Happy New Year Chico!
What Do We Have in Common? So, what does jhuk(jook), pickled herring, rice, black eyed peas and champagne have in common? What is jook?…and why would anyone eat fish from a jar anyway…? We all have traditions of one sort or another, these tasty or unusual foods all have symbolic meanings and are all a part of different New Year’s rituals in the melting pot of the United States.
Growing up, we would always have jook (Chinese style chicken rice soup) with our extended family on New Year’s Eve. All the Uncles played cards (poker of course) in the garage and all the Aunties chatted and bustled in the kitchen preparing a feast. Our buffet included New Year’s favorites with traditional roots such as: chow mein ( long noodles for long life), sushi rice (for family), and steamed fish (for strength and a fighting spirit)…more
A New Year’s Day in My North State Garden On New Year’s Day I always turn the compost. No matter where I live, how cold the weather or how full the schedule, I like to get out into the garden and turn the compost.
By what do we measure the quality of our days? Family, work , community – certainly these three, and the many obligations that come with them, rank highly for most of us.
But when obligation is met, when the sometimes-endless list of things we need to do is as short as it ever gets, where then does your mind tend?…more
The other night while talking with the family, the conversation came around to the “Green Movement” and how we are to reuse, recycle and generally use less. This got me thinking about when I was growing up in the Chicago area in the early 1940’s.
We lived in Willamette, a suburb North of Chicago. My dad worked in down town Chicago and commuted every day on the elevated electric train known as the “North Shore.” This was one of two systems that served the area at the time. Very few people would commute into the city like we would today. Gas was in short supply, as it was needed for the war effort, and so civilian use was controlled by rationing. There were many places where the speed limit was 35 miles per hour in order to conserve fuel. This also helped with tire wear, as new tires were almost impossible to get…more
Look and see what some of our North State artisans are doing in our new Artisan’s Free Gallery this month!
Check our Calendar for great Theater entertainment this month! Send in your community events to be included on the GoLocalChico.com calendar.
Backyard Monsters: The World of Insects
River Voices: A Photography Exhibit on The Confluence of Culture on the Sacramento River Watershed Photo: A Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly and its wing patterns.
I called a couple of friends and set up a beginning beading class with Carol. She spent several hours with us helping us to create necklaces, bracelets and earrings- then we shopped with a class discount and got ourselves set up with a few more projects! We had such a great time- spending time with girlfriends and being creative. By the time we were done for the day we had some new skills and fun new jewelry. Well, of course it started me on a whole new obsession, but at least it is one that packs up out of the way. As my friend Lisa says- we can whip out a pair of earrings while we watch the Olympics!
GoLocalChico.com • It's all right here.