Half of 2016 has already passed. This Japanese confectionery written in 水無月, meaning June, is popular in Kyoto. We have no time to drop in on sweets shops last time, so ordered it from たねや as usual. Shin has made a step into summer diet. Now a competition between him and Mei-Shun starts — winner would have a right to ask him/her to buy his/her favorite food!
Please find our Japanese-style bedroom reset. It took just 30 minutes for the master to bring in and place 6 mats. Looked like a very simple jigsaw puzzle, he did the same as previous ones fit onto buffers. Oh, how nice to see this green! They also give out refreshing scent. “Such freshness would be kept for around 3 months”, the master said. Well, it means this summer serves us cooler nights (^^),
We are going to renew the gas range, dishwasher and tatami mats one after another. Today’s clouds have been kind enough to wait until they remove and bring out the last ones. It is the first time for Mei-Shun to see under the mats. She was a little shocked at the amount of dust accumulated in 16 years. Clean, clean, vacuum, let’s clean.
Please find below Mei-Shun’s newest fan for Japanese dance. 京扇堂, Shin’s recommendation of great art for a long time, met his wife at last this Wednesday. Just a step into the shop lead them to this shining green. How beautiful you are! Could you join Mei-Shun for practice 汐汲 at home? Ah, you would if accompanied by these coats. All right, let’s say “thank you very much” together to our generous sponsor.
Here is new pair of sneakers. Thank you so much, Shin. They say red underwear called 申赤 (=saru -aka, meaning monkey red) brings good fortune in 申年. “Saru” leads to “去る” in the same pronunciation, meaning to go away, expected for bad fortune. Well, Mei-Shun has some while loves red shoes as well.
Today is 小満=shoman, the second one of 二十四節気 of summer. The latter Chinese letter means “full” while the former “small”. What would be full slightly? Green, leaves and wheat field do in your sight. Tonight finds a beautiful 十四夜 moon, just before the full one tomorrow.
They have joined into the picture Mei-Shun enjoys in the morning. Green touch increases day by day, makes it straight toward summer. It is so nice to see rice paddies grow to feed many birds, and us finally in autumn.
Here comes Golden Week. It was named by the film industry who gain big profits during these serial holidays, they say. And many farmers use it to water their rice paddies before planting seedlings. Mei-Shun overslept a little this morning, saw two farmers already start working on her way to the shrine. Sorry to interrupt you.
Good morning, guardian.
When Shin walks to the station, his wife joins these days. He heads to the west, she does to the north. Mei-Shun is lucky to see two male pheasants on the way to the nearest shrine. They look struggling for territory beside rice paddies soon watered to accommodate frogs, egrets and herons.
meishunkikunoe 