厳しい状況下にある子供を把握

　「あなたとつくる子供たちの未来」のスローガンの下、上四地区パトロールの一員として地元・倉賀野小児童の交通安全・不審者対策を目標に実施してきました。早いもので今年度も今日で終わります。

　子供たちは明日からそれぞれ進級したり、６年生は中学生になり、来年度から「こうしたい」という夢が広がるときです。多くの子供たちにとって、今は「生き生きワクワク」するときでしょう。

　ところが実際には、そんな子供ばかりでなく、厳しい状況下に置かれてる子供もいます。現実の社会は厳しく、数年前の新型コロナ蔓延以来、子供たちはステイホームといわれ、外出が制限され、ソーシャルディスタンスという人間生活では考えられない言葉、会話の制限など、人とのつながりが希薄になりました。

　その上、家にいればネット上の虐め、場合によっては親の病気のためヤングケアラーであったり、逆に虐待やＤＶの被害、その上、社会問題化してる最近の物価高は大人だけでなく、これらの子供にも辛い状況が続いてます。

　このため、誠に残念なことに子供【小中学生】の自殺数が過去最高となり、昨年度は全国で５００名を越えたと伝えられます。何故、大人は救えないのでしょう。コロナ以降、今なお対面なしのため一人でいたり、心にキズを負ったままの子供を周囲の大人は発見できずにいるのです。本来「子供とは未来に希望を持ち輝いてる筈です。」政府はもちろん、県でも市でも私たち大人は、精神的に追い詰められ苦しんでる子供の状況を把握し、早急にきめ細かな対策を立て、実施していかねばならない今です。

Dear my friends who are crazy about real education for children and great music.

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

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

　Under the slogan "Making the future of our children together," I have been working as a member of the Kami-4th district patrol to ensure traffic safety and measures against suspicious people for the children of the local Kuragano Elementary School. Time flies and today is the last day of this academic year in Japan.

　Tomorrow, the children will advance to the next grade, and the sixth graders will become junior high school students. therefore, their dreams will expand in next academic year. For many children, now is a time to be "lively and excited beyond description".

　However, in reality, there are not only children like that, but also children who are in difficult situations beyond imagination. The real world is tough. As you notice, since the spread of COVID-19 a few years ago, children have been told to stay home, their outings have been severely restricted, and social distancing has restricted their words and conversations, which are unthinkable in human life, so that their connections with others have become weaker.

　In addition, if they are at home alone, they are subject to bullying online, and in some cases, they may be young carer because their parents are sick, or conversely, they may be victims of abuse and domestic violence. On top of that, the recent rise in prices in Japan, which has become a social problem, continues to cause difficulties not only for adults but also for these children.

　Unfortunately, because of this, the number of child suicides is now the highest it has ever been, reportedly exceeding 500 children nationwide last year. Why can't adults help them in advance? Since COVID-19, adults around them are still unable to discover children who are alone or who remain emotionally scarred due to the lack of face-to-face contact. In reality, "children are supposed to be shining with hope for the future." Now is the time for us adults, not only the national government but also prefecture and city governments, to understand the situation of children who are being pushed to the brink and suffering mentally, and adults should quickly come up with the implement detailed measures to help them.

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

レジ打ちの技術と心遣い・・・上毛新聞「みんなのひろば」より

　今日の上毛新聞(群馬県)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。内容についても多くの皆さんに共感を得るものでしょう。

　つきましては、群馬県外の皆様にもお読み戴きたく、ここに紹介いたします。

　　　　　　　　タイトル・・・レジ打ちの技術と心遣い・・・

　買い出しメモを片手にスーパーに行った日のことです。カゴにはトマトや豚バラ、食用油など、日常的な食材や調味料を無造作に入れました。それを持ってレジに進むと、店員さんが手際よく商品を仕分け、一つずつスキャナーに通しながら、整然とカゴに並べていきます。その流れるような動きは、まるで一つの美しい作業風景を見ているかのようで、私は思わずそのプロフェッショナルな技術に見入ってしまいました。

　会計後に受け取ったレシートを見ると、購入品が野菜、鮮魚、精肉、乳製品、加工品といった部門ごとに整理されていました。この工夫のおかげで、購入品の確認が一目瞭然。

　この一連の作業を見て感じたのは、“顧客の利便性を考えた心遣いと技術”でした。店員さんが整えた合理的なカゴ内の品物のレイアウトに参考にしながらレジ袋に品物を詰め直してみると、スムーズに整理できました。

　店員さんの迅速で確実なサービス対応が「またここで買い物をしたい」と心から思わせ、店舗の印象を大きく左右することを改めて実感しました。

脳が柔軟なときこそ大切

　明日は旧暦の３月3日「桃の節句」です。庭は、我が家の主役である「源平枝垂れ桃」が開花し、いよいよ紅白の一際、華やかな雰囲気になってきました。この樹木は次女の長女の誕生記念として植樹しました。生まれたときは１週間ほど実家である我が家で過ごしてましたが、その彼女も４月から小学５年生となり、今ではバスケットボールに精を出し、身長も大分伸びてきました。私としては影から応援してます。

　ずっと昔のことですが、実は私も倉賀野中学時代は音楽でなく、バスケットに明け暮れ、３年次はキャプテンで県大会に出場した思い出があります。成長期にたくさんジャンプしたお陰でしょうか、同級生の中では今でも身長は高い方です。どうやら孫娘も高くなる気配です。

　同時に、この「源平枝垂れ桃」のように周囲に優しくバランスのとれた内面も秘かに期待してます。この若いときこそ大切と感じることは英語にすんなり興味を持てるかどうかです。今では小学生で英語が教科としてあり、３ヶ月前のクリスマスプレゼントでは彼女に「小学英語辞典」を贈りました。それにしても、脳が柔軟な小学生のときから英語を学べる時代とは誠に羨ましい限りです。

　これから世界はますますボーダレスな時代です。今までのように試験のために勉強した時代から脱皮し、生活で英語が必要になります。将来、彼女が何を専攻しようと、何を職業に選択しようと英語でも表現できるように応援したい。

Dear my friends who are crazy about real English education and great music.

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

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

　Tomorrow is March 3rd, so the lunar calendar's "Peach Festival for girl in Japan." The main feature of my garden, the bicolored "Genpeishidare peach tree" has bloomed, and the garden is finally becoming a particularly gorgeous red and white atmosphere. I planted this tree to commemorate the birth of my second daughter's eldest daughter. When she was born, she spent about a week at my house, but she will be a fifth grade in next April, and now she is devoted to basketball, as the result, she has grown taller quite a bit. I'm cheering and supporting her.

　It was a long time ago, but in fact, when I was a student in Kuragano Junior High School, I was not into music, but was devoted to basketball day by day, and in my third year I became a captain and participated in the prefectural tournament. Perhaps because I jumped a lot during my growth period, so I am still taller than my classmates. It seems that my granddaughter will also be taller in the future.

　At the same time, I secretly hope that she will have a kind and balanced inner like this "Genpeishidare peach tree." What I feel is indispensable at this young age is whether or not she can easily become interested in English. English is now a formal subject in elementary school, so that three months ago I gave her an elementary school English dictionary as a Christmas present. I am truly envious of the age in which she can learn English from elementary school, when her brain is still flexible.

　As we notice, the world is becoming increasingly borderless from now on. Students will move away from the era of studying for exams and will need English in their daily lives and work. Whatever her major or career in the future, I want to support her so as to be able to express her thoughts and impressions in English.

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

世の中、捨てたものではない

【写真をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。ピントが合います。】

　写真は満開になったので、多くの人に見て戴くため前の道近くに移した「東洋錦」です。この植物は正式名の響きは可哀そうですが、一般的にボケと言います。このような二色咲きは「東洋錦」と命名されてます。紅白で枝ぶりにバランスが取れ、観賞する私に「心にバランスやゆとりを持ちなさい」と示しているようです。これから暫く咲いてますので、高崎などお近くの方は見にいらして下さい。駐車場完備です。

　ところで、気象ですが、今日からシベリア寒気団が日本列島を覆うと伝えられてます。最近の暖かさで、私は春用の衣服にしましたが、今朝は冬用に戻しました。皆さんも体調管理をしっかり行い、風邪の症状が出ないようにしてください。

　実は、昨日ちょっと嬉しいことがありました。それは昔はなかったことですが、消費税のため、おつりとして１円玉が増えて増えて、昨日は４０個も貯まってました。また、５円玉も８個ほどありました。さあ、「これらをどうするか」と考えた挙句、近くのコンビニに行って「よし、今宵は大きいワンカップにしよう」と都合のよい事を考え、一円玉をすべて持って買いに行きました。

　結果的に、今の世の中はそれほど心配は不要でした。値段は消費税込みで２５９円でしたので、コンビニの支払機の小銭入れにたくさんの一円玉や５円玉などすべてたら、何と、機械があっという間に計算しました。心配がいとも簡単に解決です。このため、夕食の一杯は予想を超えて美味しく飲め、欲を言えば、友人と飲みたかったです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about drinking with me and great music.

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

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

　The photo shows the "Toyo Nishiki" that was moved by me near the path in front so that many people can see it now that it is in full bloom. This plant's official name sounds sad because the pronunciation like a senility in our tongue, but it is commonly called "Japanese quince". This type of two-colored flower is named "Toyo Nishiki" in our tongue. The red and white of the branches are balanced, therefore it seems to be telling me, who is admiring it, to "have balance and relaxed in my mind". It will be blooming for a while, so if you are in Takasaki-city or nearby including NZ, please come and see it. Parking is available.

　By the way, regarding the weather, it is forecast that the Siberian cold air mass will cover our Japanese archipelago from today. Due to the recent warm weather, I changed into spring clothes, but this morning I changed back to winter clothes. Everyone, please take good care of your health and avoid getting cold symptoms.

　Actually, something made me happy yesterday. This didn't happen in the past, but because of the consumption tax, the number of 1 yen coins I received as change has increased at my home, and yesterday I had saved up 40 of them. I also had about eight 5 yen coins. So, after thinking "what should I do all of these", I went to a nearby convenience store and decided to get a large One Cup Japanese sake tonight" and bought one with all my 1 yen coins.

　As it turned out, in today's world there was no need to worry so much. The price was 259 yen including consumption tax, so I entered all my 1 yen coins and 5 yen coins into the convenience store's payment machine, and as soon as I entered them the machine, it calculated the amount instantly. My worries were easily resolved. Because of this, my dinner drink was more delicious than I expected, and if I feel greedy, I would have liked to drink it with you who are a Facebook friend.

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

私が喫茶「さんぽ道」へ自然と足が向く理由

　今の地に引っ越して来たとき、亡父が植えた八重桜があり、６０年経った今でも毎年４月中旬に開花です。一方、昨秋、私は埼玉県花園町で「枝垂れ桜の幼木」を手に入れました。果たして、今春少し咲くでしょうか。今後、年数の経過と共に咲くと期待してます。いよいよ３月も終盤となり、気温がぐっと上がってきました。でも、未だ未だ寒の戻りがあったり、朝晩は寒いこともあるので油断できません。気温に対する体調管理が必要な時季です。

　ところで、年を重ねると自立の能力を維持することは精神的に肉体的に容易ではありません。特に、本当に親しくしてくれた友人を数年前に亡くした私はそれに打ち勝つことが簡単ではありません。彼とは最後の職場で一緒だったのです。実は、私がブログを英語でも書いてるのは英語に堪能であった彼の影響があります。彼はニュージーランドの高校で教えていた経験があります。

　ところが、世の中とは不思議なものです。私がちょいちょい気晴らしに行ってる喫茶「さんぽ道」のママさんが高校時代に山岳部の顧問であった彼に教わったというのです。これには本当にびっくりしました。そして３年間、登山部員として彼の指導の下、多くの山々へ登ったというのです。一体この繋がりは何でしょう。

　私の親友Ｔの教え子であるからでしょう。ママさんは、私から見ると温厚だった彼の人柄に似てるところがあります。このためかもしれません。私は喫茶「さんぽ道」へ自然と足が向き、精神的にリラックスできるのかもしれません。写真の桜は今ここに咲いてます。

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

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

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

　When my family moved to this place, there was a double cherry tree planted by my late father, and even after 60 years, it still blooms every year in mid-April. On the other hand, last fall I got a young weeping cherry tree in Hanazono-town, Saitama Prefecture, so I wonder if it will bloom a little this spring. At any rate, I hope that it will bloom as the years go by. March is finally coming to the end, and the temperature has risen sharply. However, we cannot guard ourselves as there are still cold and it will still be cold in the mornings and evenings. This is the season when we need to manage our health in relation to the changeable temperature.

　Not change the subject, but as we get older, it is not easy mentally or physically to maintain the ability to be independent in daily life. It is especially difficult for me to recover from mental chock. I lost a really close friend a few years ago. Late Mr. Todokore and I were working together at the same high school in Maebashi at the end. In fact, the reason I write on Facebook in English is because of his influence, who was a fluent speaker in English. He has experienced teaching at a high school in New Zealand.

　However, the world is a strange place. The owner of "Sampo-michi," a cafe that I often visit for relaxation, told me that she was taught by him when she was in high school in Takasaki-city, when he was the advisor for the mountaineering club. I was truly surprised by this relation. Therefore she climbed many mountains under his guidance as a member of the mountaineering club for three years. What on earth, is this connection?

　It may be because she was a student of my best friend Mr. Todokoro. From my perspective, the owner of the cafe has some similarities to his gentle personality. Perhaps this is the reason why I naturally go to "Sampo-michi," a cafe where I can relax mentally. The cherry blossoms in the photo are currently in full bloom at this cafe.

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

　　

今日も喫茶「さんぽ道」でリラックス

　今日、午後３時過ぎに一週間ぶりにお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で１時間ほど過ごしました。美味しい柚子湯を戴きつつリラックスできました。ママさんのお父さんやママさんとも話ができ、通奏低音のような孤独感から解放でき充実した時間が持てました。

　最初、客がいなかったので１５分位ピアノを弾かせてもらっているうちに、女性客が一人見えたので、これはラッキーと思いつつ、早速いつもの「恋人よ」を前奏入りでホ短調で、「雪が降る」を二短調でしっとり寂しく弾いてみました。アップライトのため女性の表情は見えませんでした。

　続いて、ママさんの母校校歌をどうしたことか変ホ長調で弾き始めてしまったら、左手の伴奏和声にちょっと戸惑いました。途中で止めることもできないので続けました。ママさんも喜んでいました。トマトを６個買って帰りました。

Dear my friends who like your alma mater song

　Today, after 3pm, I spent about an hour at my favorite cafe, "Sampo-michi," for the first time in a week. I was able to relax while enjoying a delicious yuzu citron drink. I was able to talk with the owner's father and the owner, therefore, I was able to free myself from the feeling of loneliness that was like a basso continuo. So I had a fulfilling time.

　At first, there were no customers, so I played the piano for about 15 minutes, and then a lady customer came. I thought this is a one in a million chance, so I immediately played my usual "Koibito yo" that means sweetheart with in E minor, and "Yuki ga Furu" in D minor, soft and lonely. I couldn't see the lady's expression due to the upright piano.

　Next, I started playing the school song of the owner's alma mater in E flat major for some reason, and was a little confused by the accompaniment harmony in the left hand. I couldn't stop halfway, so I continued. The owner was also happy, I guess. I bought six tomatoes to take home.

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

旧・桃の節句に合わせて咲く源平枝垂れ桃

　
　梅の花はすでに散り、昨日の大風でハクモクレンの花も半分以上が落ちました。ここでいよいよ私の番であると登場してきたのが、写真上の品種名・東洋錦(紅白２色咲き)の木瓜(ボケ)です。写真では花が赤いですが、他の枝には白も咲いてます。未だ２分咲きですから、よく咲いたらすべてをアップします。

　一方、写真下は４ヶ日後に迫った「旧・桃の節句」にちゃんと合わせて咲く花桃が今朝から咲き出しました。実は、これは庭に種が零れて生えたもので、親は未だ咲いてないのに子供が先に咲き出しました。この桃の品種名は「源平枝垂れ」です。10日ほど前に昨年の開花をこのページに載せたことがあります。

　昨年の開花後、庭に入るとすぐ見える場所に植え替えました。親は紅白の二色なのに、子供は１本の木に赤・白・絞りの３色咲きです。いまのところ、未だ１分咲きです。今年はいっそう見応えがあると思いますので、お近くの方は、ぜひ、いらして直接ご覧ください。実は私が一番力を入れてるのは花桃なのです。

　今日は風もなく、大安なので愛車で群馬の花の名所を巡って来ます。助手席には大切なフェイスブック友人の方が載ってるつもりで丁寧な運転を心掛けます。また、最近の黄砂に負けず、車の塗装面はシャンプー後できれいです。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about driving for sightseeing and great music.

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

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

　The plum blossoms have already fallen, and yesterday's strong winds have caused more than half of the white magnolia flowers to fall. Now, as if she said "It's my turn to show up", and the Toyo Nishiki variety (bicolor blooms red and white) in the photo above has come out. In the photo, the flowers are red, but the other branches have also white. They are only half in bloom now, so I will upload all of them when she is fully in bloom.

　Meanwhile, in the photo below, as you know a flowering peach tree will bloom just in time for the "old Peach Festival for girls" in four days, has started to bloom since this morning. In fact, this peach tree grew from a seed that was spilled in the garden. This baby tree started to bloom before the parent tree had yet to bloom. The name of this peach variety is "Genpeishidare". I posted a photo of last year's blooming on this page about 10 days ago.

　After last year's blooming, I replanted her in a place where she can be seen immediately when you enter the garden in the near future. The parent tree is red and white, but the baby tree is red, white, and striped, blooming in three colors on one tree. For now, they are only 10% in bloom. I think this year will be even more spectacular beyond expectation, so if you're in the area, please come and see her for yourself. In fact, this is Just between you and me and lamppost, What I'm making the most effort is the peach blossoms.

　Today is not windy, different from yesterday and it's the traditional Japanese lucky day called "Taian", so I'm going to drive around Gumma's famous flower spots by my favorite car as you see in the photo. I'll drive carefully, imagining that a dear Facebook friend is in the passenger seat. Also, despite the recent yellow sand, the paint on my car is clean after shampooing, so don't worry.

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

強風に黄砂が加わり大気は大混乱

　今日の群馬県地方は強風の一日です。このため大陸から飛来してる黄砂はいっそう巻き散らされ、窓から見る名峰・榛名山もぼやけてます。ところで、今朝、画像でお示しした西洋シャクナゲは強風により土台から落ちてしまい、発見したときには１m下で横になってました。

　すぐに持ち上げたとろ、幸い枝や花に損傷はなくホッとし、元の場所に置きましたが、風は依然として強いです。このように春は意外と強風のことがあり、この気候の変動に、私たちも嗽などで体調管理をしっかりしなくてはなりません。

　しかし、私の予想では、この強風も深夜には収まるでしょう。昔からの言い伝えで、「大風と夫婦喧嘩は夜中には収まる」と言われてます。明日は大丈夫でしょう。

Dear my friends

　It's a windy day in our Gumma Prefecture today. This has caused even more yellow sand from the continent to be blown around, and blurring the famous Mt. Haruna seen from the window. By the way, this morning the Western rhododendron shown in the picture fell off its base due to the strong wind, so that when I found it, it was lying down about one meter below.

　I quickly picked it up, fortunately there was no damage to the branches or flowers, so I was relieved and put it back in its original place, but the wind is still strong ruthlessly. As you can see, spring can be surprisingly windy, and with this change in weather, we need to take care of our health by such as gargling, etc..

　However, I expect that the strong wind will calm down by midnight. There is an old saying that "strong wind and marital quarrel will calm down by midnight." Tomorrow will be fine, I guess.

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

今の時季、暫く続く黄砂現象

昨日は、大陸のタクラマカン砂漠やゴビ砂漠からと想われる黄砂に悩まされた方は多かったことでしょう。一日中晴れてましたが、いつも見えてる故郷の原風景である上毛三山が全く見えませんでした。目がしょぼしょぼし、いくら瞬きしても治りません。私は若いのでしょうか。眼科医の話では「目を水道水で洗うのは良くない」とのことです。しかし、応急処置として自己判断で、お湯でさらっと洗い、その後、目薬で対応してました。今朝は大丈夫です。

　一方、今朝５時に窓を開け、南東の方向にある月齢２７の下弦の月は、ご覧の通り、水平線近くにあることから黄砂によりその輪郭がはっきりしてません。私の拙い考えでは、黄砂が今の季節にやって来る理由は「シベリアからの冷たい高気圧と暖かい太平洋高気圧の勢力が均衡してる今、その間を縫って「南西からの貿易風に乗って」遠く日本列島にやって来るのでしょう。

　この現象は今に始まったわけではなく、黄砂は平安時代も飛んでいたと考えられます。春は曙や、朧月夜や春霞などの風流な季語たちの背景には実は当時から黄砂の飛来があったと考えられます。

　ところで、庭では西洋シャクナゲが本格的に咲き始め、大きな植木鉢で咲いてるので、私は前の道近くまで運び、道を通る人にお見せしてます。大輪で赤のため遠くからも目立ちます。花の近くでしばらく眺めてる方もいます。種類の多いシャクナゲですから、開花したら順に写真でアップいたします。お近くの方は見にいらして下さい。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about natural phenomenon and great music the same as me.

　Yesterday, many people living in Japan were troubled by yellow sand, which is thought to come from the Taklamakan Desert or Gobi Desert on the Asian continent. Though it was sunny all day, I couldn't see the well-known three mountains in Gumma Prefecture, which are the original landscape of my hometown that I can always see. My eyes are watery, and no matter how much I blink, it doesn't get better. Maybe I'm young. My ophthalmologist (oculist) told me that it's not good to wash our eyes with tap water. However, as a first aid measure, I decided to wash my eyes lightly with hot water and then use eye drops. I'm fine this morning without any problems.

　On the other hand, when I opened the window at 5am this morning, the waning moon which is 27 days old and located in the southeast, is as you can see, close to the horizon, so its outline is obscured by the yellow sand, I guess. In my humble opinion, the reason yellow sand comes at this season of year is because the cold high pressure from Siberia and the warm high pressure in the Pacific Ocean are in balance, therefore it weaves between them and comes to the faraway Japanese archipelago on the trade winds from the southwest.

　This phenomenon is not only new, but it is thought that yellow sand was flying around during the Heian period about one thousand years ago. It is thought that yellow sand has been flying around. we read these elegant seasonal words such as "spring dawns," "hazy moonlit night," and "spring haze in literature.

　Not change the subject, but the Western rhododendrons in the garden have started to bloom in earnest, and as they are blooming in a large flowerpot, so I have carried them to near the front way to show it to people passing by. Their large red flowers stand out from afar. Some people stand close to the flowers and admire them for a while. There are many varieties of rhododendrons, so I will upload photos of them as they bloom. If you are in the area including NZ, please come and see them.

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

今朝、起床したら驚きが二つ

【画像をクリックすると明瞭になります。】

三月下旬となり、白のハクモクレンや雪柳と共に、今度はあちこちで黄色が加わり始め、庭はいよいよ色彩豊かになりつつあります。写真上は枝垂れレンギョウで、枝ぶりに優しさがあります。これも亡父が６０年前に植えたものが命を繋いでおり、有難く感じます。こんな季節に花を見ながらテーブルを囲み、フェイスブック友人とお茶を飲みつつ「人間の楽しみについて、また、音楽談義をしたら、どんなに楽しいことでしょう。

　ところで、今朝、起床して驚いたことが二つあります。朝から空はよく晴れているのに、上毛三山など遠くの山々が全く見えません。これが鼻や目に良くない、延いては肺に良くない「大陸の砂漠から飛来してきてる黄砂」です。昨日私は一日中、咳が出ました。今日、外出するとき珍しくマスクをします。

　今朝、起床して驚いたもう一つの事は、暫く停滞気味だった米国経済ダウとナスダックがかなりの上昇です。何か心身の緊張が解れ、ゆったりして血圧がぐっと下がる感じです。近年、近所の奥さんのお父様が１００才で亡くなられましたが、「長寿の原因は何でしたでしょう」と尋ねたところ、彼女は開口一番「株をしてました。」とのことです。やはり「期待感が心身によい」のかもしれないと感じました。私は株はしてませんが、米国ハイテク企業やIT関連の企業など新興企業が占めるナスダックに高い関心があります。

　今日は近くで大売出しがあります。黄砂に気をつけながら、抗酸化作用の強いトマトなど野菜の買い出しに頑張ります。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about world economy and great music.

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

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

　It's late March, and along with the white of the magnolia and snow willow, yellow flowers are now starting to appear here and there, and the garden is becoming more and more colorful. The photo above shows a weeping forsythia with its gentle branches. This was also planted by my late father 60 years ago and is still alive, so I feel grateful. By the way, how fun it would be to sit around the table looking at the flowers in this season, drinking tea with Facebook friends including you and talking about the joys of human beings and music.

　Not change the subject but when I woke up this morning, I was surprised by two things. Although the sky was clear from the morning, I couldn't see the distant mountains, such as the well-known three mountains in Gumma Prefecture. This is the "yellow sand flying in from the desert on the continent," which is not good for our nose or eyes, and even for the lungs. Yesterday, I had a cough all day. Today, when I go out, I will wear a mask which is unusual for me.

　Another thing that surprised me when I woke up this morning was the considerable rise in the US Dow and Nasdaq, which had been stagnant so far. I feel like my body and mind are released, I feel relaxed, and my blood pressure seems to drop. Recently, the father of a woman in my neighborhood passed away at the age of 100. When I asked her what the cause of his longevity was, she said at once was, "He invested in the stock market." I feel that perhaps it's because of the sense of expectation that is good for the body and mind. I don't invest in stocks, but I am very interested in the Nasdaq, which is dominated by emerging companies such as US high-tech and IT-related companies.

　Today there is a big sale nearby. I'll do my best to buy tomatoes and other vegetables which have strong antioxidant properties, while being careful of the yellow sand.

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

孤食に慣れましたが、脱皮もしたい。

　孤食が既に２０年も続いてます。つまり、２０年×３６５日×３回ですから２万２千回以上で、よく続いたものです。寂しい環境に慣れてしまいました。

　良い点は「人に頼らず生きている」ことで、衣食住と経済は自らの考えで、工夫しつつ自由にやってます。今夜はご覧の「もちもちした餃子」で一杯やる予定です。

　餃子はつまみにもなるし、食事にもなる便利なものです。これに大好きなお刺身なども加わり、今宵はウィスキーのお湯割りです。

　人間生活として「欠くべからざる会話」がないことが私の日常生活の欠点です。このため、可能な限り地区の人たちとの交流に努めてます。本心はフェイスブックのオフ会を我が家でやりたいです。どんなに楽しいことでしょう。二次会はピアノバーで歌が歌えます。

Dear my FB Friends

　I've been eating alone for 20 years now. That is, 20 years x 365 days x 3 times, so more than 22,000 times which is amazing. I've gotten used to the lonely environment.

　The good thing is that I'm "living without relying on others," and I'm free to think about and devise ways to provide for my food, clothing, shelter, and finances. Tonight I'm planning to have a drink with the "Gyoza" that means Chinese meat-and-vegetable flied dumplings" you see in the photo.

　"Gyoza" dumplings are convenient because they can be used as both a snack and a meal. I'll add my favorite sliced raw fish sashimi to this, and tonight I'll have hot whiskey.

　The lack of "indispensable conversation" in human life is a drawback of my daily life. For this reason, I try to interact with people in my area as much as possible. In reality, I'd like to hold a Facebook offline meetup at my house to the core including Ms. Sarah from NZ. How much fun it would be. The after-party will be at a piano bar where you can sing with being accompanied by me.

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

体調を崩しやすい今の時季

【上からラッパ水仙、左は開花した西洋シャクナゲ、右はサクランボ】　

　春分の日が過ぎましたが、完全な春になってるわけでなく、この時季は未だ未だ三寒四温が繰り返されます。冷たい北の高気圧と暖かい南の高気圧に左右される日本列島に住む私たちは体調を崩しやすい季節です。それはスギやヒノキ、ブタクサの花粉が大気に浮遊し、その上、現在、大陸から黄砂がやって来てます。

　先日、群馬県吉井町の高台に行ったら、空はよく晴れているのに、浅間山をはじめ上毛三山や周囲の峰々が埃のような色の大気で全く見えません。これが黄砂です。車を外に出したままではボンネットの上などがかなり汚れます。ですから、今の季節は花粉にプラスし、黄砂により目や鼻に辛い症状が出やすいときです。

　という私も、ついうっかりして2日ほど前「うたた寝」をしたのでしょう。結果として身体が冷え、その後、体調不良が続いてます。肺を使う管楽器奏者や声楽家はこのような風邪の症状は大敵です。夜中に咳が出たりしました。

　このため、今朝は今までにない対策を実践してみました。それは体温より温かな白湯を作って飲んでみたところ、すぐに体中がポカポカしてきました。調べてみると、白湯には、冷え性を改善する効果、血行促進の効果などがあるといわれます。その作り方は簡単で、ミネラルウォーターなら電子レンジやポットで50℃前後になるまで温めれば良いとされてます。早朝に暫く続けてみます。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about the way of health, and great music.

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

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

　The Vernal Equinox day has passed, but it is not yet completely spring, and three cold days and four warm days are still repeated at this season. Living in the Japanese archipelago, which is affected by cold high pressure in the north and warm high pressure in the south, this is a season when we are prone to getting sick. This is because pollen from cedar, cypress, and ragweed floats in the air, and on top of that, yellow sand is currently coming from the continent.

　The other day, when I went to a hill in Yoshii-Town, Gumma Prefecture, the sky was clear, but I could not see the active volcano Mt. Asama, the well-known three mountains of Gumma Prefecture, and the surrounding peaks at all because of the dust-colored air. This is yellow sand. If you leave your car outside, the top of the hood will get very dirty. So, this season, in addition to the pollen, yellow sand is likely to cause painful symptoms in our eyes, nose, and throat.

　By the way, I must have accidentally taken a nap about two days ago. As a result, my body got cold, and I have been feeling unwell ever since. For wind instrument players and vocalists who use their lungs, these cold symptoms are a major enemy to perform. I even had a cough in the middle of last night.

　For this reason, I tried a new strategy this morning. I made hot water that was warmer than body temperature and drank it, and my whole body immediately felt warm. After researching, I found that hot water is said to be effective in improving sensitivity to cold and promoting blood circulation. It's easy to make; if you're using mineral water, all you need to do is heat it in the microwave or a pot until it reaches around 50°C. I'll try doing this method for a while early in the morning.

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

いよいよ年度末・・・今日は地区総会です。

　今日の写真はたまたま３つとも白いものになってしまいました。年度末の今、人間社会では転勤であったり、卒業であったり、別れの季節です。この時季に咲くハクモクレンは親しかった人との分かれを惜しみ、悲しさ、寂しさを表す植物と聞いたことがあります。昨日は、春らしい一日でパッと咲きましたが、花の命は短く、もうすぐ花弁が涙の如く舞い落ちます。

　一方の雪柳は小さい株でしたが、今では四方に２mほどの幅があり、特徴はふんわりと枝垂れ、花の命は比較的長いです。ただ、咲いてる数は数万でしょう。亡父が６０年ほど前に植えたもので、その後、私が前の道を通る人に良く見えるように今の場所に移植しました。正に「白とは何か」を教えるように純白で、汚れた私の心にもっと純粋に生きなさいと暗示してるかのようです。

　月は今朝５時ごろ窓を開けたら南の空にあり、思わずシャッターを切りました。月齢２４の下弦の月です。日に日に約１２°ずつ太陽の方向に近づいてます。普段は考えてもみませんが、私たちも、このように「真っ暗な宇宙空間」に浮かぶ地球に載ってあれこれしながら生きてます。花の命も短いですが、人間の命も短いものです。しかし、人間は、実に「様々なことに夢中になれる生き物」なので、年齢を増してもいろいろのことに挑戦したいです。そうすれば人生は豊かで長く感じられるでしょう。

　今日は倉賀野町上４地区の総会が開かれます。私は地区役員として地区の方々との交流を広めつつ、会計監査の仕事があるので任務を果たしたいです。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about new encounter and great music.

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

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

　Three photos I took early this morning happened to be white. It's the end of the school year now in Japan, so that in human society, it's the season of transfers, graduations, and farewells. I've heard that the white magnolia in the photo that blooms at this time of year is a plant that expresses sadness and loneliness, as it is a sign of regret when parting with loved acquaintances. Yesterday was a spring-like day, therefore it bloomed suddenly, but the flower's life is short, and the petals will soon fall like human's tears.

　On the other hand, the snow willow was a small stalk, but now it is about 2m wide on all sides, has soft drooping branches, and the life of this flowers is relatively long. However, there must be tens of thousands flowers in bloom now. My late father planted it about 60 years ago, and later I transplanted it to the current location so that people passing by in front of the path could see it well. It is pure white, as if it is teaching me what "white" is, and is hinting at my polluted heart to live more purely.

　Not change the subject, but when I opened the window around 5am this morning, the moon was in the southern sky, and I couldn't help but take a picture of it. It was a waning moon at 24 days old. Every day the moon gets about 12° closer to the sun. We don't usually think about it, but we too live our lives on this Earth which is floating in the "pitch-black space" of outer space. The life of a flower is short the same as the life of a human. However, humans are truly "creatures that can become passionate about many different fields," so I would like to continue challenging myself with many different things even as I get older. That way, our life feel abundant and longer.

　Today is the general meeting of Kuragano-town Kami 4th District. As a district officer, I would like to expand my interactions with the people in the district, while also fulfilling my duties as an accounting auditor.

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

もうすぐ今年度も終わり、反省のとき

【逆さまになって梅の蜜を吸い、懸命に生きるメジロ】　

　光陰矢の如し。今年度もあと一週間になりました。この一年、私に目に見える進歩はありませんでしたが、一人暮らし故、最も気を配っていることは「健康維持」の方法であり、併せて「認知症を避ける工夫」です。実はこれは万人に共通してることで、すでに先達が実践してることを参考に自らも実践してます。果たして継続でき、回避できるでしょうか。

　前者に対しては、毎日、鼻の通りを良くし、体内に十分な酸素を取り入れられるよう鼻洗浄の励行です。これは塩分濃度０.９％のぬるま湯でします。また、温かな時間帯に適度なスピード、適度な距離でウォーキングし、「血流の良さ」をめざします。早朝の空腹時に飲むトマトジュース、又は人参ジュース、あるいはグレイブフルーツジュースはすでに８年間ほど継続してます。これらは各内臓に対し、抗酸化作用があります。

　後者に対しては、日々「記憶力に挑戦」です。今や６５才以上で認知症の人は２０％、つまり、５人に1人と言われてます。私の年令はもう少し上ですから、確率はもっと高くなります。

　最近気が付きましたが、素晴らしい人との邂逅が「脳のために」とても良いと感じます。私は最近、るんちゃんと知り合ってからお陰で気持ちが明るくなりました。今後も、フェイスブックやブログを続け、大した内容は書けませんが、創造性に繋がると感じてます。コメントをお待ちしてます。

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

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

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

　Surprisingly, time flies. There is only one week left the academic year in Japan. I have not made any visible progress this year, but due to living alone, what I pay the most attention to is how to "maintain health" and also "ways to avoid senile dementia." In fact, this is something that everyone has in common, and I practice it myself, referring to what our predecessors have already done. Can I continue and avoid senile dementia?

　For the former, I practice nasal irrigation every day to improve nasal passage and take in enough oxygen into the lungs. I do this with lukewarm water with a salt concentration of 0.9%. I also walk at a moderate speed and distance during warm hours, aiming for "smooth blood circulation." I have been drinking tomato juice, carrot juice, or grapefruit juice on an empty stomach every early in the morning for about eight years so far. As you know, these have an antioxidant effect on each internal organs.

　For the latter, I am challenging my memory every day by memorizing English vocabularies. It is said that 20% of people over 65 years old now have dementia, that is, one in five people. I'm a little older than this age now, so the chance is higher beyond imagination.

　I've recently realized that encountering wonderful people is very good for the brain. Since I met Run-chan recently, I've felt a lot brighter thanks to her. I'll continue using Facebook and blogging, and although I can't write splendid contents much, I feel it will lead to creativity. I hope your comments.

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

将来に展望が持てる社会に

  　　

　今日は春らしい一日になりそうです。今朝、庭に出て撮影したラッパ水仙、雪柳、ハクモクレンです。自称「カッキー梅林」は満開の峠を過ぎ、１ヶ月間続いた紅梅たちのピンクの風景から、庭は次第に黄色や白に変化してきました。ラッパ水仙は、恰も保育園の子供たちのように、にこにこして一斉にこちらに顔を向けてます。

　ところが、日本の子供の出生数は年々減り続け、初の１００万人割れから８年も経たない昨年はついに７０万人程と急速に減り、少子化に歯止めがかかりません。今のままの少子化対策では成果が見られません。女性の就業率が上がることはとても良いことです。しかし、問題は「改善されない労働環境」と考えられ、低賃金の他に、例えば人手不足の職場の場合、産休や育休が取り難くいことも考えられます。

　これについては国の政策の他に、職場はもちろん、社会が一丸となり、日本人の問題として、この少子化に歯止めをかけなくてはなりません。

　このため、少しでもこれを解決する力になろうと、私たち倉賀野小の交通パトロール隊は、今まで下校時を中心に通学路と信号機付近で交通指導を行ってましたが、４月からパトロールの時間帯を登校時に変更することにしました。そして、会社勤めしてる「母親たちの朝の旗振り」を少なくしました。働く若い母親たちのための改善は、あらゆる社会で協力したいものです。

Dear my friends who are interested in measures for the declining birthrate, and great music.

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

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

　It looks like a spring-like day today. I went out to the garden this morning and took photos of daffodils, snow willows, and white magnolias. The so-called "Kakky Plum Grove" has passed the peak of full blossom, and the garden is gradually changing from the pink scenery of red plums that lasted for a month to yellow and white. The daffodils are all smiling and looking at me like kindergarten children.

　However, as you notice, the number of children born in Japan continues to decrease year by year, and last year was less than eight years ago when it first fell below one million, it finally dropped rapidly to about 700,000, and the declining birthrate is not being stopped still now. The declining birthrate can not brake. We can not achieve the result of anti-declining birthrate as it was. It is a very good thing that the employment rate of women is increasing. However, the problem is thought to be "unimproved working conditions." In addition to low wages, for example, in case of workplaces with a labor shortage, it is also possible that it is difficult to take maternity leave or childcare leave.

　In addition to national policies, society as a whole, including workplaces, must come together to tackle the declining birthrate as a problem for all Japanese people.

　To that end, in an effort to help in any way we can think this issue, the Kuragano Elementary School traffic patrol team has until now been providing traffic guidance on the school route and near traffic lights, mainly on the way home from school. However, from next April we decided to change our patrol hours to the time children are coming to school in the morning, and to eliminate the "morning flag-waving by working mothers." We hope that all societies will work together to improve for working mothers.

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

 　

春分の日について

　春分の日には、反時計回りに公転中の地球から見ると、太陽の位置が「春分点」にあります。「春分点」の位置は黄道十二星座の「魚座」のすぐ南の天の赤道上にあります。もちろん、天には何の印もありません。一方、春分の日の今日、私たち載せ公転中の地球は黄道十二星座の「乙女座」の方角に来ています。図では公転軌道が円になってますが、実際は少し楕円形です。

　ですから、午前０時に真南には「乙女座」が来ています。「乙女座」の一際明るい星は一等星「スピカ」です。この星は２１個ある一等星の中では唯一黄道の近くにあります。

　ところで、地上の位置を示すには緯度と経度ですが、恒星など天体の位置を表すには赤緯と赤経です。例えば、太陽を除いて最も明るい恒星シリウスは赤経 06h 45m、 赤緯 −16° 42′であり、冬のダイヤモンドのカペラは稚内市【北緯４５°】の真上を通過するので赤経 05h 16m 41s、赤緯 +45° 59′です。このように赤緯では北半球上は＋をつけ、南半球上は－をつけます。また、赤経では１５°ずつhをつけ一周２４hです。赤緯も赤経も今日の太陽の位置である春分点の「赤緯±0、赤経0h」を天体の基準点としてます。

　群馬県の今日の日の出は５時４８分、太陽高度は５３°、日の入りは１７時５５分ですから、「昼と夜の長さは同じでなく」、すでに昼の方が７分も長くなってます。私たちは、昼が長くなるこれからの一日一日を有効に使い、自らめざす目標に向かって邁進したいものです。

　

【画像をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。星座は左が魚座、右が乙女座です。】

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

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

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

　On the vernal equinox day, today, the Sun is located at the vernal equinox point when viewed from the Earth which revolves counterclockwise. The vernal equinox point is located on the celestial equator, just a little south of the zodiacal constellation "Pisces". Of course, there are no marks in the sky. Meanwhile, on today, the vernal equinox day, the Earth that we are traveling on is in the direction of the zodiacal constellation "Virgo". In the diagram, the orbit appears circular, but in reality it is slightly elliptical.

　So, at midnight, we can see "Virgo" due south. The brightest star in Virgo is the first magnitude star "Spica". This is the only one of the 21 first magnitude stars that is close to the ecliptic which is the way of the sun.

　By the way, as you know, while latitude and longitude are used to indicate positions on earth, declination and right ascension are used to indicate the positions of celestial bodies such as fixed stars. For example, the brightest star other than the sun, Sirius, has a right ascension of 06h 45m and a declination of -16° 42', and one of the the winter diamonds "Capella" passes directly above Wakkanai-City in Hokkaido [45° north latitude], so has the right ascension of 05h 16m 41s and the declination is +45° 59'. In this way, declination is marked with a + in the northern hemisphere and a - in the southern hemisphere. Also, right ascension is marked with an h every 15°, and one revolution takes 24 hours. Both declination and right ascension use the vernal equinox point which is the position of the sun today, as the celestial point of reference that means "declination ±0, right ascension 0h".

　Today's sunrise in Gumma Prefecture was at 5:48, the solar altitude is 53°, and sunset will be at 17:55, so "day and night are not the same length," daytime is already 7 minutes longer. Each days of the longer days from now on, we should work or study hard toward our own purposes.

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[Click on the image to enlarge it. The constellations on the left are Pisces and on the right are Virgo.]

　　

雪が上がり、愛車で喫茶「さんぽ道」へ向かう

　今日の午後、雪の心配もなくなり、愛車の調整のためエンジンを動かさなくてはならないので1週間ぶりに喫茶「さんぽ道」へ行きました。

　話をする機会のない一人暮らしは、ここへ来ればママさんやスタッフさんとも話しをするからです。柚子の飲み物を戴きつつ３０分ほど本を読み、その後、１０分程ピアノでロシア民謡「仕事の歌」など昔、体操選手の床運動につけた曲を弾きました。

　東に広がる広大な田畑に太陽が差し、気温も幾分か上がり、今回の雪で、もう本当の春が来るだろうと感じました。写真の花は以前に、ここ「さんぽ道」で手に入れました。これからも暫く咲いている気配です。

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

　This afternoon, the worry of snow is over, but I need to get my car's engine condition to make some adjustments, so I went to the cafe "Sampo-michi" for the first time in a week.

　I live alone, therefore don't have opportunity to talk, so when I come here, I talk to the proprietress and staff. I read a book for about 30 minutes while enjoying a yuzu drink, and then I played the piano for about 10 minutes, including the Russian folk song "Work Song," which I once accompanied for floor exercises for gymnast.

　The sun was shining on the vast fields stretching out to the east, and the temperature had risen somewhat, and I felt that with this snow, true spring would arrive. I had previously bought the flowers in the photo at "Sampo-michi." It looks to bloom for a while.

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

早春賦の通り・・・今日も昨日も雪の空

【画像をクリックすると、臨場感が出ます。】

　皆さんも今朝、窓を開けてびっくりでしょう。明日は「春分の日」というのに一面の銀世界です。私は咄嗟に庭に出て作業開始です。南国生まれで雪が大の苦手のサルスベリにとって、横に張り出してるたくさんの枝は雪の重みでかなり垂れ下がり、今にも折れそうで痛々しかったからです。

　落ちてくる雪から頭を防ぐため私は麦わら帽子を被り、下から長い棒で枝を叩いたら雪がどっさり落下します。その反動で枝がふんわりと元に戻り、如何にも「ああ、楽になった」という感じを見せてます。雪は降り続いてるので、朝食後に再度、この作業をやらなくてはなりません。今度はサルスベリの他に、やはり雪に弱い西洋シャクナゲたちです。日本シャクナゲは雪に強いです。

　写真は今が盛りの紅白二色咲きの梅で品種名「思いのまま」です。紅い花は白に負けまいと、雪が降る中で頑張って咲いてます。こちらは枝垂れでなく、枝が上に向いてるので雪に対し力強いです。自然は素晴らしく雪のお陰で一味違った美しさになってます。

　雪のお陰で空気がきれいになり、花粉症の方は楽になるでしょう。花粉症でない私も嬉しいことがあります。それは涸れていた井戸水が増えることです。今後はたくさんの植木に勢いよく水を与えられます。車を運転する方はゆっくり走行です。

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

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

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

　You might be surprised when you opened the window this morning. Tomorrow is the "Spring Equinox day", but the whole world is covered with snow. I immediately went out to the garden and started working. What is that? In fact, crape myrtles are native to the tropical country so that she hates snow, so the many branches that overhang the sides are sagging due to the weight of the snow and look like they might break at any moment.

　To protect my head from the falling snow, I put on a straw hat and hit the branches from below with a long stick, it is causing a lot of snow to fall. As the result, the branches to return to their original position, so she looks very relieved. The snow is still falling, so I have to do this work again after breakfast. This time, in addition to the Crape myrtles, I also noticed some Western rhododendrons, which are also weak to snow. Japanese rhododendrons are tolerant of snow.

　The photo shows a red and white bicolor plum tree in full bloom now, her variety name is "Omoi no mama". The red flowers are blooming hard in the falling snow, not wanting to be outdone by the white snow. This tree does not have drooping branches, but rather sees upwards, making it strong against the snow. Nature is amazing, and the snow adds a whole different kind of beauty to it.

　The snow cleans the air, which will provide relief for those who are suffering from hay fever. Even though I don't have hay fever, I'm happy about something. The amount of water in my well, which had dried up recently, is increasing, I guess. From now on, I will be able to water the many plants vigorously. If you're driving, drive slowly.

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

ハーフムーンで「恋人よ」を弾く

【西洋シャクナゲの蕾が膨らみ始める】

　昨晩は長女の誕生会を、長女は仕事のため来られませんでしたが、高崎市内某所で行いました。いつもの友人「時計屋の隣りさん」も見え、楽しい時間が過ごせました。笑いの連続ですが、話題は多岐に亘り、その一つは「辞書は引くものというより、読むもの」との彼の言葉に感銘しました。これにより普段、何気なく使ってる言葉も改めて本当の意味を知ることができ、「辞書は先生である」という名言を戴きました。

　私は辞書と言えば、国語辞典より和英と英和を引くことが多いですが、これからは国語辞書を読書することで「ああそうか」と改めて認識することになりそうです。

　ところで、昨夜はその後、二次会として、一人で珍しく「ハーフムーン」に行きました。ここにはグランドピアノがあり、どうした心境か、最近、私がよく弾くようになった「恋人よ」を弾きたくなりました。その前にウォーミングアップで「雪が降る」など２～３曲弾いた後、調子が出てから「恋人よ」の前奏をホ短調で弾き始めた途端、客の一人が「あっ、五輪真弓だ」とすぐに反応してくれました。

　やはり名曲なのでしょう。このため、心を入れ、思いっきり寂しさを込めて弾き、静かに時間が流れました。弾き終わったら拍手が起こり、４人いたお客さんも喜んでくれ、結局、彼らと一緒に飲みました。そんなことで、家に着いたのは午後１１時頃でしたが、お陰でよく睡眠でき、今朝は６時半のラジオ体操会に出席でき、体調はＯＫです。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about human's Joy and great music.

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

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

　Last night, I held my eldest daughter's birthday party at a tavern named "Buku" in Takasaki City, although she couldn't come because she was working. My usual friend "the guy next door to the watch shop" came here and we had a great time. We had a lot of laughs in succession, but the topics were wide-ranging, and one of them impressed me: "Dictionaries are not something to look up, but something to read." This allowed me to understand the true meaning of words that I use casually every day, and I received the famous quote from him, "Dictionaries are teachers."

　When it comes to dictionaries, I often look up Japanese-English and English-Japanese dictionaries rather than Japanese dictionaries, but from now on, I think I'll be able to read Japanese dictionaries and realize the real meaning of Japanese words again.

　By the way, last night, I went to "Half Moon" by myself for the after-party, which is unusual for me. There is a grand piano here, and for some reason, I felt like playing "Koibito yo," that means "Oh my sweetheart" which I've been playing a lot recently. Before that, I played two or three music as a warm-up, including "Yuki ga Furu," that means snow falls and once I was in good form, I started to play the introduction to "Koibito yo" in E minor, and one of the audience members immediately responded, "Ah, it's Itsuwa Mayumi's song."

　It must be a masterpiece after all. For this reason, I played it with all my heart and with as much loneliness as I could, and time passed quietly. When I finished, there was applause, and the four audience members were pleased, and I ended up having a drink with them. I got home around 11pm, but thanks to that I was able to sleep well and attend the radio gymnastics session at 6:30 this morning, so I'm feeling fine.

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

今日は一杯飲ませてください。

　今日は長女の誕生日なので、お気に入り小料理屋・高崎の「バク」で一杯飲みます。本人は仕事で来られませんが、彼女の子供の頃を思い出して乾杯します。

　昨日書きました群馬の名峰「谷川岳」の頂上へは彼女が小学生のとき一緒に尾根歩きして登頂しました。きっと覚えているでしょう。谷川岳のお陰で健康に育ちました。その後も自然が好きになったようです。

　不思議なことに私に似て音楽が好きになり、サキソフォーンを吹きます。私はソプラノですが、娘はアルトです。それでは電車で行って参ります。

Dear my FB friends who love Mt. Tanigawa.

　Today is my eldest daughter's birthday, so I will have a drink at my favorite tavern "Baku" in Takasaki-city. She can't participate because she's working, but I will toast to her birthday with reminding of her childhood.

　When she was in elementary school, we walked along the ridge to the top of Gumma's famous peak, Mt. Tanigawa, which I wrote about yesterday. I'm sure she remembers. Thanks to Mt. Tanigawa, she grew up healthy. It seems she has continued to love nature since then.

　Strangely enough, like me, she has developed a love of music, as the result, she plays the saxophone. I play the soprano saxophone and my daughter plays the alto saxophone. Now, I'll go by train.

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

求められる・・・孤独にしない教育

　近年、小中学生の中には新たなクラスに馴染めず、５月の連休明けや家で一人となる夏休み以降から不登校になってしまうことが起こり得ます。本人は長い休みになるとクラスや部活の集団から離れるので、いっそう一人で考え込んでしまい解決法がないのでしょう。悩みは深刻でも、周囲に分かってもらえないようです。

　私の知ってる中学生も一学期までは見たところいつも楽しそうに通学し、道で会うと挨拶してくれましたが、夏休み以降から６か月間も毎日、家に一人で過ごしていたようです。

　しかも、人目があるので日中、外に出られず、若い１４～１５才なのにどれ程か一人で苦しんでいたことでしょう。その辛さは我々大人には想像がつきません。私たち大人はどうしても「本人の問題と考えがち」ですが、この考えをしてるうちは今後も不登校は減らないでしょう。昔と異なり少子化が進む中、社会全体で未来ある子供の幸せを考えなくてはならない時代に入ってます。

　現在、そのような悩みを抱えている子は小中学生に多く、いじめとなると小中高校に多いと聞きます。きっと毎日、集団の中に居ても悩みを抱え、孤独感を深く感じているのでしょう。不登校は本人のやる気の問題ではありません。

　教室内ではみんなが同じ方向を向いて、何かと規則でダメと言われ、勉強も決められた答えを求められ、味気なく感じるのでしょう。画一的な教育から、個人の尊厳や個性を大切にする方向へ、また、多様な考えや個人の気持ちに寄り添うことが求められてます。そんな私も子供の頃を振り返ると、学校の勉強は楽しいとは思いませんでした。

Dear my overseas friends who think about real education and great music.

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

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

　In recent years, some elementary and junior high school students have difficulty adjusting to their new classes, and may start skipping school after the May holidays in Japan or after summer vacation in August when they are alone at home. Since during the long vacation the student is away from the class or club activities, they may become alone and think about their problems, and have no idea how to solve them. Even though their worries are serious, it seems that society around them do not understand.

　A junior high school student I know always seemed to enjoy going to school until the first semester till July in Japan, and would say hello when we met on the street, but after summer vacation, she seemed to spend six months alone at home every day.

　What's more, she couldn't go outside during the daytime because of the public's presence, and even though she was only 14 or 15 years old, she must have been worried alone. We adults cannot imagine how painful that she must be. We adults tend to think that it is the student's problem, but as long as we continue to think this way, school dropouts will not decrease from now on. Unlike in the past, the birthrate is declining. We are entering an era where society must think about the happiness of children who have a brilliant future.

　Currently, many children in elementary and junior high schools have such worries, and I hear that bullying is most prevalent in elementary, junior high, and high schools. I'm sure they have worries and feel a deep sense of loneliness even when they are in a group every day. Refusal to go to school is not a problem of the individual's motivation.

　In the classroom, they look the same direction, they are always told they can't do something because of the rules, and they are expected to give "predetermined answers" when studying, so they probably feel dull. We adults need to move away from uniform education and towards ​​the dignity of individuality, and towards an education that is considerate of diverse thoughts and individual feelings. Looking back at my own childhood, I thought studying at school was not fun.

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魅力ある谷川岳一帯を散策したい

　浅間山山頂を始め、尾瀬の至仏山など群馬県の山の殆どを登った私は、中でも素晴らしい自然の一つは谷川岳と感じてます。それは天神平経由で山頂まで登ったことがあり、景色は最高でした。それとは別に、山頂の上空から魅力いっぱいの谷川岳を見たこともあります。つまり、ヘリコプターに乗り、空から谷川岳一帯を眺めました。

　今年も、健脚を期して、夏季に谷川岳一帯を散策する予定です。普段、ウォーキングで鍛えているので大丈夫でしょう。もちろん、下山後はお気に入りの谷川温泉でリラックスします。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about mountaineering and great music.

　I have climbed most of the mountains in Gumma Prefecture, including the summit of active volcano Mt. Asama three times and Mt. Shibutsu in the Oze National Park. I feel that Mt. Tanigawadake is one of the most beautiful natural sites. I have climbed to the summit via Tenjindaira, and the views were amazing beyond description. Apart from that, I have also seen the charming Mt. Tanigawadake from above the summit. That is, I took a helicopter and looked at the whole area of ​​Mt. Tanigawadake from the sky.

　This year, I plan to walk around Mt. Tanigawa area in the summer, hoping to get my legs in shape. As you know, I usually train by walking, so I think I'll be fine. Of course, after descending the mountain, I'll relax at my favorite Tanigawa Spar.

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

日に日に植物に変化が感じられる今日この頃

　私の住む群馬県は今朝から冷たい雨模様で、寒の戻りと予報されてます。日曜日なのにあいにくの天気です。外出したい私も、さて、室内で今日一日どうしましょうという所です。また、雨天の日には水色の愛車に乗らないことにしてます。お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」も日曜日は休みです。倉賀野には他にも喫茶店があるので、新しい所を開拓することもできます。

　ところで、庭はこの雨で梅の花はそろそろ終わりに近づきつつあり、昨日から写真の雪柳が急に咲き始め、小さい花のため、その数は数万でしょう。このような光景を見ると一日一日と季節の移り変わりを感じます。天気が回復したら、再度、写真をアップします。

　この雪柳もここへ引っ越して来た前回の東京オリンピックの年に、つまり６０年ほど前に植木の好きな亡父が植えたもので、おそらく、どこかで開花を見て感銘して手に入れたのでしょう。それが今でも毎年、文字通り、雪の如く白く咲くのですから植物の生命力は永いです。また、庭一面は今日も梅の花弁が落ちて白とピンクで絵画のようです。

　ところで、明日は彼岸の入りです。菩提寺は歩いて５分の所なのでウォーキングを兼ね時々墓参りに行ってますが、改めて庭に咲き始めた水仙など持って参ります。今年の春分の日は３月２０日と一日早いです。立春も一日早かったので繰り上がってます。昨年が閏年だったので一日早まってます。そのうちまた元通りになります。公転してる地球から見て太陽が春分点【魚座のすぐ下】に来る時が春分の日です。

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

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

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

　It's cold and rainy since this morning in my Gumma prefecture, and it's forecast to be a return of the cold. It's unfortunate weather as a Sunday. I want to go out, but I'm wondering what to do indoors today. I also make a point of not driving my light blue coupe on rainy days due to keeping the surface of it bright. My favorite cafe, Sampo-michi, is also closed on Sundays. There are other coffee shops in Kuragano-town, so I can explore new places.

　By the way, the plum blossoms in the garden are nearing the end of their blossoms due to the rain, and the snow willows in the photo have suddenly started to bloom since yesterday, and since they are small flowers, there must be tens of thousands of flowers, I guess. Seeing a scene like this makes me feel the change of seasons day by day. I will upload another more white photo when the weather improves.

　This snow willow was planted by my late father, who loved plants, about 60 years ago, when we moved here in the year of 1964's Tokyo Olympics. He probably saw it blooming somewhere and was so impressed that he bought it. Even now, it literally blooms as white as snow every year, proving the plant's long life span. The plum petals are falling all over the garden this morning, and the white and pink petals make the garden like a painting.

　Not change the subject, but tomorrow is the beginning of the equinox week. My family temple is only a five-minute to walk, so I sometimes visit the graves by walking, and I will be bringing some yellow daffodils that have just started to bloom in the garden. As you notice, this year's vernal equinox day is one day early, on March 20th. The beginning of spring called "Risshun" was also one day early, so it has been brought forward. Last year was a leap year, so it is also one day earlier. The calendar will return to normal in the near future soon. The vernal equinox day is when the Sun reaches the vernal equinox point just below the constellation "Pisces" as seen from our Earth that is revolving the orbit.

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

　

旧暦の「桃の節句」には咲くでしょう。

【画像をクリックすると明瞭になります。】

　この写真は昨年咲いた「源平枝垂れ桃」の子供です。つまり、庭に種が零れ、それが成長して咲いたのです。親よりも華やかになるのですから不思議です。今後１０年もしたら、かなり見応えがある「源平枝垂れ桃」になるでしょう。花は３色です。

　幹が曲がっているのは生後1年以内に私が曲げて紐で縛っておいたからです。その後、紐を解くとそのまま成長しました。

　今春は、この写真より一回り大きくなっており、もうすぐ咲く気配です。お近くの方は見にいらして下さい。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about the beauty of plants.

　This photo shows a baby Genpei bicolored weeping peach that bloomed last year. In other words, a seed was dropped in the garden, which grew and bloomed. It's amazing how it has become even more spectacular than its parent. In 10 years' time, this Genpei bicolored weeping peach will become a quite sight beyond imagination. The flowers are three colors.

　The trunk is bent because I bent it and tied it with string within the tree's first year. After that, I untied the string and it continued to grow by herself.

　This spring it has grown larger than this photo, and it will bloom soon. Please come and see it. There is parking available.

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

今朝、起きて驚きました。

　私たちの生活に直接的、間接的に影響を与える世界経済は日本人が就寝中に推移します。このため、昨夜未明から今朝にかけ、私は米国ナスダックが気になり、時々、目が覚めては確認してましたら、時間の経過と共に最近にない右肩上がりとなり、結果的に予想外で驚き、嬉しかったです。日本時間の今朝は４５１ポイントも上がりました。

　ナスダックに上場している代表的な企業としては、Microsoft、Apple、Amazon、また、私たちが毎日お世話になってるFacebookなど、ＩＴを中心とする今や世界の最先端を行く大企業が挙げられます。最近はトランプ大統領の外国に対する関税引き上げ方針により、米国経済の先行き不安からナスダックも停滞気味でした。

　ところで、私たちが長期に亘り健康生活を維持する基盤は、先ず、抗酸化作用のある食品の摂取でしょう。そして、勝ち負けに拘らない楽しい適度な運動、更には、安定した経済生活と考えてます。

　このため、私は、ご覧の通り、トマト製品を摂取しない日はありません。早朝の空腹時にはトマトジュースを飲むことがルーティーンになってます。トマトには抗酸化作用のリコピンが多く含まれ、健康には最適と考え実践してます。この大きなトマトは昨日、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」でお土産に買ってきました。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about the world economy and great music.

　The world economy, which directly and indirectly affects our lives, changes while Japanese people are asleep due to time difference. For this reason, from the early hours of last night until this morning, I was concerned about the US Nasdaq, and occasionally woke up to check it. As time passed, it started to rise, which was not seen recently. As a result, I was surprised and happy to the core that it was unexpected. This morning, Japan time, it rose by 451 points.

　Representative companies listed on the Nasdaq include Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook which we use every day, and are now major companies at the most advanced of the world, mainly in IT. Recently, due to President Trump's policy of raising tariffs on foreign countries, therefore the Nasdaq has also stagnated due to concerns about the future of the US economy.

　Not change the subject, but the foundation for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle over the long term is, first of all, the intake of foods with antioxidant properties. Then, I think that enjoyable moderate exercise regardless of winning or losing, and of course, even a stable economic life.

　For this reason, as you can see, there is not a day for me without consuming tomato products. Drinking tomato juice on an empty stomach early in the morning has become a routine for me since about eight years ago. Tomatoes contain a lot of lycopene that is an antioxidant property, and I believe it is the best for my health. I bought this large tomatoes as a souvenir yesterday from my favorite coffee shop, "Sampo-michi."

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

寂しく悲しい音楽の方が心を入れられる

　昨日と今日は倉賀野町を所用で歩き、高校時代に郵便局で年末年始のアルバイトをしたことを思い出しました。それにしても、住宅はずいぶんあるものです。全部で５時間ほど歩き、よい運動になりました。困ったことはトイレがないことです。

　仕事はすべて終わり、ホッとしました。今日は午後４時頃より１時間ほど、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」に行ったら、私一人だったので、ピアノをお借りして「恋人よ」「今日でお別れ」など寂しい曲を弾きました。音楽とは寂しい曲の方が心が表現でき充実すると感じました。いつか、拙い演奏ですが、五輪真弓の「恋人を」を聴いてください。

Dear my sweetheart in heart.

　I walked around Kuragano-town yesterday and today on business, which reminded me of the part-time job that I did at the post office during the New Year holidays in my high school age. There are a lot of houses beyond my imagination. After all, I walked for about five hours in two days, which was good exercise. The only problem was that there were no toilets.

　I was relieved that all my work was finished. Then, I went to my favorite cafe, "Sampo-michi," for about an hour from around 4pm, and since I was alone there, I borrowed the piano and played sad music like "Koibitoyo" that means "Oh my sweetheart" and "Kyode owakare that means "farewell today". I feel that sad songs are more fulfilled because I could express the heart better. Someday, please listen to my poor rendition of Itsuwa Mayumi's "Koibitoyo."

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

今朝、庭を見てびっくりポン

【下の写真をクリックすると、梅の木の下にいるような臨場感が出ます。】　

　今日３月１４日はホワイトデーですから、２月14日のバレンタインデーにチョコレートを戴いた私を含め、男性はそのお返しとしてホワイトチョコレートなどのプレゼントを女性へ贈る日とされます。 ホワイトデーの習慣は日本で生まれたといわれ、近年では「友チョコ」や「自分チョコ」、「義理チョコ」など多様化しているようです。今叫ばれてる「inclusive」がこんなことにも表れてます。それにしても、世の中から「exclusive」をなくしましょう。

　ホワイトデーと言えば、今朝、庭を見てびっくりです。ご覧の通り、庭は一面、雪が降ったように白かったり、一方では一面、ピンクではありませんか。実は、昨日の風で白梅と紅梅の花弁がかなり落ちました。花の命は短くとも、このような現象を作り、この光景を見る私を楽しませてくれてます。しかし、遅く膨らんだ蕾の花は未だかなり咲いてますから、丸いテーブルはＦＢ友人の皆様が訪れ、お茶を飲みつつの歓談を待ってます。

　ところで、今日３月１４日は円周率πの日でもあります。私は二十四節気など暦の話題を書くとき、地球の公転軌道の距離を約９億４千万㎞と記しますが、これは１天文単位【太陽と地球の間の平均距離】×２×３．１４１５９２６で計算したものです。私たちが地球上で生きてることは円周率に即してます。不思議なことに物理学者で相対性理論を発表したアインシュタインは円周率の日である今日３月１４日が誕生日と言われます。

※【日本文と英文に多少の差異があります。】

 

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about expanding the way of life and great music.

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

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

　Today, March 14th, is White Day, so that it is the day when men, including me, who received chocolate on Valentine's Day on February 14th, give gift such as white chocolate to lady in return. The White Day custom is said to have originated in Japan. In recent years it has diversified into "friend chocolate," "self chocolate," and "obligatory chocolate." The "inclusive" that is being called for now is also reflected like this custom. Still, let's get rid of "exclusive" from the society.

　Speaking of White Day, I was surprised when I looked at my garden this morning. As you can see, the garden is covered in white as if it had snowed, and on the other hand, it is covered in pink. In fact, the wind yesterday caused many of the white and red plum petals to fall off. Although the life of the flowers is short, they create this phenomenon and entertain me as I watch this scene. However, the late-swollen buds are still in full bloom, so the round table as you see, is waiting for you as my FB friends to come and chat over tea.

　Incidentally, today, March 14th, is also Pi Day [a circle's circumference is approximately 3.14 times its diameter]. When I write about Japanese calendar topics such as the 24 solar terms, I record the distance of the Earth's orbit as approximately 940 million km, which is calculated as 1 astronomical unit [the average distance between the Sun and the Earth] x 2 x 3.1415926. The fact that we live on Earth is in accordance with Pi. Strangely enough, the birthday of physicist Einstein, who published the theory of relativity, is said to be today, March 14th, which is Pi Day. May I have a large container of coffee? If you arrange the letters in this sentence together, they form the value of Pi.

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

本格的なウォーキングの季節が到来・・ウキウキするコース

　ウォーキングコースとして、こんな素晴らしい自然環境はありません。私は環境に左右されやすい人間なので、こんな所では、せっせせっせと思わず足が前に出てしまいます。実は、この土手は近年と言っても20年ほど前でしょうか建設されたもので、以前はありませんでした。この付近は私の家から直線距離３Kほどなので、以前に、生後２ヶ月ほどのレース鳩の基礎訓練をしたことがあります。

　つまり、この土手は二つの一級河川が合流する地点であり、前方の鏑川の土手と、こちらの烏川の土手は別々に存在し、その間の３００mほどは繋がっていませんでした。それが防災上の観点からでしょうが、いつの間にか結ばれ、こちらの烏川方面から鏑川方面にスムースにウォーキングできるようになりました。野鳥も飛び交い高崎市内では別天地と言えます。

　考えられるウォーキングの利点は、1.心臓の健康を増進し、2、血糖値の管理に役立ち、3、睡眠の質を向上させ、4、骨粗鬆症対策になり、5、呼吸器の健康を増進させ、6、心の健康に期する等があります。

　ポイントは鼻呼吸、散歩と区別し、遥か前方を見つつ、歩幅を通常より少し広くし、ある程度のスピード感が効果があります。しかし、速ければ速いほど良いとは言えません。ウキウキする快いスピード感です。私は心臓に負荷をかけ過ぎないため脈拍を１０８までと決めてます。ウォーキングした後、ルンルン気分になります。空腹になると何を食べても食事が美味しいです。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about expanding radius of the way of health, and great music.

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

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

　There is no better natural environment than here for a walking course. I am easily influenced by environment. I can't help but put my feet forward. In fact, this bank was built recently, about 20 years ago, I guess, so that it didn't exist before. This area is about 3km away from my house in a straight line, so that I used to give basic training from here for racing pigeons that were about 2 months old.

　In other words, this bank is the point where two first-class rivers join together. The bank of the Kabra River in front and the bank of the Karas River here existed separately, and they were not connected for about 300m in between. Perhaps from a disaster prevention perspective, they were connected, and now we can walk smoothly from the Karas River bank to the Kabur River bank. Wild birds fly around, it's a different world in Takasaki city. I recommend you to walk this course.

　Possible benefits of walking are: 1. improving heart health, 2. helping to manage blood sugar levels, 3. improving sleep quality, 4. combating osteoporosis, 5. improving respiratory health, and 6. improving mental health.

　The key is to breathe through our nose, distinguish it from a stroll, look far ahead, take wider steps than usual, and walk at a certain speed. However, I can't say that the excessive faster is the better. It's a pleasant speed that makes you feel exhilarated. I limit my pulse to 108 so as not to put too much strain on my heart. After walking, I feel great. When I'm hungry, anything I eat tastes good. Hunger is the best sauce.

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

　

毎日、植木と音楽に親しむ

【写真をクリックすると臨場感が出ます。】

　毎日、写真が梅の花ばかりで申し訳ありません。しかし、植木は年々花がたくさん咲くようになり、地区の人から「今年はすごく良く咲いてますね。」と印象を言われてます。私の家の土地が元々、田んぼでなく畑だったことや、天明３年の浅間の大噴火により、当時、積もった火山灰が集められた「灰塚」の可能性があります。雨が降っても水捌けが良く、植木が育ちやすいのでしょう。植木には「水が不可欠であると同時に、水捌けの良さ」が大切に感じます。

　植木の好きだった両親から、もっとよく植物の育て方を教わっておけば良かったと後悔してます。若き日の私は「音楽とレース鳩に夢中であった」ことから、植木に興味を示さなかったです。

　それでも音楽は職業となり、夏は山での合宿など吹奏楽に明け暮れる日々でした。一方、レース鳩のお陰で、イギリスが世界に発行してるレース鳩月刊誌「ピクトリアル」の表紙を３回飾り嬉しかったです。これは当時、鳩を飼育してたエリザベス女王も時々表紙に載ってた雑誌です。ですから、もしかして彼女は日本人の私を知っててくださった可能性はあります。

　また、飼っていたレース鳩の１羽が、中国内モンゴルまで飛んで行ってしまい、保護してくれていた中国の方から手紙で連絡がありました。結局、その鳩に会うため、急遽、近所にいた中国の方に中国語を教わり、一人で内モンゴルへ行くことができました。また、日本最北の地・稚内市から鳩が倉賀野まで１０００K以上飛び、帰って来たときは「鳩を抱き、良く帰ってきた。もう飛ばなくていいのだからね。」と半世紀も鳩を飼っていて初めて涙が出ました。この鳩を「稚内モザイク号」と命名しました。

　ですから、若き日から私は二つの事に夢中でした。現在は明けても暮れても植物と音楽の日々です。ところが、これに一つの事が加わりつつあります。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about expanding the radius of way of life, and great music.

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

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

　I'm sorry that the photos are only of plum blossoms every day. However, the plants are blooming more and more year by year, and people in the area say, "Kakky's plums are blooming really well this year." It's possible that my land was originally a field, not a rice field, and that my land was an "ash mound" where volcanic ash that had accumulated at the time of the great eruption of Mt. Asama in 1783 was collected. Even when it rains, the drainage is good, so the plants can grow easily. I feel that "water is essential for plants, at the same time, good drainage is important."

　I regret now that I should have learned more about how to raise plants from my parents who loved plants to the core. In my younger days, I was "crazy about music of soprano saxophone and piano, and racing pigeons," so I wasn't interested in plants at that time.

　Even so, music became my profession, and I spent my summers in the wind orchestra, including training camp in the mountains with students of Mabachi High School and Takasaki High School of Commerce. On the other hand, thanks to my racing pigeons, I was happy to be featured on the cover of British monthly pigeon magazine "Pictorial" three times. Queen Elizabeth who kept racing pigeons at the time, also appeared on the cover of this magazine from time to time. So, it's possible that she knew me, as a Japanese pigeon fancier.

　Also, one of my racing pigeons strayed into Inner Mongolia, at Chinin-city in China, and I received a letter from a Chinese person named Mr. Chan Bao Kun who had taken care of my pigeon. In the end, I was able to go to Inner Mongolia by myself to meet my pigeon, after quickly learning Chinese language from a Chinese person living nearby. Also, when one of my pigeons flew over 1000km from Wakkanai City, the northernmost place of Japan, to my Kuragano. When she returned, I cried for the first time in half a century of pigeon keeping, saying, "I'm glad you came back holding the pigeon. You don't have to fly anymore." I named this pigeon "Wakkanai Mosaic".

　So, from a young age, I was obsessed with two things. Nowadays, I spend my days and nights with plants and music. However, now, one thing is being added to this.

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

暫くぶりに「上信越道」を走行・・・しかし１０分

　今日は午前１０時頃から喫茶「さんぽ道」でリラックスしてきました。今日は３月１１日なので、最初にピアノで東北大震災復興曲「花が咲く」をト長調で弾きました。今でも自宅に戻れない人たちの辛さを胸に弾きました。

　その後、五輪真弓の「恋人よ」を、ホ短調で静かに語りかけるように旋律をしんみり弾き、単純な伴奏付けて弾いてみました。以前よりこの曲の悲しみが表現できたように思います。今度、寂しそうにしている女性客が一人でいたら、何気なくそっと弾いてみようと思います。帰りに大きなトマト４個を買いました。

　午後は先程、吉井ドリームセンターで入浴してきました。暫くぶりに藤岡インターから吉井インターまで上信越道経由で走行したところ、愛車Audi TT Quattroは「水を得た魚の如く」快調に時速１００Kで走りました。扁平率３５％のタイヤは路面に吸い付くような安定走行となり、僅か１０分で着きました。今度は軽井沢の方まで走ってみます。たまには高速道を走り、この車本来の調子を上げてやりたいです。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSb4Ro81AAE

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about driving through high way and great music.

　Today, I have been relaxing at my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi" since 10am. Today is March 11th, so I started by playing the song "Hana ga Saku" (Flowers Bloom) in G major by the piano, which is a song about the recovery from the Northern-East earthquake. I played it with thinking the pain of those who are still unable to return to their homes.

　After that, since there were no customers, I played the melody of Mayumi Itsuwa's "Koibitoyo" that means "Oh my sweetheart" by the piano in E minor, as if speaking quietly with simple accompaniment. I think I was able to express the sadness of this music better than before. Next time, if I see a lonely-looking lady customer alone, I will play this music casually and quietly. I bought four large tomatoes as a souvenir.

　In the afternoon, I just took a bath at the Yoshii Dream Center. It's been a while since I last drove from Fujioka Interchange to Yoshii Interchange via the Joshinetsu Expressway, and my beloved Audi TT Quattro ran smoothly at 100K/h like a fish in water. The 35% aspect ratio tires were stable and seemed to stick to the road surface, and I arrived in just 10 minutes only. Next time, I'll drive to Karuizawa on the highway once in a while and get into good shape

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

明治生まれの父はジェンダーフリーの考えだったのか。

【画像をクリックすると臨場感が出ます。】

　庭でいろいろの植物に接していると、不思議なことに遭遇します。現在、5本の梅の花が真っ盛りで、思わずその色彩の美しさに惹かれます。同時に良い香りが漂い、この香りも一つの芸術に感じられます。私の名は男性にしては珍しく最後に「香」の字が使われてます。明治生まれの父が何かの思いでこの文字を選んだのでしょう。もしかして、文字には男も女もないとのことでジェンダーフリーの最先端の考えを持っていたのでしょうか。生前に訊いておけばよかったですが、後の祭りです。ところで、父は推定１００名程の人に名前をつけてやりました。

　ところで、写真は珍しい「枝垂れ梅」です。現在、あちこちで梅の開花が見られますが、枝垂れてる梅はなかなか見つかりません。ところで、不思議なことですが、何故、枝垂れるのでしょうか。本当のことは分かりません。想像するに、樹木そのもの力が弱く、自らの枝の重さを支えられず、枝が上に向かずに下向きになるのでしょうか。しかし、観賞する私には枝垂れる姿に却って魅力が感じられます。

　そう言えば、８年ほど前、群馬県南部に降った５０ｃｍほどの大雪のとき、この「枝垂れ梅」は幹ごと大きく傾いてしまいました。大木なので、この傾きを治せず、私は下になってしまった枝を切って樹形を整えました。現在、樹形はそんなことを感じさせず自然に立ち直ってます。

　

　私たち人間も、長い人生ではいろいろの困難に突き当たります。しかし、その不運に挫けず、その都度、修正しつつ、自らの目標に向かって前進する気持ちさえあれば、あるいは夢はやって来るのかもしれません。夢は叶うのかもしれません。今日も一つでも新たな事に挑戦し、今までより生きる範囲を広げてみたい。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about expanding the radius of the way of life, and great music.

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

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

　When I take care of various plants in the garden, sometime I feel something strange. Currently, five plum blossoms are in full bloom, and I am fascinated with the beautiful colors. At the same time, a wonderful fragrance is wafting through the air, and this fragrance also feels like one of the arts.

　My name ends with the character "香" (fragrance), which is unusual for a man. My father, who was born in the Meiji era, probably chose this character for some reason. Perhaps he thought that the character does not have a male or female meaning, and so "did my father have cutting edge of gender-free ideas?" I should have asked him before he passed away, but it's too late now. The damage is done. By the way, I guess that my father gave names to about 100 people.

　By the way, the photo shows a rare "weeping plum." Currently, plum blossoms can be seen everywhere, but it's difficult to find weeping plums. By the way, it's strange, but why do they droop? I don't know the truth. I imagine that the tree itself is weak and cannot support the weight of its own branches, so they turn downwards instead of upwards. However, as an admirer, I find the drooping appearance quite attractive.

　Come to think of it, about eight years ago, when southern Gumma Prefecture experienced a heavy snowfall of about 50 cm, this weeping plum tree leaned significantly to the trunk. Because it is a large tree, I was unable to correct the tilt, so I cut off the big branches that had fallen to the bottom and reshaped the tree. Now, the tree has naturally recovered and there is no sign of this damage.

　We humans also face many difficulties in our long lives. However, if we do not get down by the misfortune, but rather correct our mistakes each time and have the determination to move forward towards our purposes, perhaps our dreams may come true. Today, I would like to take on at least one new challenge and broaden the radius of my life more than before.

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

　　

午前中も午後も地区のために精を出す

 　
　今日は倉賀野町上四地区のため、二つの仕事に精を出しました。年度末を控え、午前中は会計監査の仕事があり、領収書など各種書類の照合に２時間もかかりました。それでも場所は私の家の前の集会所「ふるさと」でしたから、こんな時は近くて便利です。

　一方、午後は倉賀野小児童の下校指導があり、横断歩道の安全な渡り方を指導したり、仲間の人と通学路を１．５Kほど歩きました。いつものように挨拶運動をしつつ、特に一人で帰宅する子には「今日、学校は楽しかった？」などと必ず声を掛けました。子供は必ず反応し、安心しました。

　このような仕事のとき気候は暑いか寒いかですが、今日は珍しく良い気候でした。今後も、地区の子供の安全と輝く未来のため、また、一人暮らしの高齢者の手助けになることを率先してやります。

Dear my FB friends

　Today, I worked hard on two jobs for the Kami-4th district of Kuragano-town. Because the end of the fiscal year approaching, I had to do an accounting audit in the morning, and it took me two hours to check receipts and other documents. Still, this work was held at the "Furusato" community center in front of my house, so it was close and convenient for me.

　Meanwhile, in the afternoon, I supervised the children of Kuragano Elementary School on their way home, instructing them on how to cross the road safely and I walked about 1.5 km with my comrade along the school route. As always, we did the "greeting campaign," and made sure to ask the children, especially those who were walking home alone, saying "Did you have fun at school today?" They always responded, which made me feel relieved.

　Whenever I do this kind of work, the weather is either hot or cold, but today was unusually just comfortable. I will continue to take the initiative in helping the elderly who lives alone, as well as for the safety and bright future of the children in the area.

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

日の出の「時刻と位置」に変化が生じてます。

　今春は花梅の中に暮らしている感じです。玄関へ行くにも紅白の梅のトンネルの中を通って行くようになりました。樹木は年々成長し、今春は本当によく咲いてます。先日写真を載せました「枝垂れ紅梅」が咲いてるは倉賀野で私の庭だけかもしれません。樹形に見応えが生じてきました。一方、色彩に関しては、先日の降雪が功を奏し、却って鮮やかになり、自然は良く出来てます。

　私は園芸に素人ですが、年間を通じて剪定してます。「樹形は一つの芸術である」と捉え、余分な枝を剪定したり、伸ばしたい枝をそのまま育てます。肝心なことは、樹木を「四方八方」から眺めます。これは樹木のバランスに限らず、子供の教育や自分自身の生活など他の分野にも通じることかもしれません。

　ところで、立春のあと三寒四温が繰り返され、今年は特に寒い日が続きました。しかし、１０日後の「春分の日」を目前に、いよいよ春らしくなる気配です。今日の日の出は６時で、太陽高度は驚きの５０°に達します。因みに冬至では３０°でした。毎朝、公園でラジオ体操してるので、日の出が日に日に北に移動してることに気づきます。春分の日は「世界中で太陽は真東から」上がります。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about the direction of the sun and great music.

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

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

　This spring, I feel like I am living among the blossom of plum trees. Even when I go to the entrance, I have to go through a tunnel of red and white plum. The trees grow year by year, and this spring they are really blooming well. The weeping plum tree I posted a photo the other day may be blooming only in my garden in Kuragano-town. The shape of the tree is becoming more impressive. On the other hand, the recent snowfall has been a blessing, making the colors more vivid, so that nature is doing a good job.

　I am an amateur when it comes to gardening, but I prune the trees throughout the year. I believe that the shape of the tree is an art form, so I prune unnecessary branches and let the branches I want to raise as they are. The important thing is to look at the tree from "all sides". This is not only about the balance of the tree, but it may also be applicable to other areas such as children's education and my own life.

　Not change the subject but after the "RIsshun" that means beginning of spring in Japanese calendar, there were repeated periods of three cold days and four warm days, and this year was particularly cold. However, with the Vernal Equinox just around the corner in 10 days throughout the world, it is starting to feel like spring. Today's sunrise in my Gumma prefecture is at 6 o'clock, and the solar altitude will reach an amazing 50°. By the way, it was 30° on the winter solstice. I do radio exercises in the park every morning, so I notice that the sunrise is moving north day by day. On the vernal equinox, the sun will rise due east all over the world, including NZ.

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

「思いのまま」の梅が満開になる

　先日の降雪にも負けず、満開になったこの梅の品種名は「思いのまま」です。その名の通り、一本の木で紅白二色で咲く珍しい花梅です。色彩のバランスが取れ不思議です。私たちの生活も「思いのまま」になれたらどんなに楽しいことでしょう。この梅も幼木のとき埼玉県花園町の花木センターから当時の愛車「いすゞ１１７クーペ」のトランクに根を入れ、倉賀野まで運び、今では３メートルの高さに成長しました。お近くの方はぜひ見にいらして下さい。

　一方、私の人生は「思いのまま」とは、かけ離れ、ほとんど会話のない、つまり人間らしくない日々を送ってます。この世で楽しいことは「泉の如く絶えることのない会話」と考える私は、毎日行くスーパーのレジの女性と一言二言を必ず話すようにしたり、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」でママさんと話すくらいですが、ママはママでも思いのママではありません。

　このため、一日中、家に一人でいる生活に変化をつけようと可能な限り外出を心掛けてます。今朝も家を６時１５分に出て、公園でのラジオ体操会に参加し、仲間との何気ない会話を試みつつ楽しく過ごせました。年度末のため、もうすぐ、上４地区の総会が開かれ、私は会計監査を仰せつかっているので、明日は、集会所「ふるさと」で事前の仕事があります。日々、活動の場を広げ、新たな出会いも楽しみに本当の春を希望してます。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about conversation with humans and great music.

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

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

　Despite the recent snowfall in Gumma prefecture, this plum tree is in full bloom now and its name is "Omoi no mama" that means as I wish. As its name suggests, it is a rare flowering plum tree that blooms in bicolor, red and white, on a single tree. The colors are balanced in a mysterious way. How much more fun it would be if my life could be "as I wish". This plum tree was transported when she was young from Hanazono-town, Saitama Prefecture, to my Kuragano-town with her root in the trunk of my beloved car at the time, Isuzu 117 Coupe, and has now grown to a height of three meters. If you are in the area, please come and see it. Parking lot and tea are available.

　On the other hand, my life is far from "as I wish". I spend my days with almost no conversation, it is not like a human being. I believe that the most enjoyable thing in this world is "conversation that never ends, like a spring in the mountain". I make sure to say a few words to the lady cashier at the supermarket I go to every day, or I talk to the owner of my favorite cafe, "Sampo-michi", but even though she is a proprietress, she is an impossible lady as I wish.

　For this reason, I try to go out as much as possible to change up my life of being alone at home all day. This morning, I left home at 6:15 to participate in a radio gymnastics session in the Kami-4th park, and had a good time while trying to have casual conversations with my friends. Since it is the end of the fiscal year, the general meeting of our Kami-4th district will be held soon, and I have been asked to audit the accounts, so I have some preliminary work to do tomorrow at the meeting place "Furusato". I am looking forward to expanding my activities every day, making new encounter especially with a lady, and hoping for a real spring as life.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/... 　

不燃物回収作業に従事

　今日は午前８時半より約２時間に亘って、倉賀野上４地区から出た不燃物の空き缶、段ボール、古本、古雑誌、古新聞を３台の軽トラで回収し、上四公園で業者のゴミ収集車に詰め込む作業に従事しました。古本や新聞は束になると数キロとかなり重く、よい筋肉鍛錬になります。

　それにしても、今日は生憎寒い中、家庭から出たアルミ缶をビニール袋から出し、ご覧の大きな袋に詰めました。その数・推定数千個でよく飲んだものと驚きます。先程、作業が終わりました。

　ところで、今日3月8日は国連が定めた国際女性デーです。 国や民族、言語など越え、女性たちが達成してきた功績を祝福し、ジェンダー平等を考える日として、毎年世界各地でさまざまなイベントが行なわれます。

　
　この日は女性の権利と政治的、経済的分野への参加を盛り立てていくために1975年に制定されました。記念日に選ばれた3月8日は1904年にアメリカで女性労働者が婦人参政権を求めてデモを起こした日といわれます。

Dear my friends who are crazy about Global Environment.

　Today, starting at 8:30 a.m., for around two hours, we used three light trucks to collect non-burnable waste - such as empty cans, cardboard boxes, used books, magazines, and old newspapers - from the Kuragano Kami-4th district, and loaded them into a garbage truck at Kami-4th Park. The used books and newspapers are quite heavy, weighing several kilograms in bundles, and make for a good muscle workout for me.

　Even so, despite the cold weather today, we took the aluminum cans out of the plastic bags and packed them into the large bags you see here. It's amazing how many cans people in this district drank-an estimated several thousand of them. We just finished the work.

　Not change the subject ,but today March 8th is International Women's Day set by the United Nations. Various events are held every year around the world as a day to celebrate the achievements of women, regardless of country, ethnicity or language, and to think about gender equality.

　It was enacted in 1975 to boost women's rights and participation in political and economic fields.

March 8th which was chosen as the anniversary, was the day in 1904 when female workers protested in the United States for women's suffrage.

　

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

土を破って芽を出す「水仙」の生命力

　半世紀以上前、亡父が植えた「水仙」は庭のあちこちで咲いてましたが、近年、私が築山の一ヶ所に集めました。その後も年々増え続け、今では１００本以上です。ご存じの通り、水仙は球根なので春になると地中から芽を出し、最終的に高さは３０cmほどに成長します。不思議なことに、花は必ず南を向いて咲く習性があります。太陽光をいっぱい吸収するのでしょう。

　ところで、よく見ると中央に１本の幼木が見えるでしょう。ここは最近、枝垂れ桜の苗木を植えた場所で私が土を１５cmほど高くしました。このため、水仙にとっては芽を出そうとしても、なかなか地上に出られなくて驚いたことでしょう。それでも覆い被さった土を破って芽を出したら、今度は先日の雪でこの世は実に冷たいと思ったでしょう。芽が黄色くなってるのはそのためです。しかし、次第に青くなるでしょう。

　それにしても、春を察知し、堅い土を払い除けて地中に芽を出すのですから生命力に溢れてます。よく観察すると、すでに蕾が膨らんでるものもあります。今年は立春以降が寒冷であったことから梅の開花も２週間ほど遅かったです。平年であれば水仙もすでに開花してる時季です。

　ところで、雨不足で涸れた井戸は、先日の雪のお陰で地下水が溜まり自然は良く出来てます。今後は水仙に思う存分、水をかけて上げられます。ですから高くなった太陽と水と栄養のある土ですくすく成長します。私も水仙のように強い生命力を持ち、今日も一日、筋肉を鍛えつつ、記憶力の陶冶に打ち込みたい。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about the blossom of narcissus and great music.

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

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

　More than half a century ago, my late father planted daffodils all over the garden, but in recent years I have gathered them all in one place on the artificial hill named Tsukiyama for plants. Since then, they have continued to grow year by year, and now there are over 100 of them. As you know, daffodils are bulbs, so they sprout from the ground in the spring and eventually grow to about 30cm in height. Curiously, the flowers have a habit of always facing south. This is probably so they can absorb as much sunlight as possible.

　By the way, if you observe closely, you will see a young plant in the center. This is where I recently planted a weeping cherry tree sapling, and I accumulated the soil by about 15cm. This must have surprised the daffodil to find that it would take so long to emerge above ground. But if it does manage to break through the soil that is covering it, it will probably think that the world is really cold because of the recent snow. That is why the buds are yellow. However, they will gradually turn blue.

　Even so, they are full of vitality, sensing the coming of spring, brushing off the hard soil and sprouting from underground. If you look closely in the photo, you will see that some buds are already swelling. This year, the weather was cold after Rissun that means the beginning of spring, so the plum blossoms were delayed by about two weeks. In an average year, the daffodils would already be in bloom by this time of year.

　Not change the subject but, the well had dried up due to lack of rain, but thanks to the recent snow, groundwater has accumulated so that the nature is doing well. From now on, I can water the daffodils to my heart's content. With the high sun, water, and nutritious soil, daffodils will grow vigorously. I too would like to have strong vitality like the daffodils, and today I would like to spend training my muscles and cultivating my memory of English new words to associate with you fluently.

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

五輪真弓の「恋人よ」を喫茶「さんぽ道」で弾く

　今日は午前１０時頃から１時間ほど、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」に行き、一人静かにホットコーヒーを味わいつつ、東に広がる広大な田畑の早春の景色を眺めてました。

　時間が早いため私以外に客はいなかったので、拙いピアノ演奏で初めて五輪真弓の「恋人よ」をE-mollで弾きました。私は知ってる歌の曲を弾くときは楽譜なしで弾き、左手は主要三和音と属７の和音をアルページョ風に弾くと不思議にそれらしくなります。このため、事前に「何調で弾くか」しっかり頭に入れなくてはなりません。

　実は、この曲は妻の葬儀でソプラノサックス演奏したのです。悲しい葬儀には意外とよく合う曲です。今日はピアノで弾きました。ピアノで旋律を弾くと意外としんみりし、別の味わいになります。今後パーティーなどでピアノを弾く機会があったら「恋人よ」をレパートリーの一曲に入れることにしました。

Dear my friends who are crazy about sorrowful music.

　Today, I went to my favorite coffee shop, "Sampo-michi," for about an hour from around 10 a.m., and quietly sipped hot coffee by myself while gazing at the early spring scenery of the vast fields spreading out to the east.

　Because it was early, there were no other customers, so I played Mayumi Itsuwa's "Koibitoyo" that means "Oh my sweetheart" in E minor for the first time by my clumsy piano playing. When I play songs that I know, I play without sheet music, and when I play primary triads and dominant seventh chords in arpeggio style with my left hand, it somehow sounds more authentic. For this reason, I have to decide in advance what key I should play.

　Actually, I played this music by soprano saxophone at my wife's funeral ceremony. This music surprisingly suits a sad funeral ceremony. Today I played it by the piano. Playing the melody by the piano is surprisingly melancholic and has a different profundity. I've decided to add this music to my repertoire if I have a chance to play the piano at a party or something in the future.

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

「カッキー梅林」満開に！

　私の家の前は「上四地区集会所・ふるさと」です。今朝、その庭から我が家の方を見て「しだれ梅」を撮影しました。一昨日の降雪にも負けず、今日は満開です。枝ぶりに優しさがあり、色彩は早春を表し、何より樹形にバランスがとれてます。年間を通じて、剪定や水遣りの成果が出たと内心ホッとしてます。画像をクリックしますと臨場感が出るでしょう。

　この他、今朝は１本の梅で紅白に咲く「思いのまま」も満開にです。こちらは先日の雪で根から水分をしっかり吸収したのでしょう。天気の良い今日は見頃になります。いずれにしても、現在、種類の異なる５本の花梅すべてが満開です。本物をぜひ見にいらして下さい。駐車場とお茶は完備です。

　ところで、８年ほど前の大雪でこの枝垂れ梅は前の道の方に大きく傾いてしまい、道を塞ぐので、どうにもならないと私は落胆してしまいました。仕方なく、外に出てしまった大きな枝を切り落としました。

　実は結果的に、これが功を奏し、栄養分が他の枝に行き渡ったのでしょう。却って樹形が良くなるのですから梅は不思議です。昔の人の言い伝え通り、梅は枝を切ることにより、つまり、大胆に剪定すことに因り、一層よく咲くようになり、樹形が自然に整うことを実感してます。

　私たちは何か一つの失敗をしたり、思うようにいかないことがあります。しかし、その後も挫けず前進を続け、長い目で見ると、その失敗を通じて結果的に良くなることもあるものです。失敗に挫けず、日々、前進する気持ちこそ大切であると、この「しだれ梅」を通じて実感してます。寂しくとも今日も一日、希望を持って生活したい。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about the blossom of plum and great music.

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

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

　In front of my house is the Kami-4th District Community Center "Furusato". This morning, I looked towards my house from the garden and took a photo of a weeping plum tree. Despite the snowfall the day before yesterday, it is in full bloom this morning. The branches are gentle, the colors represent early spring, and above all, the tree shape is ideal balanced. I am relieved that the pruning and watering throughout the year have achieved. Click on the image to get a more realistic look.

　In addition, this morning, a single plum tree with bicolor named ``Omoi no mama,'' was in full bloom. This tree must have absorbed moisture from its roots due to the snowfall the other day. Today, with the fine weather, it will be at its best. In any case, all five different kinds of flowering plum trees in my garden are in full bloom at the moment. Please come and see the real view. Parking and tea are available.

　By the way, about eight years ago, a heavy snowfall caused this weeping plum tree to lean significantly toward the road in front of the garden, and it was blocking it, and I was disappointed that I couldn't do about it. I had no choice but to cut off the large branches that had grown out.

　In fact, this turned out to be a good idea, as the nutrients were distributed to the other branches. It is amazing how plum trees actually improve the shape of the tree. As the old saying goes, by cutting the branches of plum trees, in other words, by pruning them boldly, they bloom better that before and the tree shape improves naturally.

　In our daily life, we often tend to mistake or things don't go as planned. However, if we continue to move forward without being discouraged, and in the long run, that failure can actually turn out to be for the better. Through this weeping plum tree, I have come to realize that it is important to not be discouraged by failure and to have the desire to move forward every day. Even if I feel lonely, I want to live today with hope.

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

今月の「シルバー川柳」

　私の家のすぐ前は倉賀野町上四地区の集会所「ふるさと」です。ここは元々空き家になった家を改造しました。ここでは上四地区の役員会議はもとより、いろいろ趣味の会が行われます。それは定期的に行なわる「オカリナの会」であったり、「折り紙の会」、「長寿会」が開かれたり、その他、趣味の会が行われます。その人たちに私の庭の花を見て戴くこともあります。

　この集会所の前に掲示板があり、今月の「長寿会お知らせ版」の中に、思わず笑ってしまう「シルバー川柳」が載っていたのでご紹介します。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about human's joy

　Right in front of my house is "Furusato", the community center for the Kami-4th district of Kuragano-Town. It was originally a vacant house that was remodeled. In addition to Kami-4th district executive meetings, various hobby groups are held here. These include the regular Ocarina Club, Origami Club, Longevity Club, and other hobby groups. Sometimes these people also come to see the flowers in my garden.

　There is a bulletin board in front of this community center, and in this month's Longevity Club Announcement Edition, there was a funny "Silver Senryu" that means witty epigrammatic Japanese poems created by elderly people that I would like to share with you.

The English translation of "Silver Senryu" is as follows

〇 Actually, I'm a two-sword man who uses intravenous drip injection and compresses.

〇 My father wants a fancy name for his posthumous name in grave.

〇 We used to hold hands on date during young days, but now we hold hand for nursing care

〇 I woke up feeling fine this morning, so I will go to the hospital today.

〇 No credit cards, no cell phone, no damage such as swindle.

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

雪の重みで、再度、サルスベリの枝が裂ける

　先程、ホースで水をかけ、梅の枝から雪を落としてやりましたら、ご覧の通り、「枝垂れ紅梅」の花が蘇りました。

　一方、残念なことに、南国を原産地とする「サルスベリ」は昨年と同じ枝が再度、雪の重みで裂けてしました。近いうちにまた園芸用の紐で結んでやります。サルスベリの新芽が出るのは遅く6月です。写真右下は「源平枝垂れ桃」です。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2k_PCPcvKY

　　

Dear my friends

　I just sprayed the plum trees with water by the hose to fall the snow from their branches, so that as you can see, the weeping plum blossoms have revived.

　On the other hand, unfortunately, the same branches of the crape myrtle which is native to tropical countries, have split again due to the weight of the snow as they did last year. I will tie them up again with gardening string soon. New buds on crape myrtle appear late, in June. The Genpei weeping peach tree is pictured at the bottom right.

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

啓蟄について復習です。

　二十四節気の「啓蟄」の今朝、満開の枝垂れ紅梅も、ご覧の通り、雪を被って、まるで「思いのまま」の梅と同様に紅白になってます。幸いにも、枝が折れることがないのは元々枝垂れとは雪に対応できてる姿とも言えます。

　全国では今日が高校入試や大学入試の人もいるでしょう。足元に注意し、会場まで無事に着いて、ぜひ実力を発揮してもらいたいです。一方、初めて雪を見る幼児たちも銀世界に驚嘆しているでしょう。私が子供の頃は群馬県南部でも一冬に数回以上の雪が降り、嬉しくて嬉しくて、そりで滑ったり、学校では雪合戦した思い出があります。

　ところで、先日の暖かさで、庭ではすでに蟻が地上に出てましたが、今日の「啓蟄」についてそのポイントを復習しますと、私たちを載せた「地球は一周約９億４千万㎞ある公転軌道上の何処に今日は浮いてるでしょう。」

　ご存知の通り、太陽系の周囲には黄道十二星座があります。つまり、太陽は動かずにいますが、公転してる地球から見ると、太陽の背景には一年かけ、十二の星座が東から次々とやって来ます。同時に私たちの地球もこの黄道十二星座の方向を次々通り過ぎます。それを知るには深夜０時に真南を見れば、現在の地球の公転上の位置が分かります。

　「啓蟄」での地球は「獅子座」の方角に来ています。今後も地球は秒速約２９kmという物凄いスピードで反時計回りで公転を続け、次の「乙女座」の方向に向かいます。同時に、地球から見る太陽は「春分点」のある「魚座」の方向に向かいます。これを頭に入れて「啓蟄」の今日一日を過ごしたいものです。

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

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

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

　This morning, on the 24th solar term, "Keichitsu," the weeping plum tree is covered in snow so that it became red and white, just like the "Omoinomama plum" . Fortunately, the branches did not break, which is because the weeping plum tree is originally able to withstand snow.

　Today is probably a day when many people across the country are taking high school and university entrance exams. I hope that they watch their step to the venue safely, and display their abilities. Meanwhile, young children seeing snow for the first time will be amazed by the silvery world. When I was a child, it snowed several times in one winter in southern Gumma Prefecture, and I remember being so happy that I would go sledding and have snowball fight at school.

　By the way, with the warm weather the other day, ants have already come out of the ground in the garden, so shall we review the key points of today's "Keichitsu." "Where is the Earth floating today on its orbit of about 940 million km?"

　As you know, there are twelve zodiacal constellations around the solar system. In other words, the sun does not move, but as seen from our revolving Earth, the twelve constellations come one after another from the east behind the sun through a year. At the same time, our Earth also passes through the direction of the twelve zodiacal constellations one after another. To find out, we should look due south at midnight and you will see the current position of the Earth on its orbit.

　As the result, in "Keichitsu", the Earth is in the direction of "Leo". The Earth will continue to revolve counterclockwise at an incredible speed of about 29 km per second, heading in the direction of the next constellation "Virgo". At the same time, the Sun seen from the Earth will head in the direction of "Pisces", where the "vernal equinox" point is located. Please keep this astronomical phenomenon in mind, and let's spend today in "Kichitsu".

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ピアノで五輪真弓の「恋人よ」を弾いてみたい

【画像をクリックし、拡大すると臨場感が出ます。】

　庭の入り口で薄いピンクで咲いてる花梅です。昨日の雨で色彩が一段と鮮やかになったように感じます。梅にとって、やはり雨がよい栄養なのでしょう。この梅は娘の子供の誕生記念に植えました。花が、丁度、人の目の高さで咲いてるので観賞しやすいです。

　実は、このように横に広がり丸みを帯びた樹形になったのは元々、この梅は背が高かったので私が幹を短くしたことから、結果的に横から枝がたくさん出てきてこの姿になりました。一方、昔からの言い伝えで、俗に「桜切るバカ、梅切らぬバカ」の通りにしたら、やはり、梅は剪定すればするほど翌春によく咲くことを実感してます。ですから、この言い伝えは、体験した人の言葉から生じたのでしょう。それにしても、色彩は素晴らしく、まるで昔の恋人に再会したようです。

　ネットでは、この梅の香りを皆さんの部屋にお届けできず、私一人が味わってて申し訳ありません。こんな良い色で咲くと「一人暮らしだから不幸と思うな。素晴らしいフェイスブック友人がいるではないか」と梅の花に諭されてる感じもします。

　でも、まさか人生の第４コーナーに差し掛かり、三度三度一人で食事することになるとは考えてもみませんでした。人生とは分からぬものです。庭にたくさんの花と、私には音楽があっても、何か満たされないものがあります。それは人と人を繋ぐ楽しい会話です。きょうも愛車に乗ってお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」に行き、ホットコーヒーを戴きつつ、温厚なママさんと何か話してみたい。ピアノで五輪真弓の「恋人よ」を弾いてみたい。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about conversation with humans and great music.

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

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　This is a pale pink plum blossom at the entrance to the garden. Yesterday's rain made the color even more vivid. Rain must be good nutrition for plums. I planted this plum to commemorate the birth of my daughter's child. The flowers bloom at our eye level, so she is easy to appreciate.

　Actually, the reason this plum tree has a rounded shape is because it was originally tall so that I have shortened the trunk, which resulted in many branches growing out from the sides. On the other hand, if we follow the old saying, "A fool who cuts cherry, a fool who doesn't cut plum," I have realized that the more I prune plums, the better she will bloom the following spring. So this saying probably came from the words of someone who experienced it. Even so, the colors are wonderful, therefore, it's like being reunited with an old sweetheart in my adolescence.

　I'm sorry that I can't deliver the scent of plums to your room over the internet, and that I'm the only one who can experience it. When the plum blooms in such beautiful colors, it feels like she is telling me, "Don't be unhappy just because you live alone. You have many great Facebook friends."

　But I never imagined that I would reach the fourth corner of my life and end up eating alone every times. I never know what life will bring. Even though I have lots of flowers in my garden and music, there is something that is not fulfilling for me. It is the fun conversations that connect people. Today, I would like to go to my favorite cafe, Sampo-michi by my coupe and chat with the kind-hearted proprietress over a hot coffee. I would also like to play by the piano. The title of the music will be "For my sweetheart which is sung by Mayumi Itsuwa.

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現代では、「ひな祭り」に桃は咲きません。

　３月３日は「ひな祭り」です。二人の娘の雛人形はガラスケース入りなので、今でも一年中飾ってあります。それでもお嫁に行けました。飾ってあると、生まれた当時の幼き日のことが思い出され、心が若くいられます。

　一方、３月3日は「桃の節句」と言われますが、これは旧暦時代の名残ですから、現代の３月３日では、とても桃の花が咲く時季ではありません。庭には数本の花桃がありますが、蕾は未だとても小さく開花は１か月後の旧暦の３月３日以降になるでしょう。

　現代の３月３日は、ご覧の通り、庭では梅の花が満開になりました。写真は今朝、二階の窓から白梅と紅梅枝垂れを撮りましたら、雨に濡れ、一段と色彩が鮮やかになってます。暫くぶりの雨は植物にとって、正に恵みの雨となりました。写真下は馬酔木(アセビ)で、左は赤で蕾の状態で、右は白い花が咲いてます。こちらも紅白です。

　ところで、久しぶりの雨ですが、私にとっても恵みの雨です。というのは、長い間「涸れてた井戸」に水が溜まるからです。年間を通じて植物への水遣りが私のルーティーンで、今日の雨で、もう梅雨の時季まで心配ないでしょう。今は二十四節気の「雨水」です。その名の通りで自然はよく出来ています。今日、外出が出来なければ、天声人語に集中してみます。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about weather and great music.

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

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　March 3rd is "Girls' Festival" in Japan since ancient time, I guess. The dolls of my two daughters are in glass cases, so they are still displayed all year round in the room. But they were able to get married without delay. Display them reminds me of their childhood and keeps me young at heart.

　On the other hand, March 3rd is also called "Peach Festival", but this is a remnant of the old calendar era, so March 3rd in modern times is not the time when peach blooms. There are several flowering peach trees in the garden, but the buds are still very small and they will not bloom until a month later, after March 3rd in the old calendar.

　As you can see, on March 3rd today in modern times, the plums are in full bloom in the garden. I took this photo of white plum blossoms and red plum blossoms from a second-floor window this morning, and they are wet with rain, making their colors even more vivid. The first rain in a while has been a blessing for the plants. The photo below shows Japanese andromeda with red buds on the left and white flowers in bloom on the right.

　By the way, it's been a while since we've had rain in southern Gumma prefecture, but it's a blessing for me, too, because it means water has accumulated in a well that has been dry for a long time. Watering plants is a routine for me throughout the year, and Today's rain will don't worry me about that until the rainy season. We are currently in the "Usui" of the 24 solar terms. As the name suggests, nature is well-made. If I can't go out today, I'll try to concentrate on Tensei Jingo to increase English vocabularies.

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今日も蜜蜂の音が凄いです。

　君子蘭は長い期間、廊下で育ててましたが、今日は天気が良かったので近所の皆さんに見て戴くため３鉢を外に出しました。ついでに井戸水をたっぷり与えたら、途端に生き生きしてきました。これはまるで、私が高島屋屋上のビアガーデンでビールを飲んだときのようです。

　それにしても、現在、庭は紅白の梅梅梅で、私が庭で作業をしてると「梅がきれいですね。」と道から声を掛けてくれる人がいて、梅を通じて新たな人たちとの交流ができ有難いです。相変わらず、蜜蜂の飛来が多いです。どこから来るのでしょう。

　今後は、４月の桃の花、続いてシャクナゲ、八重桜、５月の藤、牡丹、ツツジとバトンタッチして咲きます。どうぞ見にいらして下さい。

Dear my FB friends who are crazy about plum blossom and great music.

　I've been raising kaffir lilies in the hallway during winter, but as the weather was nice today, I carried three pots outside for neighbors to appreciate them. I also gave them plenty of well water, as the result, they instantly became alive, just like when I drink beer at the beer garden on the roof of Takashimaya.

　Currently, the garden is in full bloom with red and white plum blossoms. When I'm working in the garden, people call out to me from the path in front, saying, "The plum blossoms are so beautiful." I'm grateful to be able to interact with new people through the plum blossoms. There are still a lot of bees flying around. Where do bees come from?

　In the near future, the weeping peach blossoms will bloom in April, followed by rhododendrons and double cherry blossoms, and in May wisteria, peonies and azaleas will continue to bloom. I recommend you to come to see them. Parking lot is available.

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「長寿会お知らせ版」に載った拙いブログ

【画像をクリックし拡大すると、文字が明瞭になります。】

　倉賀野町上四地区「長寿会お知らせ版」今月号に拙いブログが掲載され、嬉しいやら恥ずかしいやらです。それでも、倉賀野小児童のため交通安全パトロールはもちろん、冷たい風の吹く中、不燃物の箱のセッティングもパトロール隊が数か所で行っていることを紹介してあるので掲載して戴いた編集者のＫさんにはお礼申し上げます。

　退職後は何か地区のためになりたいと考えていたところ、隣のＴさんに勧められ、地区パトロール隊に入り、すでに幾年か経過してます。そのＴさんさんも数年前に逝去され、私は職業柄、公私ともにお世話になり寂しい限りです。

　このタイトルは県議の鈴木あつこさんのテーマを使わさせて戴きました。タイトルの通り、社会で大切なことは２１～２２世紀に向かって生きる「子供たちの未来」が輝くように、先ず子供たちの安全こそ社会の基盤と考えます。それと共に、私は子供たちを「一人ぼっちにさせない」ことに重点を置いてます。

　賑やかで皆と楽しそうな下校時に、時々、一人で帰宅する子供が見受けられます。そんな時は見つけ次第、必ず声を掛け、今日学校であったことなどを自然の形で対話するように心掛けます。すると子供は結構話してくれます。それにしても、登下校の安全パトロールは暑いか寒いかのことが多く、殊更寒かった今年の冬は堪えました。今日の群馬県の温度は４月の陽気になると予報されてます。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about the safety of children and great music.

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

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　I am both of happy and embarrassed that my clumsy weblog was published in this month's issue of the "Longevity Party Notice Edition" of Kam-4th district in Kuragano-Town. Nevertheless, I would like to thank the editor Mr. Knmagai who published it, as I introduced the fact that the patrol team not only conducts traffic safety patrols for the children of Kuragano Elementary School, but also sets up boxes of non-combustible materials in several places in the cold wind.

　After I retired, I was thinking about what I could do for the district, and I was recommended by my neighbor Mr. Takano to join the district patrol team, and several years have passed since then. Unfortunately, Mr. Takano passed away a few years ago, and I am very sad to have been helped by him both in my work and in my private life.

　I used the theme of Atsuko Suzuki who is a prefectural assembly member for this title. As the title suggests, the most important thing in our society is the safety of children which is the foundation of society, so that the "future of children" who will live towards the 21st and 22nd centuries should be bright. At the same time, I emphasize on "not letting children be alone."

　On the way home from school, when it is usually a lively and fun time for every children, we sometimes notice children going home alone. When I see this, I make sure to speak to him or her and try to have a natural conversation with them about what happened at school today. When I do this, the children tend to talk a lot. Even so, safety patrols on the way to and from school are often hot or cold, as the result, this winter was particularly cold in Japan, so it was tough. The temperature in Gumma Prefecture today is forecast to be like April weather.

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今日から始まる「ラジオ体操会」に参加

【写真は私の庭の梅で、右下は倉賀野緑地公園です。画像をクリックし、拡大しすると臨場感が出ます。】

　２月最後の昨日、余りにも春らしい良い気候でだったので「よし、今日は歩こう」という気持ちが高まり、午前１１時頃から暫くぶりに倉賀野緑地公園までウォーキングしました。右下の写真の通り、ここは烏川の畔にある広大な広場です。目的地への途中、横町の知人宅に立ち寄り、５分ほど立ち話をしました。息子さんがこの４月から小学校に入学とのことで、是非「PTA役員をした方が良いですよ」と薦めました。

　「役員になると多くの異業種の方々と互いに知り合いになれると共に、親が役員をしてることで子供も張り切るものです。」と その利点を話しました。彼女は以前に私のブログをご覧になったことで、わざわざ私の家を訪ねて来て下さったことがあり、それ以来の知人です。

　ところで、目的地の緑地公園の南を流れる一級河川・烏川の源流は倉渕町の角落山(標高1393ｍ)付近の「烏の口」と言われる岩から滴り落ちる水に始まり、高崎市を通り、玉村町で流域面積日本一の利根川と合流します。私が子供の頃はプールがなかったことから、倉賀野でも夏休みは多くの子供たちがこの烏川で泳いだものです。恥ずかしながら、小学生だった私は一度だけ深みに嵌ってしまい、水中を１０ｍほど流された記憶があります。叱られると思い、親には話せませんでした。

　健康維持に、バランスのとれた食事と適度な運動は必須です。特に運動はストレス解消のためもあるので、毎日数K歩くなど無理な課題を自らに押し付けず、「今日は身体を動かしたい」と感じたときで良いと考えます。車社会にあっても、日頃から歩いて行ける距離は歩いて行く習慣こそ大切に思います。

　実は、今日から倉賀野上４公園で朝６時３０分からの「ラジオ体操会」が再開され、３ヶ月ぶりに３０名ほどの仲間と会えます。この体操会は金曜日が休みだけで、これから１１月下旬まで行われます。上４公園は私の家から５００mほどの所にあり、結果的にウォーキング～ラジオ体操～ウォーキングと朝食前に３０分ほど身体を動かすので空腹となり、朝食が美味しい利点があります。このお腹が空くことが体内の循環にとても良いです。　　

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about gymnastics and great music.

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

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　Yesterday was the last day of February, and the weather was so spring-like that I felt like walking, so I walked to Kuragano Greenery Park after a long interval around 11am. As you can see in the photo, this is a vast open space near the bank of Karas River. On the way to my destination, I stopped by an acquaintance in Yoko-town and chatted for about five minutes. Her son will enter Kuragano elementary school this April, so I recommended that she become a PTA officer.

　I explained the benefits of being an officer, saying, "You can get to know many people from different occupations, and your child will be more enthusiastic if you are an officer of PTA." In fact, she had previously read my weblog then she had visited my residence, so we have been acquaintances ever since.

　Not change the subject but, the source of the first-class river, Karas River, which flows south of my destination, Greenery Park, begins with water trickling from a rock called "Beak of Crow" near Mt. Tsunoochi (1,393m above sea level) in Kurabuchi-Town, passes through Takasaki City, and joins the Tone River which has the largest river basin in Japan, in Tamamura Town. When I was a child, there was no swimming pool, so many children in Kuragano- town swam in the Karas River during summer vacation. I'm ashamed to say that I was almost drowned once in this river as an elementary school student and was underwater for about 10 meters. I didn't tell my parents because I was afraid I would get scolded.

　A balanced diet and moderate exercise are indispensable to maintaining good health. Exercise is especially important for relieving stress, so instead of forcing ourselves to do difficult tasks such as walking several kilometers every day, I think it's fine to do it when we feel like "I want to move my body today". Even in a car-oriented society, I think it's important to have the habit of walking as far as we can on a daily basis.

　In fact, starting today, the "radio gymnastics meeting" has resumed at 6:30am at Kuragano Kami-4th Park, allowing me to meet with about 30 friends after three months. The only day off for this gymnastics is Friday, and it will continue until the end of November. Kami-4th Park is about 500m from my house, therefore, as a result, I get around 30 minutes of exercise before breakfast, walking, then radio gymnastics, then walking again. It has the advantage of making me hungry and making my breakfast taste better. I think that being hungry is great for circulation in the body.

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