チューリップ Tulip

咲き出した我が家のチューリップ。お気に入りのアンジェリケという品種で、牡丹のように華やか。我が家のベランダもすっかり春らしくなりました。

Flowering tulip at our balcony. This is my favorite cultivar called Angelique and looks as gorgeous as tree peopny, making our balcony full of spring.

母の日のギフト Mother's Day Present

ちゃんぷるー・どっとこむで母の日のギフトをご用意しました。店長手づくりカーネーション
（カペラという紙で、昔運動会のような学校行事で習字紙で作った花と同じ作り方）つきです。はさみで花びら部分をギザギザに切って、畳んで開いて、いや～楽しい。こういう、頭を使わないで出来る手作業って大好き。

On my net shop champroo.com, I 've prepared gift sets for Mother's Day. Handmade carnation made by me and with colored paper, which reminds me of the paper flower I used to make for school events such as athletic meet. I cut the part which will be petals with my scissor, fold and open the paper. God, I love craft like this, using no brain.

ゴーヤーの種まき Planting Nigauri Seeds

一昨日ゴーヤーの種まきをしました。三度目の挑戦です。ベランダでゴーヤー棚を作るのが夢なのですが、一度目は記録的な冷夏で苗がベランダの塀までも届かず。二度目は日照不足、肥料不足（おそらく）で実がピーナツ程度。今年こそたわわに実らせるぞ、と園芸（畑）雑誌に書いてある苦土石灰、化成肥料、堆肥などを買い揃え、土作りからまじめに。種まきをして、ベランダで一番日当たりの良い場所に置きました。

Two days ago I planted goya (momordica charantia), which was the third try. My wish is to make goya trellis at our balcony, but my first try failed because of record low temperature during summer and goya didn't grow as high as the fence of the porch. My third try failed again probably because of lack of sunshine and fertilizer. So this time I am committed to have lots of goya in the end and bought magnesium lime, compound fertilizer and manure compost, as the gardening magazine says. After planting, I put the urns at the spot where they can get much sunshine at our balcony.

たんかん Citrus Tankan

昨日母が突然伊豆味のタンカンを一箱送ってきました。季節外れじゃないの？と思いましたが、甘くてジューシー！美味しかったです。母にお礼を言ってから何か魂胆があるんじゃないの、と言ったら「美味しいから送っただけさ、悪いわけ？」とマジ切れ・・・いくつになっても素直になれない娘です。

Yesterday my mother sent me a box of citrus tankan. I was puzzled because it's not the season, but they taste sweet and juicy as usual. After thanking my mother, I said "Don't you have some hidden purpose for sending them?" Naturally she was seriously angry, saying "Why, I just sent them because they are good, is that bad?" I cannot stop being defiant to my mother no matter how old I become.

iPod nano

今年の夫からの誕生日プレゼントは、iPod nano。夫が自分用 iPod を買ってきた時にも小さい！と感動しましたが、この nano はさらに小さ～い（ちなみに、隣は私の名刺です）。このサイズと機能もさることながら、パッケージも含めてデザインが秀逸。これがソニーでないのが寂しい、とは夫の弁。まあね、でも初めてのパソコンがマックだった私には、ちょっと嬉しいマックの復活。

My husband's birthday present for me was iPod nano. When he bought his iPod, I wan much surprised by its small size, but this nano is even smaller! (the next to my iPod nano is my name card for comparason.) I admire its size and functions but admire its design including packaging even more. My husband said he is a little sad that it's not created by Sonny. Well, I agree, but as my first personal computer was Mac, I am happy about Mac's return.

ろうそく立て Candleholder

誕生日の夜は、先日友人から一足早くプレゼントしてもらった南部鉄のろうそく立てにろうそくを灯してみる。いい感じ。４０代も後半、これからは渋く決めるぞ～！

On my birthday night I lit a candle on the candoleholder, Nambu ironware, that good friend of mine game me as an early birthday present the other day. Looks neat. Now I am in late 40's, and I want to be elegantly cool!

花見

先週の土曜日ナルニア国物語を観に行った後、いせやで焼き鳥を買って（初めて並んで買ったけど、安くて美味しかった！）井の頭公園で花見をしました。例年よりちょっと早かったけど、ご覧の通り見事な桜でした。

Last Saturday, we we went to a movie theater to watch the Chronicle of Narnia in the morning, bought yakitori at Iseya (we stood in long line for the first time but their yakitori was reasonable in price and very delicious!) and went to the Inokashira Park for cherry-blossom viewing. It was a bit earlier than usual, but blossoms were breathtakingly beautiful.