Feeling the early summer sun, I headed out shopping.

🛒 Afternoon shopping and evening kitchen time

After returning from my afternoon computer class and resting a bit, I took my mother to Keizuka Sanei.

🧺 To the dry cleaners

We went to Marusan Laundry to drop off the black kariyushi wear I wore for my father’s first anniversary memorial service the other day.

There are many branches inside San-A stores, and the veteran housewife at the counter gave us advice packed with life wisdom:

“With this material, it’s better to do it this way,”

“This day would be good for pickup.”

Hearing advice from a housewife’s perspective is really reassuring.

🍜 Lunch at the Food Court

After that, we moved to the food court.

When I asked Mom, “What do you want to eat?” she thought for a moment and replied, “Udon.”

She doesn’t usually eat it, so it was unusual today.

– Mom: Shrimp Tempura Udon

– Me: Kitsune Udon

The staff said, “The tempura is fried fresh, so it’ll take a bit,” but we weren’t in a hurry. I replied, “That’s fine,” handed Mom her tea, and added water to make it easier to drink since it was hot.

After the udon arrived, I adjusted the portion for Mom since it was too much.

We ended up with her having a small portion and me having a large portion, which worked out just right.

She left some broth, but she ate all the udon, so today was a success.

🛍 To the Grocery Aisle

After eating, we went to the grocery aisle on the first floor.

I had Mom hold onto the cart as we slowly made our way around the store.

Today was mainly about restocking essentials, and getting eggs was the biggest win.

🏠 Home and a Break

Back home, Mom went straight to nap.

I tinkered with the computer a bit, then brought in the laundry as it clouded over and lay down for about an hour.

🍳 Evening Kitchen Time

When I woke up, it was already time to prepare dinner.

I rinsed the rice, saving the rinse water to parboil the daikon radish.

Once softened, I seasoned it and simmered it gently to have it ready for dinner.

🍽 Tonight’s Dinner

– Simmered Daikon Radish

– Sautéed Mushrooms and Bacon

– Bamboo Shoots in Tosa-style Simmered Sauce

Since it’s just my mom and me, the portions aren’t large, but everything turned out with a gentle flavor.

Evening kitchen time, though a daily routine, is somehow a calming time.