Pet Cremation - Annie in the flower bed

With the increasing number of pets, the new business related pet services has been prosperous in Japan. And pet cremation place is one of them. Luckily there is one place near my house, which used to be a karaoke shop (funny). When Annie died two days ago, I called the center to come to get the body. A few hours later, Annie turned into ashes with other lovely dogs and cats which died on the same day.

Today I went to the place to meet Annie. In the small hall, the great number of pet pictures, dog food, sweets to offer and ash jars. I believe Annie be happy in the flower bed together with a lot of new friends. I can walk to the place whenever I want to see her. Good for me.

This is the photo I got from the center. The added message is - Thank you for countless precious time, Annie.
I know the word "pet loss syndrome."  I wonder if I can keep a new dog again, I mean can I stand the next pet loss?   Anyway, I'll stay quiet (about the new dog) for the time being .

Rest in Peace

Life has its ups and downs. Such is life.
This morning Annie died a peaceful death. She looked like she was sleeping. I feel sad, but at the same time I'm releaved as she got off suffering any more.

Thank you for all the time you shared with us , Annie. I'll never forget you.
Rest in peace.

Momijigari-Autumn Leaves Viewing

Momijigari is "Autumn Leaves Viewing,". This is done during the season when maple leaves have turned a beautiful crimson. Contrary to  cherry blossom viewing, people enjoy this event without drinking or singing.
In Osaka, we can enjoy red maple leaves from the end of November to the middle of December.

People rush to famous places just to see  beautiful maple leaves. It may be a mystery to non-Japanese people. I think this custom is one way to show our respect to nature.
I wonder where to go this year .

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Thank you for visiting my daybook.

Please enjoy October daybook written by lovely women. .http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-daybook.html

FOR TODAY  October 23

Outside my window...wonderful season has come with beautiful colors.

I am thinking...time flies so fast. We have only two months and one week left in 2011. To Japanese people New Year's Day is a special day in a year. Soon I start preparing for New Year's Card.

I am thankful...to everyone and everything around me. I cannot live alone.

In the kitchen...I have much boiled rice left in the rice cooker. So I need to make something with this, maybe an omrice. It is an omelet containing ketchup-flavored fried rice.   Good taste.

I am wearing...jeans and flower-printed tunic.

I am creating...my brand-new website I have got stuck in since June. Part of it is still under   construction. I hope you will visit it. http://www.trulyjapanese.com/

I am going...to jump into some blogs of unknown people. It's my recent fun thing.

I am wondering...how to take care of my dog. She's getting weaker and weaker.

I am reading...two detective stories written by Japanese famous writer, Keigo Higashino.

I am hoping...my dog to recover once again. I believe she has a strong will to live.

I am looking forward to...meeting my grandson next month. He is so cute!

I am hearing...people are talking something in a loud voice. They sound happily.

One of my favorite things...is the bright red color of dogwood nut.

A few plans for the rest of the week:visit to somewhere to see changing leaves with my best friend, playing tennis, taking care of my dog, doing errands...

Here is picture for thought I am sharing

..."SUN CHILD" I found this object in front of the Tower of the Sun in Expo Park in Osaka. This is appealing "I never give up no matter what happens."

Friday Tennis

On Friday I'm so lucky to go to Otsu to play tennis in the  mountain . Although it's not a close place  from my house (one hour drive), but it's worth going. Why? There are a lot of trees and flowers in and around the tennis court and a beautiful river is running very closely, so every time I can enjoy not only playing tennis but also the ever-changing appearance of nature.

Today ten members came to play tennis for two hours. I did five games with them. Today was very sunny and still a little humid, but it is a good season for doing something outside.

 

Wonderful Season!

Please visit my site "Truly Japanese."

Instant Ramen Museum

Do you like instant noodles? Today I visited "Instant Ramen Museum" in Ikeda, next to my hometown.  On August 25, 1958, Momofuku Ando invented the world's first instant noodle product, "Chicken Ramen" in a small shack in the backyard of his house in Ikeda. He is the founder of Nissin Foods.

This is "Instant Noodles Tunnel."  Various types of the major Nissin products are displayed in a large volume.

 I am standing next to the giant Cup Noodle. Many elementary students came here as a school excursion to experience "My Cup Noodle Factory" where visitors can create their original, only "Cup Noodle" in the world. They can design the cup freely, choose the soup flavor, and add the ingredients they prefer. It is 300 yen.
There is also a tasting room where they can buy, make and eat various instant noodles.

According to the information, Mr. Ando loved his Chicken Ramen so much as to keep eating each day until a few days before he died. Such a ramen freak!

Visit my brand-new website.

Gifts from Nature

 Today I enjoyed walking all day and seeing leaves changing beautifully.

My favorite season is just around the corner. I am happy to see the beautiful change of nature.

Changes of leaves are abundant gifts from nature.

Annie report

Today's post is about my pet  Annie.
Annie is an old beagle of soon twelve years old.  Recently she has only walks for toilet and eating something. She sometimes (often) misses the toilet place , maybe she can't reach toilet. Annie lies down and sleeps most of the day.
These two days her body has  smelled strong so I took her to the pet saloon for a shampoo. There I realized  she had a  bedsore in her breast.  I checked how to cure for that on the Internet.
I am sorry Annie. I have never found that. Now I am trying to recover her  by antiseptic care and changing her posture.
Luckily she still has a big appetite. She doesn't eat dog food any more. She eats the same food as we eat at the table. I know it is not good for dogs to eat human food. But I don't think to change this way.

I hope to celebrate  her twelve-year-old birthday on December 28th.

Why is the cosmos flower called "cosmos"?

Cosmos flower is now in full bloom. Light pink, rose, white, orange.... They are waving in the breeze beautifully.

In Japan, cosmos is the seasonal word for autumn and it is "秋桜" in kanji Chinese characters which means "autumn cherry blossom". The shape of its petal looks like that of cherry blossom, so it is called cherry blossom blooming in autumn.

It is a rather new flower in Japan which came to Japan in the19th century.

I have been wondering why cosmos is called cosmos (universe). The gregarious cosmos looked like twinkling stars at dark night in the ancient times????

Today when I was surfing the Internet, I happened to find this article of India.

Why is the cosmos flower called so?  Nov 28, 2004, 12.37am IST

Cosmos belongs to a vast family of plants known as Compositae. The plant produces showy flowers in an orderly arrangement of cosmic proportions. Spanish priests grew cosmos in their mission gardens in Mexico. The evenly placed petals led them to christen the flower 'Cosmos', the Greek word for harmony or ordered universe. Cosmos, like many of our warm weather annuals such as marigolds, originated in Mexico and South America.

Shreya Sharma, Vadodara
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-11-28/open-space/27168154_1_cosmos-flower-marigolds

KIX (Kansai International Airport)

                      

KIX is the main entrance airport to Kansai. Today I was at the Kansai International Airport to support the junior tennis players to participate the World Super Junior Tennis in Osaka, which will be held from Oct 17th to 23rd. As once-a-week tennis player, I was happy to have a chance to meet the potential world champion.

 

These are all sumo wrestlers.

This is a Japanese doll of maiko, which is an apprentice geisha.
I found these dolls at the arrival lobby. They are all Japanese style.

400-year-old Townhouse in Sakai

Today  I went to Sakai to visit an old townhouse of a rich merchant of the Yamaguchi family.                                                                The Yamaguchi residence was built in the early 17th century, the early Edo period. It was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1966. It is now operated by Sakai city.

We can enter the townhouse and feel the atmosphere of the prosperous merchant's life.
There are many rooms. I like a huge kitchen with five stoves and big beams and a small tea room with beatufiful flowers.

There are several huge beams of pine tree to support the big house.

 The five stoves are located  in circle to be easy to operate.

 This is a tea room of 4.5 tatami mat size. It has a decorative alcove with a hanging scroll and a vase.

 The Hankai street car is running through old Sakai area, which gives us a nostalgic atmosphere.

Otori Danjiri Festival

Autumn festival has been held to express gratitude for the good harvest for a long time. Otori Danjiri
Festival is held in Sakai city, Osaka for a long time.
Danjiri means a float.Ten floats are pulled by people, mainly men, wearing the same happi coats. Each float is decorated with elaborate sculptures of historical war battle scenes and samurai.

In the precinct of Otori Shrine, a large number of stands make the festival more attractive.
I bought a shrimp-flavored cracker topped with sweet sauce and sunny-side up. The number of the egg is decided by picking a stick, on which some color is painted. I picked a yellow one. It means "one egg". It is a kind of lottery. One egg, two eggs or three. You can get a luck even when you buy something here.

Young girls look so cute with their hair in a fancy braid.

Both pulling people and onlookers look excited and enjoy the festival.

Japanese-style Athletic Meeting

Japanese schools are always busy, but especially this season is super-busy, for both students and teachers. They are busy for preparing for the athletic meeting. In Japan, many schools conduct an athletic meeting from the end of September through the beginning of October.

In junior high schools, each class competes each other in various events, such as a sprint race, a relay race, a three-legged race, team work gymnastics and a tug of war. 
Among them, the most Japanese event is "Kibasen", a mock cavalry battle. Until a few decades ago,  this battle was conducted only by boys, but these days girls also enjoy this.

The cheering banner competition is also held. Students work together to complete their class banner with the striking design and colors.
An exciting and bright atmosphere prevails at school, but often dragon's teeth,too.

Do you have such a sports event at school in your country?

Season of Fruits

 Comfort. I took off all the bamboo curtains protecting against sunlight. Now I enjoy sunlight. Staying outside is comfortable this time of the season.
Autumn is good for many things. In Japan, there are various sayings about autumn... season for reading, season for sports, season for appetite (this means everything in this season tastes good!)
 The grocery stores are lined with a variety of fruits, such as grapes, Japanese pears, chestnuts, tangerines. My favorite one is persimmon.



 These are  photos I took in the country side called Nose. I found a persimmon tree heavy with fruit. I picked and ate some. Yummy!

Deities' Disappearing Month (October)

       

In common Japanese language, month is named in order. For example, January is "ichi-gatsu" which literally means first month, Fesbruary "ni-gatsu"(second month)...(gatsu means month in Japanese)
But Japanese language has other romantic month names. For example, January is "Mutsuki" and February is "Kisaragi". And each of twelve names has an interesting story related to the month.
Now is October, tenth month is called "Kanna-duki" which literally means "deities' disappearing month."

This is the story. According to the old Japanese legend, Japan was created by "Okuninushi-no-Mikoto" who is believed to live in Izumo Grand Shrine in Shimane Prefecture. And his children deities live across Japan.  Annually every October, all the deities travel to Izumo Grand Shrine so as to have a family reunion and  make a report on their living area and talk about the next year's schedule. So there are no deities in Japan except in Izumo.That's why this month is called "deities disappearing month."

But only in Izumo area, this month is called differently. It is called "deities' appearing month". Understandable.

Surprise

It was a surprise.
Today I was in the conference hall to work as a  staff.(temporarily I work as a conference staff) It was a big medical conference and there were a lot of staff members. Among them, there was a charming woman I recognized but didn't know much.
As soon as she found me, she spoke to me cheerfully. She looked very bright and happy. She talked about her life and dream for the first time. Now I realize she makes a vigorous effort to make her dream come true.
Suddenly, she recommended me to express my dream in a voice, not only to friends but also to myself. The dream will come true. She gives out her dream every day to herself.
I was surprised to hear the story all of a sudden. It's a good thing to have a clear goal. But probably I can't voice my dream to myself...
And another thing, I don't know even her name. I feel something strange. A little confused.