Our swamp cooler stopped working this morning. I lost count on how many times it got malfunction. It seems to go bad a couple of times on each year. Two years ago they replaced the motor to a brand new one, but it still goes bad from time to time.

We called the realtor and informed about that.

In the late morning the realtor’s husband showed up at our house to fix the cooler. He is cheerful and fun to chat with. I like him.

Our last time to see each other was right after we moved in this house, so it was five years ago. He was surprised at how tall my daughter has grown.

I am glad he could fix the swamp cooler. I hope it will keep on working well for the rest of this summer.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

Last night before I fall asleep I asked my family spirits to guide me through about whether I should visit my parents right away. I don’t remember exactly about the dream details, but when I woke up I was sure I don’t need to go back to Japan right away. I was confident my mom will be protected and fine for the hospitalization and surgery. I made my mind on not going this time.

I called my mom.

My mom confirmed me I don’t need to visit them at this moment. My mom wanted me to visit her after she gets well so that she is not at the hospital. My mom told me my dad hired a professional house maid for one month. With this improvement, my mom said not to worry anything. They should be fine.

My family spirits were right. I got relieved that I don’t need to go right now. I have some reasons for that.

Recently in this past March, I visited Japan for 10 days. During my visit, I had suffered from jet lag and sickness.

I believe the main cause for my sickness was the smell of cigarette. Everywhere I went, I could smell cigarette, from people’s mouths, clothes, bags, elevators, trains, and taxis.

Another cause of my sickness was food. I am allergic to many food ingredients. I could not fully control my diet during my travel because I needed to depend on the restaurant foods.

Furthermore, I have a little child. I cannot leave my daughter behind. If I take her with me, she will have to come with me busily for going back and forth between the hospital, the grocery store, my parents’ house, and our staying hotel. She is still small. I don’t want her to spend one month with me taking care of my parents without any fun activities. I want to honor her summer break.

It might sound being selfish. But I have to protect myself and my daughter of our physical and mental health.  

Back in my younger days, when I was still small, my mom would go out of town for more than month to take care of my dad’s side relatives. She would stay in the hospital and couldn’t come back home. I know she did a very good thing to take care of my paternal grandma, aunt, and uncle. But I needed my mom with me in our house. I always wished my mom had been strong enough to say no to them and stay with us at home. I decided to follow my heart and desire to honor my physical health and my daughter’s mental health. That was why I decided not to go this time.

I know both of my parents will honor my decision.

***

This morning we had an appointment of a recall repair for our car. We have two cars that they both are from the same manufacturers. Last month we had a recall repair for the airbag and this time we had a recall repair for the brake lights.

This time they were done on the repair within two hours.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

This morning I went to the local outdoor swimming pool with my daughter. The water in the pool always stays cold no matter how hot the outside gets. It takes our courage to first jump in the pool. Other than that, we enjoyed swimming under the clear blue sky.

***

In the evening while I was taking a routine walk with my family, I kept thinking about my mom in Japan. I thought I should give her a call right after I go back home from the walk.

After I got back home, I noticed an unread mark in my LINE app. It was my mom who sent me some messages through LINE as well as a couple of calls during I was walking.

It took me courage to call her back, because I knew it would not be a good news. I knew it would be something about the examination results of my mom’s health.

I called her back a couple of times through LINE app, but she did not pick up the phone. So I called my parents’ home phone. My dad answered the phone.

As soon as my dad recognized my voice, he told me about the examination results of my mom’s health. The doctor found out a colon cancer. He mentioned about my mom’s surgery and hospitalization for one month. He also asked me if I could come back to support them.

While he was talking, I noticed an incoming call through LINE app. It was from my mom. I told my dad I would answer the phone from my mom and hung up the home phone with my dad.

I answered the LINE phone from my mom. I could tell from my mom’s voice that she was crying. She said she was in the grocery store. I understood she wanted to go out and be by herself instead of staying at home.

I told my mom that I just had a short conversation with my dad on the home phone and that my dad asked me to come back for one month to support them. My mom on the other hand told me not to worry and not to come back for that. She said she would talk into my dad to hire a professional house maid to support them while her hospitalization.

I asked both of my parents of the stage of the cancer, or how bad it has gone. None of them remembered. I can understand that. While they were listening to the doctor, they must have been so shocked that they could not remember everything.

As of now their plan is like this.

My mom will be hospitalized from June 5th. The doctor will give my mom some medications through an IV for one week. Based on my mom’s condition, the doctor will decide the date of the surgery. The surgery will be someday after June 12th.

***

After we hung up the phone, I thought about it. I want to go back to Japan and support my parents.

First of all, I prayed my family spirits to support my parents.

Then I called the travel agency about the flight tickets. Since it was already Friday evening in our time, the travel agency store was closed. I could talk to the worker who worked during their off-office hours. He said they can’t issue the airplane tickets during the off-office hours. The soonest tickets that I could buy today was to leave here on June 3rd. He put the tickets on-hold for one night for free of charge. I will need to confirm and pay until tomorrow evening. I also reserved the hotel for our stay.

***

After these were done, it was already close to midnight. I was exhausted. I will sleep on it to decide whether I will visit my parents right away. I believe my family spirits will guide me through this in my dream.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I received a text from the realtor regarding a new gas stove. She said the owner finally approved to buy and install a new gas stove to our house.

It was a nice surprise. I almost gave up on that. I understand nobody likes an unexpected expenditure, so, most likely the owner was reluctant to approving it.

I appreciate the realtor for her support and the owner for their approval.

Among all, I appreciate my family spirits for their support. I know this was their gift to me, as cooking with fire will be much beneficial for recovering my good health.

Now I can see the goal sign much more clearly than before.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

This morning I made my homemade laundry detergent. We have incorporated homemade laundry detergent since 2016. Since then I didn’t need to buy commercially available detergent products. It helps us for saving cost and reducing chemicals consumption.

***

During the long summer break, our local school has an eight-week program for young kids. In the previous three years my daughter attended the program. She enjoyed the program of the first two years, but not that of last year. She was often reluctant to go there last year. So, this year, she firmly decided not to attend the program. She will stay with me for the entire summer break.

It is fine with me. I will need to think about something that keeps her having a good amount of fun and exercise every day. One of my summer plans is to take her either the indoor pool or the outdoor pool often. It will be good for me if I swim with her.

So, as a starter, in this afternoon my daughter and I went to the local indoor swimming pool. I used to let only my daughter swim and watch her from the poolside. But this year I will jump in the pool and swim with her. Swimming is great exercise for the whole body anyway. I purchased a 10-times pass for my daughter and myself.

The main indoor pool is a long rectangle one. The water level starts from shallow for small kids and toward the end it has a deep end of 8 feet deep.

When I told my daughter I would go swim toward the deep side, she said she would wait for me in the shallow side. While I was swimming fast toward the deep end, I saw at the corner of my eyes a young girl was kind of following me. She was swimming fast as I was. Since I put my eye glasses in the locker and was swimming with my bare eyes, I could not see well.

When I arrived at the deep end, I finally found out the young girl was my daughter. I knew she could swim, but didn’t know she could swim as fast as I do. I was happy to know that.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

I received an email from my mom. She said she will be hospitalized for one-night examination starting tomorrow.

When I read her email, I was not surprised. Because my mom gave me some hints before.

During my visit in this past March, she mentioned about her deteriorating health condition. Her doctor had recommended her to have the examination a couple of times, but she was reluctant to do so. Deep inside she knew if she took the examination, the doctor would have found something shocking.

At that time she still could go to work. She worked at my brother’s company as an accountant. She would stay there for one hour every morning. She loved it because it kept her being motivated even though it was only one hour work. She gets paid from the work, and that also makes her feel being proud of herself.

I know all of her intuition was right. Through the examination the doctor will find something in her body.

I hope everything will go well and smoothly as she desires in her soul level.     

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

Last night we came back home after the long drive. All of us had a good night sleep in our own beds and woke up refreshed.

I feel blessed every time when I come back from a trip and find everything is still at the same place in my house. I appreciate my house to protect all our belongings untouched and safe.

In the afternoon my husband and daughter went to the indoor swimming pool. Today was National holiday observed Memorial Day, and it was the first day of the indoor pool. They had to wait in a long waiting line to pay for the admission.

As for me, I stayed behind at the house and did the house chores such as cleaning, washing clothes, and cooking.

Today went by quickly. Before even I realized, it was already at night.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

We left Navajoland in the early morning to head back to our house.

I really enjoyed this short trip of three nights and four days. This trip enabled me to build a strong connection with in-laws.

For the two nights straight, we built a campfire and sat down around the fire. The temperature dropped down in the night, so that we enjoyed the warmth from the fire.

My in-law asked me what year I met them for the very first time. When I told them it was 1998, we all felt in awe. We already have known each other for over 20 years.

When I first met them, I was in late 20s and they were in their late 40s. Fast-forwarded of 20 years later, I turn to be their age of at that time, and they turn to be in their late 60s.

The great thing for us is now we have one more new person joined. It is our precious daughter.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

Same as yesterday, my in-laws and my family spent all day together. We went to flea market and zoo.

At the flea market, my in-law gave me a small gift pack that she just bought there. It was a small pouch and a mouse pad. I was happy to know that she was thinking of me even when she was walking around the flea market.

It is our routine to go the zoo whenever we visit Navajoland. This time, my in-laws joined us to go to the zoo. I was surprised because it was very first time for them to go there. We always invited them to go together, but they would always gentry turn it down before.

My in-law shared about her recent sickness. She has been suffering from chronic disease and taken the pills. The symptom has not gotten well for her and she has been feeling depressed. While she was talking about it she started sobbing. I totally understand how she feels, as I have been experiencing the similar thing with diabetes.

With this talk, my in-law and I got closer than before mentally. I am glad we had this opportunity to get to know her more than before.  

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪

Last night while I was in bed, I could not feel relaxed for some reason. And this morning too, I woke up with being restless.

After I woke up and looked around, the mystery was solved. It was due to the color of the pillow case and bed sheets.

We arrived at Navajoland last night. We are staying in the guest room at my parents-in-law’s house.

The bed was decorated with red color. Both of the pillow case and the sheets were bright red. The color of red is good for motivating and excitement, but not good for relaxing.

As a countermeasure, I covered the pillow case with a gentle light blue towel. Hopefully I will be able to sleep relaxed from tonight for two more nights while staying here.

***

After breakfast my in-laws and my family went to the Navajo home site office. Back in April 15th 2017, we applied for our future home site on Navajoland.

According to my in-laws, the procedure has been going forward, even though it takes each step very slowly. It has been more than two years passed so far. We are still waiting for the last step in the procedure.

A couple of months ago my in-law went to the office and asked for the status. The office people said they could not answer any of his questions because he is not the applicant. The office people said we, the applicants, are the ones who need to go to the office and ask for the updates.

That was why we decided to show up and ask for the updates at the homesite office by ourselves.

The office worker said the procedure was stopped because they changed the application form.

I personally thought it was ridiculous.

We submitted the application form in April 2017. They accepted the form at that time. They never informed us about the change of application form, until we showed up today. The application form included our phone numbers. They could have just given us a notice call before they put our procedure on hold.

We didn’t say anything to them, though. We just signed their new application form.

According to them, our procedure needs one more step. It is almost done.

♬ Any feedback? (^^♪