together tuesdays traditions and three stories

just for a laugh... oy vey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpxYDEVIe7E&list=PLEPQby6_o7m1-wWJunTFbIqAGWOsGF60C&index=25

another form of connection involves traditions
I love traditions, from small to large.

dh and I have formed a tradition of having Thai lunch take-away on Sundays, while watching a BBC show time team. It's cozy to know we'll have a delish lunch and see an interesting show we can discuss. When we're on the road we look for Cracker Barrels because we've done it so often and it's kind of a tradition. On the week between Christmas and New years we visit museums. On birthdays we drive to a new location to see some new town. It might be hard for a newlywed to understand but traditions are built day by day, year by year and can't be rushed. They will develop.

I miss my friend Lane's house at Thanksgiving. There were 6 kids in their family and every kid brought a friend. It was happy and busy, crowded and loving. I was Lanes plus one each year, and slowly over the years began calling her parents Mom and Dad.

Some relationships develop over the years with certain people, but some involve inviting new people each year, who eventually may become old friends. It's all good.  I wish more people were inclusive with others... as a wee family of three at holidays, I miss having groups of friends who included me. Now when I invite others over they decline because they are being with "family"

Just think if they included us their experience might be richer.
I'll keep trying to create a group here but it's not happening yet.

I have very few traditions from growing up, but usually food is involved.
 I make good luck food on New Year's day... collard greens, black eyed peas, and ambrosia. Collard greens are a favorite of ours, but are labor intensive. When I wash strip veins out, and julliane the leaves, I remember seeing it done from eye level as a little girl. Then they were from the fields, and very dirty so much sink soaking was needed. My people didn't know the term jullian for bundling the leaves and thinly slicing them.

Every time I make citrus salad I remember seeing someone cutting the peel away from citrus in long spiral strips as they chatted. One after another I cut these spirals off the glistening juicy fruits before sectioning them. I learned to carefully run a knife along the section, then on the other side, flipping it into the bowl.

When I moved back from Canada as a young woman, I was recovering from Meningitis caught there, and worked in my sister's fruit business during the days. I made mountains of fruit salad and got proficient at sectioning without wasting fruit.

Ruby grapefruit, navel oranges, coconut, bananas, pineapple, and cherries. Tradition. My other sister does not like citrus, but she traditionally makes sugared pecans.

I am sentimental. I feel deeply,  and seek meaning in life. 

On Christmas I put out snowbabies with meaning for the year they were bought. Funny thing about them, my sister gave me a snowbaby one year mistakenly thinking I collected them. I didn't be that started me... last year was our first in this new home, and we went from a small bungalow in MD to this house with a two story family room, and our lighted tree was way too small and the lights all burned out, so we bought a tall artificial tree.

that may be a pig but in person it looks like a dog

That year's snowbaby was with a tree. The year before we had moved to Colorado one week before Christmas, so the snowbaby had a dog and suitcase.

Traditions are comforting, often connecting us with each other and or memories of good times. When you marry, you agree to take on/ understand the traditions of a mate, and start new ones. Like private jokes built over the years, traditions tie you to each other with little silver threads.

They add meaning to life.

This week because of Milo I met a couple who live 5 doors down from us. As we chatted we found acceptance and a bud of a friendship. I hope to see that grow this year.

This week I met DH's work group at a holiday gathering at a local pizza joint. The leader is a true leader... she is inclusive, invites others to their gatherings, she recognizes each of her worker's skills and abilities and acknowledges their worth, she understands the balance between work and family.
I chatted with all of these nice men, and will write a longer post as it touched me deeply.

This week the father of Milo's friend Bower talked to me. I mean he always chats but this week for some reason he talked about real feelings, and told me stories of times he had to make difficult decisions about rescue dogs who did not fit into their family. He said his girlfriend is moving in with two tiny dogs who might not be nice to the big 90 lb sweet natured Lab, and wondered how they would cope.
I had no real answers, but he talked about it in depth and maybe he discovered an answer while I listened. Sometimes you'll trip over an answer as you tell another of the problem.

Linking their connection stories today are:
https://stitchintherapy
https://maryinpeoriahandmade