Happy New Year, Japanese style, kinda

So, I spent yesterday doing the Japanese tradition of cleaning and prepping.   I'm sure I don't do it at the level my mom would do.  But the house is done, not spit and polish, but a nice start to the New Year.  Of course I wake up this morn seeing what I missed, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.
Because today is the day we Japanese even half Japanese don't do any work, or try not to,  (or shopping, if you are my mom).  Because the tradition is that what you do today, you will be doing all year.   So, I have set it apart for sleeping in (check), scrapbooking, reading, shopping (cuz I like it) and seeing the grandbabies.

We were supposed to have a surf and turf dinner here.  But, someone who has declared her hatred for us may/or may not be coming.  I have asked dh to not let this person come into our home.  (that tradition, I don't want to be entertaining enemies throughout the year). Any other day, I might be open to her attending...but not today.

 So we are working on a compromise.   If that person plans to come, we have the dinner elsewhere.   If she doesn't, we will have it here.

Another tradition I was taught was giving money on New Year's day, in a red envelope.  I've adjusted it for our family to giving a book for the New Year, wrapped in red paper.   So, each  family member gets a new book. Even Kyleigh.

One that we don't do is making sukiyaki.  Oh, that was a good NY tradition. But I don't know how.  Maybe a goal would be to learn, and to learn how to make sushi...ha!  I can already see the mess I'd make trying to roll sushi.


So, Happy New Year's ya'll..  Or as  the Japanese would say...Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu (I looked that up) ha!