on the last day of August, 2013

I'm surprised it is the last day of August of the year 2013.
How quickly time flies!

Didn't I speak of heavy snowfall the other day?
How did I enjoy the season of spring?

What a forgetful person I am!

It's still hot in the daytime.
Today's highest temperature will go up to 35℃ in Tokyo.

(It's now 10:00 in the morning.)

But autumn is surely approaching, isn't it?

It has been getting cooler day by day both in the early
morning and in the late evening.

My summer vacation is over.

Next week I'll start my circle activities again
which were stopped for the summer.

I'm looking forward to seeing my teachers and my friends.
I'd like to know how they enjoyed their summer vacation.

How about me?

Having had a backache was a bad shock
and I still have a dull pain in the back.

But I'm happy I've almost survived this severe summer heat.

Good-bye, August.
Welcome, September.

happy Sunday in Ginza

It was cloudy and not so hot yesterday.

M-san and I enjoyed walking from Ginza to Tokyo Station.

First we had lunch at our regular restaurant 「銀座大増」.

We ordered 「夏の膳」and a glass of wine.







I was surprised I had a good appetite in spite of
this summer heat.

Ginza was crowded. We enjoyed watching people walking.
They were walking slowly and looked happy.



Then we had a good time in the Apple Store, Ginza,
asking a lot of questions about their products.

The store was crowded and salespersons were all kind.
Some of them spoke very good English.



We walked on and came to Four Seasons Hotel 丸の内
which is located near Tokyo Station.

We had a tea break in the lobby on its 7th floor.

---------------------

I don't know why, but I love walking along the street of Ginza.

the Akutagawa award novel 爪と目

I've just read a short novel, “Tsume to Me” 爪と目,
by which 藤野可織 won the Akutagawa award in July.

I think it is an interesting novel in its style
but it didi’nt touch me at all.

It may be because I am not a good reader.
It may be because the novel is beyond my understanding.

I make it a rule to read the Akutagawa award novels.
And in most cases I don't understand why they deserve
the Akutagawa award.





By the way, I’ve bought an iPod to enjoy music.
I am glad I can enjoy music wherever I am.

six days in Niigata

On the early morning of August 13, I left my apartment
and went to Nagaoka by the Toki Shinkansen.
Then I caught a taxi to Tochio to see my elder sister.

Wow! She was almost completely all right both in mind
and body. I stayed two nights at her house as a guest!
I did nothing and she took care of me.

What a relief! She was getting stronger both mentally
and physically.

My sister, her husband and I went to our parents’ grave
in a deep mountain village. The grave is on the hill.
My sister and I went up the hill but her husband stayed
in the taxi.

(at my parents' grave)


(on the way to my sister's in Tochio)


On August 15 I went to my own house in Niigata City.
The neighbors warmly welcomed me.
They have always been so kind to me
since my husband passed away.

I visited my husband’s grave and told him
how my daughter and I enjoy a life of happiness in this world.
I said to him,“I am always ready to go to you when you call me.”

This is my father's 短歌, made for me and written by himself,
when my husband passed away.



My good old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Mizu-san, invited me
to their house.

Before going to their home. we saw a movie 「少年Ｈ」.
We were all deeply impressed by the movie.

Then we went to a へぎそばrestaurant and enjoyed
そば dinner.

The climax came when we saw 田圃花火 fireworks
on the second floor veranda of their house,
drinking some beer with 枝豆.

The fireworks were displayed in the sky above these 田圃.



I had a wonderful time, Mizu-san. Thank you so much.

During my stay in Niigata, I went to the beach at the back
of my house.

This beach is my spiritual home.
It reminds me of my good old days.









On the afternoon of August 18, I caught the Shinkansen
for Tokyo.

It was crowded and I felt a little bit ill.

I'm now quite all right!

brass band competition 2013

Last evening koharu’s brass band club members
entered a competition

第53回東京都中学校　吹奏楽コンクール.

koharu, my granddaughter, is the second year student
at a small public junior high school.

35 members of the brass band club entered the completion
B group.

koharu played the oboe. Her parents bought a good oboe
for her last month.

They played マードックからの最後の手紙 composed
by 樽屋雅徳.

I wanted to listen to their performance.
I was afraid of my backache getting worse
but I took a taxi to 府中芸術劇場
and enjoyed their perfomance.

They won「金賞」in B group!

You made it, Students and Teachers!

Many Congratulations!

What a happy evening I had in this hot summer!