Traditions

I'm very happy that we can live in SF, and have access to good Japanese ingredients and traditions from Japantown. We can order special New Year food, osechi, and kagami mochi is available, another tradition for New Year's. It simply makes me happy that I can have these traditions easily (vs. having to create them myself from scratch), and can see our kagami mochi everyday in our living room. With age and having Tesla, I appreciate the traditions I grew up with. Makes me feel connected. Tomorrow, we'll do mochitsuki at T's preschool while she & the kids sing. She's been practicing so I'm totally looking forward to this.

I also totally enjoy taking advantage of the festive Christmas spirit. The lights, the cards, the decorations. I'm not into cutting a tree so use whatever plant we have in the house, and we don't get into buying presents for the most part. For the tree decorations, I don't have a set or anything and each year just use what we have plus maybe add 1 thing new.This year, Tesla choose a giant blue ball, and Michelle gave me a cucumber and a beautiful bird for Tesla. In addition, I added what T made at preschool...so we're getting a nice collection of items. T's been delighted with the "tree" although more just because it's pretty than any meaning per se. I told her she could decorate it and she stuck her Hello Kitty drawing pad on it (although it didn't last long). Click to enlarge.

It's also sweet to learn about other traditions. Last night we went over to the Regenbogens for Hanukkah. We ate delicious latkes, lit candles, and got presents! I love that the Jewish holidays have so much meaning and symbolism. The detail about the food reminds me of Japanese food symbolism. It's fantastic that Tesla gets exposed to all sorts of stuff so she can later pick and choose what is meaningful to her..

And as the last tradition we're trying out this year, we got to make gingerbread houses at the Regenbogens. T was more interested in eating the crackers as I decorated, but it's just plain fun to do projects like that!