Physical Therapy, Christian Thought

For the last Thanksgiving Luncheon at church, Hiroko cooked over 15 lbs. turkey.  The turkey became easily closer to 20 lbs. with stuffing.  Front of the oven in Hiroko’s kitchen, there are big heavy table, so the oven door doesn’t open fully.

Can you tell from these photos?

Hiroko was reminded in her heart that the table should be moved before picking up the turkey from the oven.  But Hiroko didn’t to move it, and picked up over 20lb. turkey sideways from the oven with the baking pan filled with juice in the bottom of pan.  You guessed!  Hiroko’s sciatica nerve made the noise ‘clicked!’  For one week Hiroko didn’t have any pain, but Hiroko experienced a terrible pain on the left side of her hip. 

One of Hiroko’s friends had suffered so much with sciatica that Hiroko knows the pain of sciatica.  She doesn’t want to have that kind of pain.  Hiroko wondered which is better to do, physical therapy or chiropractic.  Last time Hiroko attended the chiropractic to treat the pain on the leg and back from falling down from bicycle for three years.  The pain was gone after three years but it came back after a year later.  Hiroko decided to treat this sciatica pain by physical therapy.  So, she went to the internet to find some exercises.  There are so many exercises in the internet, but each one of the exercise mentions that it is better to do this exercises under the instruction of a licensed therapist. 

Hiroko went to ask her doctor to write the follow-up paper, and started to do the physical therapy. 

This is the front of Athletico Physical Therapy place.  Hiroko has been the doing physical therapy at this place twice a week for 6 weeks.  The therapy is helping her very much.  No more pain on her calf, but the pain at the side of her hip come and go.  Hopefully, I can say ‘good bye’ at this place soon.

This center proudly announces to do therapies for many Chicago professional teams; such as the Bears, Bulls, White Sox, Black Hawk, etc.

Before starting the therapy, Hiroko have to ride this bike for 8 minutes to prepare the body.

This is inside of the Athletico.  One of the man named Mike is my therapist.

This is front desk.  All the workers in this center are very friendly and kind.

Hiroko didn’t have to go through this therapy if she had listened to the small voice in her heart at the time she picked up the turkey from the oven.  Do you have the experience like this? 

As Christian, Hiroko believes that God speaks to her all the time, and warns her many things for her sake.  Hiroko knew the voice came from God, but at that moment her heart was so hardened that she didn’t do what God wanted her to do.  Then, things happened.  In Hiroko’s life this often happened.  It is very sad for her.  Hiroko is not thinking her thought is the best for her, but the fact is not showing in her action.

In the Old Testaments, God said about this subject in Proverbs 3:5-8: “⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight .⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.   This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

Pray that God speaks to everyone in this world, and Hiroko continuously, and give everyone to discern the voice, and prepare to act upon the voice of God.

2013 Handmade Christmas Presents

Hiroko received so many Christmas and Birthday Presents, but she forgot to take any photos.  Give thanks to all the friends and relatives who gave the presents to Hiroko.

Here are Hiroko’s handmade Christmas presents.

For this recorded cold weather these socks Hiroko made hopefully be useful for everyone who received.  7 or 8 socks were made for all men who came to the Christmas party to the home of Lisa/Dave.  A pair of socks was also given to Jesse, Dan-san’s niece’s husband.

Photo is not very good to take, so it is very hard to understand what they are.

They are scarves, and hiding fingers gloves.  Niece’s daughters were very happy to receive this scarf, and said “Thanks for this ‘eternal scarf’.”  Hiroko learned the name of scarf from them.

More eternal scarves for everyone, total 12 scarves were made.

It will be sub-zero weather from tomorrow (Jan. 22), so hopefully all these handmade knitting socks and eternal scarves are helping them to keep warm.

In this cold weather, Hiroko with her friend went to see the third opera, “Madam Butterfly” in this season.  

This is the hallway in Lyric Opera House in Chicago.  Everyone was wearing boots, and heavy over coat and hat.

Some ladies said with red eyes that this opera made her cry all the time.  Many are very happy to come to see this opera even though in this cold weather.  This opera made Hiroko exhausted.  Her friend told Hiroko you wouldn’t sleep tonight for haunted by Cio-Cio san.  It happen.  Hiroko closed her eyes to sleep, Cio-Cio-san’s singing and acting came to her.

These things haunted Hiroko’s heart that night:  Cio-Cio-san said she has to change her religion to her husband’s, Lt. Pinkerton and pledged her love to Pinkerton’s God at their wedding day; and no communication from Pinkerton for three years, Cio-Cio-san thought Pinkerton’s God would not answer to Cio-Cio-san’s prayer because she was far away from America, and Cio-Cio-san lost Pinkerton’s love and her baby boy, and only thing she can do is to kill herself, the Soprano, Patricia Racette sung and acted very well in the scene; reminded Hiroko’s heart over and over again.

2014 Belated New Year’s and Amanda’s B-Day Dinner

New Year celebration was held January 11^th.  It was good not to do on New Year Day, because the day’s weather was very bad.

As usual, Hiroko forgot to take the photos before everyone devoured the food.  Remembering to take the photos, foods were half gone.

This celebration was also for Amanda’s B-day Dinner, so her favorite Japanese food Sukiyaki was cooked.  This Sukiyaki photo was taken at the second round.  Lisa had just put all the ingredients in the pan.  All the left over will be packed as doggy bags for everyone. 

The couple of pieces of Sashimi, Tuna and Yellowtail left on the plate with pink Kamaboko on the photo.  Umani, which is Elsa’s favorite foods in a Japanese New Year box, placed on the right side of the Sashimi plate, and Soy Beans and herring roes, which are Lisa’s favorite foods in the plate in front of the photo.  Kinpira Gobo was prepared for Steven. 

Everyone loves to eat shrimp and vegetable, carrot/green beans, tempura.  Everyone said the chashu was very tasty and melts in the mouth, but they couldn’t eat at the dinner, so they made doggy bag to go.  Hiroko wanted to make soft and tasty chashu like served at the ramen restaurant “Santoka” so Hiroko tried cooking many times.  Finally, she could make little bit closer to the Santoka chashu. 

No one took home cooked dried cods and Japanese pumpkin.  Hiroko enjoyed eating these foods for her lunch.

Many kind of beer, water, white and red wines, and tequila which was given to Hiroko as her B-day presents were served as drink.  With the tequila, they gave a toast to health, peace and happiness in 2014, and Dan-san gave a wonderful prayer.

Give thanks to Saeru/Tetsu for the Electric hot water pot which was given to Hiroko as Christmas present.  Before going home, Steven has to have caffeine.  This time he’d like to drink green tea.  With this hot water pot green tea was very east to serve.

Amanda, very, very sorry! For not good photos were taken.  Hiroko thinks her hand was shaken.  She took two photos, but those both photo were not good.

Amanda is giving her wish in front the cake with candle.

Amanda/Steven, and Presents.

She received many Illinois lotto tickets, so she scratched those lottos with expectation.  She might have gotten total $30.00.

2014 The Recorded Winter in Mid-West of America, Christian Thoughts

The recorded winter started from 2014 New Year Day.

The amount of snow fall is not so great as you see in the following photos.

This photo was taken Jan. 3 morning.  Yoko swept the snow three times in one day on this porch. It was so cold that the snow was very fluffy, so the porch was finally cleaned of the snow.

As you see the snow was not fall on very much here in Chicago city.  However, Dan-san couldn’t drive for one week or so, because of the snow and the snow was frozen.

All the farmers in the Mid-West would be waited for the snow to the droughty soil.  Last couple years there weren't too much crops at here, because of the drought.  Give thanks to the Lord God who can control the weather.

Can you see the numbers?

This is the snow all number by inches

This photo indicates how cold Chicago is.

This number minus 10 is by Fahrenheit (F).  Chicago meteorologists call this minus “sub-zero” so it is “sub-zero 10.”  It is minus 23.3 Celsius (C).

F……….C

-10…........….. -23.3

0….........…..…-17.8

32....................  0

50..................  10

Well, can you read this numbers?

This number is actual temperature.

This number is a wind-chill (feel like) number.  

From theses numbers can you feel how cold it is?  It was about minus 40 degree F, and minus 40 degree C.

Downtown Chicago and the Lake Michigan

Can you see the Lake Michigan was frozen?  The Lake Michigan is so big like an ocean that it is hard to freeze the lake because the waves are always moving to and fro.  From the unfrozen part of the lake, the steam had risen on the day, Hiroko heard.

People in the Mid-West of America have experienced very cold weather since 2014 New Year day.  In this cold weather Sr. Citizen had an interesting January Bible study.  From James 1:2-4 “²Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

James is saying that it is better to think of joy to face many kinds of trials.  Please continue to read verse 3 and 4.  The end of the suffering and trials made us mature and complete whatever we have to do.  In this cold weather, if we have been facing any sufferings and trials, we should have joy in our heart, and prospect the end of the sufferings and trials as Bible said that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

2014 New Year Greeting

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thank you for coming to Hiroko's blog throughout the year of 2013.

It is the fire horse this year 2014 according Japanese calendar.

The fire horse chocolate came from Japan.  It was very delicious made in Hokkaido chocolate.  Hiroko checked the meaning of fire horse.  It doesn’t say good things.  One of Hiroko’s friends said she has been examined and tested for the cancer, and the result is not known yet.  However, she said she will think this scarily situation is a trial to her, and will make this a chance to advance her life.  Hopefully everyone can think like her.  During 2014, let us not put our eyes on bad or suffering situation, but let us think of the good side of the fire horse which is powerful, useful, and marching forward.  Please fill your heart with joy, peace, and the purpose of life.

How did you spend New Year Eve and New Year?  Hirokpo’s two daughters, Lisa and Elsa don’t want to come for the New Year dinner, because they have to work on New Year’s Eve all day and the next day of New Year.  New Year dinner will be held on Saturday, January 11.  It is very good to celebrate Amanda’s B-day together.

However, Dan-san and Hiroko didn’t forget to eat Toshikoshi-Udon instead of Toshikoshi-Soba.  This is Japanese customs to eat at midnight of New Year eve for long life.  Toshikoshi means passing through the old year to the New Year.  Udon is wheat noodle, and Soba is buckwheat noodle.  On New Year’s day, Japanese have to eat Mochi (pounding Sweet Rice) with soup called O-Zoni.  Dan-san prefers to eat Mochi with Kinako, sweet soybean powder.  Dan-san and Hiroko spent peaceful New Year.

May God give you and your family bountiful blessings throughout 2014.  The meaning of blessing for Hiroko is the love of God filling her heart, and having peace and joy in her life.  What kind of blessing do you seek?