hikkoleonie’s Neighborhood

I went to a Korean restaurant with my mother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. But I came back home soon because of my stomach ache. I'm terribly sorry that I couldn't enjoy dinner!

Our dog Koro, which is 16 years old, seems demented lately. He is always walking in the garden, and often gets stuck everywhere and barks. It was rainning yesterday, but he walked soaking wet.
At night, we diaper Koro and have him staying in our room. I wonder if Koro can live until the end of the year.

I have a stomach ache now. I guess it is because I went out for dinner two days.

Last month, I didn't write my blog so often. So I decided to write it everyday, at least in December. It is really tough for me, but I'd like to try, even though I can write only one sentence in a day.

Recently, I started to read the scripts of VOA Special English Web site.

VOA has some features, is written with limited words and easy grammars so that non-native Speakers of English can understand, and the audio of VOA is read out more slowly than normal speed as well.
Despite of that, it’s difficult for me. I import the scripts of VOA into the LingQ site, and then I read them on LingQ, while looking up words and phases that I don’t know in the dictionary. After that, I memorize vocabularies with flash cards test system.

I intended to read them carefully and understand them well. However I couldn’t remember the contents. Though I can remember what I read in Japanese, I can’t remember what I read in English. The contents that I read in English tend not to remain in my head. I need to read them over and over until I can explain the summary.

I had a flat tire of my bicycle. I was going to ask a repair shop to fix it, but usually it takes about 1,000 yen. So I tried to fix it by myself. The tube inside the tire seemed too old, so I thought it should be replaced.
It was really tough work to release the tire from the frame because of the rust. But I managed to do that.

It's been a while since I wrote on this blog last.

To tell the truth, I have spent the toughest time in my lifetime: my father was diagnosed as having cancer. His cancer is in its terminal stage and cannot be removed in the operation.

No one in my family noticed his illness until he said he was so tired that he stayed in his car while we went shopping together.

He was so shocked to hear that and so was I.  I could do nothing but cried everyday.

so tough... and so much tears...

I couldn't write how tough it was.

However, after a long struggle, I have come to appreciate the time we are given.

I am very busy taking care of him in my parents' home. (as I live next to their house, I can stay with him any time.)

I am very happy to do so.  Actually I feel happiest in these ten years or so.

I will write on this blog again.  This blog will be a wonderful memory.