It's unusually hot in Japan for July. The nights are particularly difficult for sleeping. Despite this, I’m doing well. I’ve been attending fitness classes, visiting my grandson in Hiroshima, and escaping the summer heat at Hirugano Highland in Gifu.
<My ６June
<Festival in Hiroshima
In Hiroshima, there was a festival where my daughter and I took Sota to see food stalls.
He experienced a festival for the first time. He was surprised by the variety of street stalls and he was delighted and had a great time scooping balls and fishing for yo-yos.
<Birthday
I turned 71 on June 10th. When I was younger, I thought that women over 70 were quite old. Now that I'm 71, I feel younger in body and mind than I had imagined. (lol) However, my hair is gray now, and I have noticed more wrinkles on my face. I catch colds a little more easily, and they seem to linger longer. Nevertheless, I have only one life, so I intend to keep doing what I want to do.
My husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I didn't have anything specific in mind, so I've requested having lunch and dinner with him four times this month, and I've gained some weight.
<Hirugano Highland
As usual, I spent about 10 days at my second house in Hirugano Highland in Gifu at the end of the month. In early June, it was still chilly there, I needed a stove in the mornings and evenings.
When I woke up in the morning, I would hear the voices of the cuckoo and the warbler echoing through the forest, and a cool breeze was blowing. When I took a morning walk, the morning dew sparkling on the plants was very beautiful.
In the evening, after taking a relaxing bath in the hot spring and leaving the entrance, I was greeted by a magnificent sunset. I have seen many sunsets, but today's was the best.
<Hida Takayama
This time of year is just perfect for harvesting lavender. Once the flowers bloom, their color and fragrance quickly fade, so I don't miss this time. There is an unmanned hut where I can weigh the lavender I have picked and buy it per 100 yen for 70 grams.
During this visit, I met the owner of the lavender field for the first time. He was a kind elderly man, and we had a pleasant chat in the field.
Takayama is about 50 km from Hirugano Highland, but I can reach it in about an hour on roads without traffic lights. These roads are easy to drive on. I ask Alexa to play my favorite music as I drive, putting me in a cheerful mood.
Although I could make a day trip to Takayama, I usually find a cheap inn and stay overnight. Since I was staying overnight again, I went to a bar by myself. I also visited to see the 1500-year-old ginkgo tree at the Kokubunnji Temple.
The next morning, I visited a "morning cafe" that I've been curious about. I went into a nice old cafe called "Tefukin". This morning set included a variety of side dishes, coffee, and dessert, all for just 600 yen. I thought it was reasonable.
<Kukuri Terrace Exercise
The main purpose of this stay was "Kukuri Terrace Exercise" Ten young women in their 40s and 50s gathered. The members were younger than usual, so I was excited.
After class, a few of the participants visited my lodge for a "Takoyaki party." I have a big takoyaki iron machine. However, octopus was very expensive at the moment, so I made them with chikuwas, baby scallops, and sausages instead.
<Lunch at Kukuri Terrace
Recently, Kukuri Terrace started serving lunch, so I went there to eat with a friend. The experience of having lunch on the terrace while looking at the scenery outside was great. I happened to be eating with the owner. After lunch he kindly gave us a tour of his garden.
He ↓ shared the names of plants and trees, the stories about history of
Hirugano, and names about insects and animals.
I had heard that fireflies appear in the garden at night, so I went back to see them after 8 o'clock. Dozens of fireflies were flying around, and one even landed in my hand. I tried to take some photos, but they didn't turn out well.
<Expressway bus
This time, my husband was already at Hirugano, so I took the expressway bus from Kyoto. I remember the fare being 2,800 yen the last time I took it, but this time it was 4,300 yen. I was surprised by the sudden increase in fare. There were still few passengers, as usual.
<Making a Wreath
I spend many days alone at my lodge, so I made many wreaths and accessories using dried flowers (hydrangea, celosia, eucalyptus, lavender) that have been hanging in the lodge since last year. I enjoy crafting with dried flowers, creating handmade items. This time, I placed them for sale in nearby shops and roadside stations like " Dainitidake". I hope they sell well.
That's all for now.
Thank you for always reading my blog.
Hello,
How are you and your family? Everyone in our family is doing well.
My grandson turned three years old on May 6th.
He has really grown up. I received a commemorative photo of him from my daughter. The various artworks displayed behind him are pieces he created at nursery school .
Each year, the nursery school teachers use their creativity to collaborate with the children in making these individual works. ＜記念
I am very grateful. I sent him an Anpanman birthday card. And my grandson said he loved it very much.
<Koinobori Festival At the annual "Koinobori Festival" in May, we went to see over 1,000 koinobori hanging over the Akutagawa River. ＜毎年恒例の
When the wind blows, the big carp streamers swim in the blue sky.
My husband and I always bring lunch boxes and sit on the riverbank for a picnic. ＜吹き流し
<My Senior's Performance ＜先輩
I went to see "Takatsuki Tonda Jazz Street," where my seniors from high school tennis club performed. He played the keyboard very well. He used to be a pilot for ANA, so he still misses the sky and pilots a glider in Nagano Prefecture. He’s cool.
<Beauty salon
A beauty salon was built near my house recently. So I changed the beauty salon I had been going to for over 20 years to the new one. I like the new beauty salon because it is closer, cheaper, and faster than the previous one.
<Hirugano Highland
In May, Hirugano Highland in Gifu Prefecture is the best time of the year, with fresh air and blue sky.
(Mt. Haku) ↑
The gymnastics class for the Senior Citizens' Association, where I had been an instructor, has ended, and my new gymnastics class has begun.
I hold the class at a lodge in the middle of the trees, at a cafe called "Kukuri Terrace." I love this place.
The participants are mostly middle-aged women who are working, and the class starts at 6 pm. I plan to continue this class forever.
I would like to do a yoga class in the morning here.
We went to a hot spring every night. After the hot spring, we went to my husband’s favorite tavern. However, the tavern was closed. He was disappointed. This time, we went to a pub called Tank Café.
＜居酒屋
The staff at the restaurant was a friendly and fun 26-year-old man. Both of my husband and I liked him, and we ate dinner while chatting with him. We were the only customers. It's a restaurant we'd like to visit again.
My husband is trying to grow summer vegetables, but at this time of year he's struggling with weeds in the fields. He often has knee pain, the farm work isn't progressing. ＜苦戦 苦闘 (This year)
(This yrar ↑）
（Last year ↑ in May )
<Tigers Support
All of my family members are Hanshin Tigers fans, and my second daughter is especially a big fan.
She said she really wanted to cheer at Koshien Baseball Stadium. It’s hard to get tickets this year, so I asked my old friend to get them for us. My daughter took a paid leave and came to Osaka from Hiroshima with her son. She was delighted to buy cheering goods and her favorite player Nakano’s jersey. The Tigers have been weak recently, but the stadium was still shining during the live game, and it was exciting. <有給休暇 <ユニホーム
When we were at Stadium, Sota was in a good mood after playing with my son and my husband in the amusement park.
It was unusual for Sota to be separated from his mother, so I was ｗorried at first, but my son took good care of him.
<Anpanman Museum
My daughter and I took Sota to the "Anpanman Museum " in Harborland, Kobe. He was so happy, he made masks, watched the screen, and ran around.
That day, a heavy rain warning was issued for the Kansai region, but my daughter, Souta and I all had a great time. Before I went there, I was worried, but it turned out to be easier than I thought. ＜大雨警報が発令
<Kyoto Walk
I went for a walk in Kyoto for the first time in a while. I had heard rumors that Kyoto was full of tourists, but there were not many people and it was easy to walk around.
(Hanakoji ↑)
I walked around Kyoto, visiting Kenninji Temple and Sairaiji temple.↑
Inside the temple I meditated. The Japanese garden there was beautiful with its fresh green leaves, and meditating quietly with my eyes closed felt soothing. I felt very refreshed and in good spirits. ＜癒し
Well, that's all for today.
Thank you for always listening to my presentations.
