Mei-Shun shared lunch time with M-chan. Another nice coffee shop is located within University of Tsukuba campus, informed by gentle Professor M, the best moon photographer. 梅=ume plum blossom is often featured in February, here as well by 梅珈琲. Well, still a bit sore throat for the elder, their choice preferred milder drink, soup, bread and dessert.
And we would see the most beautiful 十五夜, meaning 小正月=January 15th on lunar calendar tonight. Called Snow Moon, she appeared low in eastern sky just when Mei-Shun got on Ms. Scarlet for shopping. The latter wished to take photos, yet the former lady floated above an electric cable — looked like being cut into slices. Please do not, even if she resembles a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
We would see 十三夜=13th moon, the 2nd beautiful next to full tonight. It also means birthday of Mei-Shun on lunar calendar. She therefore prepared a bottle of Madeira wine Shin kindly ordered for her solar day. Actually, the other they opened first had a cork so dry that broke into liquid. “We should have laid them”, he said. However, she coughs too hard to enjoy alcohol.
Mei-Shun enjoys 七草粥 celebrating lunar January 7th tonight. It is quite easy to cook thanks to a freeze-dried package of 7 wild vegetables — she just asked her diligent rice cooker to make porridge, added above ingredient in a serving bowl. 月餅= moon cake from Chinatown in Yokohama would accompany her supper alone, while Shin turned to Nagoya leaving this souvenir.
So we are at the end of solar January today. Since on Friday, Mei-Shun feels like it still continues toward weekend, with 節分=setsu-bun on Sunday. Among 4 of it before each beginning of seasonal 二十四節気 including 立春, 立夏, 立秋 and 立冬, the first one on rare February 2nd is the most known because it almost means lunar new year. Oh, how beautiful a 3rd crescent is, floating massive above dark horsey field!
Lunar 2025 starts from today. Mikan-chan and Mei-Shun visited the nearest shrine for the first time on solar calendar, after driving Shin toward a station. It was around 6 : 30 yet a ceremony had already been set in the main building. Now what fortune would Gods give via omikuji lots? 吉=kichi, lucky with No. 34 and 16. The latter is all the same as the one he brought home 4 weeks before.
So Christmas Eve has come again on lunar calendar, lead by that celestial beauty. She shines in early morning these days, seems to watch gently over Mei-Shun. The latter saw nice numbers on a scale after dancing with Mr. Marumorita last evening: a few bags of sugar, alcohol and new-year feasts have gone. Now she would prepare for a petite party on Saturday when Shin returns from Kyoto.
Shin went out for business early this morning. Mei-Shun drove him toward the nearest station, found 小望月=14th moon in western sky. They saw her in the east last night, shining above gift flowers — meaning both ends of 花鳥風月. And the 1st, 2025 full moon is expected tonight. Called Wolf Moon, she has already become perfectly round at 7 : 27 while invisible among sunlight.
Lunar December 2024 starts from today, 大晦日=New Year’s Eve on solar calendar. Mei-Shun hoped to visit the nearest shrine accompanied by Shin and Mikan-chan, yet the former dad coughs too hard to go out. She therefore stayed home, did what could not on Christmas Day: baked a chiffon cake. It was served as dessert with hand-whipped cream after 年越し蕎麦=year-crossing soba noodle.
Thanks a million, Professor M. He kindly sent Mei-Shun images of the last, round celestial beauty in 2024, called Cold Moon. She looked brilliant yesterday evening, when the latter got on Ms. Scarlet to pick Shin up at the nearest station. He came back from Kyoto, where a lot of good sweet shops are accommodated; many of them changed into ones specialized in rice cake this month.
meishunkikunoe 