年令を重ねるほど充実した日々をめざす

　一人暮らしの高齢者が増え続けてます。民生委員によると、私の倉賀野町上四地区のみでも６０人いるといわれます。その一人が私です。もしかして、人間とは、その日に向かっているのかもしれません。原因の一つは、昔と違って、子供と同居しない家族の在り方が増えているからです。しかし、今まで経験してない「毎日一人で過ごすこと」への不安を感じてる高齢者もいることになります。

　人生とは、突然、そのような状況になるのが現実です。高齢になって初めて毎日が孤独となり、その長い時間をどう生きるかは、とても大きな課題です。孤独は食事の時に感じます。その現実に直面しても、人生の終楽章は今までのⅠ～３楽章で築き上げた楽しい調べ、あるいは悲しい調べの貴重な体験の上に立ち、それを乗り越えた「自らしく楽しく充実した生活」を送りたいものです。

　一人で高齢期を自分らしく生きるには、人生のⅠ～３楽章で取り組んできたものを、いよいよ開花させる時ではないでしょうか。幸い、私には四季を通じて、たくさんの植物の世話、ピアノ演奏、人との対話、若き日に習った英単語の復習などに時間を忘れることがあります。本心は寂しくても、振り返ると寂しいどころか、「生き生きワクワク」してたことも時々です。

　今後も、自らの足でどこにでも行ける体力を鍛錬し、人間は唯一言葉が使えるので、人と会って楽しく会話したい気持ちです。家に閉じこもらず、友人知人と会い、新たな刺激を得て心を活性化したいです。梅雨の晴れ間の今日、私は庭で枇杷捥ぎをする予定です。

Dear my friends who are crazy about nature, humans and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

「ねむの木」を大きな植木鉢に植え替える

　私の家の玄関前は二坪程の屋根が付いてます。ですから、雨が降っていても、ちょっとした作業がここでできます。今日は先程、午後３時頃から、小さな植木鉢に植わっていたご覧の「ねむの木」の幼木を一回り大きな植木鉢に植え替える作業を行いました。元々、この「ねむの木」は庭で自然に生えたもので葉がとても自然でのびのびしてます。

　ところが、成長がよいのでしょう。小さな植木鉢からどうやっても取り出せず、最後は思い切って金づちで植木鉢を叩いて、やっとのことで取り出せました。このため、根が固まっており、枯れる心配はありません。

　今度は一回り大きな鉢に植えたので、２～３年はこのまま育て最終的には庭のどこかに植え、初夏に「ねむの花」を楽しみます。果たして来年は咲くでしょうか。咲いたら見にいらして下さい。

　今回最も注意したことは今まで斜めになってた幹を垂直に植えたところ、樹高が１m３０cmほどになり、途端に枝ぶりにも品格が出てきました。今宵から明朝にかけての雨で、しっかり根付くと期待してます。ところで、こんな作業でも汗びっしょりになりました。私は未だ若いのでしょうか。先程シャワーを済ませました。お願いです。今宵は一杯飲ませてください。

Dear my friends who are crazy about raising plants.

　The front of my entrance has a roof of about 6.6m². So, even if it's raining, I can do some small work here. Just today, starting around 3pm, I replanted the young "Silk Tree" that was planted in a small flowerpot into a slightly larger one. Originally, this "Silk Tree" grew naturally in the garden, and its leaves are very natural and stretched out.

　However, it must have grown well. So that I couldn't get it out of the small flowerpot no matter what I did, but in the end, I could finally get it out by using a hammer. Because of this, the roots are hardened, so there is no need to worry dying.

　This time, I replanted it in a slightly larger pot, so I will raise it for 2-3 years in this pot, and eventually replant it somewhere in the garden and enjoy the "Flowers" in early summer. I wonder if it will bloom next year? Please come and see it when it blooms.

　The thing I paid the most attention to this time was planting the tree's trunk, which I changed at an angle vertically. As soon as I replanted the tree has become about 1.3 meters in height, and the branches have suddenly become more dignified. I'm hoping that the rain from tonight to tomorrow morning will help the root properly. By the way, even doing this job about 1hour made me drenched in sweat. Maybe I'm still young? I just finished taking a shower. Will you do me a favor. Please, let me have a drink tonight.

緯度により太陽の高さが異なる

 国立天文台によると、今日６月１４日の群馬県の日の出は４時２５分で、夏至より今日の方が１分早いです。日の入りは１９時０３分で、こちらは夏至の方が２分遅いです。正午の太陽高度は約７６°ですが、梅雨の最中であり、確認できません。

　しかし、太陽高度については、地球の自転の傾きである２３．４°、及び、住んでる位置の緯度により計算できます。例えば、群馬県高崎市は北緯３６度１９分ですから、北極点９０°－北緯３６°１９′＋地球の傾き２３．４°＝約７６°です。

　昔、滞在してたカルカッタ市では今の季節に、正午の太陽は少し北に出たので不思議な体験でした。北回帰線より南の北緯２２度だからです。と言うことは、インドでは一年を通じて、太陽はほぼ真上から照っており、夏休みである５月の気温は連日４０度を超えてます。正午に外に出ても自分の影がありません。私も「影のない人間になったのか」と思いましたが、そうではありません。影は自分で踏んでるのです。

　一方、今の季節に北極点では、太陽は一日中、沈みません。地球が反時計回りに自転してるので、太陽は時計回りに東～南～西～北へと一周し、その高さは地平線から地軸の傾きの２３.４°で一日中、変わりません。北極圏でも今の季節に太陽は一日中沈まず、北欧などでは白夜が続いてます。反対に、南極では今の季節は昼がなく夜が連続してます。

　このようなことを考えると、私たちは温帯の日本に生まれて本当に良かったです。色彩豊かに花が咲き、果物が生り、四季を通じて会いたい人に会えます。

Dear my friends who are crazy about nature, humans and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

..................................................

　According to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, today, June 14th, sunrise in Gumma Prefecture is at 4:25, which is one minute earlier than the summer solstice. Sunset is at 19:03 which is two minutes later than the summer solstice. The solar altitude at noon is about 76°, but since we are in the middle of the rainy season, we cannot confirm this.

　However, the solar altitude can be calculated using the Earth's tilt of 23.4° and the latitude of where we live. For example, Takasaki City, Gumma Prefecture, is at 36 degrees 19 minutes north, so the North Pole latitude 90° - 36 degrees 19' north + rotational tilt 23.4° = about 76°.

　When I used to stay at Calcutta in India, it was a strange experience that the sun passed a little north at noon during this season. This is because the latitude there is 22 degrees north　where is more southern than the Tropic of cancer. This means that in India, the sun shines almost directly above throughout the year, and the temperature in May, which is summer vacation, exceeded 40 degrees in Celsius every day. When I went outside at noon, I didn't see my shadow. I thought to myself, "Have I become a person without a shadow in heart?" but that's not the case. My stepped on my own shadow.

　Meanwhile, at this season, the sun doesn't set all day long at the North Pole. As the Earth rotates counterclockwise, the sun makes a full circle clockwise from east to south to west to north, and its height from the horizon remains constant throughout the day at 23.4°, due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. Even in the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn't set at this season of year, and in places in Northern Europe, there are continuous sunshine all day long. In contrast, in the Antarctic, there is no sunshine and only continuous nights at this season of year.

　When I think about these phenomenon, it's really great that we were born in temperate Japan. Colorful flowers bloom, fruit grows, and I can meet the person whom I want to meet throughout the four seasons.

　　

予想できない未来・・・今より良くなるか、どうか？

　人生の後半で「２０年も一人暮らしが続くとは」若き日に想像できなかったことで、人生とは、未来がどうなるか誰にも分からぬものです。

　私の場合、有難いことに健康なことです。二人の娘がいますが、すでに独立し家庭を持っており、仕事を持ち、人生真っただ中の彼女たちに頼る気持ちは私にはありません。このため、日常生活に必須な掃除、洗濯、買い物、食事の用意を自ら行なってます。因みに、生活基盤である経済研究も続けてます。孤独であっても、考えようでは、一人暮らしには大きな自由が与えられてます。

　その自由の一つは、自らの気持ちや考えを「表現する手段」です。それはフェイスブックであったり、すでに１８年も続けてるブログに出合い、これは「創造性」であることから生活が充実します。「表現する手段」と言えば、拙い英作文により世界の人にも内容を伝えてます。インターネットは瞬時に世界に伝わっても、地球上の９８％の人は日本語の文字を理解できない現実があります。２０代の若き日に、日本人学校に勤務したインドでの生活体験が、半世紀後にも役立つとは思ってもいませんでした。

　同様に、音楽の先生に強く勧められ、１７才で始めたピアノを現在も弾いてます。このため、今は亡きＨ先生に、どれほど感謝してもしきれません。昨日も、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で数曲弾く機会があり、女性客が一人いて、聴いてくださり、帰り際に「楽しめました。」と言われ嬉しかったです。自由の一つに音楽表現があります。自由の一つに人を好きになることもあります。

Dear my friends who are crazy about nature, humans and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

.......................................................

　When I was younger, I couldn't have imagined that I would be living alone for 20 years in the second half of my life, and no one knows what the future holds.

　In my case, I am fortunate to be healthy now. I have two daughters, but they are already independent and have families. They have job so that I don't rely on them because they are in the middle of their lives. For this reason, I do the essential tasks of daily life, such as cleaning, laundry, shopping, and preparing meals every times. Incidentally, I also continue my economic research, which is the basis of my life. Even if I am lonely, living alone gives me a lot of freedom, depending on the way of thinking.

　One of those freedoms is the "means of expression" of my feeling and thought. This is Facebook, and I came across a weblog that I have been writing for 18 years, which enriches my life because it is "creativity." Speaking of "means of expression," I communicate my thoughts to people all over the world through my poor English composition. Although the Internet can reach the world instantly, the reality is that 98% of people on Earth cannot understand Japanese characters. I never imagined that my experience living in India as a teacher at the Japanese school in my twenties would be useful half a century later.

　Similarly, I started playing the piano at the age of 17, strongly encouraged by my music teacher. As the result, I still play it today. For this, I can never be more grateful to my late teacher Mr. Hatoba. Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to play a few music by piano at my favorite cafe, "Sampo-michi," and there was a lady customer who listened to my piano performance and she told me when she left, "I enjoyed it," which made me very happy. So one form of freedom is musical expression. Another form of freedom is falling in love with lady.

　　

良い薬に恵まれ、左目がほぼ以前の状態に回復

　今日の日の出は一年で最も早い４時２５分【群馬県】です。【因みに夏至では１分遅く４時２６分です。】現在、朝の４時３０分ですが、群馬県の空は概して晴れ渡ってます。もしかして、早くも今日は梅雨の晴れ間になるでしょうか。

　その中にあって、庭では、紫陽花が「私の季節がやって来た」というように花開き始めてます。よく見ると、漢字が示す紫のみならず、その色彩は多種に亘り、私はその優雅な光景にうっとりです。自然は何故このように美しいのでしょう。もしかして、花の持つ色彩と香りが蝶や虫たちをおびき寄せ、蜜を吸わせる引き換えに授粉させるためとも考えられます。私たち人間もその色彩と香りに思わず感銘するのでしょう。

　ところで、私はこの約１ヶ月間、左目が不自由になったり、結果的に顔面が少々変形し、好きな人に顔を見せられませんでしたが、今では、今日の空のようにほぼ回復しました。清々しい今朝はこれから上四公園まで歩いて行き、ラジオ体操会に参加します。

　一方、今のところ一日に２日分読み続け、順調に消化してる日英対照「天声人語」にも目を通します。午後は青い車でドライブ方々日帰り温泉へ行き、その後は、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」へ行き、梅雨の晴れ間を有効に過ごします。果たして今日はどんな一日になるでしょうか。今日の日付の通り十二分に自然を満喫し、健康促進を図ります。

Dear my friends who are crazy about nature, humans and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

......................................................

　According to the Japan Astronomical Agency, today's sunrise is the earliest of the year at 4:25 in Gumma Prefecture. 「In reality, the summer solstice is one minute later at 4:26.」I am writing this page at 4:30 in the morning, but the sky in Gumma Prefecture is generally clear. Perhaps today will be an sunny day, though in the rainy season.

　In the midst of this, in the garden, hydrangeas are beginning to bloom as if to say that our season has arrived. Looking closely, I see that they are in a variety of colors, not just purple as the kanji Chinese character suggests, and I am enchanted by her elegant sight. Why is nature so beautiful? Perhaps it is because the colors and fragrance of the flowers attract butterflies and insects, who pollinate the flowers in exchange for sucking their nectar. We humans are also impressed by the colors and fragrance.

　Not change the subject, but for about a month, I have been unable to use my left eye, and as a result, my face has become slightly deformed, and I have not been able to show my face to the lady I love in my heart, but now I have almost recovered like today's sky. It's a refreshing morning so I'm going to walk to Kami-4th Park and take part in the radio gymnastics by NHK.

　Meanwhile, I'm also going to skim through Tensei Jingo, a Japanese-English comparison magazine that I've been reading two days' worth of every day so far and am making good use of. In the afternoon, I'll take a drive in my Audi TT Quattro blue coupe to a day spa of Yoshii Dream center, then go to my favorite cafe, Sampo-michi, for making this sunny day effective in rest of the rainy season. I wonder what kind of day it will be? As today's date suggests as pun, I'll spend in the nature to my heart's content and work to improve my health.

自立をめざし、近隣との交流を大切に

　早朝には激しい雨が降ってました。カレンダーにも今日が入梅と記されてます。私の庭にはコンクリートがないので、この雨水はすべて地中に浸み込んで井戸水を増やします。これから本格的な梅雨となり、おそらく来年の１月いっぱいまで井戸水が涸れることはないでしょう。井戸水は一年を通して植物たちに与えたり、風呂水として使用します。

　雨のお陰で、現在、植物は繁茂し、庭は森と化してます。その中で「長崎クイーン」と命名されてる枇杷はあと４～５日で食べ頃です。昨年は枇杷酒を作りましたが、お酒に弱い私【？】は、その枇杷酒を未だ飲み切ってません。友人が夕食パーティーに見えたら差し出します。このため、今年、収穫する枇杷は頑張って毎日食べましょう。

　ところで、話は変わりますが、樹木の中で暮らす私が「いつまでも健康を保つため必要なこと」を考えてます。それは1、食べ過ぎないこと、2、夜遊びしないことです。難題ですが、本当に私が健康を願うなら節制が肝心です。この二つが実践できれば、疲労を防ぎ、睡眠時間も確保できます。自立には、自分の行動を自ら厳しく抑制です。寂しい一人暮らしでも「自立できる幸せ」を噛み締めたいです。

　来月、誕生日を迎えます。しかし、今まで通り、社会とのつながりを大切にし、家に閉じ籠らず、周囲の人たちと会話を通じて明るく交流し、特に、未来輝く子供たちの安全に協力し、一方、近隣で困っている高齢者のために、私ができることで役立ちたいです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about plants and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

..............................................................

　Since this early morning, it was raining heavily. The calendar indicates today is the beginning of the rainy season in Japan. There is no concrete in my garden, so all this rainwater seeps into the ground and increases the well water. The rainy season is about to begin, so that the well water probably won't dry up until the end of next January. I give the well water to the plants throughout the year and use it as bath water.

　Thanks to the rain, the plants are now thriving and the garden has turned into the forest that I envision. Among them, the loquat tree named "Nagasaki Queen" will be ripe to eat in 4 to 5 days. Last year, I made loquat wine, but I have a low tolerance for alcohol [? ] and I haven't finished it yet. I'll offer it to my friends when they come to a dinner party at my home. For this reason, I'll try to eat the loquats everyday this year.

　By the way, changing the subject, I'm thinking about "what I need to do to stay healthy forever" as I live among trees. These are 1. not eating (and drinking) too much, and 2. not going out at night. It's difficult, but moderation is essential if I really want to be healthy. Moderation in all things. If I can practice these two things, I can prevent fatigue and get enough sleep. In order to be independent, I need the mental strength to strictly control my own behavior. Even if I live alone and it's lonely, I want to feel the "happiness of being independent."

　Next month is my birthday. However, as always, I will continue to value my connections with society, not shut myself up at home, and interact cheerfully with the people around me through conversation, especially contributing to the safety of children who have a bright future, while also doing whatever I can to help elderly people in my neighborhood who are in trouble in daily life.

　

火曜日に開かれる「のびのび健幸クラブ」に参加

　今日の午後１時３０分より３時まで「高齢者あんしんセンター倉賀野」が実施する「のびのび健幸クラブ」で汗を掻きました。指導者はあんしんセンターの女性職員２名です。

　最初に血圧測定に始まり、全員でウォーミングアップ、手足の筋力アップ、二つの歌を二つのグループに分かれて２小節ずつ歌ったりして、つられてしまいがちですが、これが良い脳活性化トレーニングです。みんなの体操も全員１５名程で行いました。

　場所は私の家の前にある集会所「ふるさと」です。このため近くて便利です。もう既に数回参加しました。８月5日まで概して火曜日に行われます。体操を通して、足の指など平素使わない動きがかなりあることが分かり、腹筋も鍛えられました。

　この運動クラブの目的は1、転倒予防、2、免疫力アップ、3、骨粗鬆症予防4、生活習慣病予防などです。実は、この会への参加は私にとって、いろいろの人とお会いでき、会話をする機会が生まれ、刺激をもらってとても良いです。今後も続ける予定です。

Dear my friends

　Today, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., we perspired at the "Relaxing Health Club" run by the "Kuragano Senior Citizens' Safety Center." The instructors were two lady staffs from the center.

　First, we took our blood pressure, then we all warmed up, strengthened our arms and legs, and sang two songs, two bars each, separated in two groups. It tend to be tempted, but this is good brain activation training. We also did NHK's gymnastic for everyone together with about 15 of us in total.

　The event was held at the "Furusato" meeting hall in front of my house. So this party makes it close and convenient. I've already participated a few times. It will be held on Tuesdays until August 5th. Through the exercises, I realized that there are a lot of movements that we don't normally use in daily life, such as our toes, and we also strengthened our abdominal muscles.

　The purpose of this health club are: 1. to prevent falls, 2. to improve immunity, 3. to prevent osteoporosis, and 4. to prevent lifestyle-related diseases. Actually, participating in this meeting is a great opportunity for me to meet various people, have conversations, and get inspired. I will continue participating in this meeting.

　

症状をしっかり医師に伝えられるか。・・・これがポイント

　今朝、窓を開けたら雨模様で、いよいよ群馬県も梅雨入りでしょうか。カレンダーに記してある入梅は明日６月１１日になってます。これから鬱陶しい日々が約１ヶ月続きますが、実は、生活とは心の持ちようでいくらでも明るく過ごせるものでしょう。梅雨で鬱陶しいと言っても、私たち人間が生きるための欠くべからざる水を天が恵んでくれるのですから、自然は本当に有難いものです。水とは水道の蛇口を捻れば必ず出るものではありません。水源に雨水が溜まってこそです。

　昨日の午後、玄関のチャイムが鳴ったので開けて見ると、そこには４０代くらいの若い夫妻が並んでました。近所に引っ越して来た方で同じ班であることから、ご丁寧に挨拶に来てくれたのです。奥様の出身は長崎県とのことで、遥々・倉賀野に移住とは有り難い隣人が増え、何か嬉しくなりました。

　一方、昨日は一日中辛かったです。【どうしたのカッキー】という声が聞こえて来そうですが、額と目の間が痛くで、一度治った筈なのに痛みが再発してました。いくら目薬を差しても治りません。５つの花が咲いた庭のユリを見たり、実った枇杷を眺め安らぎを得ましたが、痛みは一向になくなりません。こんなとき、一人暮らしは心細いものです。つくづく家族(になってくれる人)がいればなあと思いました。

　夕方になっても痛みが続くので、比較的近所の内科に行って事情を詳しく話したところ、「それならこれを」とМ医師が痛みを取る貼り薬を処方してくれました。一日中、辛かったのに、それを貼った途端、魔法のように、すうっと痛みが引いたではありませんか。世の中には優れた薬があるものと感銘です。皆さんも、もし、痛いところがあったとき写真の貼り薬を頭に入れておくと効果的です。

Dear my friends who are crazy about good medicine and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

　.........................................................

　This morning, when I opened the window, it was raining. I wonder if the rainy season has finally come in my Gumma Prefecture. The rainy season was marked on the calendar tomorrow, June 11th. We will have about a month of unpleasant days, but in fact, our life can be as cheerful as we want depending on our mind. Even though the rainy season is unpleasant, we are truly grateful for nature, because it provides us the drinking water that is indispensable for us to live. Water is not something that comes out when we turn on the tap. This is only possible if water accumulates in the water source.

　Yesterday afternoon, the doorbell rang, so I opened the door and found a young couple in their 40s standing there. They had just moved into the neighborhood, and since we were in the same group, they had kindly come to say hello. The wife was originally from Nagasaki Prefecture, then I was happy to their moving all the way to Kuragano-town.

　On the other hand, it was painful all day yesterday. I can almost hear someone asking, "What's wrong, Kakki?" In fact, between my forehead and my left eye was hurting, and the pain had returned even though it should have recovered once. No matter how much eye drops I put in, it didn't go away. I found comfort in looking at the five blooming lilies in the garden and the ripe loquats, but the pain didn't go away. At time like this case, living alone can be lonely. I really wish I had a family (or someone to become family).

　The pain continued until the evening, so I went to a relatively nearby internal hospital named MIzuno clinic and explained the situation in detail. Dr. Mizuno said, "In this case, try this," and prescribed a pain-relieving patch. I had been in pain all day, but as soon as I put it on my foreheat, the pain went away like magic. I'm impressed that there are such excellent medicines in the world. If you have any pain, it would be effective to keep in mind.

　　

梅雨間近でも、群馬県の今朝は晴れている

　ついに待望の「ねむの花」が咲きました。優雅で目を惹きます。英語でsilk tree と言うようですが、花弁は誠に絹のようです。以前に亡父が植えた「ねむの木」はすでにありませんが、いつの間にか、その子供が自然に生え、今朝、咲きました。ご覧の通り、後方に蕾がたくさんあるので、これから暫く咲いているでしょう。今後、私に何かいいことがある前兆でしょうか。

　ところで、九州や四国では梅雨に入ったと伝えられます。しかし、群馬県の今日は朝からよく晴れ渡ってます。今朝の日の出は４時２６分、太陽高度は７５°、日没はついに１９時０１分予定です。このため、昼の時間は１４時間３５分です。冬至の昼の時間は９時間４１分でしたから、それに比較すると４時間５４分も昼が長くなりました。この時間を健康のために有効利用したいと思います。

　そのためには身体を「適度に動かし」、全身の血流をスムースにし、各臓器の働きと共に、脳への血流も良くしたいものです。これに因って、大切な創造性や記憶力が改善すると考えられます。ただ、今までの季節と異なり、お互いに気温の上昇を念頭に暑さ対策を忘れてはなりませんね。今日、私は眼科に行き、左目の具合をもう一度診てもらいます。

Dear my FB Friends who are crazy about flowers and great music.

　Finally, the long-awaited "Nemu Flower" has bloomed. As you see, it is elegant and eye-catching. It is called "silk tree" in English, so that the petals are truly like silk. The "Nemu Tree" planted by my late father is no longer there, but before I knew it, its offspring had grown naturally in the garden and bloomed this morning. As you can see, there are many buds at the back, so they will probably be blooming for a while. Is this a sign that something good will happen to me in the near future?

　Not change the subject, but it is said that the rainy season has begun in Kyushu and Shikoku in Japan. However, it is sunny since this morning in my Gumma Prefecture. This morning's sunrise was at 4:26, the solar altitude was 75° at noon, and the sun will be finally set at 19:01. As a result, the daylight hours are 14 hours and 35 minutes. The daylight hour on the winter solstice was 9 hours and 41 minutes, so compared to that, the daylight hour is 4 hours and 54 minutes longer. We would like to make good use of this time for our health.

　To achieve this, we need to "move moderately" our bodies, ensure smooth blood circulation throughout the body, and improve the functioning of each organ as well as blood flow to the brain. This will likely improve our creativity and memory, which are important to us. However, unlike previous seasons, we must remember to take precautions against the heat, as temperatures are rising. Today, I am going to the ophthalmological hospital to have my left eye checked again.

「継続は力なり」と言っても、難しいこと

　同じユリが4つ咲き、賑やかで何となく愛嬌があります。ユリは色彩や花柄が多種であり、今後も咲いてみないとどんな色彩か柄か分かりません。それにしても球根の植物は一年振りに咲くので、蕾のうちは分からず、咲いてみて、やあ「君だったのか、暫く」と言った感じです。６月となり、花は少なくなりましたが、真打として登場するサルスベリの開花は、後一ヶ月先です。その日を夢見て、毎日、根元に水を与えてます。

　ところで「新たな物事を始めることは簡単であっても、人間とは、特に私ですが、それを継続するのはとても難しことで、つい三日坊主になりやすい」です。どうしたら続けられるでしょう。

　私が今嵌ってることは多種の植物の世話と、いい年をして、生活に関する分野の英単語習得です。「人間の脳とは、学習に遅すぎることはない」と信じてます。もしかして、やり始めたら「後には引けないような状況」に自分の身を置くことかもしれませんね。良い方法があったらお教えください。

Dear my friends who are crazy about memorizing new words and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

.........................................................

　Four the same lilies are blooming this morning, and they are lively and somehow charming. As you know, lilies are in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and I don't know what color or pattern she will be until she blooms in the future. However, bulb plants bloom for the first time in a year, so we can't tell when she is in bud, and when she blooms, it's like, "Oh, it was you, I haven't seen you for a long time." It's June, and there are fewer flowers in my garden, but the main attraction, the crape myrtle will bloom in next month. Dreaming of that day, I water the roots every morning and evening.

　Not change the subject but, "It's easy for us to start something new, but it's very difficult for humans, especially me, to continue, therefore I tend to give up after three days." How can we continue?

　What I'm crazy about now is taking care of various plants and, even though I'm older, learning English vocabulary in fields related to my life. I believe that "it's never too late for our brain to learn." Perhaps once we start, we will find ourselves in a situation where we cannot back out. Please let me know if you have any good ideas.

フォークダンス音楽は心までうきうき

 　午後２時頃より、吉井の日帰り温泉・牛伏ドリームセンターまでドライブし、汗を落としすっきりしてから、今度は喫茶「さんぽ道」でアイス珈琲を味わいつつ、リラックスしました。客は他に一人いただけなので暫くぶりにピアノを弾かせて戴きました。

　テーマ曲のノクターンb moll、この曲に対し躍動感が欲しかったのでフォークダンスのコロブチカc moll、マイムマイムa moll、オクラホマミキサーa moll、栄冠は君に輝くB dur、ベサメムーチョc moll、雪が降るd mollで１５分程でした。

　音楽はメロディーやハーモニー、そして対位法を味わうことは美に繋がります。一方、テンポやリズムに乗った曲も楽しいものです。「さんぽ道」の前で、ママのお父さんが畑を耕していたので、お会いし、暫し外でも寛ぎました。

Dear my friends

　Around 2pm, I drove to Yoshii's day spa named Ushibce Dream Center to wash off the sweat and relax, then went to my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi" and enjoyed iced coffee. There was only one other customer, so I played the piano after a long interval.

　First of all, I began to play my theme music "Nocturne in b minor", and I wanted to add some dynamism to it, so I played the folk dances Kolobchka in c minor, Maim Maim in a minor, Oklahoma Mixer in a minor, The Crown Shines on You in B major, Besame Mucho in c minor, and Snow Falls in d minor for about 15 minutes.

　Appreciating the melody, harmony, and counterpoint of music leads to beauty, but on the other hand, music with a good tempo and rhythm are also fun. In front of "Sampo-michi", Mama's father was plowing the field by tractor, so I met him and relaxed outside for a while.

久々に収穫の喜びを味わう・・・夕刻はご苦労さん会

　昨日は早朝より、梅の収穫でてんてこ舞いでした。しかも、昨日は気温も上昇し、汗びっしょりでした。推定、数千個も生っていることから、一人での作業は効率が悪いです。しかし、よく育った一つ一つの梅を見て健康のために有効利用しなければならないと感じつつの作業です。昨日の収穫量は写真の３倍ほどで、目方も数Kgと重いです。それにしても、仕事をした日の夕刻の一杯は格別でした。

　ところで、私が育ててる５本の梅の木の殆どは観賞用で実は生りません。それらは白梅、枝垂れ紅梅、紅白に咲き分ける「思いのまま」などです。この内、大きな１本の「白梅」のみにたくさん実が生ります。実が成長すると、その重みで次第に枝が垂れ下がり、私にとって丁度捥ぎやすい高さになり、自然は良く出来てます。

　一方、熟して下に落ちても、今年は梅の木の下にドクダミが一面に生え、それがクッションとなって傷つきません。一般的に嫌われがちなドクダミもこの時ばかりは役に立つものです。

　人間の子供も同様で、どの子にも必ず良い持ち味があるものです。大人の役割はそれを見抜けるかどうかでしょう。うまく引き伸ばしつつ育てたいものです。ところで、今日は次女の誕生日です。２０代初めの若き日に母を亡くし、辛く寂しかったでしょうが、今では仕事に邁進しつつ、二人の娘の母として奮闘し、人生の真っ只中を明るく邁進してる彼女を私は側面から応援するようにしてます。

Dear my friends who are crazy about harvest and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

.........................................................

　Yesterday, I was busy harvesting plums in my garden since early morning. The temperature rose yesterday, and I was drenched with sweat. There are probably several thousand plums, so working alone is inefficient. However, looking at each well-grown plum, I felt that I should use them effectively for my health. Yesterday's harvest was about three times the amount shown in the photo, and they weighed several kilograms. Even so, the glass of beer I had in the evening after working was delicious beyond description.

　By the way, most of the five plum trees I grow are for appreciation of flower and do not bear fruit. They are white plums, weeping red plums, and "Omoi no mama" which blooms in red and white. Of these, only one large "white plum" bears a lot of fruit. As the fruit grows, the branches gradually droop by the weight, so that it becomes just the right height for me to pick them, so nature is good.

　On the other hand, even if the plums ripen and fall to the ground, this year, Houttuynia cordata grows under the plum trees, which acts as a cushion and prevents them from being damaged. Houttuynia cordata, which is generally disliked, can be useful at times like this.

　The same is true for human children. Each child has their own good qualities. The role of adults is to be able to recognize these possibility, therefore we should nurture them well. By the way, today is my second daughter Marie's birthday. It must have been painful and lonely for her to lose her mother when she was in her early twenties, but now she is working hard at her job as a wedding planer and struggling as a mother to two daughters. I try to support her from the sidelines as she pushes forward in the midst of life with a bright attitude.

　

一年で日の出が最も早い今日この頃

　月日の経つのは早いもので、2週間後は夏至です。北半球と南半球では季節が逆ですから、友人Barry Spenceさんのニュージーランドではこれから冬至です。彼はAETとして一年間、高商に勤務され、休日には私と一緒に高島屋のビァーガーデンに行ったり、榛名湖に行ったり、家族共々、家に遊びに来られました。お陰で楽しく過ごす機会に恵まれ、今でも感謝してます。ただ、現在、フェイスブックが繋がらず、早く回復させたいです。

　ところで、今日の日の出は「夏至の日と同じで４時２６分」です。つまり、今の時季は一年の内で最も早い日の出です。正午の太陽高度は７６°で、日の入りは１８時５９分です。【いずれも群馬県】日の入りは夏至では後６分伸びます。今日の昼の時間は１４時間３３分です。外出を多くして脳への刺激をいろいろ受け、一日を有効に使います。

　一方、一ヶ月前より、全く見えなかった左目は、眼圧を下げる目薬と飲み薬の抗生物質が効果を示し、運良く回復し、今では見えることの有難さを心より感じてます。このため、昨日も前橋の次女の家まで所用で愛車を走らすことができました。前方がよく見え、運転で困ることはありません。

　私たちは目と足のどちらかが不自由になると「行動範囲が急激に狭まります。」足については、近くへは平素から歩いて行ったり、適度なウォーキングに心掛け、特に効果があるのは階段の昇り降りです。その点、倉賀野駅北口の階段は足腰を鍛えるのにとても良いです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about astronomy and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

..........................................................

  Time flies, and in two weeks it will be the summer solstice, due to Japan is situated in Northern hemisphere. As you know, the seasons are reversed in the northern and southern hemispheres, so my friend Barry Spence's New Zealand is about to enter the winter solstice. He worked as an AET at Takasaki High school of Commerce for a year, so on his days off, we went to the beer garden at Takashimaya, went to Lake Haruna, and came to visit my home with his family. Thanks to him, I was blessed with opportunities to spend time together through English, and I am still grateful. However, my Facebook is currently down, so I hope to recover soon.

  By the way, today's sunrise is "4:26, the same as the summer solstice." In other words, this time of year has the earliest sunrise of the year. The solar altitude at noon is 76°, and the sunset is 18:59. [Both in Gumma Prefecture] The sunset will be 6 minutes longer at the summer solstice. Today's daylight hours will be 14 hours and 33 minutes. I will go outside a lot, get various stimulations for my brain, and make the most of my day effective.

  Meanwhile, my left eye, which I had been unable to see for a while, has been fortunately cured thanks to the effects of eye drops to lower intraocular pressure and oral antibiotics. Therefore I am now truly grateful that I can see. Because of this, I was able to drive my beloved car to my second daughter's house in Maebashi-City yesterday for some business. I could see well ahead and had no trouble driving.

  When we become visually and leg-impaired, our range of movement is rapidly narrowed. As for our legs, I try to walk to nearby places on a regular basis, or to walk moderately, and going up and down stairs is particularly effective. In this respect, the stairs at the north exit of Kuragano-Station are great for strengthening the legs, so I recommend you to use this stairs for longevity.

 　　

今日は世界環境デーであり、二十四節気で「芒種」

　今日６月５日は世界環境デーです。現在、世界的に問題となってる「地球温暖化、特に、海洋プラスチック汚染、食品ロス」など、世界各地で環境に関するイベントが行われます。日本では、環境庁の呼びかけで、東京スカイツリー、レインボーブリッジ、東京都庁など、各地のランドマークが「緑」にライトアップされ、環境について考える日になってます。

　私たち一人一人も、庭ではコンクリートを減らし、「緑」を増やし、食品ロスなど無駄のない「循環型の生活様式」を取り入れ、掛け替えのない地球を次代の子々孫々に残さなければなりません。

　一方、今日は二十四節気の「芒種」です。芒種は穀物の種を撒く時期という意味ですが、「芒種」の今日も私たちを載せた地球は秒速２９㎞の猛スピードで、一周９億４千万㎞ある公転軌道上を北極星側から見て反時計回りに公転してます。

　その地球は今日の「芒種」では、一体、公転軌道上のどの辺に浮いてるでしょうか。宇宙で目安となるものは星座のみです。このため、私たち地球人は星座を観察することによってのみ、今日の地球の公転上の位置を知ることができます。

　それには「深夜０時に真南の星座」を見れば分かります。そこには黄道十二星座の一つで、S字型に長い尾をくねらせた「さそり座」があります。ですから、今日の地球は「さそり座」の方向に来ています。「さそり座」の首の所には橙色した一等星「アンタレス」があるのですぐに分かります。実はこの「さそり座」は黄道近くにあるため、時々、同じ橙色した惑星の「火星」が近づきます。このため、アンタレスという名称は「火星」に対抗するという意味です。今日の火星は日中に「しし座」近くにあるのでアンタレスに接近してませんから見間違いません。

Dear my friends who are crazy about astronomy and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

.................................................

　As you know, today, June 5th, is World Environment Day. Currently, environmental events are being held around the world against global warming, particularly marine plastic pollution and food waste, which are becoming a global problems. In Japan, at the request of the Environment Agency, landmarks around the country, such as Tokyo Skytree, Rainbow Bridge, and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, are lit up in green to mark the day to think about the environment.

  Of course, each of us must reduce concrete in our gardens, increase greenery, and adopt a recycling-oriented lifestyle that eliminates waste such as food waste, in order to leave our irreplaceable Earth for future generations.

　Meanwhile, today is the 24th solar term in Japan, Bohshu means the time to sow grain seeds in this time, and even today, on the day of Bohshu, the Earth carrying us on its orbit, is revolving counterclockwise at a tremendous speed of 29 km per second, on the orbit of 940 million km.

　Where on earth, where is the earth floating in its orbit in today's "Bohshu"? The only guide in the space is the constellation. For this reason, we earthlings can only find out where the earth is today in its orbit by observing the constellation.

　In order to find out, just look at the "constellation due south at midnight" today. There you will find "Scorpio," one of the 12 constellations in the zodiac, with a long, twisting, S-shaped tail. You can easily find out it because at the neck of "Scorpio" is the orange, first magnitude star named "Antares." In fact, since "Scorpio" is near the ecliptic, sometimes the planet "Mars," which is also orange, approaches it. For this reason, the name Antares means to oppose "Mars." Today, Mars is near "Leo" during the daytime, so there is no mistake as it is not close to Antares.

新緑の環境、そして、適度な運動を心掛ける

　今日６月４日から「歯と口の健康週間」です。病の多くは口から侵入と考えるとき、口腔衛生ほど大切なものはありません。歯は痛くなると歯科に行きますが、平素から食後の歯磨きを励行、そして、定期的に歯科の診断を受けます。

　昨日は、涙が２回出ました。長嶋茂雄さんが天に召されたとことが朝９時のトップニュースで伝えられたときです。私の青春時代より、攻守に大活躍され、敵味方なく「誰にも慕われる人柄の良さは敬服そのもの」です。しかも、娘の長嶋「三」奈さんの誕生日の「３」日に亡くなられ、どれ程か娘さんが大切だったのでしょう。現役時代は背番号「３」として、しかも「３」塁主として「ボールを掴むや否や１塁へのかっこよい投球スタイル」が目に焼き付いてます。心よりご冥福を祈ります。

　一方、昨日は、先日受診した高崎市による健康診断結果が分かりました。実は、長期に亘り一人暮らしであることから栄養面の偏りが心配でした。担当医は「カッキーは１００点です。」と言われました。私は内心「よかったと、ホッとし」涙が出ました。特に嬉しいことの一つは男性の死亡原因１位である前立腺がんの「ＰＳＡ値が０．４２」と極めて低かったことです。私の年令では４．０９以下が「異常なし」ですから、かなり低い値です。血液検査結果、他の内臓も異常なしと言われました。

　これからも、今まで通り、美味しいものという観点より、健康食材を求めます。本当の美味しさは「空腹であってこそ」と考えます。天気が良い今日も適度な運動に心掛け、よい空気を胸いっぱい吸い、がん対策として早朝のトマトジュースを一杯です。

Dear my friends who are crazy about health and great music.

　Today, June 4th, is the beginning of "Dental and Oral Health Week". When thinking that most diseases enter through the mouth, nothing is more important than oral hygiene. Generally, when we have a toothache, we go to the dentist, but we should brush our teeth after meals and get regular dental checkup.

　Yesterday, I cried twice. It was when the 9am headline news announced that baseball player "Shigeo Nagashima" had passed away. He was a great player on both offense and defense from my youth, and his good personality loved by all, friend and foe alike, is truly admirable. He passed away on the 3rd, when the birthday of his daughter, Mina Nagashima, so I imagine how important she was to him. During his active career, he wore the number 3 on his uniform, and as the 3rd baseman, I still remember him with a cool style of pitching to first base as soon as he caught the ball. May he rest in peace.

　On the other hand, yesterday I received the results of the health check by Takasaki City the other day. Actually, I was worried about my nutritional imbalance because he had been living alone for 20 years. As the result, the doctor in charge of me said, "Kakky is 100% perfect." I was relieved and cried inside secretly. One thing that made me especially happy was that my PSA value for prostate cancer, which is called the number one cause of death in men in Japan, was extremely low at 0.42. At my age, a value of 4.09 or less is considered normal, so my result is a very low value. The blood test results showed that there were no abnormalities in my other internal organs.

　From now on, I will continue to seek out healthy foods than what tastes good from the perspective of health. I believe that true deliciousness is only possible when we are hungry. Today, with the weather being nice in Japan, I will make an effort by moderate exercise, intake in the fresh air, and drink a glass of tomato juice early in the morning as a cancer prevention measure.

今の季節、樹木に巣作りする小さい赤い蟻に注意です。

　梅雨も間近となり、今日は雨模様です。ラジオ体操会を始め、外出はあまりできないでしょう。しかし、植物たちにとって雨は恵みであり、大切な栄養素で生き生きしています。樹木はもちろん、草まで繁茂し、特にドクダミには物凄い生命力を感じます。ドクダミという名前から来るのでしょう。人間に嫌われがちですが、よく観察するときれいな白い花【写真右下】です。

　ところで、昨日気づきましたが、八重桜の枝を切ったところに変な膨らみがあるので、樹皮を剥いでみたところ、驚いたことに、小さな赤い蟻の大群に巣作りされ、木がぼろぼろになってました。６０年前に亡父が植え、毎年春にきれいな花を咲かせているので枯れたら大変です。このため、昨日、巣作りされた中をすっかり削って消毒し、ご覧の姿になりました。被害の枝は直径７cmほどです。

　ご存知の通り、一般の黒い蟻は地中に巣作りしますが、小さな赤い蟻は樹木の中に巣を作ります。平素、私はサルスベリが被害に遭わぬよう気をつけてましたが、今回、八重桜がやられました。しかし、以前に切断した枝なので、樹木全体への影響はないでしょう。これからもしっかり見守ります。

　ところで、玄関先のアマリリスに再度新たな蕾が出てきたので、また、暫く楽しめそうです。百合もこれから益々咲く気配です。花弁の先が紅いのが特徴です。お近くの方は見にいらして下さい。

Dear my friends

　The rainy season is just around the corner in Japan, therefore it's raining today. I am probably not able to go outside, including the radio gymnastics. However, the rain is a blessing for the plants, and they are thriving. Not only the trees, but even the grass is thriving, particularly the Houttuynia cordata has an incredible vitality. This is probably where the name Houttuynia comes from. Because this plant's name comes from foul smelling. People tend to dislike it, but if we look closely, we'll see that it has beautiful white flowers (bottom right photo).

　By the way, I noticed yesterday that there was a strange bulge where I cut a branch of a double cherry tree, so I peeled off the bark and was surprised to find that a swarm of small red ants had made a nest and the tree was in tatters. My late father planted it 60 years ago, and it blooms beautifully every spring, so it would be a disaster if it withered. For this reason, I completely scraped off the inside of the branch where the nest was made and disinfected it, as you can see. The damaged branch is about 7 cm in diameter.

　As you know, ordinary black ants make their nest underground, but the small red ants make their nest inside trees. I usually take care not to let my crape myrtles get damaged, but this time the double cherry tree was damaged. However, since it was a branch that was previously cut, it should not have affected the whole tree. I will continue to keep a close eye on it.

　By the way, new buds have appeared again on the amaryllis in front of the entrance, so it looks like I will be able to enjoy them for a while. The lilies also look like they will bloom more and more from now on. She is characterized by her red petal tips. If you are in the area, please come and see her.

フェイスブックも新たに再開

　６月２日、今日の日の出は４時２７分、正午の太陽高度は７５°、日の入りは１８時５７分予定【いずれも群馬県】です。写真上は今朝、開花したユリで、私としては「暫くでした」と言いたいです。球根ですから一年振りです。左下はオリエンタルゴールド【東洋の金】の蕾、右下は秋に赤くなるマユミの実がすでに生まれてます。

　ところで、突然、フェイスブックが使えなくなり、１０日間ほど友人との連絡が付かなくなり、私は寂しい思いをしてました。皆様にもご不便をおかけしました。「人と人とのつながりは言葉を介して存在するものである」としみじみ感じ、フェイスブックの存在価値を再認識です。

　この度、Kakinuma Hirowakaとして再出発することになりましたので、よろしくお願いいたします。私の名は漢字で書けば柿沼宏和香です。

　一方、Persimmon Marsh Loft とタイトルにしてあるブログの方へは http://hatomusic.air-nifty.com/ へのアクセスで一発でご覧いただけます。こちらはサイドにいろいろ載せてます。例えば、「地球の満ち欠け」は現在の地球の姿や、季節によって太陽光が地球に当たる変化も分かります。世界・日本株価、天気予報、県別アクセスランキングなどです。ブログはホームページと同じなので、アクセスすればどなたでも見ることができます。

Dear my friends

　June 2nd, today's sunrise is at 4:27, the altitude of the sun at noon is 75°, and sunset is scheduled for 18:57 [all in Gumma Prefecture]. The photo above shows a lily that bloomed this morning, and I want to say "it's been a while." It's been a year since she is bulbs. On the bottom left are buds of Oriental Gold, and on the bottom right are Mayumi fruits that turn red in autumn.

　By the way, Facebook suddenly stopped working, and I was unable to contact my friends for about 10 days, which made me feel extremely lonely. I apologize for the inconvenience. I have come to realize that "connections between people exist through words," and I have reaffirmed the value of Facebook.

　I have decided to start anew as Kakinuma Hirowaka, so I hope you will continue to support me. My name is written in Japanese kanji as the above sentence.

　On the other hand, the weblog titled "Persimmon Marsh Loft" can be accessed in one go at http://hatomusic.air-nifty.com/. This has various information posted on the both sides. For example, "Phases of the Earth" shows the current appearance of our Earth and how the sunlight hits the Earth differently depending on the season. There are also world and Japanese stock prices, weather forecasts, access rankings by prefecture, and more. The weblog is the same as the homepage, so anyone can see it by accessing it.

日々、課題ある生活を

【画像をクリックすると明瞭になります。】

　朝、4～５時に起床し、先ず私がやることはブログのために、庭に出て植物の写真を撮ることに始まります。梅の枝は実の重さで垂れ下がっているので、樹木の下に入って撮りました。一方、早朝のため、ねむの木はしっかり葉が閉じ、未だ熟睡中です。６時頃にはそろそろ目覚めるでしょう。昨日は雨天だったので、アマリリスは玄関前の濡れない所に置いておきました。未だ笑顔で咲いてます。

　私の場合、動物については半世紀以上に亘りレース鳩を飼育してたので好きですが、現在、犬や猫を飼育してません。その代わり、植物については、自らの健康維持のため森の中で暮らしているような環境にあります。街中でこんな暮らし方は少ないでしょう。結果的に、すべての植物の日々の変化に楽しみを見出してます。

　今日から６月になり、次第に雨が多くなるでしょう。また、晴れれば気温の上昇となり、冬に比べれば、衣服が薄着で私たちは動きやすくなります。しかも、今日は日曜日なので、長女が梅酒作りのため梅捥ぎに来るでしょう。ご覧の通り、今年は豊作なので良い梅酒ができるでしょう。毎年のことなので、彼女も年々腕を上げ、更に美味しくなるでしょう。梅酒が出来ると持ってきてくれます。

　ところで、話は変わりますが、私たちにとって永遠の課題である「語学習得の秘訣は何でしょう。」

　私の考えと拙い体験では、何より大切なことは「自分が相手に伝えたいことがあるかどうか」であると思います。これがなければ必要ありません。どんな分野でも、何をやるにしても、必要に迫られれば、言い換えれば、どうしても今の状況を抜け出たいという逆境がやらざるを得ない状況になります。このため、現在、私はブログを通して、意識的に逆境を作り、自らに必要性を課す工夫をしています。このため、課題ある生活はいつまでも続きそうです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about foreign language and great music.

  The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

.................................................

  Generally I get up at 4-5 in the morning, and the first thing I do is go out to the garden and take pictures of plants for my weblog. The plum tree branches are drooping due to the weight of the fruits, so I went under the tree to take pictures this morning. On the other hand, because it is early in the morning, the leaves of the silk tree are tightly closed and it is still asleep. It will probably wake up around 6 o'clock, I guess. It rained yesterday, so I left the amaryllis in a dry place in front of the entrance. It is still blooming with a smile like a sweetheart.

  As you know, in my case, I like animals because I have been raising racing pigeons for over half a century since childhood, but I do not currently have dog or cat. Instead, as for animals, I live in the environment in the forest to maintain my health for photosynthesis. Nowadays, it is rare to live like this in the city. As a result, I find joy in the daily changes of the plants.

  Today marks the beginning of June, and the rain will gradually increase hrere in Japan. Also, if it is sunny, the temperature will rise, and we will be able to move around more easily with lighter clothes than in winter. Moreover, today is Sunday, so my eldest daughter will come to pick plums to make plum wine. As you can see, this year's harvest is good beyond expectation, so she will be able to make good plum wine. Year by year, her skills will improve and it will become even more delicious. She will bring the plum wine for me when it is ready.

  By the way, changing the subject, "What is the secret to language learning?", which is an eternal question for humans.

  In my opinion and from my limited experience, I think the most important thing is "whether we have something to convey to the other person." If we don't have this, there is no need for it. In any field, no matter what we do, if we are forced by necessity, in other words, if we are faced with the adversity of wanting to get out of our current situation, you will be forced to do it. Adversity makes a man wise, not rich. For this reason, I am currently consciously creating adversity through my weblog and imposing necessity on my English composition. For this reason, it seems that my life with challenges will continue everyday.

小学生時代の思い出

　今年になって初めて、昼食にタルボジャを食べ昔を思い出しました。子供の頃、一人で８月の岩鼻のお祭りにバスで行きました。お祭りで売ってたタルボジャがどうしても買いたくなり、買ったのは良かったのですが、その代わり、小遣いが少なくて帰りのバス代がなくなり、８Kgほどある大きなタルボジャをそのまま両手で抱え、自宅のある倉賀野まで４Kmほど暗い夜道を歩いて帰って来たのです。一時間ほどかかりました。

　岩鼻と倉賀野の間には高崎線を跨ぐ高架橋があったり、倉賀野の町内にも長い坂があります。それらを登ったり下ったりしてやっとの思いで家に着いたとき、「よく運んで来た」と父に褒められ、家族みんなで食べた思い出があります。ところで、タルボジャとはヒンディー語でスイカのことです。

Dear my friends

  It was the first time this year that I ate watermelon for lunch, and it reminded me of the old days. When I was a child, I went alone to the festival in Iwanaka in August by bus. I really wanted to buy a watermelon that were being sold at the festival, and I was glad that I bought it, but I had little pocket money so that I didn't have enough money for the bus fare to return home, so I carried the big watermelon that was about 8 kg in weight, in both hands and walked about 4 km in a dark night road to my house in Kuragano. It took about an hour.

  Between Iwanaka-Village and Kuragano-town, there is an overpass that crosses the JR Takasaki Line, and there are long hills in Kuragano. When I finally arrived home after climbing up and down those hills, my father praised me for "carrying it well," and I remember eating it with the whole family together. By the way, tarboji means watermelon in Hindi.

脇から出てきたアマリリスの蕾・・・今度はいくつ咲くか

　今日は旧端午【旧暦５月5日】です。５月も今日で終わります。群馬県の今日の日の出は４時２６分、太陽高度は７５°、日の入りは１８時５５分です。このため、昼の長さは１４時間２９分となり、夏至と殆ど変わらないほどになってます。因みに夏至の昼の長さは１４時間３６分です。

　この長い昼の時間を、身体の健康と精神の充実ために有効に使いたいものです。昨日も、庭では樹木の観察と剪定など植物を世話しました。早いもので梅の収穫がもうすぐです。現在、すべての枝に実が生り、重そうに垂れ下がってます。自然は良く出来ており、この垂れ下がりにより、梅の実が捥ぎやすくなってます。果たして、今年は笊に何杯収穫できるでしょうか。

　一方、先日手にしたコラム集「天声人語２０２５春」は今のところ、予定通り、１日に二日分読み進んでます。先ず、日本語の文に目を通しますが、不思議なことに、漢字は恰も絵のようであり、見た瞬間にすぐ読め、意味が分かるのですから有難いものです。これは小中学生の時から積み上げたものだからでしょう。しかし、英文はそうは行きません。一字一句をよく見なくては先に進めず、辞書で意味と発音を確認しつつ、ノートに整理するので時間がかかります。新たな単語では、それに関する使えそうな例文にも目を通します。

　昨日は午後３時半頃、気分転換にお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」へ愛車で行きました。帰路もあるので歩いては行けない距離です。「カッキー、また行ったのか」と言われそうですが、ママさんの人柄の良さと、広い自然環境下にあり、居心地がよいのです。喫茶店ですから多くの人は友人知人と行ってますが、私は常に一人です。アイス珈琲を戴きつつ、昨日は愛読書の一冊・曽野綾子著「老いの才覚」を読み返しました。この本のお陰で、高齢となってからの気持ちの持ち方について成程ということばかりで、読後に心に余裕が出てくる感じです。

Dear my friends who like iced coffee and great music.

  Today is the old Tango which means boy's festival [May 5th in the lunar calendar]. May also ends today. Today in Gumma Prefecture, sunrise is at 4:26, the solar altitude is 75°, and sunset is at 18:55. Because of this, the length of daytime is 14 hours and 29 minutes, which is almost the same as the summer solstice. Incidentally, the length of daytime on the summer solstice is 14 hours and 36 minutes.

  We should use this long day effectively to improve our physical health and mental fulfillment. Yesterday, I also took care of the plants in the garden, such as observing and pruning the trees. Time flies so that the plum harvest is almost soon. All the branches are now covered with fruit, and their branches are hanging down heavy. Nature is good, because this hanging down makes it easier to pick the plums. I wonder how many baskets I will be able to harvest this year.

  Meanwhile, I have been reading two days' worth of the column collection "Tensei Jingo 2025 Spring" that I got the other day, as planned. First, I look over Japanese sentences, and strangely enough, kanji characters are like pictures, so I can read and understand the meaning as soon as I see them, which is a blessing. This is probably because I've been learning them since I was in elementary and junior high school. However, it's not the same as English sentences. I can't read without looking carefully at every single word, and it takes time to check the meaning and pronunciation by a dictionary and organize them in a notebook. For new words, I also look over example sentences that seem useful for daily life.

  Yesterday, around 3:30 p.m., I went to my favorite coffee shop, "Sampo-michi," by my car TT to change my mood. I have to return home, so it's too far to walk. If possible, you might say, "Kakky, you're going there again," but the owner's nice personality and the location in a wide natural environment make it a comfortable place. Since it's a coffee shop, many people go with friends or acquaintances, but I'm always alone. While enjoying iced coffee, I reread one of my favorite books, "The Wisdom of Old Age," by Sono Ayako. This book has given me a lot of insight into how to maintain a positive attitude as I get older, and I feel like I have more peace of mind after reading it.

さあ、トマトがいくつあるでしょう。

　今日、スーパーでは大きなトマトをまとめて大安売りだったので、これはチャンスとばかり、毎日のデザートとしてゲットしました。値段は一般の半値です。ご存じの通り、トマトには抗酸化作用のリコピンがたくさん含まれてることから健康維持に欠かせません。

　安くても傷はなく、美味しいです。先日も、たくさん購入しましたが、自分で食べたのは半分くらいで、家に来た人にお土産に分けて上げました。今度は自分で消費することになるでしょう。ところで、この大きなトマトを食べ切るのに2週間はかかるでしょう。

Dear my freinds who likes tomato and great music.　

  Today, the supermarket had a big sale on large tomatoes, so I grasped the chance and bought them as my daily dessert. They were half the regular price. As you know, tomatoe contains a lot of lycopene as antioxidant, so they are essential for maintaining good health.

  Even though they are cheap, they are unblemished and delicious. I bought a lot of tomatoes the other day, but I only ate about half of them and gave some to people who visited my house as souvenirs. This time, I'll probably consume them myself. By the way, because these are large tomatoes, so I may be able to eat them for about two weeks. The correct answer is fifteen tomatoes.

磨きたいユーモアのセンス

　光陰矢の如し。今日、5月30日は年始から丁度150日目にあたります。また、今日は語呂合わせで「ごみゼロの日」です。昨晩は友人・時計屋の隣りさんと高崎市内の某所で食事会 のため、私は行き帰り共に電車を使いましたが、途中、多くの人で混雑してる高崎駅周辺や倉賀野駅では、どこを見ても「ゴミ箱」が見当たりません。それなのに路上にゴミが落ちてません。ゴミ箱がない方が街角がきれいになる不思議な現象です。

　ということで、昨晩は彼と高崎市内での食事会を通して、会話を十分に楽しみました。しかも、後から見えた他のお客さんたちとも楽しく交流でき、平素、一人暮らしを余儀なくされてる私にとって、この上ない充実した時間が持てました。

　実は、この日は、たまたま、彼の投稿文が上毛新聞「みんなのひろば」にタイトル「急須で味わう緑茶」として掲載された日と重なり、いつもに増して、カウンターでの会話はママさんを含め、時間の経つのを忘れるほど楽しく愉快に過ごせました。私たちは、日々の努力に一つの成果が見えると喜びにつながります。

　一方、話は変わりますが、一般論として、私を含め日本人は人と接するとき表現力やユーモアのセンスに欠ける傾向があるかもしれません。日本語そのものに人を笑わせる要素が少ないのかもしれませんが、海外では会話やスピーチで時々は人を笑わせないと話が受けないと言われます。やはり、人間同士のコミュニケーションで大切な要素の一つは楽しいユーモアなのでしょう。互いに笑顔がほころぶような会話のセンスを普段から身に付け、日々の生活に生かしたいものです。

　幸せなことに、日本はどこへ行っても日本語が通じます。しかし、多くの国では国境で外国と接しており、しかも言葉が通じません。このような状況で、友好的、平和的な関係を築くにはユーモアのセンスが必須なのでしょう。私たちも日常生活で新たな人と出会う機会は多いです。人間関係をより良いものにするためにも「ユーモアのセンスを磨くことが大切」に感じてます。

Dear my friends who are crazy about a sense of humor and great music.

  The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

................................................

　Time flies. Today, May 30th, is exactly 150 days since the beginning of the year. In Japan, today is also "zero waste day" as a pun. Last night I went to a dinner party with a friend named "next door to a watch shop" in Takasaki City, so I took the train both ways. On the way there and back, around Takasaki Station and Kuragano Station, which are crowded with people, but, I could not find a trash can anywhere. And yet there is no trash on the street. It is a strange phenomenon that the street corners are cleaner, though there are no trash cans.

　So last night I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation over a dinner party in Takasaki City at the tavern "Buku". We also had fun interacting with other customers who came later, and for me who is usually forced to live alone, it was an extremely fulfilling time.

　In fact, the day coincided with the day that his post was published in the Jomo Shimbun newspaper "Minna no Hiroba" under the title "Enjoying Green Tea in a Teapot," therefore, our conversation at the counter was more enjoyable than usual, including with the hostess, and we all forgot about the time. When we see the results of our daily efforts, we feel happy.

　On the other hand, not change the subject, but as a general rule, Japanese people, including me, may tend to lack expressiveness and a sense of humor when interacting with others. The Japanese language itself may not have elements that make people laugh, but it is said that in other countries, if person don't make people laugh sometimes in conversations or speeches, the speech will not be well received. After all, humor may be one of the important elements of communication between people. We should always acquire a sense of conversation that makes people smile, and practice it in our daily lives.

　Fortunately, we Japanese can be understood anywhere in Japan. However, in many countries, there are borders with other countries and the language cannot be understood. In such a situation, a sense of humor may be essential to build friendly and peaceful relationships. We have many opportunities to meet new people in our daily lives. I feel that it is important to develop a sense of humor in order to improve our relationships.

急須で味わう緑茶・・・今日の上毛新聞「みんなのひろば」より

　今日、ブログのコメンテーター「時計屋の隣りさん」の投稿文が群馬県の上毛新聞、読者投稿欄「みんなのひろば」に掲載されました。誠におめでとうございます。偶然にも、今宵、私は彼と高崎市内で食事会をすることになってます。何と言う偶然の一致でしょう。お祝いできます。

　　　　タイトル・・・急須で味わう緑茶・・・

　
　ペットボトルの緑茶の需要が進む中、緑茶本来の魅力である「緑」が失われつつあるように感じます。酸化防止剤の添加物の影響で鮮やかな緑が黄ばみ、風味にも変化が出ているとの話も耳にしたことがあります。急須から注がれるお茶の色さえ黄色っぽく映るＣＭを見かけることがあり、緑茶の「本物の緑」が風化してしまうのではないかと懸念しています。

　忙しい現代社会では急須でお茶を入れる機会が減少し、家庭内での緑茶文化も薄れつつあるのではないでしょうか。手間をかけて茶葉から入れる緑茶は、豊かな色、香り、そして味わいが特別です。代替品では得られないこの繊細な魅力こそ、私たちが守るべき文化の核であると感じます。

　現代の便利さと繊細な緑茶文化が揺れ動く時代。急須で入れるお茶の伝統を守る努力が、次世代に豊かな緑茶文化を伝える重要な役割を果たすことでしょう。抹茶アイスは鮮やかな緑が映えますが、茶そのものの奥深いおいしさとは異なるものです。

　新茶が旬を迎えるこの時季、「急須で入れる緑茶文化の魅力」を再認識し、その本物の美味しさを楽しみたいものです。

近隣のためになる仕事を継続し、自己研鑽も続けたい

　もう、左目が開かなくなるかと一時は失望してた私ですが、運よく完全に回復しました。このため、今後は近隣の高齢者の精神的、物理的困難さを少しでも減らせるよう私は持ってる力を使おうと決意してます。

　ところが、先日、近所で一人暮らしをしてる高齢女性Tさん宅のゴミ出しをするため、朝、彼女の家に行ったら、いつも家の前に出てあるゴミがなく、しかも、玄関の鍵が閉まっており、チャイムを鳴らしても反応がないのです。「もしや、中で困っているのではないか」と私は慌てました。実は、彼女は日中、近くのデイサービスに行ってることから、私はすぐにそこへ駆けつけたところ、Tさんがいたのでホッとしました。どなたかがゴミを出してくれたようです。

　今後も、ゴミ出しに限らず、近隣の高齢者のため、小学生の安全登下校のため、今まで通り、自らの仕事として実践するつもりです。結果的に、私の健康に繋がったり、張り合いになると思います。

　ところで、先日、私の愛読書「天声人語２０２５春」を手に入れた私は早速、読み始めてます。内容は、すでに朝日新聞で発表された３ヶ月分【１月から３月まで】のコラムを一冊にまとめたもので日本語とその英訳が載ってます。私にはこの両方が必要で、現代を取り巻く政治・社会情勢、自然現象、歴史、あるいは生き方を含め、時代の波に乗りたいものです。また、現代使われてる英文に目を通し、特に、新たな英単語の習得に力を入れてます。

　しかし、記憶力がそれほど良くない私は、試行錯誤しつつ、効果的な記憶法を身に付けたいです。その一つは、習った単語を実際にこのブログで使うことにしてます。つまり、幼児が言葉を覚えるのに近い方法かもしれません。後は、繰り返しと考えます。

　もう一つの方法は自己暗示によって「海外に一人で滞在してる」と仮定し生活します。言葉と生活は密接なので、生活で使えるように覚えなくてはなりません。天声人語を、日々、午前と午後にそれぞれ一日分ずつ読む予定なので、７月中旬の誕生日頃に読み終わる予定です。果たして継続できるでしょうか。

Dear my friends who are crazy about how to memorize English vocabulary and great music.

  The simultaneous interpretation into English for your understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

................................................

  I was disappointed, thinking I would never be able to open my left eye again, but luckily I have made a full recovery. For this reason, I have resolved to use my abilities to help reduce the mental and physical difficulties of the elderly people in my neighborhood, even if only a little.

  However, the other day, when I went to the house of an elderly lady MS. T living alone in my neighborhood in the morning to take out her trash, the trash that was usually placed in front of her entrunce was gone, and the front door was locked, and there was no response when I rang the doorbell. I panicked, thinking, "Maybe she's in trouble alone inside." In fact, she was at a nearby day care center during the day, so I rushed there immediately, as the result, I was relieved to find Ms. T there. It seems that someone had taken out the trash for her.

  From now on, I intend to continue doing my job as before, not just taking out her trash, but also for the elderly people in the neighborhood and for elementary school children to go to and return from school safely in traffic. I think that this works will ultimately lead to my health and motivate me.

  Not change the subject, but I recently got my favorite book "Tensei Jingo 2025 Spring" and have started reading it right away. The contents are a compilation of three months' worth of columns published in the Asahi Shimbun Newspaper [from January to March] in one book, and it contains both Japanese and English translations. I need both, and I want to ride the wave of the times, including the political and social situation surrounding the present day, natural phenomena, history, and even ways of life. I also read through English sentences used today, and I am particularly focused on learning new English vocabularies

  However, I don't have a good memory, so I would like to learn effective memorization methods through trial and error. One of them is to actually use the words I learn in this blog. In other words, it may be a method similar to how young children memorize words. I think it is repetition.

  The other method is to use autosuggestion to live as if I were "staying alone overseas." Language and life are closely related, so I need to learn them so that I should use them in my daily life. I plan to read one day's worth of Tensei Jingo every in the morning and one day's worth in the afternoon, so I plan to finish reading it around my birthday in mid-July. I wonder if I can keep it up.

周囲を明るくする「アマリリス」に自己表現法を肖りたい

　五月下旬になり、玄関前の鉢に植わったアマリリスがこれでもかと色濃い姿で四方に向かって愛嬌を振り撒いてます。人目を惹くその姿は分け隔てなく周囲を明るくし、恰も、私に不足する愛嬌や表現法の見本を示唆しているようです。

　高齢期に入り、日々、孤軍奮闘してる私にとって今大切なことは、何はさて置き、先日まで患っていた目がよく見えるようになり幸せを感じてます。世界がしっかり見える喜びです。そのほか、足が丈夫で自らの意志通りにどこへでも歩いて行けること、手や指が独立し大好きな植物の世話が出来たり、手書きで文章が書けたり、今の時代ではキーボードが打てたり、ピアノの鍵盤に向かえることです。そして、何より大切なことはお腹が空いて食欲があり、食事が美味しく食べられることです。明晩は友人「時計屋の隣りさん」と待ちに待った食事会です。

　総じて言えば、体力と精神の両面において、いつまでも「健康」でありたいと同時に、高齢期を生きるには、安定した経済基盤、また、子供が独立した今、家に閉じこもらずに周囲との交流、チャンスを捉え近隣の会合に顔を出す社会性が大切です。

　最近は、これに加えて、趣味でも何の分野であっても自己表現できることでしょう。これにより自らの存在価値が認識でき、生きる喜びにつながると考えられます。私たちは「日々、生き生きワクワク」する生き方を見つけ出し、身体の健康と精神が充実する生活をめざしたいものです。

　It's late May, and the amaryllis planted in a pot in front of the entrance is spreading its charm in all directions with its vibrant color. Its eye-catching appearance brightens up everyone around, and it seems to suggest to me an example of the charm and expression that I lack.

　As I enter my senior years now, struggle alone every day, the most important thing for me now is that I can see well again, which was an eye problem until recently. It's the joy of being able to see the world clearly. Other things include having strong legs and being able to walk anywhere I want, having independent hands and fingers so I can take care of my favorite plants, write sentences by hand, and in this age, I can type on a keyboard and play the piano. And the most important thing is being hungry, having an appetite, and being able to eat delicious food. Tomorrow night is a long-awaited dinner party with my friend, "the friend named next door to the watch shop."

　Generally speaking, we want to continue "healthy" forever, both physically and mentally, but to live into old age, it is also important to have a stable economic foundation, and now that our children have become independent, so it is important to be sociable and not stay confined at home, interacting with those around us, and seizing the opportunity to attend local meetings.

　These days, in addition to this, we should find ways to express ourselves, whether through hobbies or in any other field. This allows us to recognize the value of our own existence and leads to the joy of living. We want to find ways to live that are "lively and exciting every day" and aim for physical health and mental fulfillment.

フェイスブックが使えず、ブログで頑張ります。

　今日は一日、忙しくあちこち車で移動しました。富岡へ自動車保険を払いに行きましたが、今度から、コンビニでの支払いに変更となり、慌てました。でも、比較的簡単に処理できました。

　そのまま、高崎の戸田書店へ「天声人語２０２５春」を買いに行きました。この本は私の教科書のようなもので、日本語と英語単語の勉強になります。最近の約９０日分が掲載されてます。一日で二日分を読む予定です。

　また、午後にはお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で過ごしましたので、暫くぶりに愛車に長い距離を乗りました。これも左目が回復したからです。車の運転には不自由がなくなり、今まで通り運転でき、ホッとしてます。今後も運転には細心の注意を払います。

　ところで、どうしたことか、フェイスブックにログインできなくなってしまい、このブログ１本で頑張りたいと思います。今まで、フェイスブックで繋がってた方は、ブログにおいでください。何かあったらコメントも書けますので、お使いください。

Dear my Friends 

　Today was a busy day, and I drove around a lot. I went to Tomioka to pay my car insurance, but I was surprised to find that I would have to pay at a convenience store from now on. However, it was relatively easy to process.

　Then I went to Toda Bookstore in Takasaki to buy "Tensei Jingo 2025 Spring". This book is like my textbook, and it helps me study Japanese and English vocabulary. It contains about 90 days of recent articles. I plan to read two days' worth of articles in one day.

 　Also, I spent the afternoon at my favorite cafe, "Sampomichi", so I took my car for a long drive for the first time in a while. This is also because my left eye has recovered. I am relieved that I can drive as usual and no longer have any problems driving. I will continue to be very careful when driving.

　By the way, for some reason, I was unable to log into Facebook, so I will do my best with just this blog. If you have been connected with me on Facebook, please visit my blog. If you have any questions, you can also leave a comment, so please use it.

何事も、手作りの楽しさを味わう

　昔から、俗に「桜切るバカ、梅切らぬバカ」と剪定について言い伝えられてます。実は、庭の入り口にある花梅の高さが３m以上あったことから低くしようと思い、３年前に太い幹を途中で切りました。ところが、その結果に私は驚いてます。ご覧の通り、横から細かい枝が出て来て、今春は薄いピンクの花がたくさん咲き、「人生に花が咲かない私」を笑っているかの如くです。

　しかも、丁度、人の目の高さで咲くことから見やすく観賞に値します。来春は、より見事に咲きそうな気配です。ぜひ、見にいらして下さい。個々の花が今までより若干大きくなったのは剪定に因るのでしょう。やはり、昔からの言い伝え通り、梅は剪定が大切であり、樹形のみならず、花も良くなることを実感です。私は日々、自らの手で植木の作業を行い、四方八方から眺めては「手作りで行うこと」の楽しみを見出してます。

　このため、１００本程ある庭の植木を業者に任せたことはなく、すべて自ら行ってます。それは庭木を丸坊主にすることが目的ではなく、春は多くの花で彩り、年間を通じて緑に覆われる生活環境をめざしでいるからです。延いてはこれが私の健康に繋がります。写真上は３月の開花で、下は現在の様子です。来年に向け、新芽がたくさん生まれ、勢いがいいです。今日、私は家の前の上４集会所「ふるさと」で行われる健康体操会に出席します。

Dear my friends who are crazy about pruning the plants and great music.

　There is an old saying in Japan about pruning: "A fool cuts down cherry blossoms, a fool doesn't cut down plums." In fact, the flowering plum tree at the entrance to my garden was over 3m tall, so I cut the thick trunk in the middle three years ago to make it shorter. However, I was surprised by the results. As you can see, many small branches have appeared from the side, and this spring many pale pink flowers have bloomed, as if laughing at me who doesn't bloom any flowers in life.

　What's more, she blooms at eye level, making them easy to see and worthy of admiration. It looks like they will bloom even more beautifully next spring, I guess. Please come and see her from NZ as well. The individual flowers are probably a little larger than before because of the pruning. As the old saying goes, pruning is important for plum trees, and I feel that it improves not only the shape of the tree but also the flowers. I work on the trees with my own hands every day, looking at them from all sides and finding the joy of "doing things by hand."

　For this reason, I have never entrusted the care of about 100 trees in my garden to a contractor, but do it all myself. The aim is not to shave off all the trees, but to create a living environment that is filled with color in the spring and greenery all year round, which will ultimately benefit my health. The top photo shows the trees in bloom in March, and the bottom photo shows now. There are lots of new buds appearing in preparation for next spring, and she is the epitome of health. Today, I am attending a health exercise event being held at Furusato, the Kami-4th Community Center in front of my garden.