創作意欲に火がついた♪

The other day, when I was doing the iron some shirts and handkerchiefs, my daughter asked me, ‘Mom, can I use these handkerchiefs?’ I had no idea what she was going to do with them, but I said,‘Yes.’, and I got back to my work.
A while later, she said, ‘Mom, look at me! How do I look? Cute?’ She tied the handkerchiefs and was wearing it as a long skirt, and she was turning around with a happy look..

My daughter is 4, and she loves pink and girlish frilled dresses especially long ones, but I don't think long dresses are good for playing, so I don't usually let her wear it.(or rather, she doesn't have a long dress.) But when I saw her wearing the long skirt she made with the handkerchiefs, her happy face made me want to make her a nice long dress.

As I mentioned before, I like to make something by hand, so I have a lot of cloths in stock. There was a nice gauze cloth with a flower pattern, and my daughter liked it, so I'm making her a girly frilled dress now. I'm looking forward to making her face happier!

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "創作意欲に火がついた♪"

雨ニモマケズ。

It's rainy, and the sky is heavy gray today. I prefer sunny days and a blue sky to rainy days and a grey sky, but I don't hate to have the weather like today's one.
When I was walking my daughter to her kindergarten this morning, the cold rain reminded me of some lines from a poem written by Miyazawa Kenji.

“Ame nimo makezu, kaze nimo makezu...”

I can't remember what comes next, but in the end of the poem, it goes..

“Souiumono ni watashi ha naritai”

What kind of person do I want to be? Hmm.., I think I still looking for it.
I learned a lot of famous poems or stories at school, and I still remember some of them.

“Boku no mae ni michi ha nai,  boku no ushiro ni michi ha dekiru” -written by Takamura Kotaro.

Isn't that a nice line! I was going to try to translate it into English, but I thought that as is is better. I like English because it is a positive and friendly language, but I like Japanese as well. I think Japanese is an artistic language with atmosphere. There can be deep meanings in a short line.

日本語 version　は続きから。。

続きを読む "雨ニモマケズ。"

世界にひとつ。

This is my TV cabinet, and there is only one of its kind in the world because I designed it and ordered, so it's a custom-made TV cabinet.(but it's not that expensive.) As I mentioned before, I love wooden objects and furniture, and there are a lot of wooden furniture in my house, but this is my favorite one. It's made by Mr. Bear who is a country style furniture maker. He is a genius! He can make anything from wood even a motorcycle! The surface of the TV cabinet is as smooth as silk. It means that he sanded the cabinet with great care. He does very good work!

Actually, I use to make small wooden furniture like a magazine rack, a bread case, and a shelf. I have my own electric power tools like a drill, a table saw, and a trimmer. I think I'm better at DIY than my husband!

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "世界にひとつ。"

花より団子？

Yesterday was Mother's Day. My son didn't have baseball practice, and I didn't have any special plans, so I slept late on Sunday. When I got up, it was about 10 a.m., my oldest son was gone already.. My husband made me breakfast and did the laundry for me, and my second son and my daughter massaged my shoulders. What a nice day! I was going to spend in my pajamas the whole day, but somehow I couldn't. When I was young, I would often spend a whole day in my pajamas..

I got some presents for Mother's Day.

My husband and my second son gave me nice flowers, my oldest son gave me chocolate that I love, and my daughter gave a nice picture that she drew at the kindergarten. It's a picture of me. Aren't they nice? I'm a very lucky and happy mom!

All the presents made me happy, but when I was eating the chocolate, my husband just look at me and said, ‘Better fill your belly than your eye.’
I said, ‘No, it's not true. The flower also made me happy.’, but I guess he is right..

Anyway, I had a great Mother's Day!

 

続きを読む "花より団子？"

頭がぐちゃぐちゃ。。

As you know, I have three children, a junior high school boy, an elementary school boy, and a kindergarten girl, so it mean that I'll have the same event 3 times, like a field day, a school trip, and a parents' visiting day. Actually, yesterday was my second son's 'kateihoumon day', but I almost forgot about it! Today, there is a meeting at my son's junior high for parents and teachers for club activities. Next week, my daughter is going for a field trip, and my second son is going for a school picnic the week after next.. Oh no, my head is a mess! I can't remember all the schedule of my children. I'm taking a note of their schedule on my cell phone, but I often forget to check it..

In my daily life, I'm a bit(?) forgetful. I always make a shopping list, but I often forget to take it when I go shopping. The other day, when I was going to hang out the laundry, I saw the laundry flapping in the wind already, ..so I had forgotten to bring in the previous laundry. I just thought, ‘Oh no, I did it again!’

Do you have any good ideas how not to forget?

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "頭がぐちゃぐちゃ。。"

若さの秘訣。

When I was rushing to get ready to go this morning, my sister dropped by my house on the way to work.(We live near each other, and it only takes 30 seconds to get each other's house.)  She said, ‘I had a great time yesterday!’with a happy look. I asked her, ‘What are you talking about?’, then she said, ‘I told you that I was going to WaT's concert with ○○!’(←her 12-year-old daughter) My sister and my niece love WaT very much, especially Koike Teppei.‘Oh, yes. How was it?’, I asked her again.‘It was awesome!! They were so cute!!’, she said this and rushed to work..

She still seemed to be very excited and in a dream. I think she's still young and never get old. Maybe that's because she knows how to enjoy her life. Doing what you want and enjoying yourself, I think that's the key to a happy life and staying young. I should follow in her steps!

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "若さの秘訣。"

このままじゃ・・

My father came to my house this morning with some fresh eggs. Have you hard of silkies(ukokkei)? It's a kind of chicken, and both their skin and bones are black. My father have two silkie hens in his garden and often give me fresh eggs.

Here are some pictures of silkies(but it's not my father's).

They are beautiful, aren't they? I can't believe that it is a kind of chicken! Their eggs are light brown and smaller than common ones, but it tastes good! I recommend eating it raw like 'tamago gohan'. I think you can find the difference between a silkie's egg and common one. If you have chance, please try it;-)

By the way, I'm a bit worried about my father these days because he is very interested in having pets. He started with only one dog, but now he has 3 dogs, 3 macaws(They are as big as a parrot and can speak.), some tropical fishes, and 2 silkies. I keep saying to my father, ‘If you get more pets, your house is becoming a zoo!’ Well, he seems to be very happy with his pets, and I'm happy about that, though.

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "このままじゃ・・"

露天風呂で、☆△×!?!?

We went to a hot spring resort in Gunma yesterday. My husband said that it was a famous 'roten buro' in Japan. The onsen was in a mountain and right next to a big river, so the scenery was really beautiful. But, it was an onsen that men and women take together! I've never had that experience. My husband and my second son looked very happy because they love onsens, but I wasn't at all happy. Then my husband said, ‘Don't worry, there is another onsen for only women over there.’ I was so glad to hear that.

On the way to the onsen for only women, I had to pass by the one for men and women, and there were a lot of people there(most of them were men), so I tried to not to see them. But I had to pass by some of them, and they were walking toward me with a towel in their HANDS or on their SHOULDERS!! I rushed to the onsen for only women and I thought, ‘If you have a towel, use it properly!!’

I talked about it to my husband in the car on the way home, then he said, ‘You know, when you are in nature, you become open, right?’ I said,‘I understand that, but they were too open!’, then he said, ‘Ha ha ha. Wasn't it a feast to your eyes?’I shouted,‘No way!’

The onsen was wonderful, but I do not want to go there again..

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "露天風呂で、☆△×!?!?"

食いつぶされる～。。

My children love meat. We had a barbecue with an electrical hot plate last night. We went to a big supermarket and got a lot of meat for dinner, but all the meat disappeared in an instant!(It took less than 30 minutes.) The TV was on while eating, but no one was watching it. What they were watching was only the meat on the hot plate! They didn't even talk much.

I have two growing boys, so our food cost is getting bigger and bigger. They are growing, so they need to eat, but they might be going to eat ourselves out of house and home..
Now, my oldest son is the biggest eater in my family. He eats a lot including snacks and sweets, but he doesn't get fat. He is slender and has long legs. I envy him.

I like fuel-efficient cars, but I don't like fuel-efficient body!

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "食いつぶされる～。。"

お役御免♪

Today, I'm going to my son's junior high school to attend the meeting which is called 'PTA soukai' as the old leader of the PR team.(It has a difficult name, but it's not a difficult meeting.) I have to make a speech in front of the teachers, parents, and some guests. It's my last job as the leader, so I hope it goes well.

Last year, I attended the same meeting as a new leader and made a speech. I was very nervous at that time, but not so much this time. Maybe I've got used to speaking in front of people a little. Wow, I've grown up!(lol)
I saw the principal gave the old leaders a testimonial last year. It's nice to get something as a thank-you gift or an award no matter how old you are, so I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Well, my job is finally going to be finished this afternoon. I think I did my best, so I'm proud of my work.(I had never used the expression 'proud of', maybe I'm taking it a little too far..)

Anyway, have a great GW holiday!

日本語 version は続きから。。

続きを読む "お役御免♪"