a happy surprise

A little before noon,
when I was eating lunch,
the doorbell rang.

I rarely have visitors. Who is it?

I hurried to the door and saw Mrs. Miya
standing there with a paper glass
of little flowers.

Oh, I remember her bringing to me
lovely flowers last spring.

We have been good friends since then.

But we have had very few chances
to meet or to talk together.

Mrs. Miya is an active 71-year-old lady,
She is very busy every day.

She likes taking care of plants
and belongs to the Gardening Club
in the community.

She belongs to a few more clubs
and makes herself busy,
because she feels lonely
when she is at home alone, she says.

What a lovely present!

These little flowers made me so happy.

Thank you so much
for your kind consideration,
Mrs. Miya.

Spring Green

Yesterday I attended Friday English Class
at Kominkan.

First, we had a short English conversation.

The expression “Spring Green”
our teacher used for 新緑
pleased me so much.

Our American teacher is young,
in her thirties.

She has a large vocabulary.

She always tries to improve our weak
vocabulary.

She has been our teacher
since October, 2016.

Yesterday, she gave us a serious shock
by saying to us----

“Ladies, I'm very sorry to say
I'm going back to America next month.

My husband and I are divorced.

He stays in Japan
but I'll go back to America.

I'll be all right.

I'll go to California and find a job.

My son will live with me
and come to Japan
when he is in vacation time.

I'm now looking for a good teacher
for this class.”

We were all surprised and shocked
at her words.

We could not hear her words
with dry eyes.

Anyway, life must go on.

(銀杏 near my apartment)

to Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

Yesterday was the opening day of
プーシキン美術館展 at 東京都美術館
in Ueno.

It is the exhibition of Masterpieces
of French Landscape Paintings
from The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts,
Moscow, Russia.

I enjoyed the exhibition with Mrs. M.

We enjoyed 65 paintings remembering
those happy days we travelled in France.

The exhibition consists of 6 chapters.

第１章 近代風景画の源流
（ロラン、ミレー、ヴェルネ）
第２章 自然への賛美　
（コロー、クールベ）
第３章 大都市パリの風景画　
（ルノワール、ラファエリ、マルケ）
第４章 パリ近郊・・・身近な自然へのまなざし
（モネ、シスレー、ピサロ、セザンヌ、マティス）
第５章 南へ・・・新たな光と風景
（セザンヌ、ボナール、ドラン）
第６章 海を渡って　/　想像の世界
（ゴーガン、ドニー、アンリ・ルソー）

Oh, how I wish I could visit France again!

My passport is valid until Sep.12, 2026.

Will I have any opportunities to go abroad
again?

It depends on the state of my health,
I know.

visiting the dentist

This morning I went to my dentist
to get a regular checkup.

The dentist said,
”There is nothing wrong with your teeth.
You brush your teeth very well.”

Then his wife, 歯科衛生士, cleaned
my teeth.

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

I have 27 of my own teeth.

My dentist said to me,
“I hope you don't go senile, karin-san.

When you get older and senile,
it will be very difficult
to treat your bad teeth,
because you will not understand
what is going on.

If your teeth are all false teeth,
no treatment is needed.

I sometimes wonder which is better
for the old senile people.”

The dentist is joking, I hope.

I don't want any false teeth, anyway.

(today's photo)

Friday English Class

Today I attended Friday English Class
at Kominkan for the first time in 20 days.

I was glad nobody was absent today.

All members were fine.

Our American teacher brought her son
to our class.

He is 7 years old and he had no school today.

We enjoyed free conversation in English.

Our teacher corrected our mistakes.

She taught us better expressions.

Oh, I remember her saying
“Sakura Snow.”

Isn't this expression so beautiful?

I am thinking of 玉川上水緑道
covered with fallen sakura petals.

How happy to watch the flurry
of "sakura snow"
When the wind blows!

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＜today's photos＞

(my karin planted in my daughter's yard)


(my karin, 14 years ago)