Safe?

Safe from a meltdown?
Maybe.
No...not the Fukushima type...the Okaasan type.
The -why-didn't-I-know-about-the-hula-dance-thing-and why-did-they-have-a-performance day-without-telling-me kind of a meltdown.


Monday is regular hula class day, so before I left for work I gave Okaasan the hairdryer, left simple food on the table for lunch...and left her to it. Wondering HOW she would feel when she got to class and heard all the other ladies chattering on about "how fun it was to dance together on saturday!".


I got home - a little nervously - at 5 pm but she was still out. Little flowery slippers in the entrance hall, the sign of Okaasan Has Left the Building.
I had to do a rapid cook and prepare and turn around as we had a 6 pm dinner date with a visiting Couch Surfer downtown. In 40 mins I fed the cats, changed from work clothes, washed up Okaasan's lunch things, unpacked the food shopping, made miso soup, set Okaasan's dinner things etc etc Whirlwind of activity.
Okaasan came home...gave me a little hassle about how untidy the shoes were in the entrance hall...this is the Japanese way...yes, but this isn't a hotel...it's MY home and I'm English....yadda yadda...


Hula? No, I didn't go. I didn't get ready in time, so I didn't go today.
ThankGOODness. She didn't go, so didn't hear what she'd missed, so she didn't feel like killing me with a tea whisk.


I finished up the prepping for her dinner and left her to it. Later Yujiro called her to tell her dinner was ready in the kitchen, but she'd already found it and eaten it.
We got home later and she was safely asleep.
Meltdown averted for now.


I actually dread Okaasan getting in a bad mood again...because it is like a different person....she is usaully giggly, polite, funny - so the blank face, no-talking mood switch is a real change. As long as we can keep her basically happy we can keep THAT person away.


Finally....just look at this...it's the peony in my garden...so beautiful this year....it's been flowering for over a week now, great saucer-like blossoms of gorgeousnous!