One Year

Today is exactly one year since my husband passed away.
It's hard to believe that a year has gone past.  I didn't think I could get through one day let alone one year.  I miss him everyday.  I go to bed wishing that time could be reversed and that awful day had never happened.  I wake up wishing he was here, to tell me his silly jokes, just to give me one last hug.  To tell me that he loves me and that I am beautiful, even when I feel like crap.  He was part of my life for 25 years, for half of my life he walked with me.  Now I am alone but not too lonely.  The kids keep me going.
This past year has seen a lot of changes.  Christopher finished junior high and entered high school, Mikey took charge of our English school and got his drivers license, David has stepped up and helped a lot in the house, Hannah has grown up a lot as well.  We have had adventures. Got on the train to Fukuoka, to the big shopping mall and to the big city near here.  I learnt a lot about Japanese banks, post offices and the kindness of strangers at the city hall.  I also realised how much my husband protected me from the not so nice side of Japan.  I lived 21 years in a bubble, my husband took all responsibility for our money, for the kids school, for dealing with all the red tape that goes with living here.  I was shocked to find that even the smallest of task took so long and was often frustrated by the silly things I had to go through just to change bank accounts or get my name on the rent agreement!
One good thing that has come out of all this heart break is that my kids have really grown up this past year.  The older boys no longer have the luxury of messing around, they have become very serious to help out and have made decisions about the running of our English school.  Sometimes I have stepped back and let them make the decisions.  Part of that was me not being able to cope, part of it was me wanting them to take responsibility!

HUBBY

The Great Cookie Bake Off

It's that time of year, time to get baking.  I started on Sunday, made about 2 dozen of three different kinds, did another 2 dozen yesterday and today but most have already gone!  Yesterday was two big classes.  They seemed to enjoy their cookies and Mikey did magic for them,from the sound of the laughter I think the kids had a good time.

On another note I am rather worried about the state of English education in the local elementary schools.  Hannah has been saying that her English class is boring for the past few weeks.  I thought it was because her English is good and learning the alphabet and basic greeting can get to be rather boring.  Today Mikey and I went to see her English class and it was awful.  If we taught like that the kids would quit.  The ALT teacher had no enthusiasm for the subject, all the dialogue was monotone, the subject matter was not dealt with in an interesting or engaging way.  For adults this might be okay but not for kids.  After 10 minutes the kids looked as if they were about to fall asleep!
I am wondering if a letter to the local education board would help!  But can I complain after just watching one class?


One of the small classes has just arrived, this class is just two brothers, but they invited friends, so there are now 7 kids shouting in the teaching room....Oh fun!!!!!!!!!

Plans

I make plans, great plans. I then ignore them and wonder why nothing gets done in time and why I am always two steps behind!
Today's plan was to give the kitchen a real good clean out.  Change the filters for the fan, steam clean the sink and ovens, get things in order for the great cookie bake next week.  That was the plan! Instead I went shopping.  Got something fro David's Christmas.  Just have a couple more things to buy then I think all the presents are done!
Tomorrow I will clean the kitchen.  But you know the old saying "Tomorrow never comes"

My entrance all dressed up for Christmas, the painting is one hubby did in high school

Shopping

I am so glad that Mikey can drive.  His driving is improving, still takes corners a bit to fast for my liking and he still parks as far away from other cars as possible.  But we can get out and about.
Yesterday we went to Saga City to get a few things for Christmas.  Got most of the pressies, need to get something for Mikey.  He wants clothes so I guess I'll give him some money and he can buy what he wants!
One thing I realised yesterday is that I have to loose weight.  I got so tired just going to a few stores.  I don't have the stamina to keep on going for hours like I use to.  Part is age but the biggest part is my weight. So I need to cut calories, easy to say but difficult to do!

December

So it is now December.  Last month of the year.  Kids are excited about Christmas, especially Hannah.  Which is just as well as I have no desire to do anything about it!  I just want time to stop so I don't have to face the day my hubby died. But I have no choice do I?
On to more interesting things.  Hannah made miso soup for us the other day.

Hannah's miso soup

It was good considering it was only the second time she had made it.
I tried out curry pan.  Got the recipe from a web page (which I can't find now).  It was a bit fiddly but tasted good.  I always make too much curry so now I have a way of using left overs!

I will try and update more often this month!!!

Upsetting Mikey

I had a great plan for today.
The plan was to get out of the house at 7:20, drop Hannah at school, go on to MIL's to drop off some boxes and then go to the mall and start some Christmas shopping.
Great plan!
Reality.  Got out of the house okay, dropped Hannah off on time.  Mikey says he has to put gas in the car. I told him that I didn't want to double back in heavy traffic because it would add another 20 minuets to the journey.  I was confident that on the way we find a gas station.
We head off towards MILs, I am watching the fuel gauge, it was in the red, but I felt sure we would be okay.  We got half way there when the car stopped, we had run out of gas.  There were no gas stations, we were on the edge of an industrial area.  I had no idea what to do, we didn't have our cell phones with us, there were only a few houses and a load of factories around.  Mikey and David took off walking to find a gas station, I sat in the car and waited!  It took 3 hours to get the gas.  The first small station they came to refused to sell gas in a container.  The 2nd place said that they had to go to a home center to buy a special container, another half hour walk and half hour wait for the store to open!   So me not wanting to spend an extra 20 minutes cost us 3 hours.  Poor Mikey was really upset.  But I told him that I had a good story for the blog.

What happened?

I can't believe that we are already into the first week of November!  Time is just flying by!  I am still in September in my mind, so every time the date comes up I do a double take!
October turned out to be rather tough. I was busy, kids also had a lot going on. Sports Day and camp for Hannah, Eiken test and Halloween stuff here, which meant everybody helping out.  Then I got hit with a combination of allergies and a heavy cold.  That put me in bed for two days!  I am still recovering and face days of awful headaches.  I think my nose is stuffy at night so I wake up with the most awful headaches.  Mornings are getting cold, I am up at 5am to make breakfast and obento. Poor Christopher has to leave at 6:40, he has signed up extra class that starts at 7:35.  Kind of tough but I hope it helps him with tests!
I have some photos to post, next time!