A Happy New Year! Did you see the first sunrise of 2018? Of course Mei-Shun did, while never had thought of her goal of this year before 24 : 00 of last night. It is because they say 来年の事を言えば鬼が笑う= when you talk about matters of next year, demons would laugh at it. That means your future cannot be foreseen. She agrees with the idea, told herself not to have any pipe dream. Oh, what a beautiful 十五夜 moon!
Although a crescent shines beautifully in the sky, it is a bit hard to stay on horsey’s back at night in winter. Coughs prevent Mei-Shun from joining such class from 17 o’clock — so sorry, Ms. I. Two lessons from 14 : 15 and 15 : 15 selected Mr. M and Mr. X respectively. Boys, please accept Mei-Shun’s apology for replacing the former by gentle Amazónes while the latter by lovely Maria in another class.
It is great for Mei-Shun to walk to the nearest shrine after 1 month, on 朔日 meaning the first of lunar November. Last time found colorful foliage, while this time all different. Rice paddy changed into beige field covered by frost, looked hard in dark shadows of trees. 手水鉢=chozu-hachi, a square basin to wash hands before prayer in the shrine garden was frozen.
We would see the smartest crescent of lunar October on Sunday. It seems Mei-Shun works out, eats and studies better than usual these days. When she got on a scale without perspiration this morning, weight found her in exultation since only a bit sugar is left around the waist or thinly spread all over her body. That means she has taken 34 weeks to learn how to control herself with no stress.
Ms. Scarlet has finally come to us. Under the bright supermoon last night, Shin received her from his brother-in-law on behalf of Mei-Shun: she is not allowed to go out at night right now, even in the garden. She rushed to her this morning, found easy-to-learn numbers put on the plate. Hello darling, kindly let your mom start you for a trial drive. Oh? How to start your engine??
乙戸沼 has not yet hosted lovely friends — winter still seems to stay behind late autumn with 朔 of lunar October or 神無月 tomorrow. We have to wait a little more to see waterfowls play and chat lively on the pond, while it makes Mei-Shun straighten herself up again. At least one of her 2017 goals should be accomplished, even if halfway in respect of beauty.
Our protector shrine has several 灯篭=toro, Japanese garden lamp made of stone. When candles are put into narrow space under big shades, unique designs curved on the wall appear. Mei-Shun knows well they are there, yet it was just this morning that she recognized moon shapes on them. One side wears a full moon while another a crescent: it might mean the beginning and the end of things.
We have clear 十三夜, a moon on lunar September 13th tonight. 十五夜, another on lunar August 15th, is rare to be like this. Although rounder, she tends to keep shy wrapped in a cloudy dress. By the way, “Twelfth Night” by Shakespeare is translated into Japanese as 十二夜. 尾上菊之助 or Kikunoe Ryu head Sensha has played it on stage in kimono, directed by late Y. Ninagawa.
Hi, Mr. Vanilla, great to see you again after 2 weeks. Mei-Shun missed you so much during 6-day rainfall followed by a severe storm. Gentle boy, thank you for being always careful not to bite her breast while chewing her air-bag vest. Good evening, Madoka-chan, how’s it getting along? Look at the seventh-day crescent, graceful and looks like your ears.
We have 霜降=soko, the 6th and last of autumn 二十四節気 today. It means morning dew could be frozen by cold air, while the opposite temperature warmer than 20 degrees Celsius covered Kanto area after Typhoon Lan’s attack. It washed up Mei-Shun’s car as well who saw a mantis dry his/her wings in sunlight. Fourth-day crescent floats peacefully in western sky.
meishunkikunoe 