My second son’s first word, as a toddler, was “go”. He used to run to my car, pull on the door handle, and say “Go! Go!” He is now almost...

(Grossness alert: Since this post is largely about what a rural middle-aged female feels in summer, there will be a bit of grossness here...

(The accompanying photo shows part of a picture I made several years ago depicting the notes of my wind chimes.) Recently I went away for...

Hello, everyone, and apologies for being late to wish everyone a happy Solstice. This year I was in Australia for the winter solstice. In...

Recently I had a chance to read an interesting essay entitled “The Stones of Kyoto”. Okay, I thought, this will be about famous stones in...

(The photograph shows a hall in a Japanese railway station.) When I was living in Australia with my family in the 70s, we lived in a...

(I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Equinox. The subject of this blog may in some way be linked to this period in...

Recently my husband and I have been watching “The Crown” on Netflix。As anyone who has followed the history of Britain in the 20th and...

Recently I have been writing about my early married life in this house, and the differences from the life I now live. I think every woman...

I recently saw an article on this on the Internet, and in preparation for this blog I googled the following Japanese words out of...

How is everyone at the winter solstice? My husband and I no longer “do” Christmas as in past years – without kids, Christmas seems empty....

November 22, 2022 I am reminded that today is ii fufu no hi (Good Spouses’ Day), a pun on the numbers 11.22. I am also reminded that next...

October 18 2022 Today is my 41st wedding anniversary. Those numbers do mount up. Who knows where, when and how we will be celebrating our...

The Autumn equinox is upon us, complete with one typhoon after another and increasing chill, especially at night. Soon it will be...

On September 9, I got up early. To be honest, I had been awake since midnight, as usually happens when I have something to do very early...

In the old Sesame Street cast of characters there was a cowboyish guy called Forgetful Jones, who was, you guessed it, forgetful. These...

(I must add a caveat to this blog – some of the conclusions I have reached may be other than what you yourself think or feel. These are...

Happy Solstice, everyone! We in the Northern Hemisphere are now at the top of the Ferris wheel of the y ear. Midsummer… everything is...

I wish you peace, when the cold winds blow Warmed by the fire’s glow I wish you comfort in the lonely time Arms to hold you when you ache...

While assisting two old ladies from the local work service to weed the garden on a recent cool and cloudy day, one of them looked up and...