exercise in I have bought myself an exercise bike, just the peddle part, which means that it is small enough for my living room.  So sitting on a chair, watching TV and peddling away!  I thought that I could do 30 minutes a day but it is a lot harder than I thought it would be!  But I can do 10 minutes, every other day and walking the dog for about 20 minutes is a start.  I hope that as I get stronger then I can do more!

Our dog is still crying at night.  Christopher and I walked her at 10 o'clock last night for half an hour, I thought that she would be quiet after that but no, midnight we had to walk her again.  I would worry but my neighbor gets up at 4am to go to work and I don't like the idea of our dog keeping him up at night.  There is a way of groveling and apologizing in Japan that I don't like and don't want to do, so not making problems is the best.  One thing with walking late a night we can see the beautiful sky and watch the progress of the moon over the month!  Last night was a full moon, so beautiful.
Christopher took some photos with his phone, not good quality but you can get an idea.

And this is the reason I don't get mad at the dog.

Cute! She put this on herself but I don't know how!

Our Dog

We have a lovely Labrador dog.  She is getting old, now 11 years old and most of the time very good.  She is a yard dog and spends her time outside, near the windows so we can talk to her. Christopher spends an hour or so with her in the afternoon, playing and chasing in the yard. She is a great guard dog, has a lovely deep bark but I don't think she would attack anyone as she is very friendly.  You would get licked rather than bitten.  In the evenings when it is getting cold she is in the bathroom, she has a blanket and is rather comfortable in there.  I would have her in the living room but with the cats that is now impossible.  For some unknown reason the past few weeks she has been
yapping and crying at night.  She gets a walk at about 7pm, for half an hour but she starts yapping at about 9pm, then again at 12 midnight.  I decided that maybe she needs to get out more, so the past few nights Christopher and I have walking her at midnight.  Not the best thing to do but it calms here down.

midnight walks

At least I am getting some exercise out of all this!  I am hoping that it is a phase that she is
going through and she will calm down soon!  I can hope!

What Happened to Octobber?

Here we are in the first week of November,  October passed me by so quickly that
I never got chance to write.  It was a busy month, with English tests and Halloween.
Also my eye operation, so a lot of hospital visits. 

The first week of October Hannah did an English test that is taken by all students attending
commercial high schools in the prefecture.  Out of all the students she placed 2nd.  She was
very pleased with herself, as was I.  She had studied hard for the test.  The following week
she had her half term tests, she did okay but as always she could of done a bit better.
Also a lot of our students took an English test and most passed,  we are really happy for
them as they had worked hard.

Our Halloween parties were fun and I think the kids had a good time, there was a lot
of laughing.  I tried out a few new cookies recipes, which went down well.

The last week was my eye operation,  I'm so glad to have that finished.  My eye sight
was getting really bad and I felt like I was straining my left eye.  I kept getting headaches.
The operation was only 15 minutes.  Almost no pain, just a bit of pulling.
When I got home I decided to rest for a bit.  After about half an hour I heard Mikey screaming David's name, over and over.  I raced downstairs to find David passed out on the living
room floor.  Mikey was doing CPR, I had flash backs to when my husband died!  We called
an ambulance which rushed us to the hospital in the next city, our local A&E was closed
because of too many people.  When we got to the hospital they took David to check him
out.  Christopher and I went to fill out forms.  We waited for about an hour then got called
back to talk to the doctor.  I was shocked at how young the doctor was!  They had a heart specialist
look at David and check his heart out but there was no problem.  The doctor thinks it was
low blood pressure.  He was discharged the same night and seems to be okay now. I keep asking
him if he's okay!
I know these things happen but I wish they wouldn't.  My stress level was already too high
and that drama really didn't help!
The kittens continue to grow.  Looks like we are keeping them!  It's just too difficult to
find somebody who would take them and take care of them.  Plus they have already
wormed their way into our hearts!

Aren't they lovely!!