another year

as i have always said, from thanksgiving to xmas day, we are never complete because of one or another kid being with an in-law. so January 1st, is my day, our xmas, our gift giving and our tradition.
the Sam and Bambi bells have hosted this event for us since we left forest knoll, and for this we are grateful. cocido, paella, lengua, turkey, baked potato salad (dawn) spinach dip (zebeda) fruit salad (Kylie) assorted chips and dips, drinks, banana cake, leche flan (Bambi) and a ravioli selection (new this year!) stuffed all of us silly. We had standing rib roast for xmas dinner and turkey and ham for xmas eve at the dawn anamas. Jb and Zeb provided the turkey I put in an apple sage brine.

this is our first new year's day without GYN. She, who started this tradition when we were back home. patty and i hosted cake and balloons for the neighborhood slum kids each January 1st. as the word grew, kids lined up in front of our green gate at mariano marcos in san juan as early as 5am hoping to come into our enclave and partake of refreshments, each one scrubbed clean in worn and hand me down clothes, but eager to be inside the "Nichols" residence. as the crowds grew, so did the fare, cake, soft drinks, balloons, games. Then there was Anamite hosting, followed by JB, Bambi and Migay, and this time, the kids from when we started were still there but with their own kids. I can imagine the sense of loss of tradition they felt when mom left Manila for good. Gone was the thrill of having a once a year festivity most specially for these kids who had nothing the whole year and looked forward to a Rolling Pin cake and the toys and games we provided.
So for our US born Kylie, and those who have been added to our growing family, this is why January 1st is important to me and Patty.
As we eat ourselves indecently gluttonously each January 1st, is is really part of the ritual asking for plenty on the table for the whole year. Prayers are said and thank yous and what we look forward tos are verbalized (but we passed this year because it is a private family matter and there were others there and we would have felt like goldfish in a bowl with them cooing "how cute" and listening to our deepest thoughts and petitions)
new year's day looks back at the past, and looks forward to the new year and what it may bring, in hopes that good health and prosperity for all is our most important prayer, we remember our lost loved ones with a moment of silence and then the new year's feasting begins. as i swing back and forth with various verbal tenses, i realize the errors and know my teachers would be rolling their eyes, but hey, this is rambling from my mind's kitchen.