Katriona's Diary

Today, instead of going to the office, I went to some big park for my job. The company I work for held some event there, I and some co-workers went there to help the main staffs. It was a kind of festival, held on the big grass slope surrounded by many trees. The park is in the midst of City of Yokohama but with many trees the atmospere is quite nice, like being in the countryside. On the grass there were chairs, picnic blankets and hammocks to relax on, wooden toys which children can play with, live music and performance, nice food trucks etc. It’s a festival to “relax in the nature”. Our job was not much - keeping eyes on the people, especially children, just in case - but we had to stand or stroll around on the grass, not sit down so for us office workers it’s a physically tiring job. Still it’s good to be outdoor, in the fresh early summer air.

Recently I asked the Tatami artisan the "tatami-gae", recovering or refacing the tatami mat. Yesterday and today, in the morning the artisan had brought our tatami mat to his workshop, recover the tatami with the new rush mat and brought them back to our house late in the afternoon. It's a traditional craftsmanship, and the new rush mat smell very well. I think this is one of the Japanese luxury. Now I enjoy the mild-green surface of new tatami and its fresh smell in my room :)

Recently, after supper in the evening I have been busy to check the information on internet and did not have time to post something here. I don't like looking at the computer screen for hours but I need to make some plans for weekend, and holiday. Next weekend my friend living in Hokkaido will come to Tokyo area and I'm going to see her. The purpose of her visit is to see some live performance in Sunday evening, she has no other plan on Saturday and Sunday daytime. So I'm thinking about where I would take her, where to eat etc. It's a bit tricky to make a schedule for her because of the location of her lodging etc(it's not in the area I know well). Also, now I'm thinking of my next holiday trip, want to travel abroad in Aug. Summer is the high season for tourists so I have to hurry to make the plan and get the tickets etc. Thus lately I often sit in front of my computer to check the maps, reviews of the restaurants, time schedule etc. But OK, this is rather enjoyable tasks. And it's good to see my friend from Hokkaido :)

This morning it was raining, the garden cats were sleeping just outside of the window for hours.





My rabbit Krurun checking the pyjamas I have thrown off this morning XD

Now most of the spring garden flowers are gone, just irises are beautiful. And outside of our entrance door, a tree of magnolia Figo is still blooming, its flowers' scent is sweet and wonderful, I love it very much.





I took these photos on sunny day. These flowers are not big but very elegant and beautiful I think, and they smell sweet, somewhat like banana.

Yesterday, Sunday. I went to the zoo with my … bossy friend. It was a fine, comfortable day. There were many many visitors but the zoo was big and have many trees, benches and nice grasses we can sit on, no trouble to find places to sit and relax. And fortunately, my friend was in her best mood - cheerful, friendly and kind. We really enjoyed strolling around together, looking at many cute, beautiful or interesting animals, and chatting.



So it was a nice day. Now we are in the big successive national holidays, today and tomorrow are also holidays :) In our garden the irises are showing their beauty.

This morning it was cloudy. Then soon, as the weather forecast has said, it started raining. In the middle of afternoon the rain became heavy, and it became windy, with occasional thunder. After the series of fine days this rain somewhat depressed me :(. We human beings are so simple-minded, just some sunshine makes us feeling positive and just some rain gloomy.

There is another reason why I feel blue, it's about my friend who is always a bit aggressive and bossy. Usually she is a interesting and kind friend - as long as what I say or do comes up to her feelings, if they don't she soon becomes ill-tempered and aggressive. Her sullen, spiteful words really sink my good feelings :( We are going out together on the coming Sunday and when we talked about it on e-mails this happened again - she didn't like some of my opinion and blamed me when she could just say "Oh I don't like that plan but prefer this..."

This is not the first time I feel like this. I have thought she is not a bad person, just has a rough tongue but ... now I feel that she might has a malicious nature. At least she destroyed my expectation for an enjoyable outing on Sunday :(

Well... at least I have my rabbit here in my room, and she always makes me smile :) A real good, great friend of me!

I saw something among the chrysanthemum leaves.



Is it a cat?

No!!



Not a cat, but cats XD

Today it’s fine and a bit windy. In the morning I have worked in our garden. Weeding for 3 hours. Now our azaleas are in bloom and beautiful. It’s good to be in the garden. Though after the noon the sunshine became too strong so I stop weeding. Then had shower and washed my hair. Soon summer would come…





The colour of these azaleas are unbelievably bright. These small trees are what the gardener has planted last summer, so this is the first time for me to see their flower.



Scilla peruviana at the end of our garden.

This morning before going to the usual office I visited other office in the residential area. There, on the roadside there are the shrubbery of azalea, and they were beautifully blooming.







Now is the best time of azalea, I could enjoy my visit very much :)

Now the green colours are deepening. And in our garden many colourful flowers began to appear. Yellow, red, pink, white... they are really bliss to my eyes and soul :) I'd like to share them with my friends :D

















Oh sorry… this is not a flower XD

Today I worked at home. It was a fine day. In the morning the air was a bit cool but the temperature has risen in the afternoon. On lunchtime I went out into the garden to pick this twig and put it into a small flower vase.



Now it’s spring, and the beginning of the happy time when I can choose the flower to display :)