April visit

 Bad family - we actually SKIPPED a month!

If it isn't bad enough that we are still limited to 15 mins a month visit time. We go and forget to visit in March....

Not quite so awful in fact, because I think we visited end of February...and then we went yesterday - April 8. But, still.

March kind of got away from us - busy busy. Tax season, helping a friend pack up and move home - and then two extra jobs that came out of the blue and filled my schedule.

Oh. And we bought this.

Yup. An RV/camping car!!!

If you know me in real life, you probably know the plan - that after Okaasan passes, and we get the cat ready for new adventures - we are planning our retirement life all over Japan in an RV. It's been our plan for years now.

Well, recently we decided that the cat would probably need a long training time to get used to RV life, because now he only goes in a car to the terrifying vets. So he needs reprogramming that Car = Fun.

And. It might be fun for US to have an RV and do little trips.

So we looked for a used RV, saw a few and found this one in March. And bought it.

It won't come into our lives until the end of April (needed repairs from the previous owner's bumper damage etc) - but it IS coming.

Very exciting! This is probably not our eventual home, it's a small model. But an in-between RV for short trips and cat training.

And so. We didn't visit Okaasan.

But yesterday we did. Clutching the timer. We sat at her bedside.

She opened her eyes a few times. Appeared to make eye contact. The closed eyes again and drifted off into a dopamine-fueled semi-consciousness.

No strange sounds this time, no frantic head shaking. We stroked her hands, chatted about baseball and spring and the garden flowers.

Under the bedding and towels her little body is curled up, her hands are bunched into fists. The tubes go in and out.

Another patient in the room has the TV on, so there are familiar Japanese afternoon TV shows chat in the background. The nurses are bright and friendly.

That is Okaasan's reality. We dropped in.

And came home again.

Awake in February...

We came

We sat

We saw

She saw us

We chatted to fill out the silence

We went home again.

😞

Another month. Another visit.

Okaasan was awake and aware of us. Made eye contact with both of us.

Made some strange sounds. Shook away Dear Son's efforts to stroke her hair (I would too!).

Some care homes and hospitals are restricting family visits again, after the winter holidays and festivals have led to virus cases spiking a bit. So, we are lucky that this home isn't doing that yet.

Winter going on and on here. We were tricked into spring thoughts by an incredible day of 14 C, with a lot of snow melting. But 3 days later there was 45 cm of snow in 24 hours - and we are back into winter!

Tax return season, clear snow, try to go swimming as much as possible...work/play.

This month we went to a concert by British rock band Queen and their current frontman Adam Lambert. It was amazing and I danced for ages, even with my gammy knee.

Apart from that...we are looking online at old camping vans. We might buy one as a kind of training vehicle, while we are still living in Sapporo. Training for us, for the cat. Maybe make some short trips.

Basically, we have plans to retire and travel Japan in a camping van - after Okaasan goes to the Big Kotatsu in the Sky. But that might not be for a few years yet - her life and my work is ongoing. But it would be fun to have a transition van.

Anyway, we are looking at a few now.

A rose for a wonderful lady.

No. Not THAT one!

Our neighbor. The old lady who lived across the road for all our time here. We heard from her family that she passed away earlier this month in her care home.

She was 102?

About 2 or 3 years ago, after many falls in her home at night, the family managed to persuade her that care home life would be safer and she moved. The house stayed empty and another old lady took over the garden, growing lots of vegies and flowers.

But Mrs Hoshiba - our friendly, chatty neighbor. Gone now.

She was very happy when we moved in...15? years ago...because the house had been empty and at night the street was dark etc. She also hoped Okaasan would become a friend. But Okaasan was a little bit proud of her Tokyo life and experiences and didn't think Mrs Hoshiba was quite in her league.

But Dear Son and I were friendly with her. Chatting about the gardens and the cats. Chatting about her memories of moving to this area 60...70 years ago as a bride. Before all the buildings and the subway line. We also helped when there were technology problems in her house, or power cuts, or falls.

I lit a candle and put it outside her front door this week after hearing the news.

Good bye Mrs Hoshiba. 

 

Dragon power!

 

Belated - but Happy New Year to anyone who still drops by to have a read here!

Remember this card? Designed by the son of one of my students for 2012. This was the last dragon year in the traditional Chinese/Japanese zodiac.

Dear Son, that English woman, Okaasan and two adorable little cats.

Now? 2024?

Dear Son - isn't a ski teacher anymore. House husband and snow clearer.

English woman - working hard to pay the Japanese government all the taxes they want.

Okaasan - in a bed attached to tubes, unable to talk or eat.

Little cats - one dead, and the other a fat, old boy who yowls in his waking hours.

Ahh, the memories!

This winter he and I have stayed home a lot. I hung out with friends over the holidays, catching up on lives now the Pandemic has ended and people are meeting again.

The friend who used to live in Sapporo with her baby and husband visited over the holidays because that baby is now old enough to take entrance tests for private junior high schools! And he got into one of them and they will move back here in spring.

My knee is little by little stronger - and in fact yesterday he and I went to have a VERY gentle, short ski on the local hill. Huge step for me. I had actually given up on skiing. But I could do it! In the sunshine and with wonderful snow it felt great.

This morning the knee is a little sore...so I must be careful. But after 2 years of no skiing - progress!!!

We visited Okaasan last week.

She was awake. Eyes mostly open, the head shaking, the not-so-happy sounds....eye contact a bit. 15 minutes of bedside words and hope.

Care homes and hospitals here are often still restricting family access, due to Covid. I guess we should just be grateful that they are letting us going in at all. :-(

So here we are in north Japan ^ lots of snow here finally. And soon Snow Festival and the visitors that always brings. Onwards into dragon year - with POWER in whatever you do :-)