We went to shrine

On the last day of this year,Akio-san's brother family and my father came to our home.

He has three children.

Our children and his children play together,they look so fun!!

We enjoyed going to the Onsen in the evening.

We went to the Shinto shrine to say thank you for this year.

We were able to spend this whole year being healthy and well.

We went to Hotaka shrine that was rebuilt this year,so it was very beautiful!!

It was so cold in the shrine,and there were a few people.

Thank you everyone for everything!

Thank you Rumi-Sense this year!

Mochitsuki!

We pounded mochi with my family and my friends in the field today.

This is a traditional custom in Japan.
We celebrate New year and eat mochi for 3days in new year.

We pounded mochi to eat during the new celebration.

First,we steam rice,and then use Kine and Usu to pound steamed rice.


Kine is a thing to pound Mochi.
Usu is a thing to put Mochi in.





We eat mochi in New year because old Japnese people think the god resides in Mochi.

So old Japanese people eat Mochi on a special day.
Mochi is very tasty!!

Puppies 2 !!

I take our dog,Rio for a walk every early morning.

Sunrise is late in the winter, so I can see the sun glow.
While I am walking,I deeply feel the happiness.

I can see the beautiful sight,and I always take a deep breath.
What a fresh air!! The nature makes me happy.

I love this area.

By the way,puppies left our house this morning.
I gave our puppies to our friends.

Kuro's new papa is Dai-chan!
He is a carpenter and built our wwoofers house.
Dai-chan named him Peace.

Shiro was taken to Oohama family.
They are nice family and keep a goat, too.
Can the goats and the dogs become friends?

Buchi was taken to Masuda family.
We have been friends for 17years.

I miss them. Of course ,Rio and my children miss them, too.But everyone lives near my house,so my children and I can go see puppies whenever we want.

I hope the puppies will become happy!!

Christmas Party

Kurohana and Santa (Bazu)

Sing Gospel

We held a Christmas&Celebration Party for our midwife today.

This party was so great!!

I sang gospel songs at last.

We have practiced singing gospel many times since Octorber.

Song titles were" Joy to the world ,""My life is in your hands,"and "Oh Happy Day".

These songs contain good lyrics. I liked the lyrics.

I practiced these songs in the car,so my children remember these songs.

When I sang these songs together,I tasted a sense of unity.

We sang gospel songs first,then Papa's team acted a skit on Christmas in this party.

Bazu who is a wwoofer at our farm acted Santa Claus!

He practiced his phrases in Japanese everyday.He has done well!!

We watched a slide about our homebirth,too.

She has helped 100baby birth.

All the familes seems so happy and calm.

I felt happy to meet my great midwife and friends.

My midwife Matsuba-san

We did it!!

Karaoke!!

We have 5wwoofers with us now.

Lala who come from Ireland and Malcela who come from Australia like to sing songs.

When they worked in the field,they sang songs.

They sing songs while they are working in the field.

When they came back for lunch,they said they want to go Karaoke!!

I went to Karaoke together with wwoofers(Lala,Malcela,Bazu,David)and Towa tonight.

It was the first time to go to Karaoke with foreigners.

We sang all songs in English!!

It was fun!!

When I was a high school student,I want to make friends with people from other countries.

When we were enjoying Karaoke together,I felt my dream have come true before I knew it.

How to cook gratin

I learnd how to cook gratin from Hu-mama.

Hu-mama is my mother-in-low.

We call her Hu-mama(mama means mom)

Because it's too young to call her grandma,so we call her mom.

We live with her.

She cooks nice meal everyday.

She has been living with us since March this year.

She taught me how to cook gratin.

When she cookes it before,it tasted wounderful!!

So I wanted to learn.

First,we cut some vegetables and meat into small pieces.

Then,we saute the onions with butter in a frying pan until tender.

We put a cup of flour into the pan little by little with a strainer.

And then,pour a cup of water .

She says a key here is to use water instead of milk to prevent lumps.

After adding two bottles of milk into it,then add cooked potatoes,macaroni and meat.

We cook over low heat until boiling.

Then,remove from heat,and turn the ingredient into the baking dishes.

We put shredded cheese and sprinkle some bread crumbs on top of gratin.

Finally,we bake in the oven for about 15minutes at 230℃.

That's all!!

Towa

This is Towa . He is 3 month old baby.

He was huged by many friends and children eveyday.

Hi my teacher!Your reqest come ture!!!

Our farm's production

Our farm grow and sell apples,peaches,pears and Japanese pears.

We sell and send our products directly to our customers.

Some fruits that are not good for eating become juice and jam.

We want to use everything we grow.

We cannot send some apples to our customers,because they are pecked by birds and are scrached by the wind.

So we bring these fruits to the factory.They make jam and juice to use for our products.

We sell not only fruits but also jam and juice.

The label of jam is new!!Yui-chan who stayed here as a wwoofer drew these labels.

Our children are the models of the picture!!

I love this area

I took this picture at the back of my house.
There are beautiful mountains and sky!!

I took this photo at the tea time.

There are Onsen near my house .
It takes 5minutes by car.

You can go Onsen by walking.
I waked up 4o'clock this morning, It was still dark.
So I can see so many stars !!
If you see the sky 15 minutes at night ,you can see shooting stars.

That's wonderful!!

New wwoofer Stijn a chef

Stijn who come from Belgium was a chef .
He cooked the dinner for us this evening.

I was amaized because he had never cooked Japnese food.
But We didn't need to buy any new meterials.

He used Tofe (made out of soy beans ),to cook Lasagna!!
Tofe is the most typical Japanese good .

What a chef he is !!

He cooked with Tofe ,potatoes ,carrots and tomato source.
It was very yammy!!

H also cooked spinach soup.It tasted like Maccha (Green tea)
What a great meal! I am happy to eat this good meal.

Chicken!

When I started this blog , we are starting to raise chickens and I wrote about this chickens.

One of them became weak because other chickens pecked her.
We thought she was dying soon.

My husband tried to cut up this chicken.

Oh!! I had tried to cut up ducks two years ago.
I don't like this but I tried.

Because I eat meat sometimes and, I would like to feel that animal are giving life for us.

First ,he cuts chicken's neck and held upside down to drain the blood .Then ,he bolied it so that it would be easy to pluck the chicken.At least ,he cut the chicken meat.

I used this chicken to cook curry rice.

Appreciation every meal.

Gospel rehearsal

This photo is my midwife

I am going to attend the Chiristmas party of our mama's circle.

When I gave births to my chirlren,my midwife took care of us.

She has helped childbirth more than 100family by this year!!

So,she will hold a celebration party.

We have decided that we are going to sing gospel for her as a gift.

We rehearsed gospel this evening.

It was great!!

I enjoyed this.

We will sing these songs at the 21st on the christmas party.

I ama excited because it is the first time for me to sing gospel.

I want to practice a lot.

Puppies become big!

Puppies are growing so fast!!

It is the first time I see puppy growing.

I am suprised because they grow so fast!!

I gave birth to my son this summer .

He still drink s brest milk,but puppies can already eat nomal food.

Their eyes were closed for about 10days ,and then they were opend .

They started to walk after 20days of their birth.

What a cute they are!!

Goldren Week's wwoofer coming again

Wwoofers they came to our farm during the Golden week this year held a reunion.

They wanted to see each other again and want to pick off apples.

When they worked here,they picked off apple's flower.

Now, they can see both apple flowers and fruits.

They work hard and play when they have time and stay up late for talking together.

I am glad to see them .

Because our farm is a goood place for them .

Apple harvset in the snow

It is snowy today!Oh,winter is really coming.

I like all the season.

I like spring because of very good weather and I feel that the nature is starting to move.

I like summer because we can swim and eat yummy food such as watermalons,peaches ,tomatos and so on.

Fall is the most beautiful season here. Leaves are changing .

Mountains are beautiful and a lot of fruits and vegetables are in harvest season.

We harvested apples in the snow this morning.

Tantatan who came from Singapore was excited to see the snow!

It is first snowing this season!!

I love this area's landscape!

It is snowing this morning.

It's cold!

I was walking with lio (dog name) in the morning .

What a great landscape here.

I feel happy !!

There are many apple trees and montains and nature!

My feeling are quiet and calm.

Kodomojyuku

I take part in "Kodomojyuku".

It is online school of internet.

I learned many things from Kodomojyuku.

Life ,and How grow children and how find and come true my dream.

It had works 90days .

It is interesting for me to learn new things.

Kodomojyuku is like a big family .

We joined some place sometimes.

The member of Kodomojyuku came our farm and enjoyed picked up apples.

Almost member came from city,so they enjoyed rural exprience!

We are very happy , because of children and adults look happy.

Hoshigaki

Do you know "Hoshigaki"?

We Japanese people makes Hoshigaki.

It is dry persimmon.

We dry bitter persimmon .

First we harvest persimmon,and then pill the skin and tied a cord and dry.

so we can remove the astringency of persimmon.

We can eat these in New year !!

I am exciting to eat this!!

Congratulation!!

We have a dog ,her name is Lio.

It was suprised to us , Lio gave birth to 3 puppys!!

They are very very cute!!

What a pretty puppys!!

They still can't see ,but they know mom's brest.

Lio always brest feeding as same as me.

I was suprised at her change .

She change life after have puppys.

Happy mother!!

Huwa take care of chikins

Huwa who is my son take care of chiken every day.

He feed to chiken and weeding for chiken and take eggs.

He sells eggs once a week and get his poket money.

He still feels fear a little bit when chiken come near him.

I think it is good experience for him to take care of chiken.

Halloween Festival

We went to Halloween Festival in Shiojiri-city today.

It takes 30minutes by car.

In Shiojiri city ,This festival has contine 7years.

It is biger and biger every year.

Many people comeing here and dress up witch , ghost , skeleton things like that.

You can eat Pumpkin soup at no chage.

I like this festival. Many people looks so happy and fun!!

And there are many big orange pumpkins.

Coin-operated laundry

coin-operated laundry

We Japanese people hung out clothes outside fine weather.

But It has been rain two days ago.

There are many damp clothes in our house.

So I and Belinda (She is wwoofer)went coin-operaterd laundry.

She found sneaker washing machine.

She took thie picture ! So I took it too. Becouse I want to introduce it this blog.

Here is a picture.It is fun!

But I never use this machin.

Do you want to try?

Chikens have came our farm!!

Our friend he works chiken farm.
In Chiken farm all chiken out if chiken can't lay eggs so many.

We got 15 chikens from him.

Akiosan built chiken house.
It looks great I thought!

We get more 8 eggs every day.

Huwa cooked Japanese Omelet.
He likes this so that he will cook it everyday!

My Birthday

It is my birthday today.

I felt warm inside because my family and wwoofers celebrated my birthday tonight.

Humama make us special dinner and cakes.

Akiosan bought special present . I am happy to feel his kindness.

Huwa and Wara kissed me and Towa was smileing to me.

I am very happy now.

and Thank you for many "Happy Birthday" email to me.

Dear Akiosan Terumisan Huuwa Wara

Helena commented like this

In the past two weeks ,I have experienced a lot In the Ogurayama Farm and I really do enjoy my saty here very much with a lot of fellow wwoofers and the Matsumura family . All of you are nice and sweet thus giving me a pleasant and joyful stay in this summer on the apple field . I'll never forget the sweetest songs Akiosan sang for us,which is dediceted to the Matsumura family .

I'll never forget the 好好味food Granma made to us in every meals!

I'll never forget Terumi for her lovely sweet smiles and gorgeous magic tricks! I'll never forget Huwa and Wara for their unlimited

energy and their cutest laughtes in the house of couse.

I'll never forget how I bathed with Wara and everything turn out to be crying ,screaming and laughing !

I 'll always treasure my memories and happy moments here shared with Matsumura family and all the fellow wwoofers!

So nice to meet you all here! I love you all!

All the best Helena