Golden Week holidays are over, returning many of us to normal workdays — yes, normal. It seems to Mei-Shun that understanding of current normalcy really depends. For example, an owner of a beauty salon she visited today is a pottery lover. 陶炎祭=hi-matsuri held in 笠間 has been her annual destination of this season, yet cancelled to avoid crowd.
interesting
Doll Festival
StandardMei-Shun loves it, mainly for simple and lovely sweets including ひなあられ=hina-arare, 白酒=shiro-sake, etc. The former is white, pink and green-colored puffed rice coated with sugar, while the latter white sake. Oh, she found it is different from 甘酒=ama-sake; 白 is alcoholic using もち米=special rice for cake, yet 甘 alcohol-free made of normal one.
Mom-in-law’s ちらし鮨=chirashi-sushi
Fragrant Flower
StandardFollowing 蝋梅=robai, Chimonanthus praecox descends from hands of Mei-Shun’s beloved father. Original tree planted by him blooms in late December, gives mother one of ornaments for every new year. However, this prodigy in their younger daughter’s garden seems to have two different families within a body; one with round petals and blossom in Dec., the other layered stars in February.
Hasty Hair?
StandardMei-Shun visited a beauty saloon nearby Tokyo Station for curling today. It is her first experience of “air-wave” technology to dry rolled rods in lower temperature 50-60 degrees Celsius, compared to “digital” one at approximately 100. The apparatus looks like an astronaut who returns to our mother earth soon to bring a capsule filled with miracle of solar system.
South to North
StandardShin was so busy last week that he flew to Fukuoka on Tuesday, came back and saw his wife in Tokyo on Wednesday, turn to Hokkaido on Thursday to stay two nights. Then he worked in Sendai on Saturday before coming home at night. It is said 西へ東へ, from west to east to mean going everywhere in our country. Is moving between longitudes more exhausting than latitudes?
Hokkaido horseies
Attractive Array
StandardIt is cooler, final day of torrid August. Mei-Shun likes it combined with Monday: she feels somehow benefited from such a day followed immediately by the next month. Just 1 : 6 =Aug. : Sept. in a week, yet the former looks like having 5 weeks. This sense might be caused by the fact that she was born in one of leap years, meaning 1 : 3 among 12 干支=eto, Chinese zodiac.
Ms. Scarlet came into …
… our 萩=hagi, bushclover lately.
Green Glisten
StandardMei-Shun found a little pupa on one of grapefruit pots. There was a bigger butterfly baby on another until recently, yet it had eaten up all leaves and — gone. Clever boy/girl, please feel safe. She would take good care of your tentative bed beside Mademoiselle Vert. The latter grows again a lovely little leaf bud with 13 flowers kept pretty. And weird parts as well, looking like artifacts.
Are you … roots?
Romantic Rain
StandardWe have 小暑=shousho, the 5th of summer 二十四節気 today, which seems a bit weird because of the timing. It is said to be the beginning of torrid days, meaning the end of rainy season. However, we are often in the middle of the latter, cannot see 七夕=tanabata stars tonight. Perhaps both of 織姫 and 彦星 are too shy to appear in our gaze from below.
Welcome to our veranda.
Cactus Circle
StandardTheir season has come, for following cute flowers in bright yellow. Mei-Shun is so happy to see them this year again. They also bloom in white at cowboy movie background of her favorite smart phone game ねこあつめ, cat collection. Such change might come from our custom called 衣替え, kimono replacement in which many high school students start to put on summer uniforms on June 1st.
Too Late?
StandardOr it might be on time, Mei-Shun means. She is so much excited to see diligent Mademoiselle Vert grow promptly. One little bud has already become a long branch, divided into three parts. It is difficult to imagine how following two shorter, thinner “stalks” would work, yet there seems flower buds on the top. Anyway, she would be taken good care with enough water and food.
meishunkikunoe 