Week in Review: Lunar New Year

Ah, fortune cookies. They never lie, you know.

 This time of year always fills me with a sense of hope and renewal. Much more so than the traditional calendar New Year. It's Lunar New Year, or as most people refer to it, Chinese New Year. The actual event day was yesterday, but there are 15 days worth of celebrations in China, so if you start today, you won't be left out!

Matt and I had a few people over for Lunar New Year's Eve, and we made a party out of it. I spent the weeks previous handcrafting paper lanterns, door hangings, and red envelopes (ours were filled with 8 chocolate coins). We served Chinese food. We asked the guests to bring Asian-themed beverages. We had a fantastic time.

The star shaped origami lanterns turned out great! Next time I'm going to rub them with a little oil to increase the translucency.

Except for the Nian Gao. That recipe did not turn out well. Sorry about that, y'all. I can make better-tasting cakes. Really.


I think what I like about the Lunar New Year is that there is a sense of rejuvenation when you celebrate it. Calendar New Year I find lacks that feel of wellness. Mostly, I just feel tired from Christmas, depressed about the state of our finances, and saddened by the fact that I have to give my husband back to the Canadian Forces soon. Lunar New Year, however, typically comes during a time of year when all that is behind us, and we are looking for something to look forward to. It fills the itchy, dragging wee winter months with a warm glow, not to mention appeals to my love of both parties and giving gifts!

It was a nice ending to a week otherwise filled with stresses. On a career front, Matt is coming into a period of extreme busyness, and his patience is being tested time and again at work as they try to pull it all off. On a home front, we were privy to some news about my step-children that was worrying and maddening.

This is my cat, Will. He's the oldest. He is currently demonstrating the face that Matt and I both made upon receiving the news. My knee-jerk reaction to these kinds of things is always to take action, so it's really hard to restrain myself sometimes. However, they are not my children, they are Matt's, so all I can do is support him in whatever he decides to do. Sometimes, though... Sometimes I still make this face.

We are hoping to make the Lunar New Year party a household standard. As I said above, it makes us feel good, and that's really what's most important. Which brings me to today's take home:

Do whatever makes your heart soar, and you will find yourself flying.