Feeling Bleh

 Why do summer colds feel worse than winter colds?

I'm not really sick, low-grade fever, sore throat, and headache.  But I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I have no energy at all. I can't blame it on the heat as it is rather cool today, just 21C at the moment. Yesterday I cooked and cleaned but feel as if I've done more than that.  I know I'm stressed at the moment, the kid's health and our money situation but surely I shouldn't be this tired.  I know there is nothing wrong with me, I had a full check-up at the beginning of the month so why so tired and feeling run down!?

David is feeling a bit better but still has a high fever. He was complaining of a sore throat last night.  I'm trying to get him to eat but he doesn't have much appetite, he had some soup yesterday, wondering what to get him today!!

I wanted to go to the other house today but decided against it. I just don't have the energy and when I feel like this I get upset at the smallest thing.  I need to shop and pay bills!  Then just rest, and prepare for classes for the next few days.  Try not to feel guilty about not going to the other house, I tell myself that even if I go I won't be able to do much.  We still have a few months, I hope to go a few times during the summer.  We will get there.  Having a couple of rooms cleaned out really helps.  I can see what I want to do, how to arrange things and what I need to change to make the house ours and not my mother-in-law's.

One thing I would love to do is to have a second floor.  The views of the mountains are stunning but we can't really see them because of the house in front of ours. It's on a higher elevation and two stories tall. We can see the top of the mountains but I would love to see the sides.  The way the foliage changes through the seasons is really amazing.  There are so many shades of green, in the spring the cherry blossoms and in the autumn the colored leaves are beautiful. Maybe some kind of deck with a second floor?  Something to think about and research!

Mountains from the road

The same range from a nearby park

Summer Colds

 For the past couple of weeks, Hannah has been battling a lingering summer cold. She's not really sick but coughing almost all night has exhausted her.  She had a low-grade fever for a few days.  After another night of no sleep, I told her to go to the doctor to get some medicine to help with the cough. She went to the local clinic and came back with a load of medicine.  I was hoping that she would recover but of course, life isn't that straightforward.  One of the medicines has a side effect of making your heart race. she took the full dose the first night but couldn't sleep because her heart was racing so fast. The next night she took half the dose, which is what the pharmacist said to do, but her heart was still racing.  We checked on my blood pressure machine, her heart rate was 118 per minute.  She gave up on those medicines.  She is a lot better, finally!

But of course, Hannah isn't the only one sick.  Last night David had a fever,  of 38.5C,  a little bit high. He didn't have work so managed to sleep on and off during the night.  This morning he was no better, complaining of a sore throat, headache, body aches, and nausea.  I told him he should go to the doctor so Mikey drove him this morning.  I was thinking that he might have flu.  But he has covid!!  He's sleeping now, I hope he can recover quickly.  We don't have to isolate, covid is in the same category as the flu now. But I told Hannah to inform the manager at the nursery where she is working.  The children are basically babies and toddlers for which covid might still be dangerous.  I'm not sure if the nursery has a protocol in place for this situation.  Hannah said that one of the other staff didn't come in last week because their husband had covid.  

I had plans for today but couldn't do anything.  I have a headache, I think it has to do with the weather. It's raining and the humidity is high.  I struggle to feel good in this weather.  Never mind I can rest again after my class.  

Selfie

 David keeps taking selfies on my phone and sending them to Hannah!  His phone camera is broken, may be taking too many selfies.  

copying the cat's expression

Just Thinking

 The end of this month will mark 20 years since Mom passed away.

I was looking through my photos to find some to put on here. I think I've used most of them already.

Just looking at them gave me a sense of wonder, of capturing a time, an emotion, an event that will never happen again.  Even if we revisit a place the experience will be different. 

The person I am today is totally different from the person I was when I came to Japan.  I wonder how much my Mom would have changed if she had lived.  I think she would still have a daft sense of humor. Christmas would still be a big thing for her.  She would still dote on her grandkids.  I wonder how she would have coped with the pandemic, would she have worried all the time.  (I actually wonder how anybody coped with the pandemic!).

with Alan and his mate

This was on holiday, end of the 1980s, maybe.  

Holiday in Wales

I was 15 or 16 here.    Nice quiet beach in South Wales.  One thing I remember was chasing Steve and Alan around the beach.  It was early in the year, the sea was grey but it was fun just to get away from school for a week.

Going to France

having an extension built

These are photos that Mom sent me.

The top one is on the ferry to France.  She wrote on the back "On the way to France, feeling sick"

On the bottom one she wrote "Showing off on the patio"

I'm glad that I have photos, they help me to recall things, people, places, and experiences. They make me happy and sad. I wish I had more photos of Mom.  But the ones I have I treasure.  

Weather

 This time of year is the rainy season here in Japan. 

The past few years have meant very heavy rain, causing floods and landslides.

I know from the news that some places have been hit with floods but so far we are okay.  We had rain yesterday, almost 24 hours. I enjoyed it as the temperature dropped from 34C to about 25C.  Today it's hot again, up to 30C this afternoon. 

I often think of this poem when the weather is driving me crazy.

Whether the weather be fine or whether the weather be not

Whether the weather be cold or whether the weather be hot

We'll whether the weather, whatever the weather

Whether we like it or not

I love teaching this to my older students!  

I've realized that moaning about the weather is a very human thing.  In the winter it's too cold, in the summer too hot.  I'm trying to appreciate the seasons more, even summer that I don't enjoy.  One way is to enjoy the different available foods.  Seasonal favorites are a big thing here. It's almost impossible to get out-of-season fruits and vegetables.  Autumn is the season for apples, they are really plentiful and delicious but now there are almost no apples in the supermarket. The fruits now are melons, peaches, plums, and some berries.  I can't remember if this is the case in the UK.  Cooking shows have programs on how to use seasonal fruits and vegetables.  I like that they show traditional recipes with a modern twist. I don't watch the programs but buy the magazines, It's one way of studying Japanese!

So summer is here.  Early and apparently this year is going to be very hot.  I'm wondering if the other house will be cooler as it's at a slightly higher elevation. I'm also wondering if one or two degrees will make that much difference when it gets to over 35C.  I guess we will find out!

The cats are suffering from the heat as well.  They are lying around all day, only getting active in the early morning or night.

The other day Alan was flat on his back!  David put his phone on Alan's stomach, Teletubbies.

Teletubbies

Busy Day

 We had to take Frodo to the vet this morning.

Another lump, probably because of fighting.  Mikey took Hannah and I in the car.   The vet is just a five-minute walk but the carry case is heavy and difficult to carry because Frodo was moving around and crying.  

Usually, getting the cats in the carry case is difficult, but this morning they were all having a turn inside.

Alfie

Steve

This is the first time I've been to this vet, a very small place but very nice.  The vet was thorough in his exam. Poor Frodo cried but he didn't lash out at the vet or nurse.  I noticed that the nurse's hands had a lot of scratch marks on them.  I guess that comes with the job!

The building that the vet has shares the space with another business, I think a hairdresser. The vet's parking spaces are marked with a paw mark, I thought that was rather cute!

Mark for the vet's parking space.

After we dropped Hannah and Frodo back home Mikey and I went to the community center to do our monthly volunteer class.

The building is new and very nice.  There are several rooms for meetings, to teach in, a room with a small stage.  A large kitchen that is set up to teach cooking, I don't know if it was at this place or another community center but one class that was very popular was a cooking class for elderly gentlemen.  I think most of these gentlemen had lost their wives and had no idea how to cook.  I thought it was a very good idea. I noticed that the building also had a shower room.  It's marked as an evacuation place, so if there is water and power people can get a quick shower if they are forced to leave their homes! I'm rather impressed by the building and also the way that it is used.  We go once a month, and most of the students are elderly, part of the idea is to help the elderly to have fulfilling lives, to keep them active longer, and put off going into a care home.  The classes that I've noticed are varied, dance classes, cooking classes, English, and some kind of meditation. It's nice to see these people get together, chatting and excited.  

I managed to get a few photos of the building.

The room we use to teach in

Baby changing room, next is the shower room

entrance

space to hang out

After lunch, I decided to rest for a bit.  Today was very hot.  I came down to be greeted by the first massive cockroach of the year.

I really hate summer!!!!

I Can't Win

 Last week was awful.  The heat and humidity were so high that just breathing made me sweat.  I pushed to do things here and at the other house but it was hard and exhausting.  I spent every day getting really irritated over the smallest of things.  I tried to keep the kitchen clean and the floors swept and mopped, other jobs I got the kids to do. 

I was worried because this year feels harder than last year.  If this is because I'm getting older then each year is going to be progressively worse.  David pointed out that the temperature got higher earlier than last year. So maybe it's not just me.

Last night I checked the weather and noticed that today is going to be a bit cooler.  The forecast high was 28C, with lower humidity.  Great I thought to myself, a chance to get a load of jobs done.

But this morning I woke up with a sore throat, cough, and headache, feeling like I'd been hit by a truck.  Hannah said that she feels awful as well.  She came back yesterday afternoon and went to bed.  She also told me that one of the toddlers she was taking care of at the nursery had a high fever and cough.  So we might have caught a summer cold!  

So I can't win, the weather is great for cleaning but I feel awful, I could push and I might later. The problem is that the rest of this week looks like rain, maybe the beginning of the rainy season, very difficult to do a lot at the other house!

One thing I've been doing is sorting through some photos.  I have a Google Hub Nest.  A Christmas gift from David a few years ago. One thing I love about it is that it runs the photos I have stored.  It randomly shows photos, some recent, others older. Seeing some of the older photos I wonder what was going on.  For example, Mikey with a bucket on his head.

Why?

I never told him that was the bucket for cleaning the toilet!

Or this one of the lads in the kitchen, what are they talking about?

Or what was so funny?

Hannah having a good laugh

I think my favorite photos are the ones from long ago.

Hisao and Christopher

Christmas

Hisao and Hannah 

I thought things were tough when these photos were taken but when I look back on them things were very simple.  Maybe in a few years, this time in my life will seem easy and simple!

At Least ...

 I got the entrance cleaned out.

Before

After

It's nice to have it cleaned out.  We bought slippers to start wearing in the house.  I still don't have water but managed to get some dust off with wet tissues for the floor.  Everywhere needs to be wiped down. There are a lot of ledges that catch dust.  Also, the shoe box is very tall but not up to the ceiling, there's newspapers on the top that I need to get down but I wasn't feeling brave enough to tackle that today.

I'm not sure when I can go again.  This weather is really getting me down.  The heat is okay.  Yesterday was hot, up to 33C but the humidity was low, about 45%.  This morning was cool, 23C but humidity was 85%.  I noticed that yesterday I was fine, hot but I could cook, clean and teach.  I only used the air conditioner when teaching.  Today I felt awful. Even in the car. The worst thing about this is how it affects my mood.  I get so miserable and irritated.  I was in such a bad mood this morning that I shouted at a centipede and upset Mikey!  

Never mind.  We are slowly getting there.

I've Had Enough....

 of summer.  And it hasn't really started yet!

Yesterday and today saw highs of 33C.  Humidity between 60 to 80%.

Yesterday I was watching TV in the evening, and the sweat was just pouring out of me.  Just breathing was making me sweat.  But because the humidity was so high the sweat doesn't evaporate.  I kept washing and wiping my face but it didn't help.  To think that we have at least 5 months of this is depressing.  There is no respite from the heat and humidity.

I watched the weather report last night.  All of Japan was over 30C.  Even Sapporo in Hokkaido hit 30C. It looks like it will be like this for the rest of the week.  

I know other countries have it worse.  Indian is on the news almost every day, with temperatures nearly 50C.  I don't know how people are surviving!

On Wednesday we usually go to the other house.  Today I decided not to go.  I wasn't feeling all that good and Mikey was recovering from his cold.  Went shopping.  I'm glad we didn't go as I got sick in the shops, dizzy, and nauseous.  I kept "doing the penguin", standing in front of the freezers to cool down, shop a bit, then back to the freezers!! Helped a bit.

Yes, that fat lady with white hair is me.

This is the supermarket near the house where Christopher works.  It's closing down next month for renovations.  It needs doing, the equipment is old, today one of the freezers was leaking, again.  I think when it is reopened it will be very nice but we won't be here to enjoy it!!!

Everybody Is Down

 Looks like we have all succumbed to the stress of working, cleaning out the other house and keeping here clean, doing the yard etc.

Mikey has a cold, fever, and sore throat.  David's ear is blocked and painful, Hannah has carpel tunnel syndrome, Christopher has pain in his jaw and I feel like I've been run over by a truck!  I actually passed out this morning, I got up to fast from the bed, the room went black and I was on the floor.  

Because Mikey is sick David took the car and went to the other house this morning. I think he should have gone to the doctor.  He said he was alright, I hope so as a blocked ear is so annoying!

I've managed to get some jobs done here with Christopher's help.  At least the floors have been scrubbed down again. I have to start doing the floors every day, cat hair gets everywhere. I hope they stop shredding soon!  I bought some wet tissues for the mop head, these tissues are supposed to stop the cat urine smell. If they work I'll buy the big bucket of powder to dilute and use.  

The yard here needs to be cut down. I would like to say that I'll do this week but somehow doubt it.  It's getting hot, the predicted high today is 32C.  Not good for me!  I think the yard will have to be done in bits and pieces, maybe going out for a few minutes every day.  The boys can do the heavier work.

Photo of Alan, being a vampire cat!!

Look at those fangs!

Having A Laugh With David

 David and I went to the other house this morning.

He didn't have work Sunday night, so he rested a bit and could drive this morning.

We got there early, about 8am. The weather is warming up, so it's better to go as early as possible.  I know once the temperature hits 30C I'm finished.

The morning sky was so cloudy, I thought it might rain but it stayed dry.  The humidity, however, was high, 87%.  Really not nice.

Clouds covering the mountains

David decided to tackle the bathroom.  The carpets in there were awful. They had gone moldy in places.  He pulled up the old carpet, moved the washing machine out and the one shelving unit, which I think is for the kitchen! He used wet tissues to get some of the dust from the ledges.  

While he was doing that I rolled up the carpet in the tatami room.

In Japan we don't wear shoes in the house. The entranceway, genkan, is for changing from outside shoes to slippers.  But when we started to clean the house we noticed that most of the floors were damp and there was a strong smell of urine!  There were no slippers so we have been wearing our shoes inside.  After I pulled up the carpet I noticed that the tatami mats were in very good condition, so took my shoes off.  David came to see if I was okay, I asked him to take his shoes off, and not to step on the tatami with them on.  He stood in the doorway, jumping on and off the tatami, saying "On the tatami, off the tatami", until he smashed his head on the door frame.  I couldn't stop laughing.

At this point, I needed the toilet and a cold drink!

David wanted to go to a DIY store to pick up a few things.  I directed him to the closest store. When we got there I was amazed at how busy it was. The parking lot was almost full and massive trucks were parked at the entrance.  We were directed to park on the far side.  As David was parking a security guard came over and asked us to move so the truck could turn around.  We both realized that the store wasn't open, it was being revamped!!  David asked when it would reopen, not until the 20th!

We found another store and got the things we wanted.  One thing they didn't have was slippers, so we went to the 100 yen shop.  In the shop, David went one way and I went the other.  As I was looking around I heard the sound of breaking glass.  My first thought was David.  I was right, I found him with a broken glass vase apologizing to a staff member!!!  

After another stop we went back and did a bit more.  I found an old vacuum cleaner, about 30 years old.  It still works.  I gave the tatami room a quick vacuum and got up most of the dust.  There's also a very old fan, but it works. It's so old that there is no swing action on it. But it was nice to sit in front for a few minutes.

The bathroom, floor looks good

Tatami room

I took a couple of photos outside. One is a nice flower, but I have no idea what it's called.  The other of the mountains. We can't really see the mountains from the house because of the house in front.

Very cloudy but hot!

Photos

 Hannah had time this morning to scan the photos.

Hisao is on the right

I have no story for this photo.  Looks like a college outing!  

in his 20s, maybe.

Again I don't when this was taken.  When I was cleaning the outside storage area I found boxes of photos that my mother-in-law had put there.  I managed to save them.  Some are of people I recognize but most are of people I don't know!

visiting the UK

This was the first time we visited my family.  We both look young and skinny!! 

with mother-in-law

Maybe the first time to meet my mother-in-law.  This is in the old house. 

Mikey

When Mikey was born Hisao would come and visit me in the hospital.  He would spend all his time just staring at Mikey.  He was so amazed at this baby we had made.  He really loved his kids!

at a cousin's wedding

My mother-in-law is on the left, and next is Hisao's grandmother.  I was surprised that they wore black for a wedding.  Apparently, that is normal here. Also, there was no dancing.  The family is seated the furthest away from the bride and groom, except for the parents. And of course the speeches go on forever!!

The old house

I was surprised to see this photo.  The building in front is the storage that is still there.  The house is the one that was demolished to make way for the house we are moving into.  The old house was lovely but had a lot of problems.  A typhoon in 1991 ripped off the roof and the back of the house was badly damaged.  My mother-in-law was told that building a new house was better than trying to repair it.  I wonder if that was true or if the builders just saw a chance to make some money!  In the long run, building the house that is there now might have been for the best as it is closer to the earthquake standards than the old house would have been.

Hisao's Birthday

 Today Hisao would have been 63!

I know it's twelve and a half years since he passed but these kinds of days are hard.  So many memories.  But also the lost chance to make more.  

Thinking about this makes me realize how precious each day is and how I need to focus now.  I have to create memories for my kids to carry forward.  To do things together, to go places and enjoy our lives.  I'm stressed over this move but need to accept it and make the most of it.  See it as an adventure and not a disaster. 

I wanted to post some photos I found of Hisao but Hannah is busy and I have no idea how to scan the photos.  Maybe tomorrow.  Here are some that I have on this computer.

maybe elementary school

In his 20s

with David

All of us, many years ago

I've been very busy today.  It helps!

Went to the other house, we have power but still no water.  Having lights really helped. 

I managed to get a lot of stuff out of the tatami room.  But I've dumped it in the storage room.  Not the best thing I know but I'm feeling so much time pressure. I just want the house empty so I can clean before it gets too hot!

Few more bits to pick up

The stuff in the left-hand corner is from this house,  mainly books and heavy blankets.  I hope to take the vacuum cleaner next week, I swept a bit but the tatami mats need to be vacuumed and wiped with a damp cloth.

Once I have water on I can get the dust dealt with.  The biggest cleaning will be the kitchen and bathroom.  So much mold!

Do you remember this guy?

He grew hair!

Looking good!

The hydrangeas are starting to bloom.  They are really beautiful but means that the rainy season will start soon!!

I love this color