🛒 Spring Equinox Day: A Record of Afternoon Shopping and Dining Out

🌀 To the Laundromat and San-A

In the afternoon, I stopped by the laundromat on my way to Kyozuka San-A for some shopping.

Many elementary school students were on spring break, so the store was bustling with little kids running around.

I thought about eating at Wafutei, but to my surprise, there was a 15-person wait.

The benches were also overflowing with people, so I decided to just finish my shopping and move on.

🚗Heading to Gusto in Makiminato

While driving, I thought about nearby places to eat and headed to Gusto in Makiminato.

The attached Autobacs was crowded, but the Gusto side had a few open seats.

It seemed the rush hour had passed, so we were seated right away.

🍽️ Dinner with Mom

My mother and I ordered the limited-time “Hamburger Steak with Demi-Glace Sauce.”
When I went to the drink bar, it was also in complete chaos with children.
A battle for juice was raging—a scene typical of spring break.

Once the food arrived, I cut the hamburger steak into bite-sized pieces so my mother could eat it easily with chopsticks,
and while watching over her and saying, “Take your time,” I ate my own meal as well.
I handed her some juice partway through, and I was relieved when she finished about 80% of it.
I ate the rest.

🏢 A Moment After Returning Home

When we got back to the apartment building, my mother ran into some friends from the “Vibrant Health Club” in front of the elevator.

They started chatting happily, so I left them to it, carried our bags inside,

and returned the car to the parking lot. Mom came back after chatting for about 30 minutes.

🧹Evening Chores and the Vernal Equinox Offering

After getting home, I finished tidying up, and Mom took a nap.

I worked on my computer for a bit before starting to prepare dinner.

Since it was the Vernal Equinox, I prepared an offering set for my father’s Buddhist altar.

In Okinawa, we don’t visit graves on the Vernal Equinox; we only make offerings at the altar.

We’ll visit the graves next month for Jimi (Qingming Festival).

🍚Dinner and My Mother’s Health

For dinner, we had leftovers from last night, some seared bonito I bought, and the food I’d offered at the altar.

My mother had a headache due to changes in atmospheric pressure, so she took her medicine early and lay down, but

I was relieved that she ate her meal as usual.

🧼 Wrapping Up the Day

Finally, I cleared the dishes and ran the dishwasher, finishing today’s chores.

There are still some small tasks left, but I feel like I’ve managed to get through the day.

✨ Summary

The afternoon of the Vernal Equinox was packed with shopping, eating out, housework, and preparing offerings, but

seeing my mother eat heartily was the greatest source of relief.

Even amidst the hustle and bustle, it was a day where I was able to cherish the seasonal traditions.