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Libra New Moon October 2026: Finding Balance While Facing Reality

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 The Libra New Moon arrives on October 10 in Los Angeles and October 11 in Japan . Libra is associated with relationships, fairness, balance, partnership, and diplomacy. This makes the New Moon a good time to reflect on how we connect with others and where more balance may be needed. However, this New Moon is not simply about peace and harmony. Saturn brings a strong reality check, while Jupiter offers some support and room for growth. At the same time, tense aspects involving Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto may bring hidden frustrations to the surface. On a personal level, this could mean reviewing relationships, boundaries, communication, and agreements. Some situations may need to be restructured rather than ignored. On a broader level, themes around diplomacy, negotiations, power struggles, finance, and information may also become more noticeable. This New Moon feels less like “everything is resolved” and more like finding a realistic way forward while tension is still present...
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Rising Prices, Food Costs, and One Simple Way to Save

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 Around Los Angeles, overall prices are about 29% higher than in 2020 , while groceries are up roughly 32% . So if grocery shopping feels noticeably more expensive, you’re not imagining it. Rent, insurance, and gas are hard to control. Food is one of the few major household expenses where we still have some room to adjust. And right now, even a basic sandwich and drink can easily cost around $20. Cooking at home may not be glamorous, but it gives you more control over both cost and ingredients. I grew up in Japan in a household where home cooking was normal, but once I started cooking every day myself, I realized how much work it actually takes. Planning, chopping, cooking, cleaning. Still, after years of practice, it becomes a useful skill. Now I can look at a few ingredients in the refrigerator and usually turn them into a meal. And today, if you’re stuck, you can simply ask: “What can I make with these ingredients?” One thing that still surprises me about American recipes is the...
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A Nostalgic Karaoke Night

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 The other day, I went to karaoke with two friends who were born in the 1970s (including me) and one friend who was born in the 1980s. Some people outside Japan may not know this, but Japanese-style karaoke is quite different from what you often see in the U.S. In Japan, you rent a small private room where only you and your friends sing together while enjoying drinks and snacks. It's less about performing in front of strangers and more about relaxing, laughing, and having fun together. In the U.S., on the other hand, karaoke is often held at bars, where people take turns singing in front of everyone. I always get a little nervous singing in public, so I definitely prefer the Japanese style! The karaoke place we visited didn't have many recent songs, so our playlist naturally became a trip down memory lane, filled with hits from the 1980s, 1990s, and the early 2000s. Song after song, we kept saying, "Oh, I remember this one!" One thing that made me smile was the genera...
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Practicing English with AI and Real People

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 The city I live in has many Japanese people, as well as other Asian communities, Indian families, and of course, many Americans. People from different backgrounds seem to keep a comfortable distance from one another and live fairly peacefully together. There are also many Japanese people in my neighborhood, and thankfully, many of my mom friends are Japanese as well. In some ways, I could almost get by without using much English at all. But somehow, almost 30 years have passed since I came to the United States. When I first came here, I had this strong determination: “I’m going to master English.” But as life went on, I got busy with work, raising kids, and just surviving everyday life. Studying English gradually became something I kept putting off. Recently, though, even if it may be a little late, I started feeling that I really should put more effort into improving my English again. One thing that has helped a lot is how much AI has evolved. These days, we can actually practice...
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Trying Composting Again: Will It Work This Time?

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 Quite a while ago, I wrote an article about trying a cardboard box composting method. To be honest, after that, I didn’t take care of it as much as I probably should have. So I can’t exactly say it was a success. There were some failures. There were also lots of tiny fruit flies. At one point, I thought, “Okay, this looks simple, but I guess composting does require some attention after all.” Still, I couldn’t quite give up on the idea. Then I started seeing Instagram posts about bucket composting and other easy home composting methods. I thought, “Maybe this version might be a little easier,” and since then, I have been trying composting again here and there in a very casual way. This Time, I’m Using a Plastic Container This time, I bought a plastic container from Home Depot. When I previously tried bucket composting, I used a large laundry mesh bag that fit nicely inside the container. It happened to fit this new container too, so I placed the mesh bag around the whole inside of ...
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Making Homemade Miso: My 7-Year Tradition

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 Today, I made miso. I've actually been making homemade miso for about seven or eight years now. A friend from my neighborhood taught me how to make it, and I've been doing it ever since. One of the things I love about miso is how simple the ingredients are: Soybeans (dry) 250 g Rice koji 250 g Natural sea salt 125 g That's it. The process is surprisingly simple too. The most time-consuming part is cooking the soybeans until they become very soft. How I Make Miso 1. Soak the Soybeans First, I soak the soybeans in plenty of water. I usually leave them for at least eight hours. Every time I do this, I'm amazed by how much the beans expand after absorbing water. 2. Cook Until Soft Next, I cook the soybeans until they are soft enough to mash easily. I use a pressure cooker, so after it reaches pressure, I reduce the heat and cook them for about 25 minutes. 3. Mix the Rice Koji and Salt While the beans are cooking, I mix the rice koji and salt together in a separate bowl. 4....
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Gemini New Moon, Venus and Jupiter, and Disclosure Day

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  Just yesterday, we had the Gemini New Moon. A little before that, Venus and Jupiter appeared close together in the sky in a conjunction. I think I actually saw them. There were two bright stars, or planets, shining near each other, and I thought, “Maybe that’s them?” In astrology, both Venus and Jupiter are considered lucky planets. Venus represents love, beauty, and abundance. Jupiter represents expansion, growth, and good fortune. When those two come close together, it feels like nothing but a good sign. Or… wait. Is the lucky period already over? Because honestly, I’m not sure anything especially lucky has happened to me lately. Still, the sky this year feels unusually busy. Neptune has moved into Aries, and Saturn is also involved around the beginning of Aries. In astrology, this is considered a major shift. It may not be just about personal luck, but more about the atmosphere of the times changing. 2026 has already felt noisy and intense in many ways, and one of the topics p...
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