A winter weekend

Successful weekend of Oyomesanning.
Patting myself on the back with plum wine.....

Saturday I hung out at home in the morning: snow clearing, cat playing and a bit of kanji study.
Gave Okaasan an early lunch and left to go skiing. I told her that she should/could go out. And gave her enough money to shop AND get a taxi home.
I prepped dinner and left it on the kitchen counter.
Worried a bit about her during the afternoon. Nice sunny day, roads should be okay...but....

Called her late afternoon to check she was home ok.

And MET MY GUY! Romance....well, actually no - cos after he finished work at the ski resort we went shopping near the ski school, and then back at the ski instructor's lodge to cook up tacos for 11 people and fed the young, hip instructors and staff from New Zealand, Uk, Japan and China. 
Hardly a romantic dinner. Two hours of a car ride, a shop, cooking...and eating with others.

But. It gave me a feeling that I am connected to his non-home life. I used to do this, before we had Okaasan to care for. Go and hang out at the ski areas where he was was working. Be a ski-guy's girl etc.
Often now I just feel like the woman-at-home....doing necessary domestic duties. I don't want him to EVER think of me in that light. So I go and hang out a bit in his ski instructor life - to remind us both that this domestic duty bit is only for now. When Okaasan has gone to the Great Kotatsu I will once again be able to be the ski guy girl.....I hope.
When that happens we will eat cheese fondue again, and go to Europe to ski, and...and ....

Back in our Present.
While we were food shopping he called Okaasan to give her instructions for switching on the onepot cooker and heating up the dinner. She managed it. I got home after 9 pm and she was sleeping. All ok.

Today, Sunday.
Did laundry. Mine. Okaasan's.
Went to Costco with my friend and baby boy. Had lunch of cheese and olives and bread....

Studied kanji for several hours.

When I cleaned Okaasan's room I found a notebook full of English/Japanese vocabulary from the days when she was in an English-study circle. 10? 15 years ago? When she was doing lots of tour travels to America, South Africa and Australia...lists of words for study.
Now her writing is TV shopping phone numbers, bits of recipes from TV shows, dates and time memo things. Once - not so long ago - she was actively studying English. I'm hoping that this burst of kanji study in my 50s will stave off dementia for myself.

Took Okaasan to the subway station and sent her off downtown for a few hours.
 She comes back quickly now. No big wandering. Just goes to the same coffee shop or convenience store, has a coffee and comes back.
She called me to pick her up. ;-) She is really getting into the routine with the phonecalls.

Dinner together. Chat about stuff. Food. Cats.

Another weekend done. He is away till the end of the week...

*** Old orange peel.
Okaasan has been saving orange peel. I tried to throw it away once, but she saw me doing it and got very agitated - it's for the bath!! I'm going to make a little bag and put orange peel in the bath!

Well. I don't think that is ever going to happen. I really don't. She is never going to make a little bag. The old peel will sit there on the bookcase for months...and months. It's been there 2 weeks already.
Today I removed it all. While she was downtown.
I am waiting to see if she notices.
I don't think she will.
But....