Please take the most profound gratefulness of Mei-Shun, Professor S. This bottle accommodates a perfume from the Sultanate of Oman, called “tarha” meaning a bride’s veil in Arabic. Three respectful professors of the University of Tsukuba kindly held a birthday party for Mei-Shun last Saturday; January 13th on the lunar calendar. The same restaurant they met last year served two glasses of beer instead of wine.
Mei-Shun visited a beauty salon in Shinagawa. She enjoyed many plum trees in blossom along Joban Line. And on the way to the saloon, bright pink color jumped into her eyes — it is 河津桜=kawazu-sakura, a cherry breed which blooms in early spring. After the haircut, she met with Shin at a hotel which accommodates one of their favorite Japanese cuisine restaurant.
春一番, the first spring storm blew in Kanto area on Sunday. A plum tree in the “backyard” began to bloom little by little. You cannot see it from anywhere but our balcony. What a nice privilege we have!
It is so difficult to keep cut flowers fresh. Our “Yellow Card” started to brown in petals — just 10 days have passed since we cut them. They had looked bright in a pot 3 times as long as they were in a vase. That shows us remarkable power of their mother stock. And it is the reason why we must remove flowery branches within a month to assure her longevity.
Would you enjoy another version of our “Yellow Card”? Since the eldest flowers began to brown, Mei-Shun searched how to keep a pot of cymbidium healthy. It is better to cut blooming branches after one month, they say. Oh, it has been a bit too long for you to stay here, darling, so sorry. Your twin sisters still look bright enough, please feel safe.
It is freezing today. Our Aladdin stove works full from early in the morning to become short of fuel soon. After driving Shin to the station, Mei-Shun started working at the desk. When she looked up, white, fine icy pieces were found falling from the sky! Quiet rain has turned into the first snow of this winter, so subtle that immediately melt on the ground.
This is Christmas arrangement from Shin. It looked quite chic in color first, yet big red buds set in the center have opened little by little to give all different impression. What a great job!
We had the most beautiful ornament in the sky, a full moon, at 25th night this year. 38 years have passed since it happened last time, they say. How lucky it is to come across such an extraordinary phenomenon on our special day!
Our yellow beauties dashed off into the color. We are so happy to see them shine, one indoors while the other under the blue sky. The latter also pleases us blooming on balcony floor.
Yellow card
Backyard gingko
This Tuesday on the way to home, Mei-Shun dropped in at a branch of 菊廼舎 in Tokyo Station. She reserved specially-designed cans of 冨貴寄, with the symbol of coming 2016 申=monkey, for friends and herself. They are called 年女 or 年男 = people of the year, who were born in the new year symbolized by one of 12 animals. She makes it a rule to send that delicacy to her precious 年女 or 年男, since it seems to bring a good fortune.
meishunkikunoe 