Category: Nature and Life

Now I prefer it to passive investment

Photo by Adam Śmigielski on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?

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I dumped the stocks at the bottom!

On the morning of March 23, 2020, we sold all our stock holdings and cashed out.  At that time, we thought we made the right decision.  In retrospect, how stupid that was!  S&P 500 marked its bottom on that day, and since then until the end of 2021, the market showed a rapid recovery and an amazing run.

When we cashed out, how did I feel?  My journal says, “I’m surprised to find out that this is the same feeling as I cleaned up my in-laws’ house after my father-in-law passed away.”  Coincidentally March 23 was the third anniversary of my father-in-law’s passing. I felt calm, a sense of letting go.

To fulfil my intellectual curiosity

A couples of weeks later, the stock market was showing a quick turnaround.  I started to study about option trading to “fulfil my intellectual curiosity.” 

In May and June of 2020, I spent at least 2-3 hours to study about option trading.  What call and put mean, what delta, theta, and other Greek alphabets mean. Why there is an expiration date.  What are different strategies of option trading…

Here I have no intention nor any qualification of describing what option trading is.  The only thing I can tell is that it was quite exciting to learn something totally new. 

My teachers were all YouTubers, at least 30 years younger than my age.  It surely was a humble experience to regard those young faces as my teachers. 

Whether on Charles Schwab or TD Ameritrade, to start trading options, you need approvals from the firms.  There are 4 different approval levels, from Level 0 to Level 3.  The higher the level, the higher risk strategies you can trade.  You call up the firm, they ask you several questions, and only after you are able to answer them correctly you get approvals. 

It was humiliating to get rejected on the phone, but it was my fault.  My understanding was not thorough enough.  I studied more and tried again.  I felt good when I finally got approval for Level 3. 

Come July I started trading with defined risk strategies like Iron Condor and Put Spread.  In early 2021 I began undefined risk strategies like Strangles.  And all through this year I’ve been trading Strangles.

Trading like running a business

What I have learned through trading options in the last couple of years is that it’s possible to treat trading like any other business.  The key is consistency.

• You have to spend at least some time to watch the market. 
• You have stay in the market.
• You do your best to minimize your risk, but there is no way of avoiding risks 100%. 
• You set a boundary of the maximum loss you are ready to take.
• You don’t get excited about short-term win, but set a long-term goal, like annual rate of return.

As a result, my return of investment was par as S&P 500 in 2021.  And in 2022, my return is positive whereas S&P 500 is almost 20% down.  Not bad!

It was an eye-opener to learn that option trading can give me more stable return than even passive investment.   

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.

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What’s your silver lining?

I talk to her every day – more frequently than ever

Photo by Joseph Chan on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?

…

I love my mother, but ever since I moved out for college, I seldom called home. 

Especially, since I moved to the US, communication between us became sporadic.  In those days international calls were expensive, and I was too lazy to write a letter.  Only after Internet phones became prevalent, I started calling her a little more often.  Skype was great! 

When I went back to Japan four or five years ago, I bought her an iPad as present.  I taught her how to use Line, a popular app among Japanese people. 

She doesn’t quite know what a browser is, but at least she learned that by clicking a link I send, she can access YouTube videos.  I would occasionally send her a link to a video of old Japanese singers.  (Misora Hibari and Murata Hideo are her favorites.)  Or it would be Bunraku puppet theater plays.   

She would text me how much she enjoyed watching those videos.  Our communication via Line, however, was not more than once or twice a week.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“Your mother is 82 years old, and she is living alone.  How can you not get in touch with her at least once a day?  What if she falls or stops beathing?  Who would know if she is alive or not?”

A friend of mine who is in the similar situation scolded me for my lack of consideration.  She is absolutely right.

It has become our daily ritual.  My mother sends me a text message every morning. (she is live today!)  I call her to start a video chat.  For some reason she can never pick up my video chat.  My call is canceled. But right after that she calls me, and a video chat starts. 

Our conversation is nothing special.  “What did you eat for lunch today?”  Or “where did you go for a walk?”  Sometimes she takes her iPad when she goes out to lunch with my cousin’s family who live nearby.  I get to talk to all of them.

I get to see my mother’s face and hearing her voice every day, although we live thousands of miles apart.   Technology was already out there, but I never took fully advantage of it before.

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.

…

What’s your silver lining?

I noticed I don’t have to water as often

Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?

…

I used to pluck every single weed that was sprouting in my back yard.  With no more than 13 feet by 15 feet, my back yard is so tiny that I never thought it much of a burden.

My plants were lined up neatly on the ground.  The dark brown soil was exposed, with no untidy greenish weeds shown.  I used to feel a little sense of accomplishment each time I completed weeding.     

What did I do with the weeds I plucked?  I dumped them all into the yard waste bin.  Every Monday the city truck would come, collect the yard waste, and carry it to a compost location somewhere. 

My plants need nutrition.  I was advised to add compost to the soil every year.  So I used to purchase a couple of bags of compost from the nearby nursery and spread it on the ground.

Then Pandemic hit.

I was too afraid to go to the nursery.  What should I do?  As so many people would have done, I browsed videos on YouTube to learn how to take care of my plants.   There I ran into a Japanese YouTuber who was practicing natural farming.

His advice was not to pluck weeds!  Cut off the top tip of the weeds, but leave the root untouched.  Don’t take away the discarded part, but simply spread it on the ground.  That will become good nutrition.

I thought that’s brilliant!  Why do I have to throw weeds away as yard waste, fill up the yard waste bin, have the city truck collect them, carry them to a compost location far away, have an commercial entity make compost out of them, and buy the compost from them?  Instead, I can simply return the discarded weeds back on the ground on my yard. 

The video suggested that I should not expose the soil to the strong summer sun.  The UV light would kill microorganisms living in the soil.  Make sure to cover the ground with fallen leaves and weeds.  Those microorganisms are vital to turning weeds and fallen leaves back to nutrition of soil. 

Instead of going for shopping, I spent time cutting (not plucking) weeds and spreading the cuttings onto the ground.  The spring rain helped weeds grow faster, and again I would cut weeds and spread on the ground.

I used to water the flowers twice a day during the summer.  Not in the last three years.  I watered only twice a week, or three times when it got very hot.  My plants didn’t die.  The soil covered with weeds and fallen leaves seemed to be holding water much better.

What was I doing all through the years?  By plucking all the weeds, I must have been damaging the soil all along, whereas I could have fully recycled in my back yard.

I learned the real power of sustainability and the wisdom of nature. 

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.

…

What’s your silver lining?

@AyodejiAwosika’s YouTube video has pushed my back

Photo by Paico Oficial on Unsplash

The clock was set back by one hour. I had an extra hour to sleep in this morning, but it didn’t help.  My throat hurts and I’m shivering.  I decided to stay in bed the rest of the day today. 

On Friday I taught Ikebana to 15 employees at an IT company.  Yesterday I was a narrator for the tea ceremony demonstrations all day.   I might have overworked my throat two days in a row.  Or I was surrounded by so many people indoors and some of them was spreading powerful germs.

My husband had gone to gym in the morning.  On his way home he called me and urged me to take a CORID-19 home test.  I dragged myself downstairs followed the procedure.  Fifteen minutes later the result showed negative.  One less worry, at least.

After brunch (I had a healthy appetite!), I brought my iPad in bed and start scrolling the Medium website.  What else can you do other than reading when sick in bed?

I went through the people’s names that I follow and started reading their articles randomly. 

One article led to another, and some link led to Ayodej’s YouTube channel. One of his videos explained about Medium Partner Program.

Wait! I started writing on Medium every day 33 days ago.  I looked at my profile page, and found that now I have 105 followers.  I’m eligible to apply for the program!

In his video, Ayodej emphasizes that you have to keep on writing.  At least 3 articles a week.  He also says you have to be strategic about titles, visuals, and formatting of the article.  Can I keep on doing what I was doing and further commit to get better?  

Why not!  What is there to lose? My main reason that I started writing every day is so that I can improve my written English.  After having lived in the US for over 28 years, I have got tired of making an excuse for my poor English just because it’s not my native tongue. 

By writing and reading every day, I might be able to finally use “a” and “the” correctly. 

I can earn some money, how little it may be, by trying to improve my writing.  How cool is that!

I’m convinced.  I will apply for Medium Partner Program now.

… 

Is it “a healthy appetite?” “healthy appetite” with no “a”?  Or “the healthy appetite?” I would appreciate for your suggestion.

‘Cause they don’t have to worry about driving

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?

…

Among the 90 some members, probably I’m the second youngest. 

In the last eight years or so I have been in charge of putting together and sending out newsletters to members six times a year.  I have to send it via physical mail to at least 10 of our members, because they don’t have email address.

Members enjoy social gatherings under the theme of Ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement) once a month. Thirty or so core members are involved in some kind of committees, and they have another meeting a month to discuss business.

Ever since the group was founded over 60 years ago, for the members, meetings meant gathering at a church or a community center, bringing cookies and cakes and serving tea during the discussion.  Many have been loyal members for over 30 years, and now they love to show off photos of their grandchildren.

Then COVID hit.

All the meetings scheduled in 2020 were canceled.  The May newsletter that year only had photos of Ikebana arrangements created by some members.  That was the only thing we could feature. 

The summer was over.  Time to get back together, but how? 

Several members came up with the idea of meeting online.  They seemed to have learned how to use Zoom from their grandchildren.  Even those who don’t have email address have a smart phone.   Why not give it a try?  So we did. 

The first online meeting was far from smooth.  The person who had the Zoom account didn’t know how grant another person access to be a host.  Some needed help how to log on.  Some joined unknowingly with two devices, causing terrible howling.

But as time went by everyone became better at the operation.

After over two years, we finally decided to get together in person again.  Masks are required among us.  Considering the average age of the members, that seems prudent.

“We should keep our business meetings online!” was the consensus when we discussed how to conduct our future meetings.  “We don’t have to drive, we don’t have to get dressed fancy. Without stepping out the house at all, we can see old familiar faces.”

Grandmas became quite comfortable using the new technology!

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.

…

What’s your silver lining?

YouTube became my instructor and I’m more fit than ever

Photo by Ksenia Kazak on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?

…

Unlike my husband, I was never an avid gym goer.  I used to belong to one for years because my husband did, but the return of investment must have been less than a quarter compared to that of my husband’s.  He went six days a week, except for Saturdays.  If I went three days a week that was an accomplishment.  

Squash, bicycling, swimming… None of them lasted long.  Then Yoga.  It became my thing to do there, but I was always a couple of minutes late for the class.

Then COVID hit.  Our gym closed down.  Poor my husband, he lost not only an opportunity to exercise but also to socialize.   From six time a week to zero was far more drastic than 1-3 times a week to zero.

Soon taking a walk in the neighborhood became our thing to do between 5:30pm to 6:30pm.  At first we took a different route every time.    “Should we turn left?  Right? Or straight?”  “Let’s turn  … (alternate one of the three).”  Was our main conversation.  In about a month or so, we must have turned every single corner within one mile radius from our house.

The spring past.  The summer came and gone.  When the fall arrived with more frequent rain and much earlier sunset, we stopped going out for a walk.  Neither my husband nor I are outdoor type.  We didn’t have any appropriate gear that keeps us dry and warm while outside for an hour.

An YouTube channel called “Appearance TV” has saved me from putting on weight during the lockdown.  The title sounds funny?  Maybe that’s because this is not an American but a Japanese channel.

The two, or sometimes three guys in the video look young and cute, and all their programs are short and easy, no more than 10 minutes.  Some are less than 3 minutes. Every two to three days a new video is added.  I first picked 3-4 videos that looked easier, the ones I can do mostly lying on the floor.

Soon It became my daily routine to exercise by following several videos in this channel right before going to bed.  

Every night after I change to my pajamas, I bring my iPad with me upstairs to the bedroom.  All the exercises are so light that I hardly sweat, but my body gets warm enough to fall asleep fast. 

No need to drive to gym.  No need to spread a yoga mat.  No need to change to tight pants.  Thanks to Appearance TV, now I enjoy exercise every night, which never happened before.

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.

…

What’s your silver lining?

And I’m loving it!

Photo by Luke Braswell on Unsplash

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the whole world.  According to WHO, over 6.5 million people died.  Everybody’s lives have been disrupted.  The news in every media is full of tragedy.

Here I dare focus on the silver lining.  How many can I find in my life?

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All my life (except for my senior year in high school) I always had short hair.  Short hair was a synonym for me.  My ears and my neck had to be exposed.  As soon as my hair touched the top of my ears, I would have my hair cut.  I was so picky about my hairstyle that it took me long time to finally find my favorite hairdresser in Seattle. 

Then COVID hit.  One month, two months, three months… I started to tuck my hair behind my ears.  Six months, one year… I bought a bunch of hair ties. 

Finally the hair salons were allowed to reopen. But my favorite hairdresser had moved to Hawaii a little before that.  What should I do?

By that time my hair was already touching my shoulder.  Why not grow it even longer?

So now I, the woman once synonymous with short hair, have hair maybe longer than a horse tail.  And I’m kind of liking it. 

When my hair was short, I used to shampoo every morning.  Now I shampoo my long hair only once a week.  I don’t blow-dry.  I just twist the end of my hair with my fingers when still wet.   My hair stays that way even when it gets dry. I have never dyed my hair, nor will I ever do in the future. 

When I wear kimono, I put my hair up.  My mother really likes how I look.  She tells me to keep my hair long whenever I send her my photo in kimono.  Mother, I guess I will follow your words for now, ‘cause I’m loving how I look, too.   

That’s all thanks to the pandemic.

And hopefully I continue this adventure

Photo by Intricate Explorer on Unsplash

First of all, I want to give myself a pat on the back today for completing the 30-Day Writing Challenge. 

I rediscovered my old Medium account, came across this 30-Day Writing Challenge plot list, also found Writers’ Hour, and started spending 8-9 am every morning to write.  I realized that Writer’s Hour doesn’t happen on weekends, but I wrote on Saturday and Sunday anyway.

There were certain days I had to leave home before 8, (like a doctor’s appointment). On such a day I made sure to allocate one hour before or after my normal writing hour.  Only 30 days, but it feels good to accomplish something.

When I write, I change the font color in white, so that I can’t see what I’m writing on the screen.  This is a trick I learned from the Minimalists.  If I can see what I just wrote, I tend to edit each sentence, and that tends to break my train of thought. 

If I change the font color in white, all I see is the cursor moving, and here and there red wave lines (that means Microsoft Word found misspellings) and blue double lines (I’m grammatically incorrect).  I don’t care, I just keep on typing.

Today’s assignment is to write what I feel when I write.  What am I feeling now?

A sense of satisfaction.  A relief, calmness that I have accomplished something, no matter how small it is. This sense of accomplishment must be generating some chemical good for my body.  I feel even my lung is filled with some warm welcoming sensation. 

In the last 30 days, whenever I started writing following the plot, I found myself closing my eyes. 

I see a dark cave there.  And in front of me there is a deep water of my memories and subconciousness.  The surface is pitch dark and utterly calm.  I cast a fishing rod to see what’s beneath the surface and what I can catch. 

It may be a treasure box.  It may be a stinky rotten item I wish I didn’t find.  Good or evil. Right or wrong.  I try not to judge whatever comes up.  I simply see, feel, sense, something percolating in my deep sea of subconsciousness for a long time.

I have a choice not to pay any attention to the black water.  Nobody cares if I don’t.  But I know I will regret when I die if I don’t this.  My susbconsiousness will disappear forever when my body disappears.  I can’t let it happen.

This process of writing every day gives me an opportunity to explore this black sea of my subconsciousness.  I’m adventurous enough to explore this secret water.  This sense of excitement, as if I’ve became Indiana Jones crawling this dark cave.

Thank you very much for reading my 30-Day Writing Challenge.  I hope to continue this exploration, and I hope to see you again.

It’s more like a path

Photo by Bruno /Germany in Pixabay

Day 29 of 30-Day Writing Challenge

Normally I write my assignment first then I look for an image that is fitting for the article. 

But today I reversed the order.  I started browsing the images that came up when I typed “Goal” as a keyword.

The first photo on the list was an image of a dartboard. One arrow is hitting the bullseye.  Nice job!  Well, when much younger, I used to think of a goal like this picture.  But no longer.

Another popular kind was that of a goal of succor or hockey field.  Yeah, that’s also a goal.  But not mine.

Another kind is a summit of a mountain.  A person posting a flag on the top.  Sure, I used to place a flag like this on the summit I conceptually visualized.  Moving to the US to live,  starting my own business, and exiting it.  But no more.

I found one!  A picture that shows my future goals most appropriately: a path in the open field.

In this picture I see mountains far away.  Continuing to walk this path I may be able to reach the mountains.  But, you know, I’m 60 years old.  Not that physically fit, although I try to exercise every night.  I may drop dead before getting to even the foothills of those mountains.

The way of flowers, the way of tea, the way of writing… None of what I practice now has an end.  No matter how fast, how long I stride, I will never be able to reach the summit.  The summit is always far away, and that’s fine. 

On this path, in front of my eyes, I simply move my foot forward one step at a time.  Once in a while I look back the path to see how far or how little I have come.  And I look forward again, make today’s stride.  Till I die.  Yes, my future goals look exactly like this photo.

14,306 days till my 100^th birthday.     

How about Loving Yourself First?

Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash

Loving someone is wonderful…. Until that person is gone.  Left alone, you suddenly feel empty inside.  You feel helpless, hopeless, and valueless… Miserable.  Is that the price you pay for loving someone? 

Loving someone sounds virtuous.  Loving yourself sounds selfish.  But here lies a paradox, in my humble opinion.

Loving someone over yourself simply means that you let that someone dictate your emotional status.  You hand over the control of your emotion to that someone.  It’s like you lean over your entire body and existence to that someone.  What a burden whoever that someone feels!  Even before that someone leaves you, you emptied the love in you and dumped it over that someone.

Loving yourself first means you take full responsibility for your emotion.  You are not dependent on anybody else for controlling your emotion.  You fill yourself with love first.  Only then you let your love overflow to someone and other people around you. 

Even if that someone is gone, you are totally fine, since you are filled with love anyway. you don’t feel any emptiness.

And the very fact that you are filled with your own love, you are standing with your own feet. You are not leaning toward anybody.  That someone is not feeling any burden, therefore thereis less chance that someone leaves you. 

Someone said, “I can’t live without you” and “I can’t walk without a clutch” are the same meaning.  I agree.  Let’s stand firm, let’s fill yourself with love first.  With love overflowing from you, someone and anyone around you will benefit.