Wild flowers seem to like autumn, not only spring. They make hordes next to walking courses of Mei-Shun around 乙戸沼 Pond while along rice paddies, making her eyes deeply pleased. Her mother taught her little daughter that blue ones below are called 露草=tsuyu-kusa. Or dayflower in English, their one-day life rings a bell for morning dew, it is said. Other names include 青花=ao-bana and 月草=tsuki-kusa, meaning blue flower and moon plant respectively.
And Solar September starts from today. It is a nice coincidence for the first days of modern and older calendars to meet on the same date, isn’t it? That also means we have a new moon tonight, the best timing to make your wish to a god. Mei-Shun’s is good health of course, not only for herself but for her family and friends. Health in body leads to one in mind, collaborate to create beauty and happiness. She wishes she could wish for everybody including those she does not know.
Typhoon VII, or Chanthu roared over Kanto area around midnight. One thing for Mei-Shun is that she tends to catch a slight cold by failure in air conditioning while typhoons go by. They bring heavy rain and sultriness which force her to be shut up indoors all day long. She knows artificially cooled bedroom is the worst for health, yet it is the best after bath. Ms. Full Moon, great to see you. Please tell her what to do when she misses you in thick clouds.
She appeared from under a fan. It is amazing how quick our new tatami mats change their color — just weeks have passed since they replaced our older ones. Juliet asked Romeo no to swear by the “inconstant” moon that monthly changes in her circled orbit. Well, so she does even under our feet, dear lovers.
It visited Mei-Shun out of the blue, coming through the window when she tried to close a shutter. Oh, do not be confused at artificial lights. There is no sun or moon among them. Mei-Shun is friendly to butterflies, with her family symbol 浮線蝶 as one of the reasons maybe. Since today is the first day of June on lunar calendar, that beautiful creature might have brought a good fortune.
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.
Mei-Shun practiced “Clair de Lune” by Debussy in the afternoon, wishing to see 十五夜 over such thick clouds. And it might work, when she drove to pick Shin up after dark, round silhouette of moon appeared for just a moment. Thanks a million, wind, though we have a slight chill with you.
Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu. This is Mei-Shun’s first omikuji (=sacred lot) of 2016.
第二十二番 吉 The 22nd Lucky
このみくじにあう人は たちこめていた雲間に 再び月の明るさが射し込むように 万事気短にする事なく よくよく思慮すれば 神仏の御加護の下 幸せが訪れる
For those who see this sacred lot, consideration on every deed: never being in a hurry would lead to bright happiness under the protection of the God, as moonlight breaks through night clouds.
We had the most beautiful ornament in the sky, a full moon, at 25th night this year. 38 years have passed since it happened last time, they say. How lucky it is to come across such an extraordinary phenomenon on our special day!
We have it tonight. It is clear, the best condition to have a little party at home. Yesterday enjoyed the harvest moon, so two consecutive days of beauty in the sky, round-shape sweets on the table. It comes only once this year, compared to three times last year — very rare phenomena.
Happy harvest!
meishunkikunoe 