Dinner? Yes! No! Bugger!

Apologies for a good old British swear word: Bugger.

Okaasan did it again. Said "Yes" to dinner as I was preparing it. Then when it was served: "No, I ate when I was out/I feel tired/my stomach aches". And back to the carpet and the TV.

It is SO SO frustrating. I know I shouldn't let this get to me. But it does.
I don't do so much family cooking here and when I do - and this happens - it frustrates me.

Today I'd shopped for and planned a wonderful Hokkaido feast of salmon and vegetables and made-from-scratch Miso soup.

We'd left the "We're Working, So Eat Out" sign on the kitchen table for Okaasan.
I came back at 2 pm and she was out: which I thought was a good sign because that probably means she is eating fairly near lunchtime somewhere.

At just before 6 pm she came home.
She watched TV and pottered around her room - I started cutting up vegetables and fish and checked with her: Dinner? Yes? Great. Tonight we have delicious salmon!

Cut the right amount of stuff for 3 people. Started cooking. Put the finishing touches to the soup.
Called everyone together...

Would you like rice as well as potatos?


Potatos? Rice?
No, I don't want dinner. Maybe I'll eat later.

Buggeration. Major.
Like that movie Amelie...I feel like sinking to the kitchen floor in a pool of disappointment.
The Hokkaido feast is there on the hot plate all sizzling away. The soup is steaming. It all looks great.
Yujiro is all excited about it. So he and I sit and eat and chat. Okaasan in the room behind us is on the carpet staring at the TV.

Frustration.
She won't go hungry because she snacks endlesly and we assume she eats in a restaurant when she is out. But this will she/won't she over dinner is wearing me down.