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 :-)