１月１日午前０時００分の天文的な意味

　今宵、令和６年１２月３１日午後１２時００分は、令和７年１月１日午前０時００分でもあります。

　この瞬間、宇宙空間では、太陽系の中心である太陽と恒星の中で最も明るいシリウス【マイナス1.5等星】を線で結んだ公転軌道上に私たちを載せた地球が到達します。

　ぜひ、午前０時に「真南の空に一段と明るく輝くシリウス」を眺め、年の移り変わる瞬間を「目で見て確認しましょう。」これは丁度４００mの陸上競技場を一周して来たことに似てます。太陽とシリウスが決勝点のテープを引き、地球がゴールします。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　Tonight, 12:00 PM on December 31, 2024, is also 00:00 AM on January 1, 2025.

　At this time in universe, the Earth which is carrying us reaches on the orbit that just between the Sun, the center of the solar system, and Sirius, the brightest fixed star (magnitude minus 1.5) .

　At midnight, be sure to look up at Sirius, shining brighter in the sky directly to the due south, and realize the moment when the year changes with your own eyes. This is just like running around a 400m track and field stadium. The Sun and Sirius will draw the tape to mark the finish line, and the Earth will cross the finish line.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

ついに大晦日・・・今年、毎日ブログが書けました。

　いよいよ令和６年最後の日となりました。皆様、一年間、フェイスブックやブログを通じて大変にお世話になりました。過ぎ去った３６６日すべてを思い出すことはできませんが、良かったことの一つに、写真が示す通り、広々とし、車が殆ど来なく、遠くに上毛三山が見え、歩道が広く安全で、しかも、原野のように空気がきれいなウォーキングコースを知ったことです。この道は私がめざすスムースな血流と深呼吸に最適です。

　

　次に良かったのはフェイスブック友人「あつこさん」のページのお陰で、６月頃、喫茶「さんぽ道」を知り、その結果、ここが気に入ってしまい、それ以来、すでに３０～４０回ほど訪れ、リラックスする時間が持てたことです。実は、写真の道はこの「さんぽ道」から東に長が～く見えるのです。ある日、コーヒーを戴く前に、この道を東へどんどん歩いて行ったら、途中で、もしかして、ここは親友Ｔが眠ってる寺に近いのではないかと気づき、そのまま歩き続け、彼の墓前で合掌することができました。

　ところで、ウォーキング後、これを「さんぽ道」で話したら、彼は喫茶「さんぽ道」のママさんの恩師だったのです。偶然とはいえ、不思議な縁があるものです。

　三つ目に良かった今年のことは、拙い内容であってもフェイスブックやブログを毎日書けたことです。ブログは個人のホームページなので世界中からアクセスが可能です。しかし、世界の人類の９８％は日本語が理解できません。このため「外国の人にも読んでいただきたい必要性に迫られ」英語表現の機会に恵まれたことです。考えてみると私たちの日本では、どこへ行っても言葉に困ることはありません。このため、思い切って環境を変え、「自分の生活にとって、英語が絶対に必要」と自分を追い込んでみました。かつてのインド生活が今蘇ってます。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my breakfast Japan

time.

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

　It's finally the last day of 2024. Thank you all for your support over the past year through Facebook and the blog. I can't remember all of the past 366 days, but one good thing is that I found a new walking course that is spacious, has almost no cars, I can see the Jomo Sanzan that means three well-known mountains in our Gumma Prefecture in the distance, has a wide and safe sidewalk, and the air is as clean as a wilderness, as shown in the photo. This path makes me for the smooth blood circulation and deep breathing that I aim for.

　The next good thing in this year is that thanks to my Facebook friend Ms. Atsuko's page, I found out the cafe named "Sampo-michi" around June, and as a result, I liked it, and since then I have already visited there about 30 to 40 times and had time to relax. In fact, the road in the photo looks long to the east from this "Sampo-michi". One day, before having coffee, I walked further and further east on this road, and halfway through I realized that maybe this was close to the temple where my best friend late Mr. Todokoro is sleeping, so I continued walking and was able to join my hands in prayer in front of his grave.

　By the way, after the walk, when I mentioned it at Sampo-michi, I found out that Mr. Todokdro was the mentor of the Mama owner of the cafe. It was a coincidence, but strange connections can happen.

　The third good thing that happened this year was that I was able to write on Facebook and my weblog every day, even if the content was poor. Blogs are personal homepage, so people can be accessed from all over the world. However, as you know, 98% of the world's people cannot understand Japanese. For this reason, I felt the need to have foreigners read my blog, and was blessed with the opportunity to express the blog in English. If we think about it, in Japan, we will never be stuck for language no matter where we go. For this reason, I decided to make a bold change in my environment that English was absolutely necessary for my life. My adolescence lived in India as a teacher of Japanese school is now coming back to my current life.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

愛車も人間も新年を迎え垢ぬけたい

　一年の汚れを落とすため、今日は愛車を自分で洗車し、タイヤワックスを掛けたら見違えるようになりました。そしたら、どうしたことでしょう。その辺を一周したくなり、木部町まで走らせましたら年末のためでしょうか、道路は意外と混んでました。

　一方、人間もそうでしょうが、外出するとき身なりを整える習慣は大切です。一般的に、年を重ねると、室内着と外出着が同じになる傾向と言われます。今後はこれを意識し、(女性の目を気にしつつ？)外出するときは身なりに気をつけたいと思います。

　ところで、今夜は私の家で次女家族と夕食が一緒で、まるで昔に戻ったようです。よく考えると、年を重ねてから、日々の孤食ほど哀れなことはありません。来年は、可能な限り孤食を避けるようにします。フェイスブックのオフ会があったらいいですね。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Bottoms up and great music.

　Today I washed my car to get rid of this year's grime, and after applying tire wax, it looks completely different. Then what the matter of my mind? I felt like taking a drive around the area, so I drove to Kibe-town. The roads were surprisingly crowded, probably because it was the end of the year.

　On the other hand, just like humans, we look completely different when we dress well when going out. It is generally said that as we get older, we tend to wear the same clothes indoors and outdoors. I will be mindful of this and take care to dress well when I go out, (while being mindful of lady's eyes.)

　Not change the subject, but tonight I had dinner with my second daughter's family at my home, and it felt like I was back in the old days. When I think about it, there is nothing more pathetic than eating alone as we get older. Next year, I will try to avoid eating alone as much as possible. It would be nice if we could have Facebook meetup.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

いつもペアで行動するメジロに肖りたい

【画像をクリックし、拡大するとメジロが２羽いることが分かります。】　

　庭に飛来する野鳥はキジバトにしてもメジロにしても必ず2羽で行動を共にし、枝に止まって休憩したり、花の蜜を吸ったり、果物の実を啄んだり、私が用意した水を飲んだり、水浴したりしてます。写真はメジロがマユミの蜜を吸ってます。２羽いるのでおそらく番でしょう。暫くして、１羽が飛び去ると続いてもう１羽も同じ方向に飛んで行きます。２羽で自然の中を自由に飛び回り、こんな仲睦まじい光景を見ると、一人暮らしの私は羨ましく感じます。

　昨日は午前も午後も、平素サボり気味の私としては珍しく頑張り、日英対照「天声人語２０２４秋号」９０日分の最後の５日分を読み終わり気持ちの上でホッとし、新年を迎えられそうです。午後になって最後の日のページを読み、英単語の意味を調べつつノートに書き写していたら、チャイムが来客を知らせました。ドアを開けて驚きました。

　珍しくフェイスブック友人「Ａさん」が催し物のお知らせで、来訪してくださり、１５分程の短い時間でしたが、いろいろ歓談でき、楽しく充実した時間が持てました。お礼にピアノで２曲を弾きましたら、弾き手は上手くなくても、年末の静けさのためでしょうか、ピアノの音色と強弱は彼女によく伝わったようです。やはり、人間にとって言葉や音楽での交流は楽しいものです。

　今年も今日・明日のみとなり、悲しいこともあった一年が暮れようとしてます。近年、友人が少なくなってしまった私ですが、来年は、人との交流に今まで以上に重きを置き、音楽を含め、人間らしい喜びを求めつつ暮らしたいと思います。

Dear my overseas friends who like nature and great music

　The wild birds that fly into my garden, such as turtle doves or Japanese white-eyes, always move in pairs, resting on branches, sucking nectar from flowers, pecking at fruit, drinking the water I prepared, and bathing. In the photo, two Japanese white-eyes are sucking nectar from a Mayumi tree. So they are probably mating. After a while, one flies away, the other follows in the same direction. Seeing the two birds flying freely in nature together, therefore, seeing such a harmonious scene makes me envious as a single person for twenty years.

　Yesterday, I studied hard both in the morning and afternoon, which is unusual for me who usually tend to slack off, and finished reading the last five day's worth of the Japanese-English comparison "Tensei Jingo 2024 Autumn Edition" out of a total of 90 days. I felt relieved and ready to welcome the new year. In the afternoon, while I was reading the last day's page and was looking up the meanings of English words and copying them into my notebook, the doorbell rang to let me know that a visitor had arrived. I was surprised when I opened the door.

　My Facebook friend "Ms. A" came to visit me to announce an event, which was a rare occurrence. Although it was only a short 15 minutes, we had a pleasant chat and enjoyed a fulfilling time with drinking grapefruit juice. As a thank her, I played two pieces by the piano, although I'm not a skilled player, perhaps because of the quietness of the end of the year, the tone quality and dynamics of the piano seemed to reach her mind well. After all, communication through words and music is enjoyable for humans.

　This year, there is only today and tomorrow, and a sad year is drawing to a close. I have had fewer friends in recent years due to they had passed away year by year, but next year I would like to place more importance on interacting with people than before and live my life seeking human joy, including music.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

すでに春の気配を感じさせる紅梅の逞しさ

【画像をクリックし、拡大すると臨場感が出ます。】

　今日は１２月２９日で、殊更寒い今年の冬ですが、今日は今のところ風も吹かず小春日和です。今朝、庭の植物に目をやって驚きました。品種名・鹿児島の「紅梅」(写真上)はすでに蕾をかなり膨らませ、春を一番乗りする気配です。通常、梅は２月の開花ですが、この品種は九州出身ということもあり、例年１月中旬から下旬には咲き始めるので春を先取りしそうです。どうぞ見にいらして下さい。

　一方、写真左は群馬県の草津温泉や嬬恋村など山岳地帯に多く生息する「日本シャクナゲ」です。実は、この蕾は早くも今年の夏に生じてましたから、４月の開花まで８～９か月間も蕾のままの状態です。花の色彩は、私と同じく派手さはなくとも、味わい深い薄いピンクです。写真右は「アセビ」です。不思議なことに、蕾は赤くとも花は白です。２月下旬には咲くでしょう。

 

　このようにこれから冬本番ですが、植物たちはそれをものともせず成長を続けてます。これに比べて、人間の私は何事も取り掛かるのが遅い傾向で、今年の最後位は、頑張って目標に達したいものです。

　毎日、読んでる英文対照「天声人語２０２４秋」は９０日分が掲載され、日々読んでますが、実は後５日分残ってます。今日中に新たな英単語や難解漢字を頑張って５日分すべて読み終わりたいと思います。果たして頭に入るでしょうか。そして、明日・明後日はすっきりした気持ちで年末を過ごし、娘たち２家族と共に令和７年を迎えたいと思います。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done later on.

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

　Today is December 29th, and it's been a particularly cold winter this year, but so far there's been no wind and it's been a lovely warm day, so to speak, Indian summer. I was surprised this morning when I looked at the plants in my garden. The "red plum of Kagoshima variety" (pictured above) has already swelled its buds, i t looks taking spring in advance. As you know, usually, plum blossoms bloom in February in Japan, but because this variety is from Kyushu, so it usually starts to bloom in mid-to late January, so it looks like it'll be ahead of the spring. Please come and see it.

　On the other hand, the bottom left of the photo is a "Japanese rhododendron" that is found in the mountainous area of our Gumma Prefecture, such as Kusatsu Spar and Tsumagoi Village. In fact, these buds appeared this summer, so they will remain in bud for 8 to 9 months until they bloom in next April. The color of the flowers is not flashy, like me, but it is a tasteful pale pink. The bottom right of the photo is an "Azalea". Curiously, even though the buds are red, the flowers are white. They will bloom in late February, I guess.

　As you can see, winter is just around the corner in Japan, but the plants continue to grow regardless of cold season. In comparison, I, as a human, tend to be slow to get started on anything, so I would like to work hard and reach my purpose until the end of this year.

　The English comparison magazine "Tensei Jingo 2024 Autumn," which I read every day so far, has published 90 days' worth of English sentences and Japanese, and I read them every day, but there are actually five days left. I will do my best to read all five days' worth of new English words and difficult kanji Chinese characters by the end of today. I wonder if I will be able to memorize them. I would like to spend the end of this year tomorrow and the day after with a refreshed feeling, and welcome in the new year 2025 with my two daughters' families.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

親戚のＴさんが逝去によって教えてくれたこと

　昨日は親戚のＴさんの葬儀が執り行われ、私は生前特に親しくして戴いたこともあり、心から悲しい別れになりました。このブログでも、時々、私は高崎の小料理屋「バク」で夕食を摂ることを書きましたが、実はそこを私に紹介して下さったのはＴさんであり、今から１５年ほど前でしょうか、ある日、彼曰く、「高崎によいお店があるから一緒に行こう」と誘われたのです。

　誘われ、彼と飲んでるうちに「以前にここへ来たことがあるな」と私は気づきました。それは、海外日本人学校勤務経験者の集いが行われた場所でした。それ以来、この「バク」を気に入ってしまった私は現在でも一人で年間３０回ほど過ごしており、最初に彼から紹介された頃から合計するとおそらく３００回ほど訪れてるでしょう。ですから、その後も彼と時々ここで楽しく「人生や音楽について」歓談してました。彼は群馬交響楽団の演奏会にも定期的に足を運ばれ、芸術に造詣が深いです。それから派生し、現在は時々ブログのコメンテーター「時計屋の隣りさん」とは毎回ここで繋がってます。

　ところで、彼は若き日から陸上競技の４００mなどを専門とし、日本を代表するほどの実力者でした。このため、昨日の葬儀でも有名なマラソンランナー瀬古利彦さんからの花輪が贈られていたり、大学時代の河野洋平さん(元・衆議院議長)とのツーショット写真も飾られ、彼の人脈の幅は一流に感じられました。実は彼の「今は亡き奥様Мさん」と私は血縁関係にあり、子供の頃から知ってました。彼女も同様に陸上競技で大活躍され、高校時代にハードルでインターハイ優勝、実業団でも日本一になられました。私は生涯に一度だけ彼女が走る勇壮な姿を見たことがあります。

　一方、昨日の葬儀では実に驚いたことがありました。久々に前高勤務時代にお教えしたＮさんと再会し、最近、彼と私は前述のМさんとの繋がりで親戚だったことが判明です。「お清めの席」で彼と私は隣同士になり、歓談中、さらに驚いたことは、彼の奥様が「みかぼフィルハーモニック」のコントラバス奏者であることが分かり、本当にびっくりしました。というのは、私は今までに彼女の素晴らしい演奏技術を先日の「定期演奏会」や「低弦演奏会」で幾度も拝聴したからです。これを知ったのは、正しく今回亡くなられたＴさんのお陰であり、この世の不思議を感じました。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　Yesterday, the funeral ceremony for my relative, Mr. T, was held. It was a heartbreaking farewell for me, as I was particularly close to him during his lifetime. I have written on this Facebook page that I sometimes have dinner at a tavern named "Baku" in Takasaki-city, but it was actually he who introduced the "Baku" to me. One day, about 15 years ago, he invited me to go to a good tavern in Takasaki.

　He invited me, and while we were drinking, I realized that I had been here before. It was a place where teachers who had worked at Japanese schools overseas gathered. Since then, I have come to like "Baku" and still spend about 30 times a year by myself, so that I have probably visited it about 300 times still now since I was first introduced by him. So, even after that, I would occasionally have fun talking about "life and music" with him here. And he regularly attends concerts by the Gumma Symphony Orchestra, so he has a deep knowledge of the arts. Then, I always connect with my blog commentator "The Watch Shop's Neighbor" here.

　Not change the subject, but late Mr. T specialized in the 400m since his young age and was a talented athlete who represented Japan. For this reason, at yesterday's funeral ceremony, a wreath was presented by the famous marathon runner Mr. Toshihiko Seko, and a photo with Mr. Yohei Kono (former Speaker of the House of Representatives) from his university days was also displayed, making it seems that he had a first-class network of acquaintances. In fact, I am related to T's "deceased wife, Ms. Masami" and I have known her since childhood. She was also a great athlete in track and field, winner of the Inter-High School Championships in the hurdles during her high school days and becoming Japan's top corporate team. I have only seen her heroic figure running once in my life.

　On the other hand, something really surprising happened at yesterday's funeral ceremony. I met Mr. Nojiri who I taught when I was a teacher of Maebashi High School, after a long interval, and recently discovered that he and I were relatives through Ms. Masami. He and I sat next to each other at the "purification seat," after the ceremony and while we were chatting, I was even more surprised to find out that his wife was a double bass player of the "Mikabo Philharmonic Orchestra" I was really surprised because I had appreciated her wonderful performance many times before, for onstance, at the "regular concert" and "low string recital." I learned this thanks to Mr. T who passed away recently, and I felt the wonder of this world.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

実を食べ、水浴し・・・庭は野鳥の天国

　平素から私たちは「光合成」の有難さを忘れず、植物を大切に育てたいものです。私たち生物は、植物が二酸化炭素を吸収し、太陽光、水、土によって生み出される酸素を吸って生かされてことを認識しなくてはなりません。本来、酸素がほとんど存在しなかったこの地球上に酸素が高濃度で蓄積するようになり、現在の地球環境が出来上がり、故に、私たちは生命を維持できてます。

　ところで、現在の自然環境を見渡すと、多くの常緑樹は実つけてます。庭では南天(写真上)、マユミ、クロガネモチの実(主として蛋白質)がいずれも赤いことから目立ち、これを目当てに野鳥が飛来してます。一方、彼らにとって必要な水を人間である私が毎日新鮮にして用意してます。彼らは水を飲むと共に、気持ちよさそうに水浴びし、その後、何処かに飛び去ります。これは毎日の光景です。

　本格的な冬期になり、植物の実は今までより、美味しく熟してきたのでしょう。大分食べられて減って来てます。そして、ついに一月中に全部食べられ丸坊主になるでしょう。しかし、その後、春が近づくと植物には新たな蕾が生じ、芽吹き、生き生きと成長してきます。常緑樹は春に落葉すると共に新芽を吹いてきます。

　という私たち人間も、食料はスーパーやコンビニにあるもので、お金があれば手に入ると思いがちです。しかし、野鳥と全く変わらず、本質的には光合成に因ります。そして農業や漁業のご努力で食料が出来てます。これは光エネルギー、水、土などによって生成される酸素と共に、蛋白質などが生じる恩恵です。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　We should always be grateful for photosynthesis and should take good care of plants. We living creatures must be aware that plants absorb carbon dioxide and breathe in oxygen produced by sunlight, water and soil to keep us alive. Originally, there was almost no oxygen on this earth, but oxygen began to accumulate in high concentrations, creating the current global and splendid environment, which is why we are able to sustain life.

　Looking around at the natural environment today, many evergreen trees are bearing red fruits. In the garden, the fruits (mainly protein) of the nandina (top photo), mayumi (left), and Japanese kuroganemochi (right) all stand out because they are red, and wild birds fly in to eat them. Meanwhile, I, a human, prepare fresh water for them every day. They drink the water, bathe in it comfortably, and then fly off somewhere. This is a daily scene in my garden.

　Now that winter has arrived, the fruits of the plants have probably become more delicious and ripe than before. Therefore they have been eaten quite a bit, so there are fewer of them. Finally, by the end of next January, they will all be eaten, leaving them completely bare. However, after that, when spring approaches, new buds will appear, sprout, and the plants will begin to grow vigorously. Evergreen trees shed their leaves in the spring and sprout new shoots.

　We humans also tend to think that food is available at supermarkets and convenience stores, and that we can get it if we have money. However, just like wild birds, food is essentially produced by photosynthesis. And it is thanks to the efforts of farmers and fishermen that food is produced for humans. This is a benefit of the production of proteins and other substances, along with oxygen generated by light energy, water, and soil.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

枝垂れレンギョウの不思議な世代交代

　今日も午前中から樹木の剪定作業を一人黙々と行いました。今日は黄色い花が咲く「枝垂れレンギョウ」を中心に剪定し、細いたくさんの枝を片づけました。

　不思議です。枝垂れレンギョウは幹の下の方から新芽が出て来て、それが数年で成長し、花を咲かせる頃になると、元の幹が枯れていく運命です。この自然の成り行きで世代交代しています。

　同様のことはすでに幾代も起こり、生命を繋げてます。枝垂れレンギョウは６０年ほど前にこの地に引っ越して来たとき亡父が植えたものです。写真に写ってる大きな樹木は、左が旧暦の桃の節句に開花する「源平枝垂れ桃」で、右が２月に開花する「枝垂れ紅梅」です。ぜひ、見にいらして下さい。外でお茶を飲みつつ鑑賞しましょう。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in yellow flower and great music

　As usual, today, I worked alone in silence pruning trees since the morning. Today, I mainly pruned a "weeping forsythia" that blooms many yellow flowers, and removed many thin branches.

　It's strange beyond description, when the weeping forsythia's sprout born from the bottom of the trunk, which grow over the course of a few years, and when the time comes for the flowers to bloom, the original trunk withers. By means of this natural process, the generations change.

　This phenomenon has happened for many generations already, and is connecting her life. The weeping forsythia was planted by my late father when we moved to this area about 60 years ago. The large tree in the photo is "Bicolored Genpei weeping peach" on the left, which blooms on the Girls' Festival on the lunar calendar, and "Weeping red plum" on the right, which blooms in February. Please come and see them. Enjoy them while drinking tea or beer outside.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/... 　

庭をきれいにすると運動になり、一石二鳥

　年末なので大掃除ですが、この十日余りは外に出て、いわば庭の大掃除をしています。落葉した葉を築山に載せ、風で飛ばないようにその上から土を被せたり、剪定した枝を鋸で切って紐で括り、ゴミ収集に出したりします。毎日、一人黙々と庭での作業の甲斐あって、夏季には見えなかった森の中の一軒家が、外部からよく見えるようになりました。ご覧のように、細かい葉は依然として散らばってるので庭のかたずけは今一歩で、後6日で新年を迎えます。

　作業で注意してる点は「足が長いため」屈んで腰を痛めないこと。鋸や剪定鋏を使うので怪我しないよう必ず軍手を嵌めて作業です。作業時間は長くても１時間程度で切り上げます。しかし、残念なことに「ご苦労様！」という声が聞こえ、お茶が出て来て、庭での休憩や歓談はありません。このため、身体と心の休憩はお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」へ青い車で行ってコーヒーを戴きます。

　それにしても、人間は「やる仕事があると本当に有難い」です。庭仕事の場合、近未来の樹形を頭に描きつつ、剪定は四方八方から眺め、美的感性が養われます。また、作業はいろいろ工夫が必要で頭も使います。一連の作業が終わると達成感も生じ、夕食前の一杯は格別の味になります。

　もちろん、肉体作業のみで一日を過ごすわけでなく、毎日、スーパーで健康食を考慮しつつ買い物したり、ピアノの練習時間の確保、並びに、年末は集中的に天声人語を介して英文に接してます。今日は高崎駅前の証券会社へ出向き、経済研究を予定し、生活にバランスを取ってます。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in natural environment and great music

　It's the end of the year 2024, so it's opportunity for a big cleanup, therefore, I've been outside for the past 10 days , so to speak, cleaning up the garden. I bring the fallen leaves to the artificial hill and cover them with soil to prevent them from blowing away by the wind, cut the pruned branches with a saw, tie them with string, and take them out for collection. Thanks to the work I do alone every day, the house in the forest that was invisible in the summer season is now clearly visible from the outside. As you can see, the small leaves are still scattered around, so the garden is still one step left, so there are only 6 days left until the New Year 2025.

　I'm careful about when working is not to bend over to prevent from lumbago, because I have long legs. When using saws and pruning shears, I always wear gloves to avoid injury. I finish working in about an hour at most. Unfortunately, I don't hear lady's voice "Thank you for your hard work!, please drink tea". There is no rest or conversation in the garden. For this reason, I take a break from my body and mind by going to my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi," by my blue coupe and having coffee.

　Even so, humans are truly grateful to have work to do. When working in a garden, I can visualize the tree's future shape in my mind while pruning, looking at it from all directions and cultivating an aesthetic sensibility. The work also requires a lot of ingenuity, so it uses the brain. Completing a series of tasks gives me a sense of accomplishment, and a drink before dinner tastes especially good.

　Of course, I don't spend my days doing only physical work. I shop at the supermarket every day, making sure to choose healthy foods, and I make time to practice the piano. At the end of the year, I intensively read English through Tensei Jingo. Today I'm going to a securities company in front of Takasaki Station to balance my life by some economic research.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

令和６年もあと7日・・・頑張りましょう。

　今回、令和６年から令和７年に移るとき、例年と異なる珍しい天体現象が起こります。写真は、今朝４時に撮影した下弦の月です。ご存じの通り、上弦の月は日に日に大きくなり、下弦の月は日に日に小さくなります。ところで、今月は太陽暦【現行歴】と明治５年まで使われていた太陰太陽暦【旧暦】の日付が一致してます。このため、今出ている「下弦の月が日に日に小さくなり、ついに見えなくなると令和７年１月１日になる現象」が起こります。明け方、月を見ると今年も日数が大分少なくなったことが実感でき、令和６年が愛おしく感じられることでしょう。

　一方、現行の太陽暦でも、毎年、不変の天体現象が今回も起こります。地球は、公転軌道上を秒速２９㎞ほどで反時計回りで公転してます。そして「太陽と最も明るい星シリウスを線で結んだ宇宙空間に地球が到達すると、令和６年から令和７年に変わります。

　これは丁度、４００mの陸上競技場を一周して来たときと同じです。今年こそは除夜の鐘が鳴るとき空を見て、最も明るい星「シリウス」が真南で輝いてること」を確認してください。地球が太陽とシリウスを線で結んだ位置に達してることが分かります。人類の先達は素晴らしい瞬間を１月１日に設定しておいてくれました。

　ところで、私にはこの月が日に日に小さくなり、ついに消えるまでに達成すべき課題があります。それは今読んでる日英対照「天声人語２０２４秋」９０日分を両言語で今年中に読み終わらせることです。しかし、後２１日分も残っており、毎日３日分を残り７日で読み、難解漢字と共に英単語・熟語を学習する予定です。年令を重ねても、年末は受験生のようです。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　This time, when it moves from 2024 to 2025, a rare celestial phenomenon different from usual will occur, I guess. The photo shows a waning moon taken by me at 4am this morning. As you know, the waxing moon gets bigger day by day, and the waning moon gets smaller day by day. By the way, this month the solar calendar [current calendar] and the lunisolar calendar [old calendar]which was used until 1872 coincide in date. For this reason, the phenomenon that is currently occurring "the waning moon gets smaller day by day, and when it finally disappears from sight, it will be January 1, 2025". When you look at the moon at dawn, you will realize that the number of days has decreased this year, and you will feel a sense of cherishment for 2024.

　On the other hand, even with the current solar calendar, the same celestial phenomenon that does not change every year will occur this time. As you know, the Earth revolves counterclockwise on its orbit at about 29 km per second. And when the Earth reaches the point in space where the line between the Sun and the brightest star Sirius, the year will change from 2024 to 2025.

　This is exactly the same as running around a 400m track and field stadium. This year, when the bells ring, look due south and make sure the brightest star, Sirius, is shining. You will see that the Earth has reached the space point where the line between the Sun and Sirius is drawn. Human's predecessors have set this wonderful moment for January 1st.

　Not change the subject, but I have a task to accomplish before this moon gets smaller day by day and finally disappears. I must finish reading the 90-day's Japanese-English comparison "Tensei Jingo 2024 Autumn" that I am currently reading in both languages ​​by the end of this year. However, there are still 21 days left, so that I plan to read 3 days' worth of it each day during the remaining 7 days, and study English words and phrases along with difficult kanji of Chinese characters. Even though I am older beyond your imagination, I am like a student taking entrance exams at the end of the year.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/... 【上の英文をネイティヴの発音で聴きたいときは英文をコピーし、ここに貼り付けてください。】

　

「もろびとこぞりて」を弾いたら、全身立ち上がり歌い出す。

　今日は中川公民館で「笑いのヨガ」に参加し、２時間笑って過ごしました。２０人程仲間がいて、それぞれニックネームで呼び合い、それだけでも打ち解けます。

　日本語の良さの一つに、人を呼ぶのに「～ちゃん」がありますが、これは日本語の大きな特徴で素晴らしいです。大人同士で使っても自然と親しみがわきます。

　

　また、鼻呼吸しつつ、横隔膜を下げ、今、肺にある空気【残気】をすべて出してから、２～３分続けて深呼吸すると精神が安定することも分かりました。

　今日はクリスマスイブで、途中の休憩時に私が「もろびとこぞりて」をピアノで弾き始めたら、すべての人が立ち上がり、歌い出し、このため、続けてマイムマイム、コロブチカを弾いたら、全員、輪になって踊り出しました。

Dear my friends abroad who are interested in Nature, Great music and laughter.

　Today I participated in "Laughter Yoga" at Nakagawa Community Center in Takasaki-city and spent two hours laughing in succession. There were about 20 people in the group, and we called each other by nicknames, which helped us to get to know each other.

　I am of the opinion that one of the great things in the Japanese language is that we call people "-chan," which is a great feature of our language and makes even adults feel close to each other.

　I also learned that breathing through nose, lowering our diaphragm, releasing all the air in the lungs, and then taking deep breath for two to three minutes helps to stabilize our mind.

　Today was Christmas Eve, so that during the break I started playing "Joy to the World" by the piano, as a result, everyone stood up and started singing together. So I played Maim Maim and Korobuchka next, and everyone started dancing in a circle.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

初日の出が見られます。写真は日没です。

　私の家は一見して二階建ての日本家屋ですが、山小屋風の屋根裏部屋があるので事実上は三階です。一年に一度ほど景色のよいここでパーティーを開きます。ここから見える景色は上毛三山の他、浅間山、谷川連峰、そして、毎年、地平線から昇る初日の出が見られます。

　写真は先日の日没の光景で、西南に聳えるテープルマウンテン荒船山の頂上の中央に沈む日没です。この光景は一年に幾度も見られませんから貴重です。それは天気に因りますし、見落としもあります。次回は２月上旬です。

　以前に書きましたが、この頂上から５羽のレース鳩を放したことがあります。距離は約５０Kです。鳩は私より早く全部帰って来ました。上信県境に聳えるこの山が好きな私は、また行きたいのですが、昨今は熊の出没の可能性があり、長生きしたい私は一人で行くことはしません。周囲は深さ２００mほどの断崖絶壁ですから熊が出たら逃げられません。家で眺めていればこのような光景が見られます。

Dear my friends abroad who are interested in nature and great music

　At first glance, my house is a two-story Japanese-styled house, but it actually has three floors, because it has a mountain hut-style attic. I hold a party here about once a year, with a great view and Bottoms up. In addition to the well-known three mountains of Gumma prefecture, the view from here includes active volcano Mt. Asama, the Tanigawa mountain range, and every year, the first sunrise of the year rising from the horizon.

　The photo shows a sunset from the other day, with the sun setting in the center of the peak of Table Mountain Mt. Arafune which is towering in the southwest. This view is rare because it can only be seen a few times a year. Furthermore, It depends on the weather, and sometimes I miss to see. The next time will be in early February, I guess.

　As I wrote before, I have released five racing pigeons from this summit. The distance is about 50 km from Kuragano town. All the pigeons arrived before I returned. I love this mountain that stands on the border of Nagano and Gumma Prefecture, and If possible, I would like to go again, but as you know, recently there is a possibility of bears appearing. I want longevity still now, so I won't go alone. It is surrounded by perpendicular cliffs about 200 meters deep, so if a bear appears, there is no way to escape, except for Heaven. If I look at it from my home, I can see like this splendid scenery. I recommend you see it at my house.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/... 【上の英文をネイティヴの発音で聴きたいときは英文をコピーし、ここに貼り付けてください。】

屋敷祭りを行い、現在の土地を選んだ両親に感謝

　現在の土地に引っ越して来たのは６０年ほど前で、前回の東京オリンピックが開催された１９６４年頃です。当時、我が家の周囲は一面が田んぼであり、６月の田植えの頃はカエルが一日中、鳴いてました。この場所は元々畑であり、土地の位置は周囲の田んぼより幾分か高さがありました。このため、現在のように分譲地ではなかったです。

　天明３年に起きた浅間山の大噴火では約５０K離れた倉賀野でも一面に火山灰が積もり、農家は作物が収穫できず、天明の大飢饉といわれました。降灰を集めたところは灰塚と呼ばれたようです。現在でも私の庭の一部を掘り返すと、いわゆる浅間砂が層になって出てくるので、ここは灰塚だった可能性があります。実はこれが水捌けを良くし、樹木の成長にプラスし、自然は良く出来てます。

　写真は以前に住んでいた倉賀野町の仲町にいたときからあった石造りの稲荷様で、若かった私がリャーカーで運んだものです。裏面には建設の日付と父の名が刻されており、昭和初期です。つまり、来年の令和７年は昭和１００年に当たるので、この稲荷様も１００年才です。この土地を手に入れた両親の先見の明により、現在、私も日々、多くの樹木を手入れができ、光合成する緑の中で暮らしてます。年末には屋敷祭りをして亡き両親に感謝します。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　Our family moved to the current place about 60 years ago, around 1964, when the last Tokyo Olympics were held. At the time, the area around my house was covered with rice fields, and frogs would croak all day during the rice planting season in June. This place was originally a field for vegetable, and the location of the land was somewhat higher than the surrounding rice fields. For this reason, it was not a subdivision like today.

　When active volcano Mt. Asama erupted in 1783, volcanic ash piled up all over Kuragano-town where is about 50 km away, and farmers were unable to harvest crops, which was called the Tenmei Great Famine historically. The place where the ash was collected was called an ash mound named haizuka in our tongue. Even now, if I dig up part of my garden, I can find layers as Mt. Asama's sand, so it is possible that my place was once an ash mound. In fact, this improves drainage which is beneficial for tree's growth, so that nature is doing a good job.

　The photo shows a stone Inari shrine that has been there since I lived in Naka-cho, Kuragano-town. I carried this shrine from there by the two-wheel cart when I was young. The date of construction and my father's name are engraved on the back of the shrine, so that it dates back to the early Showa period. This means that next year, Reiwa 7, will mark the 100th year of the Showa period, therefore, this Inari shrine will also be 100 years old. Thanks to the foresight of my parents who acquired this land, I am now able to care for the many trees on a daily basis and live surrounded by photosynthesizing greenery. At the end of the year, I hold a house festival alone to give thanks to my late parents.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

青年教師の頃

　恥ずかしいですが、今年最後のサービス【？】で、３０代の青年教師であった頃の写真を載せます。この頃はカッキーと呼ばれていませんでした。もしかして多くの皆さんが小学生の頃でしょうか。もっと前かも知れません。学校の音楽教室用としては最も大きなヤマハ・コンサート用ピアノでした。最高のピアノを日々使わせて戴きましたが、弾き手の力はそれに及ばず、猫に小判の状態でした。

　過ぎたことを悔やんでも仕方なく、「人生これから」の意気込みで、今後は「音楽ある生活で人生を豊かに」します。速い曲より、きれいな音で弾く練習をしてみます。

Dear my friends abroad who are interested in nature and great music

　It's a bit embarrassing, but for my last service of this year as a Christmas present, I'll post a photo of me when I was a young teacher in my 30s. I wasn't called Kakki at that time. Perhaps many of you were in elementary school or before birth. It was a Yamaha concerto piano which is the largest for the school's music room. I was allowed to use the best piano every day, but the player's skills were not up to par, so it's like casting pearls before swine.

  There's no point in regretting the past, so with the determination to "My life from now on," I will enrich my life with great music." I will try to spend less time playing fast music and practice playing beautiful tone quality such as Chopin's nocturn, etc.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

年末の一日一日を大切に過ごす

　能登半島地震に始まった今年も一日一日が過ぎ去り、残りは１０日になりました。昨日は、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で開かれた「笑いヨガ」を体験し、日々、一人暮らしで笑うことのない私の一年でしたが、こんなに笑ったことは今までになく、結果的に身体が楽になりました。改めて、笑うことは呼吸や血流、血圧と言った体調の基盤に思いのほか効果があると確信し、同時に、人間の特権と感じました。「笑いヨガ」を通じて、新たな出会いもあり、幸せを感じました。

　今後の私の目標はいろいろあります。先ず何をさておき心身の健康維持です。「健康は自ら作るもの」と考え、ウォーキングと筋トレを生活に取り入れ、併せて、脳のトレーニングとして「記憶力の向上」を目指します。年齢を重ねても記憶すべきことはたくさんあります。脳に定着させるには勉強というより「平素の生活で使いながら」と考えてます。

　一方、高校時代の音楽の先生に勧められ、１７才から始めたピアノは今となって先生にこの上なく感謝ですが、すでに伝えようがありません。ピアノは日常生活が潤います。ピアノは音楽を媒介にして、テンポ・リズムで精神が元気になり、長調・短調・転調により内面の充実に繋がり、メロディー・和声・対位法、そして音色により美に触れられます。年末はピアノの練習を増やします。お時間がありましたら、聴きにいらして下さい。時折、喫茶「さんぽ道」でも弾かせて戴いてます。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music.

The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　This year, which began with the Noto Peninsula huge earthquake occurred in Japan, has passed by day by day, and there are only 10 days left. Yesterday, I experienced "Laughter Yoga" held at my favorite cafe named "Sampo-michi." Although it has been a year not to laugh much due to I lived alone, and I have never laughed so much before. As a result, my body felt better. Once again, I am convinced that laughing was unexpectedly effective on the foundation of physical condition such as breathing deeply, blood circulation and blood pressure. At the same time, I feel that it is a privilege for humans. Through "Laughter Yoga," I was able to meet new people and feel happy.

　I have many purposes for the future because I have a future. First and foremost, I want to maintain my physical and mental health. I believe that "We must create ourselves health," so I will incorporate walking and muscle training into my daily life, and at the same time, I aim to "improve my memory" as a brain training. Even as I get older, there are many things I need to memorize such as English vocabulary. I think that in order to fix it in my brain, it is not studying, but rather "using it in my daily life."

　On the other hand, I started playing the piano at the age of 17 by the recommendation of my music teacher in high school. As a result, now I am extremely grateful to him, but I can no longer express my gratitude to him, because he has passed away. Piano enriches daily life. Piano uses music as a medium to invigorate my spirit with tempo and rhythm, to enrich the inner self with major, minor and modulation keys, and to experience beauty through melody, harmony, counterpoint and tone quality. I will be practicing piano more at the end of this year. If you have time, please come and listen to my clumsy performance. I also occasionally play the piano at the cafe "Sampo-michi".

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

今後の生き方に役に立つ「笑いヨガ」に参加

　午前中、喫茶「さんぽ道」で開かれた「笑いヨガ」に参加しましたら、楽しくて最初から笑いが止まらず、参加者は互いにすぐに打ち解けました。先生のご指導よろしきを得て、５人の参加者は互いにニックネームで呼び合う仲になり、私は皆さんにいつものカッキーと呼んでもらいました。

　勉強になったことは、笑うときは「表情豊かで」ということが大切と分かりました。息をしっかり吐く腹式呼吸で、お腹から声を出して笑うことや、鼻で息を吸うことで健康にとても役立つと気づきました。市会議員の「谷川留美子さん」も一緒に参加され、終始楽しそうでした。知り合いになれて良かったです。

　ところで、私は昨日まで３日間ほどの風邪が回復したので、午後になってから暫くぶりに「吉井ドリームセンター」で温まって来ました。実は、その帰路は珍しく上信越道の吉井～藤岡間に乗りましたらカーブの連続でしたが、暫くぶりに時速１００キロ走行したのでエンジンの調子維持に良かったと思います。しかし、距離が短く高速に乗った時間は１０分ほどでしたが、気分爽快でした。このため、今日は午前、午後共に充実した一日でした。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature, great music and laugh.

　In the morning, I participated in a "laughing yoga" class held at the cafe "Sampo-michi." From the beginning, it was so much fun that we couldn't stop laughing, and the participants quickly became friends each other. Thanks to the teacher's guidance, the five participants became friends and called each other by nicknames, so I am the usual Kakki.

　What I learned was that it is important to be expressive when laughing. I realized that laughing out loud from the stomach by breathing deeply from the abdomen and breathing in through the nose is very beneficial for our health. City council member "Rumiko Tanigawa" also participated to laugh from beginning to end, so that it was good for me to know her.

　Not change the subject, but I had been recovering from a cold for about three days until yesterday, so today's afternoon I warmed up at the Yoshii Dream Center after a long interval. Actually, on the way back, I took the Joshinetsu Expressway between Yoshii and Fujioka, which was unusual for me, but there were a lot of curves, I think it was good for keeping the engine condition because I was driving 100 kilometers per hour today. However, the distance was short and the ride on the highway only took about 10 minutes, so it was an exhilarating experience. As a result, both the morning and afternoon of today were fulfilling.

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今日は冬至です。

　大分、色づいて食べ頃になった金柑です。金柑は風邪に効くといわれており、今日、初めて捥いで食べてみます。実は、私は３日間ほど風邪の症状で苦しみましたが、今日はかなり回復してます。このため、金柑の力で風邪を吹き飛ばしたいです。そして、これからの冬本番を乗り切るつもりです。

　今回の風邪の原因は寒い中で長時間、直径１０cmもあるハクモクレンの大きな葉１０００枚ほどを搔き集め、一気に築山に載せた作業によるものです。もちろんすべて一人で行いました。気持ちは青年でも、今までより体力が低下しているのでしょう。作業そのものは築山が良くなるので楽しかったです。

　ところで、今日は昼の長さが一年で最も短いとされる「冬至」です。今日の地球は「冬のダイアモンド」の方角に来ています。具体的には「アルデバラン」と「ポルックス」の間の方角に来ています。私の住む群馬県では、日の出は６時５１分、日の入りは１６時３２分で、昼の長さは９時間４１分です。調べてみると、根室市では日の出６時４７分、日の入りは１５時４５分で、昼の長さは８時間５６分です。一方、宮古島市では日の出７時１９分、日の入りは１７時５４分で、昼の長さは１０時間３５分と、日本でもかなりの違いがあることが分かります。

　ですから、昼の長さは北に行くほど短くなり、南に行くほど長くなり、北極点では今日を中心として約半年間夜であり、南極点では今日を中心として約半年間昼が続いています。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature and great music

　The kumquats have colored and are ripe to eat. They are said to be effective against cold, so today I will pick some for the first time in this season and try to eat them. I've actually been suffering from cold symptoms for about three days, but I'm feeling much better today. So I want to use the power of kumquats to blow away my cold. And I'm going to get through the winter that's coming up.

　The cause of cold this time is the work I did in the cold for a long time, gathering about 1,000 large leaves of the white magnolia tree, each leaves are 10 cm in diameter, and piling them all up on the mound Taskiyama for plants at once. Of course, I did it all by myself. Even though I feel like a young man, my physical strength is probably weaker than before. The work itself was fun because it improved the Taskiyama.

　By the way, today is the winter solstice in Northern Hemisphere including Japan. Today, the Earth is in the direction of the "Winter Diamond." More specifically, it is in the direction between "Aldebaran in Taurus and Pollux in Gemini." The winter solstice is said to be the shortest day of the year. In Gumma Prefecture where I live, sunrise is at 6:51 and sunset is at 16:32, making the daylight length 9 hours and 41 minutes. Upon investigation, I found that in Nemuro city situated in Hokkaido, sunrise is at 6:47 and sunset is 15:45, making the length of the day 8 hours 56 minutes, while in Miyakojima city situated in southern place in Japan, sunrise is 7:19 and sunset is 17:54, making the length of the day 10 hours 35 minutes. We can see that there are considerable differences even within Japan.

　Therefore, the length of the day becomes shorter the further north you go and longer, the further south you go, and at the North Pole it has been night for about half a year centered on today, while at the South Pole it has been daylight for about half a year centered on today.

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「笑いヨガ」に挑戦・・・果たして私は変われるか

　いよいよ今年もあと12日というのに、余りにも寒いからでしょうか。最後になって風邪気味になり、食欲もなく昨夜は用意した食事をすべて食べ切れませんでした。また、夜中に何度も目が覚め、寝不足気味で元気が出ません。もしかして、先日、寒い中、庭で作業を一気にしたことが一因かもしれません。寄る年波には勝てません。作業は少しずつ行うべきでしょう。

　こんな状態の中、明日は「笑いヨガ」に参加予定です。今のところ、上記の通り、笑える状況ではありませんが、美味しいものでも食べて今日中に体力を回復し、「人間だけが持つ笑い」について考え、笑いのエクササイズとヨガの呼吸法、世界１１５か国で行われてる笑いヨガを、今後の生活に取り入れたいものです。平素、笑うチャンスがないですが、果たして、今からでも私は笑えるでしょうか。

Dear my friends abroad who are interested in laughter and great music

　There are only 12 days left this year, but maybe it's so cold. I've started to feel a bit sick at the end of this year, and I have no appetite, so I couldn't finish all the food I prepared last night. I also woke up several times in the middle of last night, and I'm not feeling well because I haven't slept enough. Maybe it's because I worked in the garden all at once in the cold weather. I can't beat aging. I should do the garden work little by little.

　In this situation, I plan to participate in "laughter yoga" tomorrow. As mentioned above, I'm not in a position to laugh, but I'd like to eat something delicious, recover my strength today. I think about "laughter that only humans have," and incorporate laughter exercises, yoga breathing techniques, and laughter yoga is practiced in 115 countries around the world. I don't usually have a chance to laugh, but will I be able to laugh from now on?

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一番よい時をイメージして作業を頑張る

　この写真は数年前の旧暦３月３日「桃の節句」に咲いた満開の「源平枝垂れ桃」です。花桃なので実は食べられません。同時に、水仙、チューリップが咲いてます。

　昨日と今日、ハクモクレンの落ち葉を築山に載せるとき、花の開花をイメージすると仕事が頑張れると書きましたが、ここには多少時期がずれて、３種類のツツジが咲き、その後、グラジオラス、夏には「ねむの木」が咲きます。

　来年は巳年ですが、「源平枝垂れ」の幹は蛇のようにくねってます。高い位置にあるので、水分が不足しないように年間を通じて、頂上の池に時々水を溜めます。花のない季節にこんな写真を見ると、ずいぶん華やかです。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in flowers and great music.

　This photo shows the bicolored peach in full bloom a few years ago on Peach Festival that was held in our nation, March 3rd on the lunar calendar. As it is a flowering peach, the fruit is inedible. At the same time, daffodils and tulips were also in bloom.

　Yesterday and today, I wrote that when placing fallen leaves of the white magnolia tree on the artificial hill named Tashiyama in our tongue, imagining flowers in bloom helps me work harder, but here the timing is slightly off, with three types of azalea blooming, and it followed by gladioli, and in summer the silk tree.

　Next year is the year of the snake in Japan traditionally, but the trunk of the bicolored peach is twisted like a snake. As it is high up, water is occasionally stored in the pond at the top throughout the year to prevent a lack of moisture. Photos like this look very gorgeous in the seasons when there are no flowers.

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植物には太陽、良い土、水を、人間には交流が必要

【クリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】

　昨日の午前中は、落葉してたハクモクレンの葉の９５％程を集め、ご覧の通り、築山の上に載せ、その上からホースで水を撒き、更に赤土を被せましたが、葉の枚数が多くて土が足りません。今日も葉が風で飛ばないように更に周囲から土を運び、被せますが、年齢を重ねてる私にはなかなか重労働です。それでも、今後、花に囲まれた築山の姿をイメージして作業すれば身体は動くでしょう。

　ところで、築山の南側の端には１０個の植木鉢が並んでます。これらは自然と庭に生え、次代を担う植物で、ねむの木、紫陽花、ユリで、多くはツツジの枝を挿し木したものです。もっと大きくなったら適当な場所に直植えします。

　今回、葉をたくさん載せましたが、この下には球根である水仙、チューリップ、グラジオラスが地中で春の準備をしてます。今までの体験では、球根の芽は上に被せた葉を突き破り、地上に芽を出してくるので、自然は誠に力強いです。４月～５月には色とりどりの花に覆われた築山になりますので、どうぞ見にいらして下さい。

　今日は作業が終わったら、暫くぶりにお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」に水色の愛車で行って、休憩してこようと思います。一人で生活したり、一人で作業をしたままでは精神的に参ります。人間には会話を通して適度に人との交流が大切です。これは、丁度、植物にはよい土と太陽光、そして水が不可欠であることに似てます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　Yesterday morning, I collected about 95% of the fallen leaves from the white magnolia, as you can see, placed them on top of the artificial mound. I then watered it with a hose you see and covered it with red soil, but there are so many leaves beyond description that there is not enough soil. Today I continued to bring in more soil from the surrounding area to stop the leaves from blowing away by the wind, and covered it over, but this is hard work for me as I get older. Still, if I imagine the artificial mound surrounded by flowers in the near future, my body gets moving.

　By the way, there are 10 flower pots lined up at the southern end of the mound. These are plants that grow naturally in the garden and will carry the future generations forward, such as silk trees, hydrangeas, and lilies, and many of them are cutting from azalea branches. When they get bigger, I will plant directly in a suitable place in the garden.

　This time, I placed a lot of leaves, but underneath them are daffodils, tulips, and gladiolus bulbs preparing for spring underground. From my experience, the bulbs sprout and break through the leaves covering them and sprout above the ground, showing how powerful nature is. From April to May the mound will be covered in colorful flowers, so please come and see it.

　After I finish work today, I will take a break at my favorite cafe, Sampo-michi, in my light blue coupe for the first time in a while. Living or working alone everyday can be mentally draining. It is indispensable for humans to have the right amount of interaction with others through conversation. This is similar to how good soil, sunlight, and water are essential for plants.

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不用品を何でもゴミとせず、再利用する心構えを！

　ご覧のように、庭の片隅に１０cmほどの大きい葉が推定１０００枚ほど落ちてます。これは３月末の別れの季節に白い花が寂しそうに咲くハクモクレンの落葉です。これほど大きな葉は他の植物ではほとんど見当たりません。落葉後の枝をよく観察すると、これから本格的な冬を迎える時季にあっても、３ヶ月後に咲く蕾がすでに生じています。樹木は一見、丸坊主で何の活動もなさそうですが、実は、着々と次への準備が始まってることが分かります。

　一般的に「落ち葉はゴミ」という観念を持ちやすいですが、私はこれほど大切な宝はないと思ってます。つまり、これを再利用し、年月をかけ土に変えます。具体的にはすべての落ち葉を築山の上に載せ、水を撒いて固定し、その上から、新たに園芸用の土を３袋ほど被せます。これにより、築山は生まれ変わったように成るでしょう。今日の予定の一つは、この作業に取り組みます。

　ところで、私にとって樹木の中で作業をすることほど楽しく健康的なことはありません。冬季でも、常緑樹【クロガネモチ、椿、枇杷、金柑、青年の樹、９本のシャクナゲ、金木犀、８本のツツジ】により光合成が盛んに行われ、生まれたばかりの酸素の中で身体を動かすからです。実は、常緑樹と言っても、特に４月～５月に落葉しつつ次の葉が生じてきます。今日の作業が完成したら、写真を撮ろうと思います。

　落葉に限らず、私たちは折角購入したものまで使わなくなると不要品としてゴミとする傾向が意外と多いです。再利用などゴミにしない工夫により二酸化炭素の排出を抑え、樹木の光合成を促し、地球環境をより良くして次代の人たちへ繋げたいものです。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　As you can see, there are an estimated 1,000 large leaves, each about 10 cm in size, that have fallen in a corner of the garden. These are the fallen leaves of a white magnolia tree, whose lonely white flowers bloom at the end of March, the season of farewells. It is rare to see leaves this large on any other plant. If I look closely at the branches after the leaves have fallen, I can see that buds that will bloom in three months are already emerging, even though winter is just about to begin soon. At first glance, the tree appears to be completely bare and inactive, but in fact, I can see that it is steadily beginning to prepare for the next season.

　People tend to think of fallen leaves as trash, but I believe there is no greater treasure than this. In other words, they will be reused and turned into soil over the years. Specifically, all the fallen leaves will be placed on top of the artificial hill named Tsuhiyama for plants, watered and fixed, and then about three bags of new gardening soil will be placed on them. This will give the artificial hill a new look. One of my plans for today is to tackle this task.

　Not change the subject, but there is nothing more enjoyable and healthy for me than working among trees in the garden. Even in winter, evergreen trees (Japanese silverleaf, camellia, loquat, kumquat, young tree, nine rhododendrons, fragrant olive and eight azaleas) actively carry out photosynthesis, are bearing newly born oxygen. In fact, even though they are evergreen trees, they lose their leaves and new leaves appear, especially from April to May. I will take some photos when I finish today's work.

　It's not just about fallen leaves, but we tend to throw away things we have purchased after we no longer use them. By reusing things and finding ways to prevent waste, we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions, encourage photosynthesis in trees, and improve the global environment for future generations.

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冬のダイアモンドの中に木星が入ってます。

　今夜、東の空には特に３つの星が光って見えます。満月が過ぎたので月が出るのが遅いです。６時頃までなら冬のダイアモンドの一角を成すカペラ【御車座】と、アルデバラン【牡羊座】の間に、一際明るく木星が光ってます。時間と共に、この配置は右回りになります。なお、月の下で輝いてる橙色の星は火星です。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of astronomy and great music

　Tonight, three stars shine brightly in the eastern sky. The full moon has passed the day before yesterday, so the moon will rise late. Until around 6 o'clock pm, Jupiter shines brightly between Capella (Auriga) and Aldebaran (Aries), which form one corner of the Winter Diamond as 1st magnitude. As time passes, this arrangement rotates clockwise because our earth rotates anticlockwise. And the orange star shining beneath the moon is Mars.

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もう、そろそろロシアから白鳥が飛んでく頃

　立てば芍薬、座れば牡丹、歩く姿は百合の花。庭ではこの三種類の植物を育ててます。写真は、寒冷な今の時季に早くも蕾を出し、来春の開花に備えてる牡丹です。私たち人間も今を大切にすると共に、やがて来る近未来への準備を怠らないよう一歩一歩前に進みたいものです。数ある花の中でも牡丹の花は大きく、色彩の種類も豊富です。これは紅白の絞りです。

　実は、一本の牡丹が大分成長したので、先日、太い枝を剪定したとき、捨てるのがもったいなくなり、日当たりのよい別の場所に挿し木にしてみました。水は度々与えてます。果たして、根が出て独立して育つでしょう。同様のことは、以前にツツジを剪定したとき、枝を挿し木にしたところ、今では成長し、昨年から花が咲くようになりました。

　一方の芍薬とユリは球根のため、現在は地中に隠れ、じっとしてます。どちらも春になると急に芽を出し花を咲かせます。

　　

　ところで、今日の日中は穏やかな小春日和になりそうです。実は、昨夜は忘年会だったので今日は体調の回復をめざし、外に出て縮こまりがちな身体を伸ばしたいと思います。そうだ、鏑川の土手の上を上毛三山を眺めつつウォーキングしよう。果たして、ロシアから白鳥が来ているだろうか。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast Japan time.

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

　When she stands, she's like a shakuyaku-peony, when she sits, she's like a botan-peony, when she walks, she's like a lily. I am raising these three types of plants in my garden. In the photo, the botan-peony has already budded in this cold season, preparing to bloom next spring. We humans should cherish the present, but we also want to take one step at a time to prepare for the near future without neglecting. Among the many flowers, Botan-peony has a large flower that has a wide variety of colors. This one is a dappled flower between red and white.

　Actually, one of my botan peonies has grown quite a bit, so when I pruned a thick branch the other day, I felt it would be a wasteful to throw it away, so I took a cutting and propagated it in another sunny location. I water it frequently. I'm sure it will take root and grow independently. A similar cutting happened when I pruned an azalea. When I took a branch and propagated it, it has now grown and started to bloom last year.

　On the other hand, as you know, the Shakuyaku-peony and lily are bulbs, so they are currently hidden underground and staying still. Both of these plants suddenly will sprout and bloom in the next spring.

　Not change the subject, but it will be a mild, so to speak, Indian summer day today. In fact, last night I went to a year-end party, so today I'm aiming to get better and go outside to stretch my body, because it tends to hunch up. I'll go for a walk along the bank of the Kabra River while looking at the well-known three mountains in Gumma prefecture. I wonder if there are any migratory swans from Russia on the Kabra River?

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ユニークな景観を成す群馬西部の山岳

　昨日の夕刻時、群馬県はよく晴れ上がり、西の方角に目を向けた途端、テーブルマウンテン「荒船山」と「妙義山」の稜線がシルエットの如くくっきり見えました。写真左の「荒船山」の頂上は標高１４００mほどの林の高原が続き、その中を南北に散歩できる道が走ってます。周囲は２００ｍほどの断崖絶壁で落ちたら大変です。

　この高原の端から端までレース鳩の入った籠を持ちながら１時間ほど歩いたことがあります。左端の小高い山から鳩を放したら、鳩もこんな高い所を飛んだことがないのでしょう。驚いたように更に高く上がり、５０Ｋほど離れた高崎市の我が家をめざしました。この距離でしたらレース鳩はお茶の子さいさいです。すべての鳩が帰還しました。１５年ほど前で、この時も今は亡き友人Ｔと登った思い出の山です。

　写真右の妙義山は、昭和時代に妙義少年自然の家で高崎商業高校吹奏楽部の冬の合宿をした所です。自然に囲まれた環境でいっしょに練習したり、食事したり、レクレーションした思い出の地です。彼らはすでに５０代後半から還暦に差し掛かってます。懐かしい青春の１ページはきっと脳裏に焼き付いてることでしょう。いつの日か旧交を温めたいものです。それには私もいつまでも健康でなくてはなりません。年末の今日も心身ともに中身ある一日にしよう。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　As soon as I looked westward yesterday evening, Gumma Prefecture in Japan was clear and sunny, and the ridges of table mountains "Arafunesan" and "Myogisan" were clearly visible like silhouettes. The summit of "Mt. Arafune" in the left photo is a forested plateau at the altitude of about 1,400m, and a path runs through it from north to south. This plateau is surrounded by perpendicular cliffs about 200m high, so if we fall, we will be in big trouble beyond description.

　I once walked from one end of this plateau to the other for about an hour, carrying a cage containing several racing pigeons. When I released the pigeons from the small hill on the left, they probably had never flown so high before. Surprised, they flew even higher, heading for my home in Takasaki City, about 50km away. Racing pigeons are a piece of cake at this distance. All the pigeons returned my loft. It was about 15 years ago, and this is a mountain I remember climbing with my friend T, who has passed away 5 years ago.

　Mt. Myogi at the right photo is where the Takasaki High School of Commerce wind orchestra held their winter training camp at Myogi Youth Nature House during the Showa era. It is a place of fond memories where they practiced, ate and enjoyed recreation together in the environment surrounded by nature. They are now in their late 50s and approaching 60 years old. A page of their nostalgic youth will be surely burned into their minds now. I hope to rekindle old friendships someday. To do that, I need to stay healthy. Let's make today, at the end of the year, a fulfilling day in both body and mind.

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今宵は１５日で十五夜です。

　今宵は珍しく「１５日で十五夜」です。これは今月がたまたま、現行暦【太陽暦】と旧暦【太陰太陽暦】の日付が一致してるからです。今日は旧暦で１１月１５日です。昔の人は満月を見て今日が１５日と知ったのでしょう。

　ところで、写真を撮って拡大したら分かったのですが、偶然にも、月面の右上に飛行機の姿が映ってます。クリックし拡大してご覧ください。おそらく、大阪方面から仙台方面に飛んでいるのでしょう。一方、現在、月面から地球を眺めると、地球は夜の部分のみで何も見えないと考えられます。

　なお、月の右上の星は木星です。その右の星は牡牛座のアルデバランです。月の左にある橙色した星は火星です。  

   

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　Tonight is unusually the "fifteenth night" of full moon. This is because this month the dates of the current calendar (solar calendar) and the lunar calendar (lunisolar calendar) happen to coincide. Today is November 15th on the lunar calendar. People in the past before Edo period would have known that today was the 15th by looking at the full moon in Japan.

　By the way, I took a photo and as soon as I enlarged it, by coincidence, I could see an airplane in the upper right corner of the moon's surface. It is probably flying from the Osaka towards Sendai. Please click to enlarge it. Meanwhile, if you look at the Earth from the surface of the moon now, it is thought that only the night part of the Earth would be visible so that nothing would be visible.

　On the other hand, the star to the upper right of the moon is Jupiter. The star to the right of Jupiter is Aldebaran (in Taurus). The orange star to the left of the moon is Mars, when we see them in Japan situated in Northern hemisphere.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/... 　

３３回忌よりずっと後に楽譜が発見され演奏される

　未だ、菊が咲いていても、今年の初冬は、例年より寒く感じます。調べてみると、群馬県の日の入り時刻については１２月上旬が最も早く１６時２８分でしたが、今日は１６時３０分となり、すでに陽が伸びつつあります。冬至では１６時３２分と更に陽が伸びます。一方、日の出時刻については、これからますます遅くなり、１月上旬が６時５６分と最も遅く、１月１１日から陽が伸びてきます。平均すると１２月２１日の冬至に昼の長さが９時間４１分で最も短いです。

　昨晩は「新みかぼフィルハーモニック」の定期演奏会を拝聴し、私は名曲のそれぞれの素晴らしさを充分に堪能でき充実した時間が持てました。多忙の中、半年間練習を積み重ねて定期演奏会を迎えられ、ステージでその成果を十分に発揮された楽員の皆様の日々のご努力に頭が下がると共に、クラシック音楽の持つ芸術性を県民に身近に提供され、楽員の皆様の心意気に心より感謝です。演奏曲目はロッシーニ―の「ウィリアムテル序曲」、シューベルトの「未完成交響曲」、そしてブラームスの「交響曲第４番」と親しみやすく、昨夜の新みかぼフィルの演奏は非常に中身の濃いものに感じました。

　私が最も感銘したところは、未完成一楽章の展開部における「高音部と低音部の掛け合いになる対位法による部分」で、ここの「音色とクレッシェンド」は天にも昇るほど優美なもので、誠の幸せを感じるほど優雅でした。曲はその後、更に盛り上がり、２拍めを全楽器で強く奏で、次の小節の頭まで伸ばす繰り返しのところで頂点に達し、如何にもシューベルトの持ち味と感じました。

　シューベルトの生涯は僅かに３１年でしたが、この曲は彼の死後、彼の生涯より長い数十年後に初めて楽譜が発見され、これは日本風に考えると３３回忌より更に後です。楽譜が発見されると３楽章を書き始めたところで終わっていたことが分かり、それが演奏として再現されました。ですから、シューベルト自身はこの音楽をオーケストラで聴いてません。

　こんなに優美な音楽が、今や世界中で演奏されるとは人類は幸せなこともあるものです。この曲から教わることは、私たちの人生の目標もあるいは完成はないかもしれません。しかし、目標に向かってチャレンジを続け、日々の中味が自分らしく充実して生活できれば、人生として未完成でなく「生き方としては完成してる」と感じつつ帰路に着き、シューベルトに浸りつつ一杯戴きました。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast in Japan.

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

　Last night I appreciated the New Mikabo Philharmonic's regular concert, and I was able to fully appreciate the splendor of each masterpiece, and had a very fulfilling time. The musicians practiced for half a year since last around June despite their busy schedules, and were able to perform the regular concert to the fullest on stage. I am deeply grateful for their efforts for bringing the artistry of western classical music to the people of the Gumma prefecture. The pieces performed were Rossini's William Tell Overture, Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, and Brahms' Symphony No. 4, all are familiar pieces, and the performance by the New Mikabo Philharmonic last night felt very rich in content.

　What impressed me most was the "counterpoint section where the high and low parts interact" in the development section of the first movement of the Unfinished Symphony. The "tone and crescendo" here were so graceful that it was heavenly elegant that I felt truly happy. The music then gets more exciting, reaching its climax with all the instruments playing the second beat strongly and extending it to the beginning of the next measure, which I felt was a typical Schubert personality.

　Schubert only lived for 31 years, but the score of this piece was discovered several decades after his death, which is longer than his life span. If we say in Japanese terms, it was even later than the 33rd anniversary of his death. When the score was discovered, it was found that the piece ended just as he had begun to composed the third movement, and even though this result was performed by an orchestra. Therefore, Schubert himself did not listen to this music by an orchestra during his lifetime.

　It is a blessing for humanity that such graceful music is now being performed all over the world. What we can learn from this unfinished symphony by Shubert is that our purpose in life may not be complete. However, if we continue to challenge ourselves toward our goals and live each day in a fulfilling way to the core, then our lives are not incomplete, but rather "complete as a way of life." I returned home feeling this way. I enjoyed a drink alone while immersed in Schubert.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　　

今日はタイヤをローテーションします。

　写真は、倉賀野バイパスを通行中の私を、偶然にも信号待ちしてた長女が撮影してくれたもので、運転に集中(？)してた私は全く気づきませんでした。これからも前方をよく見て運転し、信号待ちでも、スマホには手を触れません。特に、広い道でも歩道のない道路は危険この上なく、歩行者や自転車に細心の注意を払い、先ず、速度を落とします。野球で有名な健大高崎付近は両端に歩道がない道が続き、危険極まりないです。

　ところで、以前に「タイヤは命を乗せている」という標語を目にしました。これは今後もその通りで、運転する前に必ずタイヤをチェックします。この車ＴＴは扁平率が３５％のため、路面をしっかり捉え、更にタイヤは室内より外側にあるので安定走行します。しかし、扁平率が低いことから空気が減っていても見た目に気づき難いので細心の注意を払ってます。ドイツで生まれても購入時からブリジストンタイヤを履いてます。

　今日はアウディーのディーラーでタイヤをローテンションします。タイヤを取り外し、それぞれ斜めの位置に履き替えます。つまり、印で入れ替えます。この方法はタイヤの走る方向が今までと逆になるからです。走行距離１万８千Kでタイヤの溝は減ってません。一方、この車の特徴は運転席がゆったりし、ナビはハンドルの奥のディスプレイ内にあり、首を動かす必要がありません。音声に慣れるため英語版にセットしてあります。私自身で行う整備は井戸水で洗車し、その後、タイヤ点検を兼ねタイヤワックスをかけ、足元をきれいにします。哀れにも助手席に乗る人はいません。

Dear my overseas friends who like driving and great music

　This photo was taken by my eldest daughter, who was waiting at a traffic light while I was driving on the Kuragano-Bypass. I was so focused on driving that I didn't notice it. I will continue to keep my eyes on the road when driving, and I won't touch my smartphone even when waiting at a traffic light. In particular, roads without sidewalks, even if they are wide, are extremely dangerous, so I pay close attention to pedestrians and cyclists, and first slow down. The area around school named Kendai-Takasaki, which is famous for baseball, has long road without sidewalks on either side, which is extremely dangerous.

　Not change the subject, but I once saw a slogan that said, "The life is on the tires." This will continue to be true, so I always check my tires before driving. This car, Audi TT, has the aspect ratio of 35%, so it grips the road surface firmly, and since the tires are on the outside rather than the inside of the car, it drives stably. However, because the aspect ratio is low, it is difficult for me to notice even if the air is low, so I pay close attention every time. Although this car was born in Germany, it has been equipped with famous Bridgestone tires since I bought it.

　Today, I will rotate the tires at the Audi dealership. Remove the tires and replace them at an angle. In other words, replace them with the direction. This method is because the direction of the tires is reversed than before. The mileage is 18,000 km, and the tire tread is not worn down. On the other hand, the feature of this car is that the driver's seat is spacious, and the navigation is in the display behind the steering wheel, so I needn't move my neck. Navigation is set to English version to get used to the voice. The maintenance I do myself is to wash the car with well water, then inspect the tires, wax them to clean. Sadly, still now, there is no lady in the passenger seat.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

自然の中でリラックスし、歓談の環境が整う

【画像をクリックし、拡大すると臨場感が出ます。Click on the image to enlarge it for a more realistic look.】　

　この1ヶ月ほどで落葉樹はほぼ落葉が終わりました。このため、落葉の片づけを毎日少しずつ行ったところ、庭は徐々にすっきりしてきました。こんな作業でも良い運動になります。

　昨日は、ご覧の丸いテーブルをセットし直しました。ここでお茶が飲めます。近所の方や知人が見えても自然の中で寛いで歓談することは、とても有意義です。周囲は常緑樹に囲まれ、それらは２本の日本シャクナゲ、７本の西洋シャクナゲを始め、ツツジ、枇杷、金木犀、金柑、アセビ、青年の樹などです。このため、冬でも光合成を盛んにし、人間の健康に配慮してます。

　運が良ければ、キジバトが水を飲みに来る姿が見られます。私が丸いテーブルが良いと思うのは、その名の通り、角がなく、全員の顔がよく見られ、上座下座がないことです。これにより、気持ちはリラックスして歓談できます。近くに太い幹が見えますように、実はここは大きな梅の木の下なのです。このため、夏季は日陰になり、冬季は暖かな陽が当たります。

　昨日、「金柑を捥ぎに来てください」と書きましたように、味わうことができます。人間にとって最も大切なことの一つは、忙しい社会の中にあっても、時にはお茶を飲みつつ自然の中でリラックスし、心置きなく歓談することではないでしょうか。ご希望があれば、拙いピアノ演奏も可能です。先日、薬局の女性が用事で見えたので、２曲ほど弾きました。彼女も音楽が好きとのことで喜ばれてました。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　In the past month or so, the deciduous trees have almost completely lost their leaves. For this reason, I have been clearing away the fallen leaves little by little every day, and the garden is gradually becoming clearer. Even this kind of work is good for my physical exercise.

　Yesterday, I reset the round table you see here. We can drink tea here. It is very meaningful to relax and chat in natural environment even if neighbors or acquaintances come by. It is surrounded by evergreen trees, such as two Japanese rhododendrons, seven Western rhododendrons, azaleas, loquats, fragrant olive, kumquats, and yucca. For this reason, the photosynthesis is active even in winter, so that it is considerate of human health.

　If you are lucky, you can see a turtle dove coming to drink water. What I like about a round table is that, as the name suggests, there are no corners, everyone's faces can be seen well each other, and there is no upper or lower seat. This allows us to relax and chat. As you can see, the thick trunk nearby, so here is actually under a large plum tree. This means that it is shaded in the summer and receives the warmth of the sun in the winter.

　As I wrote yesterday, "Please come and pick some kumquats," you can enjoy them. Even in the midst of a busy society, I think one of the most important things for humans is to relax and chat in nature over a cup of tea from time to time. If you wish, I can also play my humble piano performance. The other day, a lady from the pharmacy came by on some business, so I played a couple of music for her. She also likes music, so she was very happy.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

年末年始をワクワク、ドキドキして過ごせるか

　私が毎朝、目が覚めてすぐに見る一日の始まりは、ダウ、及びナスダックの結果です。世界経済は「日本人が就寝してる間に推移」してます。それにしても、今朝は驚きました。MicrosoftやAppleなどハイテク関連や、インターネット関連の新興企業が中心のナスダックが昨夜から今朝にかけて３４７ポイントも上昇し、初めて４００００ポイントを上回ったからです。延いては、日本経済に影響し、少しでもよい年末年始にしたいものです。

　ところで、今朝のナスダックに合わせたかの如く、金柑が大分色づいてきました。１５年ほど前に植えたのですが、今では、大きく成長しました。写真は樹木の一部です。推定３００個ほど果実が生っているでしょう。これからの寒冷期に実るとは自然は良くできてます。というのは、金柑にはビタミンCが多く含まれ、風邪の症状である喉、鼻などの回復に効果があり、一方、血流を良くすることから血圧安定にも良いとされてます。お近くの方は捥ぎにいらして下さい。いっしょに味わいつつ庭で歓談しましょう。

　私は昼食のデザートとして３個ぐらい食べようと思いますが、すべて食べ切るには春までかかるでしょう。ご存じの通り、金柑は皮ごと丸ごと「噛んで食べられる」便利な果物です。因みに、金柑のことを英語でkumquatと言うようで、発音は「噛む食わっt」に近く、日英で感覚が似てます。

　経済と栄養は健康生活の基盤です。寒さに向かう折、今年もあと二十日。一日一日をワクワク、ドキドキし、身体と精神が錆び付かないようにしたいものです。

Dear my friends abroad who are fond of kumquat and great music

　Every morning, as soon as I wake up and check the results of the Dow and the Nasdaq. The world economy is "changing while the Japanese are sleeping." But even so, I was surprised this morning. The Nasdaq, which is mainly composed of high-tech and Internet-related new companies such as Microsoft and Apple, rose by 347 points in one day, exceeding 40,000 points for the first time. I hope that this result will have an impact on the Japanese economy and make the New Year's holiday a little better.

　Not change the subject, as if in line with this morning's Nasdaq, as you can see in the photo, the kumquats have started to color up quite a bit. I planted them about 15 years ago, and they have grown quite large now. The photo shows only a part of the whole tree. There are probably about 300 fruits on it. Nature is doing a good job of bearing fruit in the coming cold season. This is because kumquat contains a lot of vitamin C, which is effective in treating cold symptoms such as the throat and nose, and is also said to be good for stabilizing blood pressure such as hypertension as it improves blood circulation. If you are in the area, please come and pick them with me. Let's chat in the garden while enjoying the taste.

　I will have about three kumquats as a dessert for lunch, but it will probably take until spring to finish them all. As you know, kumquat is a convenient fruit that can be eaten whole, including peel by chewing them. Incidentally, as you know, this fruit is called kumquat in English, and are pronounced similarly to "kamu kuwat" as our chewing and eating in Japanese so the feeling is similar in both Japanese and English.

　Economy and nutrition are the foundations of a healthy life. As we head towards the cold weather, there are only 20 days left in this year. I want to work hard every day to keep my body and mind without getting rusty.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

年末年始は、湿度が下がらない工夫を！

　健康維持の観点から生活してる部屋に温度計、気圧計、湿度計を用意してます。一般的に温度には気づいても、気圧や湿度に対しては、私を含めあまり注意を払わない傾向でしょう。ところが、気圧や湿度も体調に影響します。それは血圧、喉、鼻、目などの症状に現れやすいです。ですから、声の調子も影響受けます。

　ところで、冬の部屋では「適正な湿度」はどれくらいでしょうか。部屋の湿度が低ければ乾燥します。インフルエンザなどのウイルスは湿度が４０％を下回ると、活発に活動するといわれます。一方、概して夏では、カビ・ダニなどの発生は湿度が６０％を超えると大きく増えると考えられます。

　また、湿度が５０％以下になると、ドライアイや肌の乾燥が気になり始めます。このため、「湿度は５０～６０％が適正」と言えそうです。早朝の私の部屋ではご覧の通り、湿度３５％なので大分低く、これから加湿器を使ってみます。洗濯物の室内干しも良いと考えられます。

　一方、自然界でも晴れの日が続いてることから、一昨日は井戸が涸れてしまい、植物に水がやれませんでした。水を無駄にせず、井戸水を溜めてみます。皆さん、部屋の温度と共に、湿度を適正に保ち、年末年始を健康に過ごしましょう。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast in Japan.

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

　From the broad perspective of maintaining health, I have a thermometer, barometer, and hygrometer in the room where I live. Generally, people, including myself, tend to pay little attention to air pressure and humidity, even if they notice the temperature. However, air pressure and humidity also affect our physical condition. This is likely to appear in symptoms such as blood pressure, throat, nose, and eyes. Therefore, the tone of the voice is also affected.

　Not change the subject, but what is the "appropriate humidity" for a room in winter? If the humidity in a room is low, it will tend to become dry. It is said that viruses such as influenza become active when the humidity falls below 40%. On the other hand, in general, in summer, the occurrence of mold, dust mites, and other pests is thought to increase significantly when the humidity exceeds 60%.

　On the other hand, when the humidity falls below 50%, dry eyes and dry skin will start to bother you. For this reason, it seems that "50 to 60% humidity is appropriate." As you can see, the humidity in my room in the early morning was 35%, which is quite low, so I will use a humidifier from now on. Drying laundry indoors is also a good idea, I think.

　Meanwhile, because of the continued sunny weather in the natural world now, the well dried up the day before yesterday so that I couldn't water my plants. Instead of wasting water, I have to save the well water. Everyone, keep the temperature and humidity in your room at an appropriate level to stay healthy over the New Year holidays.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

一段と、明るい部分が広がって来た今宵の月

　今宵も月齢１０の「上弦の月」がよく見えます。暗黒の宇宙空間の中、太陽の光が当たっていることがよく分かります。ですから、怖いですが、宇宙は本当に真っ暗なのです。日中明るいのは、星の一つである太陽に地球の太陽側が照らされているだけなのです。

　ところで、昨日ははっきり見えませんでしたが、中央部に大きなクレーターが見えます。画像を拡大してご覧ください。中の一部に太陽光が当たっている部分と当たってない部分があることから、深さもかなり深いのでしょう。私の推定では、クレーターの直径は２００㎞ほどと想います。満月まであと５日です。

　ニュージーランドのセーラさん、日本で見る今宵の月は右側が光ってますが、そちらで見ると左側が光っているでしょうか。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy and great music

　Tonight, the waxing moon which is 10 days phase, can be seen clearly in Japan. We can clearly see the sunlight shining on the surface in the dark outer space. So, although it may be scary, outer space is really pitch black. The only reason it is bright during the daytime is because the sun, one of the stars, is shining on the sun side of our earth.

　By the way, although it wasn't clear yesterday, we can see a large crater in the center of the moon surface. Please enlarge the image to see. There are parts inside that are shining on the sunlight and parts that are not, so it must be quite deep, I guess. I estimate that the diameter of the crater is about 200 km. There are 5 days left until the next full moon.

     

Ms. Sarah in New Zealand

　When we see from Japan, the right side of the moon is shining tonight, but do you see the left side shining when you look it from NZ?

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

「らっきょ」の軽快な響き・・・上毛新聞「みんなのひろば」より

　今日、上毛新聞の読者投稿欄「みんなのひろば」に、このブログのコメンテーター「時計屋の隣り」さんの文章が掲載されました。誠におめでとうございます。今朝、近くのＫさんがコピーしてわが家に届けてくださいました。よって県内外の多くの方々にもご紹介いたします。

　・・・タイトル「らっきょ」の軽快な響き・・・

　食物繊維が豊富で消化を助け、健康にも良いとされる「らっきょう」。群馬県ではこの健康食材に親しみを込め、「らっきょ」と呼ぶことが多いようです。私もその一人です。

　先日、スーパーの棚に「らっきょう酢」と書かれた商品が並ぶ横の特売のポップ広告が、「らっきょ酢」だったことに気づきました。スーパー内で自分と同じ仲間を見つけたようで、安心した気分になりました。

　「らっきょう」を「らっきょ」と呼ぶのは間違いではなく、その土地ならではの愛称なのです。辞書で「らっきょう」と引くと、意味の説明の最後に「らっきょ」とあります。

　「らっきょ」の響きには、どこか軽快でユーモラスな印象があります。発音するだけで楽しくなり、正式な名称よりも親しみやすさを感じます。「らっきょう」は漢字で書くと「辣韭」で、辛さとニラのイメージが先行しますが、「らっきょ」は楽しい境地や場所の「楽境」を思い起こさせます。今日一日、「楽境」にいられれば、まさに「楽今日」です。

令和７年は、昭和１００年です。

　今年も残すところ後２１日です。来年のことを言うと鬼が笑いますが、来年は令和７年であり、同時に昭和１００年に当たります。このため、便利なことがあり、それは昭和時代に生まれた人にとって、１００から自分の生年を引けば年令がすぐにでます。例えば、昭和５０年に生まれた人は来年５０才です。

　来年のことを言う前に今年を反省する時季です。私にとって、有難いことに病気もなく、３６６日を健康で過ごせそうです。一方、私の精神には甘い所があり、勉強の方はサボり気味でした。残りの２１日を頑張ります。例年と違い楽しかったことは、生活に変化をつけるため喫茶「さんぽ道」に行ってコーヒーを味わいつつ、読書したり、ピアノを弾いたことで、ママさんなど女性の知り合いもできました。

　ところで、ご覧の通り、家の前の道は車が一台通れるほどの道幅でウォーキングにはとても良いです。計ってみたら丁度５０mあり、往復で１００mです。このため、どこか遠くへ行かなくても気楽にウォーキングできます。歩いていると、つい考え事をしてしまい、何往復したか忘れるので工夫してます。

　それは、ご覧の塀の上に石を置き、一往復したらその石を横に動かします。塀の上は丁度１０に分かれているので、石が端から端まで移動できたら１０００mです。１５分～２０分程度で血液循環も呼吸も姿勢も整う感じです。利点は、遠方まで行くと帰らなくてはなりませんが、ここならその不安はなく気楽に歩けます。夕方歩くと空腹となり、軽く一杯が格別です。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after breakfast in Japan

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

　There are only 21 days left this year. By old saying, if we talk about next year, demon laughs as a joke, but next year will be the 7th year of Reiwa and also the 100th year of Showa. Because of this, it is convenient. For people born in the Showa era, they can quickly find out their age by subtracting their birth year from 100. For example, someone born in 50 year of Showa 1975 will be 50 years old next year.

　Before talking about next year, it is time to reflect on this year. Thankfully, I have not been sick and I will be able to spend 366 days in good health. On the other hand, I have a soft personality for mentality, and I have been slacking off on my studies, such as English vocabularies and practice the piano. I will do my best in the remaining 21 days within this year. What was fun, different from previous years, was that I went to my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi" to change my daily life and read books and play the piano while enjoying coffee, and I was able to get to know some ladies, including the owner.

　Not change the subject, but as you can see, the road in front of my garden is wide enough for one car to pass through, so it is suitable for walking. I measured it and it was exactly 50 meters, so it is 100 meters round trip. This allows me to walk casually without going far. When I am walking, I tend to get lost in thought and forget how many times I've made a round trip, so here's a clever trick.

　So I placed a stone on top of the wall, as you can see here, and after one round trip, I move the stone sideway. The top of the wall is divided into exactly 10 sections, so if I can move the stone from one end to the other, it's 1000m. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and it feels like my blood circulation, deep breathing, and posture are all in order. The advantage is that if I go far away, I have to return home, but here I don't have to worry about. I can walk casually. Walking in the evening makes me hungry, so a light drink is delicious beyond description.

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今月は月の満ち欠けと日付が一致

【画像をクリックし拡大して、ご覧ください。】

　今日の午後4時頃に撮った月齢９の上弦の月です。大昔はカレンダーがなかったことから、月の満ち欠けで「今日が幾日であるか」知ったのでしょう。たまたま今月は太陽暦と旧暦【太陰太陽暦】の日付が一致してるので、月齢９で今日は９日です。

　もう少し暗くなってからの方が月面のクレーターがはっきり見えるので、５時頃もう一度撮り直して載せます。それにしても、球体が何故浮いてるのでしょう。

　想像すると怖くなりますが、私たちが生活してる地球もこの写真のように、常に昼と夜が半々にあり、暗黒の宇宙空間に浮いてるのです。不思議なこの世です。地球に住んでる人類は運命共同体です。無駄な戦いは不要です。写真を撮り直しました。月面を拡大してご覧ください。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy and great music

　This photo was taken by me at around 4pm today of the waxing moon at the phase of 9. Long ago, there were no calendars, so people would have known what day it was by the phase of the moon. By coincidence, the solar calendar and the lunar calendar (lunisolar calendar) coincide this month, so the moon is at the phase of 9 and today is the 9th day.

　The craters on the moon's surface will be more visible when it gets a little darker, so I will take another photo at around 5pm Japan time and post it here again. But why is the sphere floating?

　It's scary for me to imagine, but the Earth we live on also has half day and half night usually, just like in this photo, and is floating in the dark universe. It's a strange world. Humans living on Earth share the same destiny. There is no need for pointless fighting. I took the photo again. Please zoom in to see the lunar surface.　　

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

還暦を過ぎたら、一人で遊べる癖をつける

　年令を重ねると、いっしょに遊べる友達が次第に減って来ます。私は人生途上で出会った本当に仲の良かった友人Ｋ、Ｆ、Ｔは、すでに3人とも天に召されてます。ですから早いうちから、つまり還暦ごろから「一人で遊べる習慣」をいろいろ身につけておいた方が良いと思います。

　ましてや、怖いことや危険なこと、新たな事への挑戦を一切やらなくなり、家にだけに閉じこもり、つまり、用心深くなり過ぎると、おもしろい体験や、初めての体験、何より「心を揺さぶられる体験」のチャンスがなくなります。

　ところで、季節は寒冷となり、ご覧の通り、温かな廊下で君子蘭やハイビスカスが、生き生きして春を待ってます。ハイビスカスは今でも蕾を持ち、君子蘭は１月中旬には蕾が生まれる気配で、早くも１月下旬から２月初めには開花する勢いです。こんなことでも、水遣りしつつ育てていると、如何にして良い花を咲かせられるか「創意工夫」することになり、「期待感」へと繋がり、開花を迎えると「大きな喜び」になります。

　左の写真の手前は太い杉の木で、すでに上は切ってあります。力士が行うように「テッポウ」用に残し、私はここに近づくたびに、両手をついて斜めの姿勢で腕立て伏せや、片手ずつで「テッポウ」をします。年を重ねるほど上体を鍛えたり、ウォーキングで足腰を鍛錬することが必須です。筋トレした後は牛乳を飲みます。筋肉は鍛錬と栄養を必要とするからです。年を重ねたら有り余る時間をいろいろ「見て回ったり」、「記憶力の陶冶」に使ったり、「身体活動」に充てたいものです。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

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

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

　As I get older, the number of friends I can play with gradually decreases. All three of my really good friends K, F, and T whom I met along the life have passed away. Therefore, I think it's a good idea to start early, around the age of 60, we should get into the habit of playing alone.

　Furthermore, if we stop trying scary, dangerous or challenging new things and stay indoors, in other words, become too cautious, we will miss out on interesting experiences, new experiences, and above all, experiences that move us.

　Not change the subject, but the weather is getting colder in Japan, and as you can see in the photo, the kaffir lilies and hibiscuses are lively in the warm hallway, waiting for spring. The hibiscus still has buds, and the kaffir lilies are showing sign of buds forming in mid-January, and will bloom as early as late January to early February, I guess. Even with things like this, as I water and raise it, I have to think creatively about how to make it bloom beautifully, which leads to a sense of anticipation, and when it blooms, it becomes a great joy for me.

　In the photo on the left is a thick cedar tree, the top has already been cut off. It has been left for "teppo" like sumo wrestlers training, and every time I approach it, I do push-ups on both hands or "teppo" by one hand alternately. The older we get, the more indispensable it is to strengthen our upper body and to strengthen our legs and hips by walking. After strength training, I drink milk, because muscles need training and nutrition. As we get older, we should use our spare time to "look around" and "improve our memory" such as new English words and to engage in "physical activity."

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余りにも寒くて、温まって来ました。

　今日は余りにも寒くて、先程、吉井ドリームセンターで温まって来ました。私は年齢を重ねつつあるので冬季は家の寒い風呂に入らないことにしてます。温度差による血圧の急激な変化により何かあっても、一人暮らしは数日間は発見されません。発見されても恥ずかしいです。

　ドリームセンターの浴槽から牛伏山が望めるので、この地の自然環境は素晴らしく温泉気分です。往きは中山峠経由、帰路は木部町の新鏑川橋経由で、車も良い道をスイスイです。今度タイヤのローテンションを印で交換します。今年もあと２３日です。一年間お世話様になりました。ご挨拶はまだ早いか。

Dear my overseas friends who like hot spring and great music

　It was so cold today in Japan, so I just warmed up at Yoshii Dream Center. As I'm getting older beyond your imagination, I've decided not to take a cold bath at home during winter season. If something happens due to a sudden change in blood pressure caused by temperature differences, I wouldn't be found for a few days. Even if I was found, it would be embarrassing.

　We can see Mt. Ushibuse from the bathtub at the Yoshii Dream Center, so the natural environment here is wonderful beyond description and it feels like a hot spring. On the way there, I went via Nakayama Pass, and on the way back, I went via Shin-Kaburagawa Bridge in Kibe-Town, so the driving the car was smooth and the road surface was good. Next time I'll rotate the car's tires by X. There are only 23 days left this year. Thank you for all your support this year through FB. Is it too early to say goodbye?

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

新芽を育てたところ、渋柿が甘柿に変わる

　今秋は約１ヶ月半、毎日のように昼食後のデザートとして柿を食べました。一つでもかなり量があります。以前にお伝えしました通り、昔からあった柿の味が少々渋かったので、４年前に、ご覧の通り、下の方から出てきた新芽を残し、今までの幹を切ってこの新芽を育ててみました。

　その結果、根の量は同じであることから栄養が充分なのでしょう。新芽はすくすく伸び、昨年から実が生り始め、食してみたら甘柿に変わりました。新芽は更に大きく育ち、今秋は５０個程の実をつけ、来年は更にたくさん生る可能性がでてきました。やはり、良いと思ったことは決断し、新たな事に挑戦することが人間には大切と感じつつ、毎日、柿を味わってます。

　調べてみると柿の栄養的な効能は、ビタミンＣ、リコピン、β-カロテンなどが豊富に含まれ、これらの成分はタンニン同様、抗酸化作用があります。また、高血圧の改善や予防に役立ち、とくにビタミンＣは、柿1個で成人の1日の摂取基準量を満たすほどといわれます。その他、シミ予防など美容面での効果も期待できるとあります。

　これを知った私は、つまり、正に味をしめた私は、今年、新たに品種名「太秋」と「富有」の２本の柿の苗を植えたところ、こちらもすくすく育ち始めてます。もしかして、近未来は庭に柿がたくさん生りそうです。お近くの方はカッキーの柿を味わいにいらして下さい。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

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

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

　This autumn, I ate persimmons almost every day as a dessert after lunch for about a month and a half. The fruit is quite big than expectation. As I mentioned before, the taste of persimmons from long ago was a little astringent, so four years ago, as you can see, I started to raise a new shoot that came out from the bottom, after I cut the old trunk.

　As a result, the amount of root is the same quantity as before, so it must be enough nutrition. The new shoots grew quickly and started to bear fruit since last year. When I ate them, they turned into sweet persimmons. The new shoots grew even bigger, and this autumn they bore about 50 fruits, and there is a possibility that they will bear even more next year. I feel that it is important for us humans to make decisions that they think are good and try new things, so that I am enjoying persimmons every day in this autumn.

　When I investigated, I found that persimmons are rich in vitamin C, lycopene, and beta-carotene, and these ingredients have antioxidant properties like tannins. They are also useful for improving and preventing hypertension, and it is said that one persimmon meets the daily recommended intake amount for adults. It is also said to have beauty benefits such as preventing blemishes.

　When I knew this effects, I got a real taste for it and planted two new persimmon seedlings this year, varieties "Taishu" and "Fuyu", which are also starting to grow well. It will bear lots of persimmons in the garden in the near future. If you're in the area, please come and taste Kakki's persimmons.

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【大雪】に負けず、孤食を避け、心を解放

　今宵は土曜日で大安だからでしょうか。寂しく哀れないつもの孤食を避け、高崎街中のお気に入り小料理屋「バク」で過ごし、心を解放したくなりました。

　ママさんが何でも話に乗ってくれるとても良いお店です。寒いので倉賀野から歩いて行かず、電車で行きます。日々、孤独でも、写真のクロガネモチのように、今後、情熱的に生きたいです。今宵は二次会へ来行きませんので、お許しください。では行って参ります。

Dear my overseas friends who like "Bottoms up" with me in heart

　Since tonight is on Saturday and a lucky night by the Japanese calendar. I want to avoid the usual lonely and pitiful eating alone and spend tonight at my favorite small tavern named "Baku," in downtown of Takasaki, and free my mind.

　It's a really nice tavern beyond your imagination, and the Mama has a flexible mind to talk about anything. It's cold, so instead of walking from Kuragano-town, I'll take the train. Even though I'm lonely every day, I want to live passionately from now on, just like the dwarf Chinese holly in the photo. Please forgive me because I won't go to the after-party tonight. Well, I'm off now.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

二十四節気の「大雪」となり、庭は一気に冬の佇まい

　写真はハクモクレンが次第に落葉してる姿です。葉の長さが１０cmほどあり、一般の植物の中でも大きな葉です。３月下旬になると人間社会では職場や学校において親しかった人との別れの季節です。ハクモクレンは、この寂しさを象徴するかの如く涙のような花を咲かせます。葉は今日・明日中に丸坊主になるでしょう。

　いよいよ大陸の寒気が南下し、群馬県でも谷川岳など北部の山岳地帯では降雪の季節です。以前に、長女が１０才の頃、私と二人で天神平経由で谷川岳山頂に登りましたが、覚えているでしょうか。一方、それとは別の日に、３才ほどの次女も一緒に３人で、谷川岳の一ノ倉沢を上空から眺める遊覧飛行のヘリコプターに乗りましたが、果たして覚えているでしょうか。二家族とも年末年始を我が家で過ごすので、一杯戴きながら訊いてみましょう。

　ところで、今日１２月７日は二十四節気の一つ「大雪」です。宇宙空間に浮いてる私たちの地球は、現在、公転軌道上のどの辺を周遊しているでしょうか。

　その答えは、深夜に南の星座を見れば分かります。現在、日本列島上空は巨大な「冬のダイアモンド」に覆われてます。その右端に一等星「アルデバラン」が輝いていますから、私たちは現在、黄道十二星座の一つ「牡牛座」の方向に来ています。今後、地球は１月１日に最も明るい「シリウス」の方向を通過し、やはり黄道十二星座の一つ「ふたご座」の方向へ進み、日本では真冬の季節になります。今年もあと２５日のみ。皆様、充実する一日一日を過ごしましょう。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

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

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

　The photo shows a white magnolia tree which is gradually losing its leaves. The leaves are about 10 cm long, which is large in a general plant. Late March is the season for human society to say goodbye to loved ones at company or school. The white magnolia tree blooms with tear-like white flowers as if to symbolize this loneliness. The leaves will be completely bald by today or tomorrow.

　The cold atmospheric air from the Asian continent has finally moved south, and it is now the season of snowfall in the northern mountainous areas of our Gumma Prefecture, including Mt. Tanigawa. Does she remember that when my eldest daughter was 10 years old, she and I climbed to the top of Mt. Tanigawa via Tenjindaira? On the other hand, on a different day, my second daughter, who was about 3 years old, we took a helicopter scenic flight to look down at the perpendicular cliff of Ichinokurasawa which is one of the peaks of Mt. Tanigawa. Does she remember? Both families will be spending the New Year holidays at my home, so I will ask them over a drink.

　Not change the subject, but today, December 7th, is one of the 24 solar terms "Taisetsu" which literally means deep snow in Japan. What on earth, currently, where on the orbit is our Earth floating in space?

　The answer can be found by looking at the southern constellations midnight. Currently, the sky above the Japanese archipelago is covered in a huge "Winter Diamond." The first-magnitude star Aldebaran shines to the right of it, That is meaning that we are currently in the direction of Taurus, one of the twelve zodiacal constellations. In the future, the Earth will pass in the direction of the brightest star, Sirius, on January 1st, then it moves in the direction of Gemini, also one of the twelve zodiacal constellations, which is ushering in mid-winter in Japan. There are only 25 days left this year. Let's live our days to the fullest.

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不思議な縁で繋がってる世の中

　昨日は穏やかな小春日和だったので、午後になってからお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」へ車で行き、喫茶室で寛ぐ前に、私は東に広がる広大な田畑へのウォーキングを始めました。最初はひたすら広い歩道を姿勢と呼吸に重きを置いて東へ向かって歩いてるうちに、実は、この道は、最後の職場で知り合い、親しくして戴いた今は亡き友人Ｔが眠る寺の方向に近づいてることに気づきました。結局、３０分ほど歩いて栗崎にある「地蔵寺」に着きました。

　墓石に手を当て、生前、彼が連れて行ってくれた四阿山、榛名の相馬岳、赤久縄山など県内各地の山々と、山頂での楽しい語らいを思い出しつつ、彼の明るい人柄と職場で一緒に過ごした往時を回顧しつつ、冥福を祈りました。実は、不思議なことですが、私は小学生の頃、この寺へは自転車でよく遊びに来たのです。というのは、私の一番上の姉が結婚してこの寺に住んでいたのです。姉も四半世紀以上前に亡くなりましたが、誠に「不思議な縁」です。

　その後、喫茶「さんぽ道」へ向かって引き返しました。しかし、距離があるのでなかなか着きません。結局、往復４Ｋほどのウォーキングとなり、再度「さんぽ道」に着いたとき喉も乾き、アイスコーヒーを戴きつつ、今日のウォーキングで墓参りをしてきたことをママさんに話しました。

　ところが、またもや「不思議な縁」を感じました。というのは、先程、墓参りしてきた私の亡き友人Ｔの名前を話したら、高校時代、山岳部に属してたママさんは山岳部員として彼に教わったというのです。しかし、恩師Ｔが亡くなっていたことは今日まで知らずにいたのです。彼女は私に寺の場所を訪ねていたので、墓前に参るとのことです。それにしても、世の中はいろいろに繋がってることを知った一日でした。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

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

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

　Yesterday was a mild, warm day, so to speak, as an Indian summer, so in the afternoon I went to my favorite coffee shop, "Sampo-michi," by my car. Before relaxing in the coffee shop, I started walking to the vast fields that spread out to the east. At first, I focused on my posture and breathing on the wide sidewalk. As I walked eastward, I realized that this road was actually approaching the direction of the temple where my late friend T who I met and became close to at my last workplace, rests. In the end, after about a 30-minute walk, I arrived at "Jizo-ji Temple" in Kurizaki-district.

　Placing my hand on the tombstone, I remembered the mountains around the prefecture that he had taken me such as Mt. Azumaya, Mt. Souma in Haruna, and Mt. Akakuna, and the fun conversations we had on the summits. I prayed for his soul to rest in peace, reminiscing about his cheerful personality and the times we spent together at workplace named Maebashi High School. Actually, it's strange, but I often came to this temple by bicycle when I was in elementary school student. That's because my eldest sister got married and lived here. My sister also passed away more than a quarter century ago, so that it is truly a "mysterious connection."

　Afterwards, I headed back toward the cafe "Sampo-michi." However, it was quite a distance, so it took quite a time to get there. In the end, it was a round trip of about 4km, and when I arrived at "Sampo-michi" again, I was thirsty so while drinking the iced coffee, told the owner that I had visited my friend's grave on my walk today.

　However, I once again felt a "mysterious connection." When I said the name of my late friend T whose grave I had visited, the owner said that she had learned about him as a member of the mountaineering club in high school. However, she didn't know until today that her mentor T had passed away. She had asked me where the temple was, she said she would visit the grave. It was a day that made me realize that this world is connected in many ways.

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初冬に日本列島頭上に来る「冬のダイアモンド」

　今夕5時に撮影しました月齢５の上弦の月です。右隣にランデブーとして「宵の明星」【金星】が出てますが、少々離れているのでカメラに一緒に収まりません。今日の午前中に両者は接近していたと想われます。

　上弦の月とは日に日に大きくなる月を言い、今回のように西に沈むとき弦が上になります。一方、下弦の月は満月以降、日に日に小さくなる月を言い、西の空に沈むとき弦が下になりますが、こちらは太陽光の明るさで西に沈むことが確認できません。

　初冬は空気が澄み、巨大な「冬のダイアモンド」が日本列島の頭上に広く覆いかぶさります。ダイアモンドは６個すべてが一等星です。最も下の最も明るい「シリウスが午前０時に真南に来る」と令和７年１月１日です。除夜の鐘が響くとき真南を見て確認してください。「地球が太陽とシリウスの間に入る瞬間」が新たな年です。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy and great music

　This photo is a waxing moon at 5 days old, photographed at 5 o'clock this evening in Japan. The "evening star" Venus appears to the right as a rendezvous with the moon, but it is a little far away so it cannot be captured by camera. It is thought that the two celestial bodies were close to each other this morning, I guess.

　A waxing moon grows larger day by day, and when it sets in the west, as in this case, its string is at the top. On the other hand, a waning moon grows smaller day by day after the full moon, and when it sets in the western sky, its string is at the bottom, but actually we cannot see setting in the west due to the brightness of the sunlight.

　Not change the subject, but in early winter, the air is clear, and the huge "Winter Diamond" hangs over the Japanese archipelago. All six diamonds are first magnitude stars. When the lowest and brightest "Sirius will come due south at midnight" by seeing in the Northern Hemisphere it is January 1st, 2025. Look due south to confirm when the bell rings. In other words, the new year begins at the moment when the revolving Earth comes between the Sun and Sirius."

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

毎日の買い物で、レジでのやり取りは楽しい

　庭では四季の移り変わりが見て取れます。写真は「源平枝垂れ」で、春には紅白二色に咲き分ける花桃です。ご覧の通り、すべての葉が落葉し、荒涼とした初冬の姿になってます。このため、蛇のようにくねった幹が目立ちます。私はこれから春までじっと我慢し、４ヶ月後の満開を夢見て、適度な水遣り、枝をそろえる剪定などします。

　ところで、一人暮らしでも、有難いことに窓を開けたままにしなければ室内は余り汚れず、掃除は比較的楽です。一方、健康維持のため三度三度の食事には栄養バランスの観点からしっかり準備します。基本的に人間とは、台所に立って段取りすることが生きる機能を失わせないと感じてます。

　「男子、厨房に入るべからず」などと昔気質の思想は通用しません。死んでしまいます。人間は男であろうと、女であろうと基本的には一人で生きていかなければなりません。つまり、食事、洗濯、掃除ができないと生活が送れません。その前に買いだめせず、毎日、スーバーで新鮮な食材、健康に良い食材探しです。最近はピリ辛のラッキョウが美味しくてたまりません。

　毎日スーパーに行くため、レジの女性とは顔なじみであり、周囲に失礼がない程度に必ず一言会話し、これが私の唯一の楽しみになってます。以前に、親しかったレジの女性が人事異動で他店へ行ってしまいました。しかし、１年ほどしたら戻って来たのでホッとし、私は「もう、どこへも行かないでね」と言ったら、周囲のレジがどっと笑いました。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in cooking and great music

　In the garden, we can see the change of four seasons. The photo shows the bicolor peach named Genpeishidare in our tongue, a flowering peach tree that blooms red and white in spring. As you can see, all the leaves have fallen, leaving it in a desolate early winter state. This makes the snake-like trunk stands out. From now on, I will be patient until next spring, dreaming of full bloom in four months, and will water it moderately and prune the branches to make them balanced.

　By the way, even if I live alone, the room doesn't get very dirty as long as I don't leave the windows open, so cleaning is relatively easy. On the other hand, to stay healthy, I prepare three meals a day carefully from the perspective of nutritional balance. I feel that humans do not lose their ability to live by standing in the kitchen.

　The Japanese old-fashioned idea that "men should not enter the kitchen" does not apply for me. I will die. Humans, whether male or female, basically have to live alone. In other words, if I can't cook, wash, and clean, I can't live. Before that, I try not to stock up, and look for fresh, healthy ingredients at the supermarket every day. Lately, I've been really into the deliciousness of spicy pickled "Rakkyo" radishes.

　Because I go to the supermarket every day, I'm familiar with lady cashiers and always make a quick conversation with her without being rude to others, and this has become my only source of enjoyment. One time, a cashier I was close to was transferred to another supermarket. However, she returned after about a year, which was a relief to me, so that I told her, "Don't go anywhere again," which caused the other cashiers to burst out in laughter.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

予想より、大分離れてましたね。

　暗くなったら、ランデブーは見えましたが、私の予想より互いに大分離れてますね。明日の晩は月が約１２°東に移動するので、今宵より近づくでしょう。しかし、月が金星の下になりそうな気配です。

　一方、地球照ははっきり見えてますね。これは地球上でも満月の晩は月明かりがあるのと同じ現象と考えられます。

Dear my friends as earthling

　When it got dark, the rendezvous was visible, but they are much farther apart than I expected. Tomorrow night, the Moon will move about 12° east, so it will be closer than tonight. However, it looks like that the Moon may be below Venus.

　On the other hand, the earthshine is clearly visible now. This can be thought of as the same phenomenon as the moonlight on Earth when there is a full moon.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

果たして、今夕、三日月と金星のランデブーが見られるか

　今夕１６時３０分頃から１８時頃まで、西南の空に三日月と金星のランデブーが見られるかもしれません。写真は以前のもので、今宵の配置は少々異なるでしょう。しかし、果たして、今宵ランデブーが見られるでしょうか。

　もちろん、ランデブーなので両天体が近づいて見えても、実際はものすごく離れています。地球と金星のほぼ間に月が来るということです。

　一方、三日月には上部の影の所がうっすら光って見える地球照が見られるかもしれません。あくまで私の想像ですが、インド洋に映る太陽光が月を照らしていると想います。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　This evening from around 4:30pm to 6pm you may be able to see a rendezvous of the crescent moon and Venus in the southwestern sky in Japan. The photo is previous, so tonight's arrangement will be a little different from this photo. But will we actually see the rendezvous this evening?

　Of course, because it's a rendezvous so that it will appear close, but in reality, it will be very far away each other. This means the Moon will be floating almost between the Earth and Venus in the space.

　Meanwhile, you may be able to see earthshine, where the shadow part at the top of the crescent moon appears to be glowing faintly. This is just my imagination, but I think it's sunlight's reflection from the Indian Ocean illuminating the moon surface.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

読売新聞（６・１２・４）「Wednesday ぐんま」に掲載

【紅葉と狂い咲きが同時のユキヤナギ】

　このブログにコメントをくださる「時計屋の隣りさん」の投稿文が本日の読売新聞「Wednesday　ぐんま」に掲載されました。時代の波にマッチした内容です。掲載誠におめでとうございます。

・・・・・テーマ「今年の漢字」ＳＮSの力「濤(とう)」・・・・・

「SNS」とはあまり縁のない生活を送っていたが、都知事選や兵庫県知事選などで、「SNS」の活用が選挙結果に大きな影響を与えたという報道に接し、関心を持つようになった。

「SNS」は、インターネット上で人と人をつなげ、関係をつくり交流できる仕組みであるが、使われ方によっては、敵対的な情報や意見を拡散させ、社会全体に影響を与え、迅速に世論を動かす力をも持っている。特に、選挙のような場面では、影響が顕著に現れることを知った。

　SNSの選挙利用は、かなり前からアメリカ大統領選などでも見られたが、私は、今年は日本における「SNS選挙元年」になったのではないかと感じている。

　まるで大波が押し寄せるように瞬く間に広がる「SNS」の情報の魔力的大きさは漢字一字で表すと、大波を意味する「濤」という漢字が適しているかもしれない。

　SNSの持つ力とその影響を理解し、情報を受け取る際には真偽の冷静な判断を心がけ、賢く活用したい。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in SNS

　I have never had to do with SNS, but I have become interested in it after reading reports that using SNS had a major impact on result of election held in Tokyo and Hyogo gubernatorial elections.

　SNS is a system that allows people to connect with each other online and build relationships and interact, but depending on how it is used, it can also spread hostile information and opinions, and it affects society as a whole and quickly moving public opinion. I learned that this impact is particularly noticeable in situations such as elections.

　The use of SNS in elections has been seen for some time, such as in the US presidential election, but I feel that this year may be the first year of SNS elections in Japan as well.

　The magical power of information on SNS, which spreads in the blink of an eye like a big wave, could be expressed in a single kanji character, ``tou'', which means big wave.

　I understand the power and impact of SNS, and we should use it wisely, while making a calm judgment of the truth when receiving information.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

少々早いけれど、クリスマスキャロルを弾く

　午後、暫くぶりに喫茶「さんぽ道」でホットコーヒーを戴きつつ、３０分ほど読書の時間にしました。その後、客がいなくなったと思い、暫くぶりにピアノを弾かせて戴きました。いよいよ１２月なので、少し早いですが、クリスマスソングのグローリア、もみの木、ホワイトクリスマス、もろびとこぞりて、ジングルベルなどと、定番の「雪が降る」を弾きました。

　実は、こんなチャンスを与えてくださったのはフェイスブック友人「あつこさん」のページのお陰で心より感謝しています。

　弾き終わって後ろを見たら、女性客が聴いていたので驚きました。「さんぽ道」は天井が高く、ドイツ製のピアノであるため演奏は良くなくても、音色はきれいに共鳴し、ママさんもよく聴いてくださいました。今度、機会があったらソプラノサクソフォンを演奏したい気持ちになりました。笛の音色というより、人の声に似た音色をめざし、練習を再開しよう。

Dear my overseas friends who like listening to music

　In the afternoon, I went to my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi" after a long time and enjoyed a hot coffee while reading a book written by Ms, Sono-Ayako for about 30 minutes. After that, I thought that there were no customers, so I played the piano for the first time in a while. It's December now, so it's a little early, but I played Christmas songs such as Gloria, Fir Tree, White Christmas, Joy to the World, Jingle Bells, and my favorite "Snow is Falling."

　Actually, I'm grateful to my Facebook friend "Atsuko-san" to the core for giving me this opportunity. By her page, I knew this cafe.

　After finishing playing the piano, I was surprised when I looked behind, there are lady customers listening to my performance. "Sampo-michi" has a high ceiling and the piano is made in Germany, so even though the performance is not good, the tone resonated beautifully and the mama-san listened carefully. In the future, if I have the chance, I'd like to play the soprano saxophone. I will resume practicing it, aiming for a tone quality that is more similar to a human voice than a flute.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

新紙幣を使うチャンスが少ない現代社会

【早くも春の開花を待つアセビ】

　７月に、新しいデザインの１万円札、５千円札、千円札が２０年振りに発行され、私はこれら新紙幣を使うのがもったいない程きれいに出来ているとその感想を昨日書きました。しかし、現代ではスーパーやコンビニ、ガソリンスタンドでの支払いに私はクレジットカードを使うので、最近は財布を持たなくなりました。ですから、実際に新紙幣を使う機会は意外と少ないです。

　一方、新紙幣の発行について、その識別に困るのは目の不自由な人たちです。お金ですから間違ったら大変と心配されることでしょう。紙幣には指で触れることによって、盛り上がりの形で識別する印があります。このため、新紙幣のそれぞれの違いを判別するのに最初は悩まれる想われます。識別マークは旧紙幣より分かりやすく改良されてるとのことですが、年数が経過すれば摩耗することもあり得るでしょう。今日から障害者週間です。

　先日、数枚の旧千円札の中に１枚だけ新千円札が入っていたとき、瞬間的に旧の五千円札が入ってるのかと戸惑いました。新紙幣は色彩的には良く出来ているので早く慣れたいです。年末になり、私には２～３回忘年会が控えているので、そこで使うことになります。新紙幣を間違ったら酔いが覚めてしまうので、飲み過ぎないようにします。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　In July, new designs of 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen bills were issued for the first time in 20 years, and I wrote yesterday that I thought these new bills were so beautifully made so that I felt wasteful to use them. However, these days I use credit cards to pay at supermarkets, convenience stores, and gas stations, so I no longer carry a wallet. Therefore, I actually have few opportunities to use the new bills.

　On the other hand, when new bills are issued, it is the visually impaired people who have trouble distinguishing them I guess. Since it is money, they will be worried about they wonder if make a mistake. The bills have a mark that can be distinguished by touching them with finger. For this reason, it is likely that at first it will be difficult to distinguish the differences between the new bills including old bills. The identification mark has been improved to be easier to understand than the old bills, but it tends to wear out over the years. Disability Week begins today in Japan.

　The other day, when I found a new 1,000 yen bill among several old 1,000 yen bills, I was confused for a moment, wondering if it was an old 5,000 yen bill. The new bills are well made in terms of color, so I hope to get used to them quickly. It's the end of the year, and I have two or three end-of-year parties coming up, so I'll use new bills there. If I drink wrong and mistake to pay, I'll end up sobering up, so I'll try not to drink too much.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

いつまでも維持したい情熱の心

　１２月からラジオ体操会がないので、今朝は７時過ぎまで寝坊してしまい、アクセス戴いてる方には心配をお掛けしました。このところ朝晩は寒冷でも、日中は小春日和の安定した天気が続いてます。しかし、一日一日が静かに過ぎつつ、今年の終わりに近づいてます。この一年、健康であったことに感謝しつつ、庭の真っ赤な植物たちのように、今後、情熱を持って暮らせたらと意気込んでます。

　私にとって、情熱とは「自らに課題があること」で、それに突き進む強い心が必要と思ってます。私の課題の一つは抗酸化作用のある「健康食材の研究」です。また、五感のうち特に視覚、聴覚、味覚などが衰えずに、いつまでも周囲の光景がはっきり見え、一人暮らしであっても、友人知人、近所の方々と楽しい会話が不自由なくできるよう「耳の健康」のため週一度は近くの耳鼻科で診察してもらってます。果たして、ピアノなど耳から入る美的感性をいつまでも培い、維持できるでしょうか。

　今年も大地震や洪水など自然災害が起こり、被害に遭われた方々は大変な事態でした。心より復興を願ってます。一方、嬉しかったことの一つに新１万円札、新５千円札、新千円札が発行され、初めて手にしたときは感動して、もったいなくて半分に折れませんでした。しかし、不思議なことに、時代の変遷でしょう。私自身、買い物では殆どクレジットカードによる支払いであり、新札を使うことは「飲み屋」へ行くときくらいです。飲み代を払うとき、初めは新札を使うのがもったいなかったです。もう慣れたので、また行ってみよう。

【日本文と英文に多少の差異があります。】

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　Because there is no radio gymnastics event since December, I overslept until after 7 this morning, and I'm sorry for worrying those who have accessed my site. Although it has been cold in the morning and evening recently, the weather has been stable like an Indian summer during the day. However, each day passes quietly as the end of this year approaches. I am grateful for my health this year, and I am determined to live my life with passion, like the bright red plants in my garden.

　For me, passion means "having a challenge for myself," and I need a strong will to push forward with it. One of my challenges is "researching antioxidant healthy ingredients." And I go to a nearby ENT doctor once a week to keep my ears and nose healthy so that I can see the scenery around me clearly. Even though I live alone, I'd like to have fun conversations with friends, acquaintances, and neighbors without any problems in ears, especially my sight and taste. Can I really maintain my aesthetic sensibility through playing piano from now on?

　This year, natural disasters such as major earthquake and flood have caused in Japan, and it has been a terrible experience for those who have been affected. I hope for a speedy recovery to the core. On the other hand, one thing that made me happy was the issuance of new 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and 1,000 yen bills. When I first held them in my hands, I was so moved that I didn't fold them in half because I didn't waste them. However, strangely enough, I guess this is a sign of the times. I almost always pay with my credit card when I shop, and only use new bills when I go to the favorite tavern named "Buku". When I first paid for drinks, I felt it was a waste to use the new bills. But now I'm used to it, so I'll go again as a year end party with thinking of together with you.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

ストレス解消法をいろいろ試みる

【金柑は３００コほど生ってます。画像をクリックし拡大してご覧ください。】

　ブログの英語版では度々、外国の方へ「自然や音楽が好きな方へ」と宛名を書いてます。自然とは、月や星座など天体の動きを季節の変化と共に感じたり、先史時代より悠久の時を超えて流れる一級河川の光景をじっくり眺めたり、四季折々、変容を見せる赤城、榛名、妙義、浅間など群馬の山々の景色を遠望し、また、色彩の異なる庭の花を見たり、紅葉する色合いを楽しんだり、写真の「金柑」など捥いで味わうと私たち人間のストレスは軽減するようです。どうぞ、金柑を捥ぎにいらして下さい。 

　今日から１２月。今年をまとめたり、私はこの年末を一人暮らしの寂しさで悩やまず、余分なことで心配せず暮らしたいです。昔より「病は気から」と言われ、つまり、気を揉むストレスが病の元凶になりやすいとも考えられます。そんなことで家の中に閉じこもり精神的に悩むより、庭に出て植物の剪定、水遣りなど樹木の世話や、日々太陽光に当たり、結果的に身体を動かすことが、延いては、空腹になって食事が美味しく、ストレス発散です。

　１２月は値上がりといわれてます。経済の原則は、多くの人がその物品に集中すると値上がりし、多くの人が興味を示さなくなると売るために値下がりします。値が安いこともストレス解消です。吉井ドリームセンターの入浴料２００円は本当に安く、ストレス解消どころか身も心も湯ったりします。食料品でも安くて身体に良いものを探すのは知恵であり、ストレス解消です。小春日和の青い空の下、青い愛車でドライブ方々、暫くぶりにドリームセンターのお風呂に入りに行ってみよう。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

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

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

　On the English version of this weblog, I often address messages to foreigners saying, "For those who love nature and music." When I feel the movement of celestial bodies such as the moon and constellations with the change of seasons, carefully gazing at the scenery of a first-class river like Karas River that has flowed since prehistoric times, looking at the scenery of Gumma's well-known mountains such as Akagi, Haruna, Myogi, and active volcano Mt. Asama that change the figure with the seasons, looking at garden flowers of different colors, enjoying the colors of autumn leaves, and picking and tasting kumquats such as in the photo seems to reduce our human's stress. Please come and pick kumquats. I look forward to seeing you.

　Today is the first day of December in 2024. I want to wrap up this year and spend the end of this year not worrying about the loneliness of living alone, and not worrying about unnecessary matters. It has been said since ancient times that "disease comes from the mind," which means that illness will be caused by worrying . Rather than we are worrying about things in the house, go out into the garden and take care of the trees by pruning and watering them, getting some sunlight every day, and ultimately getting some training which makes us hungry and the food tastes better, which relieves stress as well.

　They say that prices rise in December as markets. The rule of economics is that when many people are interested in a certain item, the price rises, on the contrary, when many people lose interest, the price falls because the seller wants sell. Low prices also help our stress. The bathing fee at Yoshii Dream Center is 200 yen for me, which is really cheap, and not only relieving stress, it also soothes both body and soul. Even when it comes to groceries, looking for cheap and healthy items is wise and relieves stress. Driving by my favorite blue car under the blue sky of today's Indian summer, I will go and take a bath at the Dream Center after a long interval.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...