congratulations!

After 1Y + 18Wks

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… will be postponed to Tuesday. Mei-Shun visitied her mother staying in 草津 with a handmade birthday cake and Shin. He is always kind enough to agree with his wife’s idea — he had squeezed a vacancy out of his hard schedule, reserved bullet train seats to 軽井沢, Karuizawa with a rental car service. Just one-hour drive brought them to the cottage which Mei-Shun’s late father bought 20 years before. It is really cool and comfortable in summer there. Mom was fine, welcomed her children with fresh vegetables.

oniyuri (2)

Happy Birthday

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… to you mom, in 草津, Kusatsu on one-month summer vacation there for these several years. She often told Mei-Shun that her birthday gift was a watermelon in her childhood. She and her two younger brothers were so happy to see it cooled in a well. Yes, that fruit worked as a birthday cake for children. Even today, big watermelons seem to symbolize joy of summer, especially for big boys including Shin, his late father and Mei-Shun’s. Shall we go to a greengrocer’s shop to buy one?

We Love Kyoto

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Kaori-san, please take our gratitude. You gave us another chance to come to this beautiful, ancient capital of Japan. Current rate of yen, however, might make our regular hotel here booked out — that is why we enjoyed a stay at our favorite one in Osaka last night. We took a local train after a slight exercise of walking to the station one more stop away. Clouds in the sky and summer hats nicely protected us from ultraviolet rays.

tutumi-masu (2)

Happy Birthday

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To you, Shin. Mei-Shun does not know how to show 100% of her thankfulness and respect to him. She therefore asked garden flowers to join our party meaning:

Blue hydrangea; enduring love,

Cactus flower; ardent love, grandeur and warmth,

Clematis; beautiful mindset,

Pink rose; innocence and purity,

White rose; grace, gratitude and happiness.

June flowers (2) cactus flower open (2)pink rose (2)

 

 

Fiscal Year-end

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Mei-Shun received renewed passport on Sunday. The date of issue was expected to be on March 30th — she left the hospital on this day last year. However, it seemed taking one more day. March 31st is actually the birthday of Professor M, one of her most respected friends. Well, on this point of view, March has a lot of happiness for Mei-Shun who has spring in name.

Kyoto Again

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Kaori-san, an illustrator and good high-school classmate of Mei-Shun, will hold her second exhibition in June at Merry-go-round Kyoto, the same venue as her first one. Congratulations and thanks — November gave us a shock of long queue for taxi last time. Our driver was kind enough to teach how to avoid waiting, which would not have to work for June.

kaori-san (2)

Brideware?

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Mei-Shun has found the best way to use “tarha”. It has quite stronger notes, might be better on handkerchiefs for example, according to Professor S. Yes, and another way seems to spray it onto after-bath goods including bathrobes, towels and hair turbans. Since we wash ourselves in the bathroom to prepare for a new day, that name sounds pretty right.