So 2023 started for Shin to work from today. Since 元旦=January 1st was amazingly on Sunday, we managed to have 2nd a national holiday. However, 3rd is not printed in red on our new solar calendar meaning a weekday. Many of us therefore had serial holidays from December 29th, 2022 — just 5 days, quite shorter than usual. On the other hand, above husband of Mei-Shun continued his business until the end of last year.
Mei-Shun actually likes sumo. Former 横綱=yokozuna, highest-rank wrestler 稀勢の里 recently opened his new stable in 阿見町, next to 土浦 City. When Shin drove her and his mother to a grilled eel restaurant, they passed by 二所ノ関部屋 looking like a big temple or a gymnasium. It took just a second for the wife to check it up on the net, decide to be a supporter.
Mei-Shun used to visit monthly a local bank to get new bills. Our traditional arts including kabuki dance, 茶道=sado tea ceremony, 華道=kado flower arrangement for examples, often welcome them rather than old ones. On the other hand, ATMs of her main bank sometimes offer notes clean enough to work for such opportunities. That seems like a lottery, would be her new custom.
We have 立春=risshun, the 1st of spring 二十四節気 today. Yes, it means that winter has gone, spring starts. However, it is colder than yesterday 節分=setsu-bun, one of 9 雑節 which informs season alteration more clearly than above. Mei-Shun would have liked to get a bag of baked soy beans to spread both outdoors and indoors, while only smaller bags of assorted ones were available.
We had 大安=tai-an, the best of 六曜 yesterday. Mei-Shun dropped in the nearest shrine today in 赤口=shakko, among above meaning inconvenient for business, to draw 2 omikuji lots; one for Shin, the other for herself. What, 凶=kyo and 末吉=sue-kichi? They are the worst and second-worse lucks respectively. Could you dear N-狛犬 keep these on behalf of the couple?
We have 穀雨=koku-yu, the 6th and last of spring 二十四節気 today. Stormy weekend never hurt our garden flowers in pure white, while wild wisteria high on the top of a camphor tree. And yes, “backyard” gingko was cut toward railing of upstairs verandah, in order to avoid spreading too much leaves in autumn, mom-in-law told Shin and Mei-Shun.
Hi, Tora-chan, thanks to help mom-in-law. It seems the best to take care of greens and flowers today, with a bit too much warmth last week while returned to normal after 清明=seimei, the 5th of spring 二十四節気 on Sunday. Why are you two moving just like each other? And you sweet tabby, please say hello to the Ys when you enter their space full of grown butterbur.
This is for girls, maybe set to be the counterpart of Children’s Day celebrated mainly for boys on May 5th. Both of them are days of sweets as well, since hina-arare, rice puffs coated with frosty sugar are served on the former while kashiwa-mochi, rice cakes wrapping red bean-paste balls on the latter. For Shin and Mei-Shun, lovely frog faces joined — souvenir from Nagoya.
We had 春一番=haru-ichiban, the first southern wind blows between 立春 and 春分 on Saturday (Cat Day as well). So it is warm enough this morning, seems nice to go to the club. However, hay disease prevented Shin and Mei-Shun from doing so — the former is a serious patient. Another reason was a phone call from Ms. I informing that Mr. Silk Traveler, the latter reserved, changed his job into the first horsey for new comers only.
Isn’t it too soon, dandelion?
酉の市=tori-no-ichi is not a market in the Italian city, yet a festival held on the Cock days of Chinese zodiac in November. Instead of grilled or fried chickens, sold are decorated rakes whose size ranging from your hand to whole body. It is said to be derived from harvest celebration by residents nearby a big shrine named after 大酉 or 鳳 =oh-tori, an imaginary animal.
@Ueno Station
meishunkikunoe 