５月５日（金曜日）２０２３
「子供の日」の今日、カフェにはお子様連れのお客様が何組かお見えになりました。子供さんたちは偶然にも全員男の子。床の間の武者人形も未来ある若き男子諸君に声援を送っていたことでしょう。
ご近所の一人暮らしのご婦人から父への供養にときれいな和菓子をいただきました。彦根のいと重の練りきりや上用饅頭、それに胡桃の入ったお菓子でした。仏壇にお供えした後、抹茶でいただきたいところでしたがコーヒーで。練りきりは何の花でしょうか。一つは端午の節句に因んで菖蒲かと思うのですが、あとの黄色と紫はよく分かりません。それにしても美しい色合いのデリケートなこうした季節のお菓子は日本が誇る職人技だと感心します。
It's Children's Day and we had a couple of families with kids in the cafe. Kids were all boys, coincidentally. The two warrior dolls displayed in the alcove must have been celebrating and encouraging those promising boys.
I received Japanese sweets from a woman who became a widow last year and is living alone in the neighbourhood. She said they would be offering for my father who passed away many years ago. She bought them at an old sweets shop at Hikone. They are a good match to Japanese powder green tea, but after offering them to the Buddhist altar, I appreciated some of them with coffee. These Japanese sweets are made with a delicate color and shape by confectioners and I am amazed by those Japanese craftsmanship.
