Now it is July, and summer enters its mature phase, which, for us here in Lake Worth, is summed up in a small vocabulary: hot, humid, languid, stormy. This is the time, for us, of daily afternoon thunderstorms: consistency. Nothing will change here very dramatically for several long weeks to come, and it will be October, most likely, before we feel any shift in the pattern.
In Japan, the Star Festival approaches: Tanabata comes on the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month. A day for writing wishes on strips of paper that are then tied to the bamboo and given to the wind, to the elements, to the universe, in hopes that those wishes will come true. And it is a lovely old woodcut about Tanabata that is the cover star of your Convivio Book of Days calendar for July. The calendar is our monthly gift to you: a printable PDF that you may pin to your bulletin board or keep handy at your desk, and a fine companion to this blog.
It is the month of Canada’s national day (July 1) and of ours (July 4), and of France’s, too (le quatorze juillet), and a month of many saints’ days (Swithin, James, Ann, and Martha, mainly). The Dog Days of Summer will begin on July 3 as Sirius, the Dog Star, begins rising with the sun. And by month’s end, we will find ourselves at the eve of the cross-quarter day known as Lammas, and with its arrival, we will have our first true inklings of summer’s waning. Ah, but that is a story for a time yet to come, as summer’s verdancy only deepens in these early weeks of July, a richer green comprised of leaves and fronds and stalks that have weathered a few storms in their time. Already the youthful green of Midsummer is maturing.
As for Tanabata: the written wishes come down to us from an old, old story; a story descended from the sky: the story of Orihime (Vega, the Weaver Star) and Hikoboshi (Altair, the Cowherd Star). Orihime was the beautiful daughter of the Sky King, Tentei, and Orihime spent her days weaving beautiful cloth on the banks of the Amanogawa, the Milky Way. Her father loved the cloth she wove, and so Orihime worked very hard to make enough for him so that he would always a good supply of it. But she worked so hard at her weaving that she never had time for anything else. As much as Tentei loved the cloth Orihime wove, he knew she needed some balance, some time away from her work, and so he arranged for her to meet Hikoboshi, the Cow Herder, who lived on the other side of the Amanogawa.
Well, I don’t know if you believe in love at first sight but it’s been known to happen, and for Orihime and Hikoboshi, this was the case. The two were just crazy about each other, and very soon, Hikoboshi asked Tentei, with the greatest respect, if he could marry Tentei’s daughter. Tentei gave his blessing; the two lovers were married, and that was wonderful, but Orihime pretty much gave up her work at the loom, and as for Hikoboshi’s cattle, well, they were soon roaming all over Heaven. This went on for some time and it proved upsetting for Tentei, who grew angrier and angrier, until finally, he decided enough was enough. He separated the two lovers on either side of the Amanogawa and forbade them to see each other. Naturally, Orihime despaired over the loss of her husband. Moved by his daughter’s tears, Tentei relented. But he allowed the two lovers to meet only once each year, on the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month. And so it goes each year.
There are variations of the story, and even variations of the day of celebration. In some parts of Japan, Tanabata is celebrated in August. Obon, another Japanese summer celebration, is also celebrated at different times in different parts of the country.
Here on Earth, below the heavens, we celebrate Tanabata by writing wishes on strips of paper and tying them to the trees. The trees at Tanabata are decorated not just with wishes on paper, but also with origami and other decorations made of paper. Bamboo is traditional, but any tree will do. And any wish will do. If the wish is yours, write it down, place it in the branches. Perhaps your wishes will be made known to the elements, and perhaps your wishes will come true.
VISIT OUR SHOP!
Our new shop is open on Saturdays from 11 AM to 4 PM, and by appointment, too (we’ll be happy to open for you). We’re located at 1110 North G Street, Suite D, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460. From I-95, exit 10th Avenue North eastbound; make a left at the first traffic signal onto North A Street, then at the first stop sign, turn right onto 13th Avenue North. Cross the railroad tracks and turn right again onto North G Street. We’re a couple blocks down on your left side in a blue-roofed building. Plenty of street parking on G Street and there are a few spots in our little parking lot, too. If our OPEN TODAY sign is out, we are open.
NEW! IN-HOUSE WORKSHOPS!
One of our goals for our new Lake Worth shop is to create a space that is about community and a place where you can come learn new things. To that end, our first four workshops are now on the calendar. Over the course of this summer, you may come learn about linoleum block printing, paper quilling, non-adhesive bookbinding structures, and monoprints. CLICK HERE to learn more about these workshops and to register. We begin on Saturday July 13 with Monstera Leaf Linoleum Printing on a Canvas Tote with instructor Nicole Beatty, then on Saturday July 20 it’s An Introduction to Paper Quilling & Origami with instructor Allyson Daley. I’ll be teaching Pure Bookbinding on Saturday August 24, and instructor Kim Spivey will be teaching Exploring Monoprints on Saturday September 14.
SHOP OUR SUMMER SALE… both online and in-store!
At our online catalog right now, you may use discount code BLOSSOM to save $10 on your $85 purchase, plus get free domestic shipping, too. That’s a total savings of $19.50. Spend less than $85 and our flat rate shipping fee of $9.50 applies. CLICK HERE to shop; you know we appreciate your support immensely. And yes, you may use that $10 discount when you visit us in the store, too!
Image: “The City Flourishing, Tanabata Festival” by Hiroshige Ando. Ukiyo-e print on paper, 1857, [Public domain] via WikiMedia Commons.