owling9 michinoku 2017

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Saturday, December 30, 2017

kinga shinnen (謹賀新年) (Happy New Year)

Sunday

the 31st Day 

of 

December, 2017. 


年末 (nenmatsu, year-end)





How many plane flights from Japan to Australia this year ? 
Two close members of my family died. 
The drama of having to move back to Australia ..... 
Moving from Palm Beach to Brisbane. 
Wonderful that Dec came to visit for 3 months. 
That Chikako could come to visit whilst Dec was here. 


Wikipedia:
The New Year traditions are also a part of Japanese poetry, including haiku (poems with 17 syllables, in three lines of five, seven and five) and renga (linked poetry). All of the traditions above would be appropriate to include in haiku as kigo (season words). There are also haiku that celebrate many of the "first" of the New Year, such as the "first sun" (hatsuhi) or "first sunrise", "first laughter" (waraizome—starting the New Year with a smile is considered a good sign), and first dream (hatsuyume). Since the traditional New Year was later in the year than the current date, many of these mention the beginning of spring.
Along with the New Year's Day postcard, haiku might mention "first letter" (hatsudayori—meaning the first exchange of letters), "first calligraphy" (kakizome), and "first brush" (fude hajime).




旧年中はお世話になりました。来年もよろしくお願いします 

Kyūnenchū wa osewa ni narimashita. Rainen mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu

“Thank you for all that happened in the past year. Please accept my best regards for the new year.”




Saturday, 30th December, 2017.


Saturday, 30th December, 2017. 
The penultimate day of this year ..... 


My starz for this weekend courtesy of Oscar Cainer:

C A N C E R   the   C R A B 


You don't receive attention from your planetary ruler quite like other zodiac signs do. While they get to spend week, months, even years with their celestial rulers, you only ever have a few days each month with the Moon in your sign. But, once a year, you receive the full benefit of her magnificence. The coming Full Moon is in your sign. It marks the culmination of your year's journey, and promises a reward that really has been worth waiting for. It's a perfectly timed gift as you prepare for a new year.

___________________________________________




Kodamatsu



 Today was 大掃除 (ōsōji, large-scale cleaning)

in my humble apartment. 




Nerida Tea in my clean  冷蔵庫 (reizōko, refrigerator)



ガス台の掃除 (gasudai no sōji, cleaning the stove tops)



Pantry is all spick 'n span ! 

Planted out my tomato seedlings; grown from seed by me. 



Same with the capsicum seedlings; grown from seeds by me. 
Red, yellow, green..... which is which ?? 





My passionfruit vine loves the humid weather ! 



Bought a stand to keep the balcony tidy. 


December

December 


Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Tuesday

Tuesday
19th December, 2017

I left the apartment @ 6 am to drive to Caloundra. 
Meeting with Stavros & Alicia who were inspecting the progress
on the building of their new abode. 












Albeit fairly early in the morning it was already hot. 
After the inspection we went to the beach cafe for coffee. 








I drove back to Brisbane City. 
Today, block work escalated on the new town house complex
at the rear of my rental apartment. 
Interesting, methinks. 




Monday, December 18, 2017

Monday

Monday
18th December, 2017

Soooo  Hot in Australia today ! 


The joint feels like a furnace .....  get me back to the snow country. 


Cancer the Crab
My horoscope for today. 
How accurate is this, eh ? 

Your commitments may have piled up so high that you are overwhelmed today. You thought that everything was moving along according to plan, only to realize how much remains to be completed. The Sagittarius New Moon falls in your 6th House of Work, giving you hope that you still can perform a miracle. But its conjunction with taskmaster Saturn reminds you of the long row to hoe extending before you. Although you wish you could find an escape hatch, rely on the fact that you will feel a real sense of accomplishment once you are done. The sooner you start, the sooner you will finish.

December 17th

Sunday
17th December, 2017

It would have been my late Father's 92nd birthday today ..... 




December

In November ( last month )  .... various events. 

I went to Toowong Cemetery to think about cleaning the family graves. 







There was a rain squall. Strong wind and torrential rain. 

Below:  Work on the garages for the town house complex
being erected at the rear of my rental apartment. 




PO Box 52, The Gap is vacant and seeking a new leasee ..... 



 I met Geoffrey San @ The Gap Coffee Club 
for a light luncheon and a catch-up. 
Enjoyed. 



I made some soup. 






As per usual I have been amusing myself with planting things. 
And cutting plastic mineral water bottles into containers for plants. 




A very cute possum comes @ night to eat the red berries on the Lilly Pilly tree. 








  A gecko also is a regular visitor. 


I am doing a 7 week diet. 
No alcohol, no carbs. 
Eating healthy foods, small portions, daily exercise, etc. 










And in December ...... my plants started growing. 



The town house complex continued to also grow. 



Phillip and I had a JIP WEST luncheon at the Currumbin Pub. 
Food was good.



Bumped into Leesa from Sumptious Fine Foods. 
What a lovely surprise ! 




My passionfruit vine is enjoying its new home on my balcony. 


The Christmas Tree in the foyer of Tynan's Office, City. 


City Cat Eagle Street. 




Coming into Balmoral on the City Cat. 
Heavy storm is imminent. 


Some cosmetics to go to Japan in January. 




I was driving to the Gold Coast and the mileage came up 
on the Subaru Impreza. 








Phillip's new porch and awning are taking shape.
Positive addition to the house. 




I stopped by Currumbin Alley to check out the surf. 





I traveled back to Brisbane City via Surfers Paradise. 





 More of my healthy lifestyle. 
Making a smoothie. 










Sunday, 17th December, 2017. 
I went over to Sandie's house for a casual dinner. 
Her hibiscus plant was in bloom and looking wonderful. 




Is she Japanese ?  LOL 

Below: Chef Steve prepared the steak. 


Monday, 18th December. 
I went into the City to see Tynan P in their office. 
Caught the City Cat back - sat at the very front, although it was 
incredibly hot in that position.