Memory is a tricky thing, because it can be vague, but it can also be strangely detailed. This morning's post was a bit sentimental, partly because I've kept my blog trying to be as accurate as possible about what's going through my mind a…

In a dream, I was lost and got on a train, there was also a train on the opposite track and both were stopped. I saw my mother on the other train and I stared at her. She noticed me and we were both crying. When I have these dreams, I actu…

It's after Christmas, I am tidying up my house, shivering in the cold air that has come down from the north. I found some fragrant candles from my travels and lit them up. Even in the daytime, as the sun is low in the sky, I can see the in…

Today, after the winter solstice, after the former Emperor's birthday and on Christmas Eve, it feels as if I have passed the big pass to end the year. We will have more opportunities to eat feasts and we have to be careful not to eat too m…

The end of this year has been even more blessed than usual. Thank you for all your caring! As the lighthouse keeps on lighting, I will keep sending my love to you from my corner of Japan. Nao xxx

I am at the spa again. My little trip last month was so good that I booked it as soon as I got back. One of the reasons was that at that time the infection situation in Japan had calmed down. Now that the Omicron strain has started to be c…

師走 is read as 'shiwasu'. The word Shiwasu refers to the month of December in the old luner calendar, but even today we often call December 師走 as well.When we says the word 師, the first thing that comes to mind is the word '先生-Sensei…

This is a continuation of the post of 15 December. Is New Year bigger? Which is your biggest celebration of the year? The reason why Christmas is merrily celebrated in Japan, in my opinion, is because it plays a prelude to the New Year The…

After Halloween, Christmas music is gradually played and the streets are decorated with lights. In recent years, my city has even started to imitate the European, Perhaps German, as we have a sister city, Christmas markets. The excitement …

Recently I wake up in the morning and my hair is exploding. I've had a short cut since last year and it's easy to manage, but when I look in the mirror I can't help but wonder why it's happening. Maybe it's because I sleep so deep in my du…

International mail seems to have started to slow down these days. There has been very little activity in my postcrossing activities. At times like this it might be good to sort through the mail that has arrived this year ️It's also Decembe…

I'm going to write about my problems now. It is that I eat late at night. I know that I am not hungry. It is obvious that I am trying to settle down with a full stomach. I know the cause: mainly, you-know-who Now, I try not to see her, but…

Since October, mail can only be delivered on weekdays, except for express mail and other specially designated mail. This has made opening the mailbox on Mondays even more exciting.Today I had two postcrossing cards from Australia and Hong …

Recently I've been informed that I need to renew my driving licence. It is given as long as you take a short course where you can hear about recent traffic conditions. A good driver with no offences will have a gold licence which has a gol…

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response A term I only recently discovered. There seems to be no Japanese word for this word other than the literal translation. A friend of mine told me about it. That's how she described the reaction she felt …

The pen I use to write my letters and postcards is a Japanese ballpoint pen produced by Mitsubishi Pencil. The pen is marked on the barrel 'for office and address writing' ​(in bold, black, waterproof).What I like most about it is that the…

I received a small request and decided to knit for the first time this season. The weather is getting colder and it's nice to touch the yarn. When I went through my stash of yarn and knitting needles, I unearthed the remnants of last seaso…

As for what arrives in Postcrossing, it's not a lot, but what concerns me is pen cancellation. I know that the primary purpose of a postmark is to prevent reuse, so it does its job, but it's just not pretty! I donate used stamps to charity…

This is a continuation of the story of the bottomless pit on 26 November.I took care of my grandmother because I felt that I had to continue my mother's role uninterruptedly. I was the only one who had to change my life because of my mothe…

It's about my grandmother and I recently found out that she has been telling her son - my uncle, disgraceful lies about me. I was angry, but I felt more disappointing and demotivated. I talked to her care manager and decided to keep my dis…

Some time ago I came across an article on the internet with an interesting title. The title is: 'Unrequited love, murderous intent... secrets in lockdown on hundreds of postcards' 11 April 2021, 17:00 London/UK (The article is in Japanese.…

I am running low on small sum stamps and have decided to order some unused old stamps. They are priced below the postage indicated. I bought 10,000 JPY ($88) worth of stamps for 8,500 JPY ($75). It costs 70 JPY ($0.61) to send one postcard…

I read on the internet that people in trouble or trapped hate the lack of charity of those who reach out to them more than those who don't even see them.One person responded to this by saying If you put your hand out to take a wounded stra…

Here are a few sentences that made me want to underline them.'... It was not in her nature, however, to increase her vexations by dwelling on them. She was confident of having performed her duty, and to fret over unavoidable evils, or augm…

There are two expired cards as of today, one of which I have already sent a follow-up card once, but it will probably never arrive as the country does not currently accept mail from Japan. The newly expired card may simply have been the re…

The book I took with me on my trip was 'Pride and Prejudice' in Japanese, a book that had been eating dust on my bookshelf, and I had never read this famous piece of literature, only knowing the title. As soon as I started reading I realis…

I was off to a hot spring in the mountains. There are no shops around, there is nothing to do there but relax and enjoy the hot spring. It was a blessing for me that I had the time to empty my head. With the Corona I had almost forgotten t…

I feel like dying before my period and everything seems to be a serious problem. It's also the time when someone's casual words tend to get me into trouble. Some of my friends say that I have a long temperament, but I don't know which temp…

The Animal Protection Act has become stricter in recent years and it can be said that animal welfare is making progress, but things like public discipline classes that people living with animals can attend at any time are not common.The ci…

One of the calendars that is still used in Japan is 六曜, the Roku-yo, which is a calendar of fortune based on the five elements of yin, yang and the Chinese zodiac, and is a calendar of fortune, good and bad times and directions for each …