Christmas Parties

 We've been doing Christmas parties this week.  Keeping it simple because I just don't have the energy to do a lot.  No cookies baked this time, it was getting to much for me to deal with.  So we play games, Mikey does some magic and the kids make Christmas cards for their parents. There's a lot of giggles and being silly and so far the kids have enjoyed themselves.  I also got a couple of things for my Christmas table so it looks a bit better.

I bought a cloth to hang and a lovely snowman.

Mikey doing his magic.

Just today and Monday then winter holiday, I'm really looking forward to it!

Disappointed

 On a couple of my Facebooks groups people have been posting about these lovely Christmas treats they have been buying from an coffee/import shop that has branches throughout Japan.  Things like mincemeat, mince pies, Christmas pudding and lovely chocolates.  Yesterday David and I drove 30 minutes to a shopping mall that has this store and nothing!  A few chocolates in Christmas wrapping but nothing special!  I was really disappointed.  I've noticed this year that isn't much Christmas stuff being displayed at all.  David said that it's loosing popularity as it was always marketed towards couples, a romantic holiday not a family holiday and as the idea of being in a couple or getting married is no longer popular the holiday as gone down!

I also messed up an Amazon order!  Christopher found a shop that sells black pudding, so we ordered some.  Rather expensive, for two small sticks it cost almost 20 pounds! On the same shop I saw a Christmas pudding, something I haven't had many years!  Again about  20 pounds.  On the photo it looked like a family size one, when it arrived it was just a single serving!

The black pudding.

Look how small that is!

No Christmas Tree

 So the great Christmas tree hunt has finished in failure.  

This all started last Christmas, the tree I'd had for many years was missing part of it's stand.  I tried to make one from a tin, using modeling clay to hold it up but that didn't work, so I bought a new one.  Therefore I'm all set for this year.....of course not!   I went to get the Christmas decorations from one of the back cupboards, a place that is only opened once or twice a year, but no decorations.  Puzzled I asked the kids if they knew where the tree and decorations were.  Mikey reminded me that they were at mother in laws house (it's now a dumping place for all my unwanted things, until I want them again).  So last week Mikey, Christopher and I went to look for the tree. Found the box of decorations and a tree, so we took those home.  Went to put up the tree and found that it was the one without the stand, not my nice new one.  So yesterday I went to a few shops to see if I could find one but nothing. I know Christmas is not a real holiday here but there still a couple of weeks to go but all the stores have new years goods out, that is the big holiday here!

So I got creative and made a 'Christmas Table'.  Just have to figure how to stop the kids touching it.

Old tree, great until I started to decorate it then it falls over!

 

So a Christmas Table!

Sunday

 Recently Thursday, Friday and Saturday have been very busy for me.  New classes and changing schedules, it's good but leaves me with two problems.  Come Sunday the house is a mess and I'm exhausted.  I hate carrying the mess over to the next week so I usually spend most of Sunday cleaning, which means come Monday I'm even more tired and rather grumpy.  But yesterday I managed to get things done and rest.  I got Christopher and Hannah to help out.  I know I should ask for help from the kids more often but I always feel sorry for them.  Their schedules are rather crazy.  David works 5 nights a week, he helps out when he can but he gets so tired!  Mikey is teaching a lot, he is also working for his magic teachers business.  Yesterday Mikey left here at 5am and came back at 9pm.  He is selling cotton candy (candy floss) art.  It's good but means standing outside all day in the cold! Christopher works early morning, 4am to 12 lunch time.  And Hannah has a load of study for university, most days on line plus she is working part time a local after school cram school 3 to 5 nights a week. But I realized that I'm working as well, maybe not full time now but still almost every day I'm teaching and on the days I'm not or only have one class I clean and cook.  So yesterday I asked Christopher to clean the bathroom floor, the cats had knocked over the laundry powder, I cleaned up the main bit but it went into the corners and under the draws.  He also ran to the shop for me.  Hannah dusted and swept the living room. While they were doing that I cleaned the kitchen and baked a cake.  I know baking adds more work but it's one thing that I really enjoy and it helps me to relax.  I'm hoping to get back into it, I have loads of recipes to try and I always feel that home baked goods are a bit more healthy then bought stuff, no corn syrup or chemicals. 

Not the prettiest cake but tasted good.

Managed To Get Out

 No where really exciting just to my mother in laws house to pick up the Christmas tree and decorations, I'm really behind this year as I usually have the tree up by the end of November!  Never mind.

I was dismayed at how bad the yard and house are.  We are still cleaning out everything but we haven't really had time, between work and weather it's been hard to really do a lot!  I can understand why a lot of people hire a company to clear out houses.  Even though I wasn't that close to my mother in law it is still sad to see all her stuff just being dumped.  She kept a load of stuff, some we got rid of when we lived with her but there is still too much!  One day it will be done!

This owl is outside mother in laws house, I might bring it here!

No very clear but one of the trees, the colors were a lot brighter.

After mother in laws I went shopping.  Where I live meat is very expensive, the next city over is a lot cheaper, so when I get chance I try to shop there! 

Feel a bit better, but very tired, might be the cold.  All I want to do is curl up with a nice cup of tea and a good book but I have to start teaching soon!

Feeling Rather Blah

 Not sure why I feel so tired and kind of run down.  Maybe after the stress of the real estate agent coming and recovering from this cold/allergies that I've had for a few weeks.  Maybe because my knee is hurting more even though I've lost 7kgs (taken 2 years) and now my lower back hurts as well!  Maybe just getting old, my body but my thinking is still like a 30 year old, I try to do all these jobs, the yard, deep cleaning the house but after a bit I realize that I can't do it and the kids, who are young adults should do more!  Maybe because I ran out of the supplements I've been taking and keep forgetting to buy!  Who knows but all I want to do is stay in bed!  Of course I can't, cooking, cleaning and teaching keep me busy.  Also reading a lot recently and of course TV for entertainment.  I need to get out more I think, except for shopping I don't leave the house but maybe a walk round the block might help, or to the little park near here! I'll try and see if that helps.

Thinking abut Christmas isn't helping.  Money is going to be tight after paying for the decorators.   Also in Japan it's hard to buy things that make Christmas Christmas.  Before the pandemic I would go to Costco and buy some  nice meat and decent cheese, plus stock up on chocolates and baking goods.  Last year I didn't go but planned to go this year but finding a day that either David or Mikey are free on a day that I'm not busy has been impossible.  I can order a few things on line but not meat.  I've looked at other places but meat seems to be very expensive.  So what to do for Christmas dinner.  Roast cuts or whole chickens aren't sold in Japan at local supermarkets or butchers.  I've bought a little present for everybody but not much, I might be able to buy something else but what?

Finished

 The real estate agent came, changed over the smoke alarms and left.  Took less than 10 minutes!  All the work and money for a guy being in the house for 10 minutes.

Operation hide the cats went okay.  David and I bought 7 more carriers, we wanted 8 but the store only had 7.  But it worked out okay.  The appointment was a 1 o'clock so before that David got the cats into the carriers and drove off.  A few minutes later I could hear a cat crying, David had left one cat.  When he unloaded them later he left one in the car!  The cats are not happy because they aren't allowed out of the living area yet.  Our walls in the hallways and stairs look really nice and I want to keep them like that.  I ordered some clear plastic film but it only covers a small area, I've ordered more but it won't come until Saturday.  If somebody is with the cats to stop them scratching then they can run around in the halls!

So now I can relax and start thinking about Christmas!

This was the state of the walls before

Not the best of photos but this is the hallway now, a lot better!