Shin and Mei-Shun dropped in famous 笠間稲荷神社 before visiting a pottery shop serving soba noodle as well, yet opens at 11 : 00. They wake up early in the morning even on weekends, got on Ms. Scarlet around 8 : 00. The husband always has a clear schedule; visit 三昧塚古墳 first, then turn to 友部, one of rest areas on 常磐 Motorway to satisfy the wife who craved for a soft serve.
Mei-Shun was so happy seeing above title on a scale last night, that treated herself to 瓦せんべい from Tokushima Prefecture again. Six weeks have actually passed since she enjoyed this delicacy before, left just in one piece shaped like Mt. Fuji. Prepared a cup of coffee, she looked cookie package on the back by chance. What, below a postcard, its flavor and crispness is due by Nov. 18th?
The 1st Tuesday of a month like today would be titled for Mei-Shun. She visits Master Bando in the morning, takes her lesson in 羽織, kimono jacket on normal pants style. Then she has to head toward Dr. M for teeth check. A molar on her upper right jaw is already cracked within, needs regular care and cleaning. It is 13 : 30, she drops in a bakery on the way home.
Mei-Shun is a fruits lover. She normally prefers them in 旬=shun, meaning season best; strawberry in spring, cherry in early summer followed by peach and melon, grape and pear in autumn, table orange and apple in winter. However, Christmas calls for the first one in our country. It is a bit too hard and sour to enjoy in the raw, often served dried, preserved and mixed in cream.
It is called いい夫婦の日=Day of Good Couple today, reading 1-1-2-2 in our language. We also have 小雪=sho-setsu, 2nd of winter 二十四節気 meaning it still snows a little, while rains much by chance. Mei-Shun feels like sipping warmed sake at such a night, yet 奈良萬=nara-man from Fukushima tastes better after cooled in a freezer. She therefore would cook hot, boiling dishes for dinner.
So this is the one Mikan-chan took as her treat, yet really was Shin and Mei-Shun’s. The new microwave oven served well to grill a big piece of one-night dried 糸撚鯛=ito-yori-tai, sea bream. The wife is not good at using advanced machines for which guidebook reading is indispensable, yet made an effort. By the way, it was felt like smelling a bit fishy when she cooked toast this morning.
Shin brought home delicacies again, from Miyazaki Prefecture on business. Above bottle of shochu, distilled sake is famous called Hyakunen-no-Kodoku, meaning century alone. Actually, it is the second time Mei-Shun received it as a gift. The first giver was late Dr. T, her “2nd” boss with Dr. K as the 1st at a research institute in Tsukuba. Just a bit more than one tenth years have passed since then.
Yes, nice numbers on a scale let Mei-Shun treat herself to 瓦せんべい=well-baked cookie by くつわ堂 on weekend. It is big enough to cover Shin’s face completely, gave the wife one direct bite dreamed of for as long as 2 weeks. However, there seems to be bigger one available via internet. All right, when she reach the ultimate goal where 1.5 less sugar bag has gone.
Yes, Mei-Shun washed it up. Plum liquor was stored within for 8 years, always made her feel relaxed. It was Shin who picked fruits of a rare, wild plum called 皆平早生=kaidare-wase grown in a mountainous forest in Wakayama Prefecture. Quite small in size compared to normal ones, yet thinner peel gives soft texture. She moved left delicacy into 2 smaller bottles, toward a refrigerator.
Well, well, Mei-Shun’s table would be full of desserts again. Above one chocolate bag came from Hakodate, the other big cookie from Takamatsu. Each of them has cheese cookies and 和三盆 candies still wrapped squarely by paper. It is within a decade since the former joined her list of favorites, while three have already passed for the latter when she and Shin worked for the same company.
meishunkikunoe 