New Traditions

Two years ago, we embarked on a new tradition for us: lighting the Hanukkah candles. Which I wrote about here and here. This year, Hanukkah snuck up on me, and I wasn't prepared! I do have a couple of leftover candles, but the ritual requires two candles per day, and if I use those two up today and my shipment of new ones doesn't arrive until Tuesday, well . . . that won't work. So, I'm waiting. Maybe our Hanukkah—the Festival of Lights—will coincide with my birthday. That makes for a nice synchronicity. We'll just play catch-up, and extend the celebration a couple of days. No harm in that.

But I've now got our menorah on the mantel, waiting for us. And this will give me a chance to seek out some good poems—since that's our ritual: to read poetry while the candles burn down, shedding ever more light, night by night. Oh, the anticipation.

Another two-year-old new tradition is to make Portuguese bean soup and fried rice—a fully Hawaiian pairing (which I wrote about here, complete with recipes). And that's exactly what we're doing this evening. Two years ago, this fabulous meal coincided with that dreadful election, which plunged us into the dark winter that we've endured now for two years. It's a perfect wintry meal, wholesome, rib-sticking, and delicious.

And this year, as we prepare this meal and look forward to lighting the candles, I'm somewhat encouraged that we may be heading back into the light as a nation. The midterm elections (and now the Mueller indictments) have made me hopeful. There's a lot of work ahead, but it's definitely worth the effort.