Tokyo Olympic "2020"

I am happy that Japan was chosen as a host country of the 2020's Olympic games. 

I was 9 years old when last time Olympic games was held in Tokyo and clearly remember watching the ceremonies and games on TV.  Oh My!!! Almost half a century ago p;)  I just couldn't help writing♡♡♡

Thanks a lot & Stretching my Ankle

Hi, everyone♫　 I'm SO grateful for your heartwarming comments for my former post♡♡♡  I've consulted with the professional today and he even couldn't figure out why the transparent part turned into black when we upload the file...  It seems I just have to wait until blogger or Google straighten it up.  Well, I'll stop being overly distressed by it. My header of the home-page will be square one for a while, I hope(^^;)  Hoping that you won't experience the same trouble when you wish to change the header.

I resume using or standing on this small health appliance to stretch my ankle, which my husband made a few years ago.  As I don't do any sports, I find it a little help to refresh my body.  Have a wonderful coming weekend☆☆☆

Thank you very much again, wished to express my appreciation♡♡♡　

Hello, my friends♪♪♪

Thank you for visiting again, friends♡♡♡
I've changed the header and 'abut me' page as I wished them to have a bit of spring atmosphere, p;)

First of all, I wish to send my thoughts and prayers for the innocent runner, families and friends and all of those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. We were surprised for another atrocious crime or terrorism even in Japan. And as my first header when I started blogging has white flower and the saxophone my husband plays, I wished to use it today.  (he said he wishes to send his music people in America) 

I would like to inform you that I may not post as often as I used to do.  Will be back soon when I can. I wish to see you in your blog, my friends.  

Love you always, xoxo   Miyako*

Two Merry Meets ♬♬♬

My recent tiny blessings☆☆☆

Recently, I happened to run into two of my ex-students.  One, met at  an  electronics retail store. She always gives me new year cards and I know she has one little boy. Now she is expecting another baby next year. Right after she saw me, she rushed towards me and started talking how she is doing now. The 3 year boy is really lovely; she said that he is having a brother. You might know how her expression was(^^;)

The other one, met at the beauty parlor. (Never encountered there). She was with her second grade of elementary school daughter. She looked delighted meeting me and said that she was thinking to call me, which puzzled me a little at first. She wishes me to give her English lesson starting next year. The sweet girl looked rather shy but really well-behaved. Finally, I'm old enough to have a students who is a child of my ex-student, haha. I DO hope you all are having blessed days, my friends☆☆☆ (Visiting you soon!!!)

Treated sweets to myself;

How are you doing friends♡♡♡

Well, I am trying my best to keep my daily routine despite just a bit low physical condition. I decided to indulge myself with some sweets to cheer me up a bit.  Don't you think the sweets have the magic power to help us become vigorous(♥˘◡˘♥)

I have to watch my or more of my husband's weight, p;)

    Wishing you are having wonderful weekend♡♡♡

Summer Greetings and bit of rambling,

  Hello friends; I wish to send summer greetings to all of you.

I hope you are coping with the heat well. 

I don't think I am... summer is the season I always get exhausted(^^;)   I feel like hibernating (in summer, haha) inside the house. When I entered junior high, I joinned the tennis club hoping to strengthen my tiny body. Haha, wrong idea!!! I quit 4 months later when summer came; just have a lovely memory with father that he took me to the store to choose my racket and his, played with me sometimes for fun. He understood my quitting the club.

Well, recently he totally is not reacting towards me when I visit him, he used to smile seeing me. After having pneumonia this spring, his condition obviously is getting worse.  One other thing at his place; I feel there used to be a lot  more brighter atmosphere, smiles of the staffs' face and much talking to the old people there. Oh, I understand they have tough job on their shoulders!   Just saddens me a bit. 

*One happy finding♪

Accidentally, I found the way to put the letters in the white backgrounds into picture form for the blog without making them blurry with bluish color. (I use JTrim, I wonder if this soft is available only in Japan as it is written in Japanese)  

I was PRETTY HAPPY for this as I wished to solve the problem for a long time without succeeding it.  Haha, just one thing to know for your problem(^^;)  I've been using this soft for making backgrounds transparent without noticing it!!!  I'm willing to tell you through mail if you need the way how; and also providing you have the soft and don't mind to use the word; mind you, my level is really low p;)

    I hope your summer will be a happy one; I expect mine is going to be busy.

             So, I won't be able to post as frequently as before, hehe.

A bit below per,

Hi! bloggie friends♡♡♡

I might have been a bit tense trying to do my best for things, hehe. A bit out of shape now. I will be fine just reducing household work and so on. I truly think that I am reminded that we should take our age into count. I was hoping to visit our city's park and take pictures of Hydrangea and Iris. Instead, I wish to use these illustrations. It sure was pity not being able to enjoy them .
Having a rainy days a little while. I wish you are not too hot or cold in your corner of the world.

*I hope you are having a relaxing weekend*

My Busy Week

Hello, my friends. I haven't posted about a week; it has been a bit hectic days for me. I really am so sorry if I miss visiting you. I thought I would almost wear down, but I am lucky to be able to ride out the tough days.

Firstly, Thank God for my father's physical capacity or my mom and bro hadn't called him yet; after his IV had taken off and came back to his old people's home, he started to walk a little by grabbing my hand since a couple of days ago. I feel it is almost miraculous as he hadn't eaten 2 weeks. He’s lost weight a lot and a bit skinny now, though. Thank you very much for your thoughts and prayers.

Secondly, I've made "Japanese meal page" you can visit from my side-bar link. I've pasted former meal pages to it. I've been thinking it is such a pleasure for me if I can introduce my culture through meal as well. I stayed up close to dawn one night to sort out the backgroud and header. You might like to see hubby's amazed face for my sticking to it p;)  I've put my precious awards in my side-bar.

Thirdly, we went to hear "Jazz Live" with dinner last night, which hubby told me to go as it might be a good change of pace for me. The four players of tenor sax, piano, drum and bass were great. I could enjoy the familiar music my hubby plays at home (take five. fly me to the moon. theme music of TV animation "Lupin III") 

Oh, it was quite a refreshing time； they are all so talented and entertaining, we could enjoy both soft and upbeat way of playing.  My pictures came out so terrible, the collage is just for proving I actually went there(^^;)   As you may have noticed, our seats were at the corner of the restaurant. However, we sure could have a wonderful two and a half hours which I thought it worth the price, hehe.

Driver's License

Is there anyone out there who doesn't have a driver's license?

I think I am pretty happy for what have chosen in my life. Mainly, choosing understanding husband, hehe.  However, the only one I am not sure if it was the right decision or not is not having a driver's license or rather chose not to. 

Do you think there are people's charismatics which won't be suitable for driving?  I have worked using kind of typing machine called "photo-setting" before I got married for several years after graduating high school. (oh, about 30 years ago far before PC) Even though I got used to using it fairy fast, lots of typos. Also a bit too tiny to fit the driver's seat (^^;)   Every time, I heard the news of misuse the accelerator for brake or something like that; I think that could be me.  

When my late mother was in the hospital for cancer I couldn't help but visit her everyday. And I've got nearly more than 40 students at home then. Right now, even though my husband drives me anywhere after retiring, I have to think or care about his feeling. I have to say that he's extremely supportive that I'd even call him my private driver and loves with him in the passenger seat. Even so, I'd visit father more frequently to his old-people's home. (Thank God he will be out of the hospital soon, but as he hadn't eaten food for 2 weeks and lying in bed for a long time; I just hope he will be able to walk again.)

I will think it a right decision; at least I haven't caused any harm to anyone☆☆☆

　

I would love to have a mini-vehicle like this♬♬♬

It might be a lot convenient to have a secound car.  

safe ?

I had really scary experience...

I removed or canceled the membership from two sites. It seemed that my account of one of them was taken over from someone. I got some mails to notify me about the humiliation I had.  Although I haven't had a chance to know what it was, I got SO scared with the network sites. I have seen some strange acronyms, which I had no idea until I checked with the dictionary, to laugh at me in the direct mails. I feel changing password won't be safe enough. As I haven't been involved with two sites for long time, I don't care much about it.

Do you think blogger is safe?  I TRULY don't want to be away from the beautiful friendship I have here. I sometimes have spam mails...

Just feeling so sad...

*Update about my trouble*
Thank you for all of your thoughtful comments and advices. I really am grateful for all the support from my friends!  I told one of my students, who really have interests in PC, about my trouble; then he started to concerned and gave me a big help!!!  At least taken-over problem must have been solved now. I cannot be thankful more for him with his amazing knowledge. As the site had continued to be reopened a couple of times after deleting, I was at a loss.  I should have been more careful.
Thank you very much again, my friends.    Miyako*

Busy Bee...

Just letting you know I'm here to be with you soon, my friends♡♡♡

Craving for talking in English...

No Chance to use English...

I haven't used English since I had long break for going to the English school last late spring, where I had had private lesson from the young American teacher. Haha, even if I call English-lesson, I was having fun chatting in English once a month bringing my own topic. Actually, the fee I need to pay only for once (¥7,000)　is way expensive now for me; who is surviving hubby's pension money.　Well, I haven't contacted the school； I don't know if I have a membership there or not (^^;)
Far before that, I had a group lesson with 4people; but the relationship didn't go well... (haha, you might be able to guess why. I must have taken up much time rather than other members. I should have been more reserved.)
Anyway, even if how much I can hear the news from satellite broadcasting, watching movies on TV or rented videos, I have no one to chat with about it in English. Hubby has no interest in English, much less topic like presidential election this year in America from CNN and so on.
In Japan, we still have not much chance to get in touch with or enjoy natural, living English with native speakers. I deeply grateful for you all of my blggie friends to give me chances to look into expressions I don't know in your posts and kind comments, although it is a written form (p;) 

Oh, how I crave for someone to talk with in English!!!
I'm willing to roll out the red carpet & serve a gorgeous meal if any of my friends would like to pop over through the ocean to visit me, hehe,

Wordless Wed. (Year-End Cleaning... tired)

Oh, Tiny Me!

Advantage and Disadvantage of being tiny♡

They are the young couple who were announcing their marriage this late May.

As the girl is one of the former members of the singer group and the boy is an actor, I think it is Ok to post their picture here.   I found this picture very lovely and reminded me of my dream far-far back in my young days, waiting for a tall handsome prince. The naughty reporters must have made her take her shoes off.
May their life together be full of love!!!

Here is my list of Advantage and Disadvantage of being tiny.

Advantage

* I used to drive off salesmen by saying "Mom is not home", 
   It worked well when there weren't intercoms.  Mind you "not now" haha.
* In the crowds, people are kind try not to push me hard. (may look fragile)
* Feel easy to ask for help to get things in the high places for the clerk in the shop.

Disadvantage

* I constantly need to use stools with different heights hubby made for me.  I cannot see well things I put on top of the shelf of the fridge, haha. Well, what is worse; starting to feel risky for falling or tripping.

* I cannot see the dust which piles up high places for me like on the shleves.  Some of my a bit tall students pointed out that my eye line was low and I should keep it in mind (^^;)  

* It is really hard for me to look for the clothes and shoes for my size.  It is kind of my habit to check the petite size corner. I'm a well-known customer.

Last year & Birthday

Tomorrow on 19th, I'll be 56 years old.   Well, I wish I will be able to make this birthday my jumping step for the life on my own.  

               

Firstly, to my bro.

"We are planning your one year memorial service early next month. Your favorite aunty and others will come. I really am sorry that daddy wasn't at the funeral for you last year. But you'd understand it couldn't have been helped with his dementia condition. I'll write a very short tribute for you here after the ceremony. Then, I think I will be able to feel more comfortable. Please don't take this post dishonoring you. Just for my own sake, Niisan(bro)"

Last year was a tough year for me with two things

(1) making hubby's hobby room, (2)bro's illness and losing him. I'm sure that writing about it will give me some peace in my mind.

spring 

(1) My hubby retired from his more than 40years' bank-clerk job.  Out of the blue, he announced me to build his hobby room, already having had a prior consultation with the carpenters he has known.  The work took about half and 2 months, which was really longer than we expected. This (link) is my post  I've written about the room only half a month later when I started blogging. 

(2) And, along with the busy days dealing with construction workers, my single bro all of a sudden had been carried by an ambulance with the symtom of  Water Intoxication. I was with him two nights at the hospital and since then he was no longer my bro I knew. I started checking what his mental illness was with PC.  I visited private mental hospital he'd been visiting; slight hope that consulting with the doctor will get a help, but.....  

summer 
(1) Busy helping hubby looking for new furniture and setting Soba equipment. Also I had to learn how to boil and cool it  properly with icy wate, also home-made soup for Soba for both cold and hot one.
(2) Seeing bro's symptom getting worse early summer, it was obvious for me that I should convince him that he needed to be admitted. (This tough job should have saved him.) Well, I was surprised that lots of formalities to step to have him hospitalized in psychiatric of General Hospital. He'd been in the hospital untill middle of Sept. When the doctor allowed him to leave, he looked deep in the state of depression even for me.  Around this time of last yer, I was scared that I wasn't sure if he was taking medicine regularly and the doctor didn't see him as often as bro needed. 

Fall
I was inviting him dinner a lot (his house is 10 min. drive from my house) worrying about him looking really down. In the middle of Oct. the worst thing happened. We weren't able to expect it happen. After that day on, under the panic state, we tried to do our best to send him to our mother who died almost 10 years ago. It will take a bit of more time for me to be able to erase the thought that the tragedy wouldn't have happened, if I did so and so...

For the last, I appreciate all of my friends here encouraging me by commenting for my posts. Since I started blogging this February, your sweet comments and writing posts helped me a lot mentally.
Thank you very much  everyone,

Thanks for the warm words and what I missed to write,

First of all, thank you very much for all the sweet, warmhearted comments for me on my 10th's post.

Each words brightened me SO much!!!"

I'm not in perfect condition yet and can't eat normally,  but doing much better.   Tired and sick-feeling in a long time.

I've seen many friends' posts about terrorist attack on 11th, it's been a decade...

9.11 and 3.11 (Tunami happened half a year ago on that day in Japan) were the issues almost all the news-show on TV on that day, and broadcasting about the trying day.  Both of the countries' economies were damaged dearly in a different way as well as the people directly affected.  In America, a lot of budget had to go for the middle-east problem.  In Japan, for the disaster restoration; but its measures doesn't seem to be going smoothly...   
     I watched these reports without being able to do much anything else. 

 I hope the beautiful "harvest moon" brings us better, peaceful fall,  we could see the clear moon last night. Only if my hubby had telephoto lens for degital-camera.

My friends,
   Just a little bit of below par,  I'll be able to get welll soon in a couple of days. 
   Probably, it's summer weariness.  Promise to keep reading your posts!!!
                        Talk to you soon,   Orchid*

Feeling of Need to improve English and "The King's Speech"

Hopefully this movie helps me a little,

This movie have released in Japan yesterday at rental-video-shop. I am looking forward to watching it. It should be really interesting for me; in a sense both knowing how George VI overcame the hardship and learning vocabularies, improving listening English comprehension.

Overwhelmed by my friends' Posts,

Reading my friends intellectual and high-quality posts, I always find myself  overwhelmed by MARVELOUSLY WRITTEN ENGLISH with lots of VOCABULARIES which some (hehe, way more than some) of then I don't know and sometimes I totally lost from the starters of reading them.....   It must require some personal knowledge for the particular friends,though.

Let me tell you here that there are times I cannot catch up with reading your posts with rich contents. So would you be kind enough to tolerate or forgive me if I misunderstood your post or comment.

From half a month ago, I started using the Google's translation function in the tool-bar. Helping me a little by saving times but not proper meaning for the context at times.

Worry about Irene and Parking Lot for Handicaps

Worry about Irene

I am SO worried about people living east coast of America.  I just heard from the news that there are some casualties due to the Hurricane. And more than 2 million people were forced to evacuate from its route.  In Japan, this season every year we are in danger of being hit from several of them. Okinawa is said to be "the department of typhoons". I have many stocks of small refrigerants (when I buy cakes they are put into the box for free to keep them cool) to put into the freezing chamber while power outage.  Hoping for not causing the big damage. My friends, hoping for your SAFETY☆☆☆

Sad about Bad Manners

My husband has a handicap with his legs and driving a car which has remodeled especially for him. As I don't have a drivers license, he is kind of my personal driver now. Well, we have been noticing that all the parking lot for disabled people sometimes are already full and some of the cars without hanging the signs showing it. We have witnessed the terrible case today when we went to buy his new cellphone and he wished to the closer place.  He got a bit offended by the bad manner. I felt sad if the manners of Japanese people which supposed to have a good reputation is getting slightly worse.

My unsettled mind and poor Hubby

Our family monk is coming tomorrow to do "first obon service" for my late bro tommorow. So we were leaving home late this morning to prepare for it at his house (where no one resides now),  buying the flowers and offerings (fruits and snacks) and setting them on the altar.  Wow, I couldn't find the KEY!!! I've been looking for all over the place I could think of. Hubby was ready in the car and I had to tell him.  I found it the place where it shouldn't have been about 20 nimutes later.

I think I wasn't myself a bit;
For my late bro,  relatives have been kindly paying vists for him separately.  This Sunday, my father's sister-in-law came with her daughter (our cousin). They were also SO generous to pay us a visit for him. We decided not inviting anyone for tomorrow's service, as they ought to come to visit us for the "first year service" this fall. Yet, they are so kind for us.
Well, the trouble for these separate visit is; I have to reset the altar each time. The busy days and thinking about father (who is suffering dementia and not knowing the situation) and how I should sort things out in his house later must have made mind cluttered. And I somehow started to cry before him after he got a bit cranky. He looked puzzled with my sudden change of mantel state, poor him. It took me for a while to get calm mind back and set out. Anyway, I thank hubby's understanding.(wrote in haste after came home, hope this post sends the meaning)

ps. I will catch up commenting for my friends' posts some time later. SO SORRY if I look not faithful......