There is a time for people and things. The relationship between people and things.

There is a time for people and things.  The relationship between people and things.

I have a stepper that I bought a while ago. I used it a few times and then just left it there, covered in dust and taking up space, so I decided to put it up on a second-hand website. I took it out, wiped the dust off it, and took a picture. Then I used it once. 

But, hey? This thing is pretty useful. 

I've used the stepper at home a few times. My legs felt stronger. My thigh muscles were also stimulated, which seemed to be the effect of exercising. So I decided to stop putting it up on a second-hand website and use it for myself for the time being. 

Just as people have relationships with people, there are also times when people and things have their own fate. When I first bought the stepper, I didn’t really need it, but now I’m using it well.

Among the things I have, why aren't I using them now? If you have something, use it well according to its purpose. If it's something you don't use, get rid of it. It just takes up space. Space is money. 

Stepper. Start exercising again.

2025.4.28.

 

I took the strawberry pot on the veranda outside.

I took the strawberry pot on the veranda outside.

I bought strawberry seedlings at the market. I planted them in pots and put them on the veranda, but today I took them outside. They sometimes get rained on and photosynthesize. If you fertilize them, they will grow well and produce lots of strawberries. My goal for this year is to grow the two seedlings well and eat lots of strawberries in the summer.  

If I had a garden, strawberries would be one of the crops I would want to plant. There is nothing more fun to grow and enjoy picking and eating the fruit than strawberries. They also propagate well, so if you plant them in a corner of the garden, they will spread all over. It happens quickly.  

Some of them spend the winter outside, and some of them are transplanted and grown indoors in pots, so I can eat strawberries in the winter. If I harvest a lot, I can make jam. I have to move to a single-family house or a country house with a garden. I moved all this time just to grow strawberries. 

Two strawberry pots. You guys are responsible for the strawberries I eat this year. 

two strawberry pots.

#strawberry #garden 

2025.4.28.

 

Video : 

You are responsible for the strawberries I eat this year. 

4인 4색 커피와 사랑, 만남, 인연, 인생 이야기

4인 4색 커피와 사랑, 만남, 인연, 인생 이야기 

사랑은 아메리카노 어쩌면 민트초코 

사토 시마코, 가와구치 요코, 아오메 우미, 유즈키 케이

Coffe cup yon Haibun no Chiisana Monogatari, 커피 네 잔의 작은 이야기

Shimako Sato, Yoko Kawaguchi, Umi Aome, Kep Yuzuki

사랑은 아메리카노 어쩌면 민트초코 

‘커피’와 짝을 이루는 단어를 몇 개 모아보면 ‘감성’, ‘사랑’. ‘음악’, ‘여유’ 등이 있다. 커피는 따뜻하고 여유롭고 인간적인 분위기를 풍긴다. 일본의 대표적 여류 작가 4명이 커피를 소재로 5편의 이야기를 썼다. 작품 모두 가볍게 읽을 수 있는데, 갑자기 훅 들어오는 감정의 먹먹함이 있다. 커피와 잘 어울린다.

stranger in paradise / 사토 시마코

제비꽃 커피와 연꽃 젤리 / 가와구치 요코

내 사랑 모이즈. 모카 마타리의 유혹 / 아오메 우미

비 오는 날에는 킬리만자로를 / 유즈키 케이

커피 마시기 좋은 날 / 유즈키 케이

1. stranger in paradise 

화가를 지망하는 형과 형을 뒷바라지하는 동생이 어려운 환경 속에서 살아가는 이야기다. 마치 화가 고흐와 동생 테오를 떠올리게 한다. 동생도 그림을 그린다. 하지만 형의 실력에 미치지 못한다고 생각한다. 어느 날 동생은 사랑하는 사람의 초상화를 그린 것을 계기로 의도치 않게 주목을 받게 되고, 화가가 되고 싶은 욕망에 사로잡힌 형에게 상처를 주게 된다. 형의 의욕을 불러일으키고자 신의 기운이 깃들어 있다는 커피 꽃을 찾아 먼 길을 떠난 동생은 마침내 새하얀 커피 꽃으로 다시 태어난다. 사랑하는 사람과 형 사이에서 기쁨과 상실을 온몸으로 겪으며 새하얀 커피 꽃이 된다는 이야기는 순수하면서도 신비로운 사랑처럼 애잔하다. 

나는 형에게 내 그림을 보여주기가 부끄러워서 늘 형의 눈을 피해 그림을 그렸는데, 가끔은 마을에서 멀리 떨어진 숲속에 가서 그리기도 했다. 나는 연필로 바다를 그리고, 베갯머리에 놓인 들꽃을 그리고, 또 어떤 날에는 한 여인을 그렸다. 내가 훔쳐보던 아름다운 여인의 옆모습을. - 11p. 

2. 커피와 연꽃 젤리 

‘바토’라는 카페를 배경으로 나이 지긋한 두 자매의 추억과 사랑 이야기다. 별로 눈에 띄지 않는 곳에서 30년이나 자리를 지켜온 바토 커피집. 이곳에서 언니는 커피를, 동생은 젤리를 만든다. 카페는 별다른 변화 없이 늘 주인 자매가 정한 규칙대로 돌아간다. 바토 커피집의 일상과 정경은 편안한 안식처다. 그 속에서 오가는 이야기는 인생에 대한 많은 생각을 불러일으킨다. 카페 ‘바토’라는 이름의 유래가 밝혀지는 순간, 오랜 세월 가슴에 담아온 인연의 자락이 고개를 든다.

3. 내 사랑 모이즈…… 모카 마타리의 유혹 

파리 뒷골목의 허름한 카페에서 만난 남자 모이즈는 모카 마타리를 즐겨 마시던 남자다. 여인은 ‘진짜 커피’를 마시게 해주겠다는 모이즈의 유혹에 이끌리고 이내 모이즈와 사랑에 빠진다. 하지만 어느 날 모이즈는 농후한 모카 마타리 향만 남긴 채 자취를 감추고 만다. 여인은 모이즈와 모카 마타리에 대한 추억을 더듬어간다. 마지막 반전이 오랜 여운을 남긴다.

4. 비 오는 날에는 킬리만자로를 

유리 공예가인 마키와 블로그에서 만난 의문의 남자 ‘아키라’와의 사이에 커피잔을 매개로 벌어지는 이야기다. 블로그에서 마키와 아키라는 커피와 음악, 일상에 대한 이야기를 나누며 서로 공감대를 형성한다. 무미건조한 일상에 찾아온 향긋하고 달콤한 커피 같은 만남. 

5. 커피 마시기 좋은 날 

주인공이 사랑하는 ‘N’과의 일들을 회상하면서 상대에 대한 사랑과 현재 자신의 외로움 등을 일기 형식으로 써내려 간 이야기다. 미묘한 감정의 변화를 겪게 되는 사랑의 과정을 섬세하고 감각적으로 그려냈다. 주인공이 즐겨 찾던 ‘브람스’와 ‘사강의 집’이라는 카페 주인들에 얽힌 엇갈린 인연도 매력적인 이야기다. 커피, 사랑, 이별, 그리고 회상. 천천히 음미할만한 사랑 이야기다. 

커피 한 잔에 많은 인연이 담겨있다. 인연의 수만큼 애잔한 이야기가 있다. 커피에 얽힌 사랑과 인생 이야기. 이 책은 커피라는 일상적인 소재를 통해 사랑, 갈등, 인생의 단면을 섬세하게 그려내고 있다. 각 단편이 작가의 개성을 잘 담고 있다. 커피에 사랑을 담아, 아련한 옛일을 이야기한다. 

As you get older, it becomes harder to find a house or a job.

As you get older, it becomes harder to find a house or a job.

I'm looking at real estate sites because I'm planning to move. When I see a house that fits my budget, I look up the detailed description. But I come across something unusual.  

The building is a three-story multi-family house. The building owner says, "None of the residents in this building are over 60." He says that the advantage is that there are no elderly people over 60 living there. What does that mean? 

I've heard something similar. Landlords don't rent out their houses to elderly people. Especially elderly people who live alone. It goes without saying if the elderly person is a man. Elderly residents have a lot to worry about, are uncomfortable, and are worrisome. So the landlord says that since there are no elderly people living in this building, they can live comfortably. I completely understand.  

When you get older, you need to have your own house, even if it is shabby. No landlord wants to rent to an elderly person. If you keep doing this, you will end up living on the street without being able to find a house.   

Let me tell you another similar story. When he retired in his late 50s and tried to find a part-time job, he sent out his resume here and there, but he was rejected by all of them. When he looked into the reason, it seemed to be because of his age. When you retire at an old age, it is difficult to find a job, whether you are a full-time employee or a part-time employee. It is difficult to make a living.

When you get older, you need to have your own house to live in and a place to work. It doesn't matter if it's a shabby house or a job that doesn't earn much money. It's hard to find a house or a job when you get older. You need to have a small house and a job that you can make and sell. 

2025.4.22. 

 

Sell ​​things at 'Carrot(Used market-Daangn)' and find a job.

Sell ​​things at 'Carrot(Used market-Daangn)' and find a job. 

A representative second-hand trading app is 'Carrot'(Daangn). I recently signed up for the app to organize my home. I organized all the books I've read and things I don't use and uploaded them to the app. Some items sold right after I uploaded them, and some items were suggested to be lowered, so I uploaded them again at a lower price than I had originally set. With Carrot, my items are decreasing one by one, and my house is getting bigger. It's just a small amount of money, but it's coming in. 

Carrot also has a job search corner. If people need job for a short period of time or longer, people post a job advertisement on Carrot. Urgent jobs sometimes require me to start work in a few hours. I applied for one. I got a call in less than an hour. 

The biggest advantage is that you can use your spare time. After work, you can work for an hour or two on weekends to change the ambience of your life and earn some pocket money. It's like changing the ambience of your home by getting rid of things you don't use. It's a really good platform. 

You should try using the platform when it comes out. It's useful in many ways. It's a service that helps you in your life, and you can also earn a small income economically. Above all, the biggest advantage is that you can use your time meaningfully.

If your life is stagnant, you need to change something. Start something. If you start, half the success is achieved. Execution is the answer.   

[Realistic thoughts that create results] 

1. If you don't start, nothing will change. 

2. You can't do it well from the beginning. 

3. No one will tell you from the beginning to the end. 

4. If you don't know, you can study and experience. 

5. Successful people have gone through this process. 

2025.4.18

Things to do when you feel like life isn't going well.

Things to do when you feel like life isn't going well.

I wonder if there has ever been a time as frustrating as these days. Things are stuck and there is no sign of things going well. When you feel like life is not going well, should you just sit there?  

There is no way to drastically change the mood. However, you can clear your mind. 

1. Clean up your surroundings. If you organize, clean up, and organize, your confused mind will be organized and you will feel motivated. It is said that cleaning brings good luck. The clutter around me is an obstacle that blocks my luck. If you clean it up, your life will be unraveled. 

2. Walk, run, or exercise. If you move your body, distracting thoughts will disappear and you will feel motivated. There is nothing better than moving to awaken your lost motivation. It is easy. If you look around, you will see things. Fun, freshness, interest. You will feel motivated to do something again. 

3. Meet people and talk. Not the people you always meet, but people you are not familiar with. People you meet in the neighborhood. Even if it is a trivial matter, if you talk to them with warm words, you can shake off the feeling of being alone. If someone encourages you, can't you do anything? 

4. If you have some money, you can go somewhere. It doesn't have to be a grand 'trip'. You don't have to go far. Just going to a nearby place can change the mood. 

If something isn't going well, it means you're stagnant. You can resolve stagnation with small changes. Change is brought about by doing things you don't usually do, such as cleaning, exercising, meeting people, or traveling. 

I wrote the above article a long time ago. And then I'm in a frustrating situation again. I think about the method I used to think of and try it out. But there's something I have to do before. That is, look up at the sky. First, take a deep breath while looking at the sky, and bring about small changes.  

 

When you feel depressed, look at the sky.

2025.4.14.

Streetlight and Pine Tree

Streetlight and Pine Tree

The public library I often visit is on the outskirts of the city. There aren't many visitors to the library. It used to be crowded. The number of visitors to the library has decreased in just a few years.  

There is a famous tourist attraction nearby. During the day, the area around the library is crowded with tourists. It becomes quiet again in the evening. I went to the library and came out around 8 pm. The parking lot in front of the library was empty and there were no people coming and going.  

I like the quiet inside the library and the quietness in the evening. I walk for a while without meeting anyone. I want to enjoy this kind of time even for a little while every day. I wash away the hustle and bustle in my mind with the quietness of the surroundings.  

The streetlights and pine trees stand quietly. 

Streetlight and Pine Tree

2025.4.14.

Cherry Blossom Full Bloom Shorts Video. Views are not something I can do.

Cherry Blossom Full Bloom Shorts Video. Views are not something I can do. 

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, so I couldn't just pass them by. I filmed a video while walking and uploaded it to YouTube as a short video, but after 5 hours, it only had 15 views. I uploaded 5 short videos in a week, and they all got over 1,000 views. This video was the only one that got strangely low.   

There's no way around this. I deleted the video in the evening. Then I used a video editing program to shorten the video by about 2 seconds and uploaded it again. Then it got over 1,500 views. It's the same video, but the results are different depending on when you upload it. YouTube views are something I can't do anything about. Should I upload a video like a prayer service and pray? 

Thinking about it differently, there's always an opportunity. If you make a good video and upload it, there will come a time when it rains after a drought. 

Cherry blossoms in spring 2025

2025.4.11.

I got some old magazines from the library.

I got some old magazines from the library.

There may be differences depending on the library, but local public libraries do not keep newspapers and magazines for long. The library I go to keeps magazines for two years and no longer. So, at certain times, they give out magazines from two years ago to library users. They limit each person to five, so that they can distribute them evenly to many users. 

This year, they are also giving out magazines from 2023. They put various magazines on a shelf and let people who want to take them. I brought three this time. These are magazines from fields I don't usually read. It's good to be exposed to various fields, there's nothing like magazines. There are countless types of magazines, and I don't have time to read them. I'm taking this opportunity to broaden my interests. 

2025.4.2.

various magazines on a shelf