Boys' Day

May 5th was Boys' Day in Japan but I guess it is still Boys' Day in other parts of the world so I'll post this photo.

Many people know that on Girls' Day in Japan, families will set out elaborate displays of dolls depicting the royal court, and that on Boys' Day, huge carp banners fly over the family's fields (if they have fields.)  Another custom is to set out miniature displays of samurai armor...  Not so miniature really, about the size of a small child.

Anything that is expensive and requires storage space is not welcome in my house and so we've never had dolls nor carp nor samurai armor.  But yesterday the armor was set out in the entrance to the pool facilities so I snapped a couple photos.  I would have preferred if those posters hadn't been in the background but it's not my armor...

In my house, all I have to show that I remembered it was Boys' Day was a small tapestry I made a few years ago.  The pattern was from a Japanese book.   All that black bias tape was supposed to be hand sewn down but I made this in a rush and laid tulle over all and then machine stitched around the tape.  I think I show this tapestry every year.  Sorry. 

And apropos to nothing...  We pulled up at a stop light behind this car that had a cute message on it's back window... written in road grime...  It says "Please don't tailgate.  Meow!"  That's one way to make good use of grime!