of 2017, thank you so much, Master Mei-Shu. It is the best way to make Mei-Shun straighten her spine — prepare kimono, put it on with お太鼓=o-taiko, sash shaped in a square on the back. Master gave her student a new 舞扇=mai-ogi, a fan used in Japanese dance as usual. Oh, how pretty this salmon-pink is! It well encourages Mei-Shun to practice hard 京鹿子娘道成寺=kyo-kanoko-musume-dojoji. It is the set piece for our Kikunoe Ryu certificates including 段=dan, 名取=natori and 師範=shihan.
Our club has two guys who shared ex-owner’s names “Tosen”. Treasure and Applause, did you became independent from it? Mei-Shun saw the former at the first lesson of this year. When she heard his name selected, she took him as another guy. Then, we cannot call you T. T. anymore but just T, can we? It sounds a bit bizarre. All right, you would be Tore-chan from today while your junior colleague App-chan. Other surnames including “Admire” and “Taiki” would be removed soon.
It is a bit embarrassing to say so to yourself, while so happy to have family and friends who say so to you. Mom, thanks for your simple but heartfelt message. Shin, your surprise gift won an enormous success this year as well. Mom-in-law, your お赤飯=o-sekihan, steamed rice with red bean tastes the best. Now, let’s enjoy together Galette des Rois as Mei-Shun’s birthday cake. And oh, another flower featuring sakura from her best friend! Please take her sincere gratefulness.
So happy to see the first full moon of this year. She looks so beautiful in clear, cold air that Mei-Shun chose moonlight scores for Ms. Piano tonight. There was a little discovery: she misread a G key, wrote E for it. Since musical notes full of lines are not friendly to her eyes, she makes it a rule to use pencils for confirmation. Now she is ready to play it precisely, while make further efforts of weight control toward the end of lunar 2016 which comes in 2 weeks.
Copyright © 2017 Professor M or Shimaneko Sensei All Rights Reserved.
They are for horseies, longer ones attached to forefeet while shorter ones to rear. Mei-Shun ordered them via net shopping as お年玉=otosidama, meaning new-year gift for herself. She is ready to purchase such items little by little. Rental gears are available for free at our club, yet her favorite colors and designs are much better. Her dream is to own a horse in the future, at home if possible. Shin loves them as well, would be happy to take care of him/her or — them.
Thank you so much, Professor M. He is good at calligraphy designing, sometimes works as a manager of Shimanekoya studio. These chic pieces were sent from Kaori-san last year, enclosed with a letter of 寒中見舞い=kanchu-mimai, a winter greeting. Her husband is from Kyoto, might be the reason why her gift is always accompanied by scent of that ancient capital. At a glance, Mei-Shun decided to make them her name cards.
Shin and Mei-Shun visited her mother’s home, one week later than expected. Now let’s enjoy mom’s best 黒豆=kuromame, sweet-simmered black soybean and 数の子=kazunoko, hot herring roe marinade. A tree of 蝋梅=robai or Japanese allspice welcomed them in full bloom. It was her beloved father who fell in love with this winter flower soon after its market introduction. Bright yellow petals look like art works made of wax, giving the sweetest scent around — you can recognize it at a distance of 10 feet.
… for mom to reach her birthday. She has set three objectives of this year; to acquire 師範 certification in Kikunoe-ryu, to succeed in weight control, to pass an examination to become a Japanese language instructor. The second and third might be allowed to carried forward? Nil, this is a matter of willpower. She has continued daily study so far, while succeeded and failed in exercise and healthy eating beside me. They just must be upgraded for better results, meow.
Copyright © 2017 Mikan-chan All Rights Reserved.
Happy birthday, mom-in-law! We have 小寒=shokan, the 5th of winter 二十四節気 today. It means we rush into the coldest season called 寒中=kanchu until 立春=risshun, the beginning of spring. Mei-Shun’s mother gave birth to her younger daughter in 寒中 as well, made her share zodiac sign (Capricorn) and 干支=eto, Chinese zodiac symbol (申=saru, monkey) with her mother-in-law. That means we have to eat birthday cakes twice a month, with new-year feasts and alcohols …
She is blooming. How pretty her first bud is! We have been worried about her health since she was found hurt. Thanks to warmth, all buds left have shown their faces within today. Actually, Mei-Shun failed to move her into bigger pot: she stays in her first place. So severe an environment for these grown-up roots, has not nourished them enough. It is why some leaves turned into yellow, as they are called in flowers. Your highness, please keep patient a little more.
meishunkikunoe 