In Which the Blog reach 950 posts! A lovely Holiday Season approaches!

Good morning, my dear friend, and I wish you a happy Wednesday! How are you, this fine hour? As for me, I am okay, just waking up, really. The weather here is one of quiet transition, to spring. I can still use thicker blankets, but the days are longer, and the sun is more bright. Not exactly a good thing, I don't like summer, that is approaching. The only saving grace is to have Christmas season also upon us, the season of 2026! And all the memories of happy summer vacations, with the christmas trees and the great deal of lovely santas around it. Grandma used to go all in for the decor. How I miss it... I pray I can emulate it, when I can. Today, grandma is 82 years old, she is aging, as it rarely can be helped. She is tired, and she lives in an apartment nowadays, as such, she does not do the Christmas stuff as vigorously as some years before, alas. 

There is no such thing as forsaking the long holiday tradition just because "times changed", whatever that means. No. Just means that, as Japan, at times, some of the age-old habits should be mostly put on hold, as to return later if the occasion is auspicious. I mentioned such path, because it is what happened during the Meiji Restoration. It is thought by many that such move represented a great break from the past. But as it turns out, the restoration was more of a "return to home" than a departure from it. Before the Shogunate, Japan had time and again be in stronger hold by the Emperor, and it was far more open to commerce and cultural exchange with foreign nations. So, the Shogunate was the fixer-upper, not the other way around. Such is my position with many traditions, from Christmas to the corn season, they are never gone, but at times, they are on standby, ready to blossom in full force on any happy occasion.

Apart from summer and the happy memories of Christmas holidays, I am thrilled to mention that the blog has reach the landmark of 950 posts! How insane is that? Almost 10 years of writing! The only real pause to the relatively continuous set of publications was during the horrible month of July 2021, when my computer died on me. Apart from such countertime, I have not step away from writing for longer than a week! Quite an extensive catalogue on my life, interests, thoughts and also laments... I always wonder if it will be worth something archeologically wise someday, but it already means quite a lot to me!

With all that said, for today I wrap up today's publication, just one to talk a bit about holiday traditions I love and I trust will become ever more vibrant soon in my life, although they are not as faded as it is, I just happen to be tired, at times... When should I return to this lovely store and society? I hope real soon! Perhaps on the weekend. And in the meanwhile, I would love to keep updating the side blog as well, on the Substack platform, mostly with older posts from this one, adding comments as I write. In any case, I am happy to see you today, I do wish you the best! Farewell just for now, cheers!