There are only two days left this year. My family is as busy preparing for the New Year as everyone else. My wife is mainly busy …
しめ飾りは末広がりの意味を持つ縁起の良い28日に飾るのが良いようで、そうしました。
This is “Shimekazari” In Japan, New Year is called “oshougatsu”, and the very first day of the year is called “gantan”. New Year’s Day is a very important day for Japanese people. We have many events and customs to celebrate New Year’s Day. “Shimekazari” is decoration of sacred rice-straw rope, and is placed across the top of entrance to a house during New Years holidays. It seems that it is better to decorate on the 28th, which means auspiciousness, and I did so.
松飾りも簡素なものにしましたが、これも一応必要なものだからね。
This is “Matsukazari” the New Year’s decorative pine branches. It is placed on both sides of the front entrance of a houseduring New Year’s holidays. It symbolizes longevity,prosperity and purity.
Konatsu will never know what the New Year is. But do you feel that we are somehow busy doing something? It may be understandable that meals that look more delicious than usual will be lined up on the table during the New Year holidays.
ママはおせち料理の準備に奮闘中。。。
My wife is struggling to prepare Special New Year dishes…
I am on winter holidays from today. Even if it’s winter holidays, it’s the same as usual to get up early in the morning and go for a walk with Konatsu.
日の出直前の七里ヶ浜です
Just before sunrise
今朝も寒くて足元は凍っていますが、ワンコ達は元気いっぱい。
It’s cold this morning and the ground is frozen, but the dogs are full of energy.
A few hours later, here is Odakyu OX on the Kugenuma coast. While my wife was shopping, I was killing time while taking a walk in the Prefectural Shonan Coastal Park with Konatsu.
いつもとは逆の方向から見る江ノ島です。
It is Enoshima seen from the opposite side as usual.
右も左もサーファーでいっぱい。今日から休みの人が多いんだろうね。
Both right and left are full of surfers. I think there are many people on winter holidays from today.
いつもは波打ち際まで行くのは嫌がるのに今日は平気な様子。波の音を聞きながらの散歩は気持ち良いね。
Konatsu usually doesn’t like to go to the beach, but she looks fine today. It feels good to take a walk while listening to the sound of the sea.
There two poster dogs in the temple here, Monju in the foreground and Ashuku in the back. Both are names related to Buddhism, and Monju seems to symbolize the wisdom of the Buddha, and Ashuku says, “When a lot of people live, it gets frustrating, but don’t get angry, don’t get angry.”
文殊ちゃんはミニチュアダックとチワワのミックスですが、ダックの方が色濃く出ている感じ。可愛いね！
Bunshu is a mongrel dog of miniature duck and chihuahua, but the dachshund seems to be more intense. He’s cute!
藤枝までくる楽しみの一つに、このすぐ近くのお蕎麦屋さん「木むら」へ行く事があります。
One of the pleasures of coming to Fujieda is to go to the soba restaurant “Kimura” near here.
毎回行くたびに蕎麦の種類が変わっていて、それを味わうのも楽しい。
The type of buckwheat flour changes every time I come, and it’s fun to taste it.
From here up the stairs, the grave is on the top of the mountain. It’s still good now, but it’s hard to get to the top of the mountain when we get old.
ママの家のお墓はいちばん高い所にあるのです。でもまあ何とか終了。
The grave of my wife’s family is at the highest point. But somehow we finished visiting the grave.
帰り際にこんなのを見つけました。 怒らない、怒らない､､､(笑)
I found this at the exit of the temple. Budda says, “Forgive and forget. Don’t get angry, don’t get angry.”
When I entered the hall, everywhere was decorated with a Christmas atmosphere. Do old people still find Christmas fun at that age? I still don’t know it.
My wife cleaned up the house and decorated it for Christmas. Then I pulled out the paintings that had been closed and hung them on the wall, and it was completed.
玄関だけですが、それらしい雰囲気にはなったでしょう。
It’s just the entrance, but it has a Christmas-like atmosphere.
There was such a cat next to the entrance, and Konatsu and the cat glared at each other. The Yokosuka Line passes there, and because of the amazing sound, this game draw (lol)
I went to Shizuoka because the general meeting of my alma mater / baseball club supporters’ association was held for the first time in two years. I was looking forward to Shizuoka because I only have the opportunity to visit a grave.
大船から東海道線に乗り、小田原で新幹線に乗り換え。家から約2時間です。
Take the Tokaido Line from Ofuna and transfer to the Shinkansen at Odawara. It’s about 2 hours from home.
その途中に見えた富士山。いつの間にか雪が少なくなっていた。
Mt. Fuji seen on the way. Before I knew it, the snow was running low.
The venue of the general meeting is a long-established restaurant called “Uokatsu”. It was a great event with many supporters, including successive baseball managers and alumni.
2次会は浅間神社の参道の浅間通りにある「ひ古ね」、写真左端です。
The venue for the second party is “Hikone” on Sengen-dori, the approach to Sengen Shrine. It is the left end of the photo.
Everyone loves the Shizuoka High School baseball club, so they talked about improvement measures as if they were coaches. Well, that’s fun.
私は日帰りだから2次会を途中で抜けて静岡駅まで歩きました。その途中の駿府公園のお堀。 Since I am a day trip, I left the second party on the way and walked to Shizuoka station. The moat of Sunpu Park on the way.
そして一夜明け､､､ And today the next day …
こなつは口の周りがだんだん白くなってきた。童顔だけどやっぱり歳は隠せない｡｡｡
Konatsu’s mouth is getting whiter. It’s a baby face, but she can’t hide her age.
My wife and I went to Hakone with a couple of friends in my neighborhood, asking “Would you like to go?” It’s a little over an hour from home to Hakone, so a short trip is appropriate. Of course, with Konatsu
出発したのが昼前だったので途中茅ケ崎の蕎麦屋「賀久(がく)」で昼食です。
We left before noon, so we had lunch at a soba restaurant in Chigasaki on the way.
The soba here is very delicious. This trip is a trip for four people who love to eat, so the focus is on eating from the beginning to the end.
箱根に到着！ 宿泊は東急ハーベスト、到着後は部屋で少しだけ仕事して夕飯の時間を待ちます。今回楽しみにしていたのは、ここからすぐ近くの中華料理店「太原(たいげん)」での夕食。 Arrived in Hakone! The inn is Tokyu Harvest Club, and after arriving, I will work a little in the room and wait for dinner. What we were looking forward to this time was dinner at the Chinese restaurant “Taigen”, which is very close to here.
Surprisingly, Konatsu wasn’t scared by either Michael or his owner. So Konatsu was able to stay with Michael for a while. When the owner gives Konatsu some treats, she smells but doesn’t try to eat. When the owner gave it to my wife, Konatsu ate it from my wife’s hand and was praised by the owner as “Great!”.
Take a walk in the nearby park. In the morning, we went to a hot spring and stayed until the check-out time, and when we felt hungry, we went to lunch.
We came to Motohakone in about 20 minutes from Sengokuhara, where the Harvest Club is located. We have lunch at “Bakery & Table Hakone” on the shores of Lake Ashi.
