chores before the new year

[alantani]

when i was a kid, my parents and grandparents were always stressed around this time of year.  my grandmother explained that it was japanese custom to tidy things up before the end of the year.  she and my aunts would scrub and sweep and toss out trash cans filled with junk.  these were all things that would not be carried through to the next year.  then they'd start to cook.  that would start 2 days before new year's day and continue through the new year's eve poker game.  

on new year's day, we'd all show up at my grandparent's farm and have "ozoni," a traditional japanese new year's day soup.  you had to eat that first before you had anything else.  then we'd pig out on all the other traditional japanese foods that i'm sure all of you are familiar with.  us guys would watch a little football, the girls would clean up, and then we'd have our traditional family soccer game.  my father would be the goalie on one end and my eldest aunt would be the goalie on the other.  it was great fun.  those were our family new year's traditions.  

there was one more thing that my grandmother had spoken of only once, yet it's always stuck with me.  she said that, before new year's day, you had to pay all of your debts, you had to return all those things that you had borrowed, and you had to apologize to all those that you had offended.  this last one was particularly important to her, because she said that an offense carried into the new year could stay with you forever.  just as importantly, if someone offered you an apology, you were obliged to accept it.  it was important to her that no ill will be carried into the new year.  my grandmother was indeed a very wise woman.

so to all of you, i wish a safe new year's eve and a happy, peaceful and properous 2010.  oh, and take full advantage of this last day of 2009!  alan

[Roger]

Alan, you were raised well...

[LuckyLady]

Great heritage.....now, have you cleaned out your workshop??

[nicky.phil]

Happy New Year, Alan!
And to all Reel Loving Anglers

[realmedic]

sounds like great advise we would all do well to remember Alan. thanks for the reminder as we all could use some of that now and then 

[alantani]

headed out with tmac and pete kolekar early on the morning of the 31st and pulled an easy limit of dungeoness crab. 





then we drove down to fresno to spend new year's eve and new year's day with my parents.



i spend a couple of hours cleaning, cooking and cracking all of those crab.  lots of work, but very tasty.





new year's morning, we had out traditional ozoni.



then the kids ditched me in favor of the 4 wheeler.



they came back an hour later.  didn't know it carried that much gas!







i think i gained 5 pounds.

[Roger]

Alan. I've got a boiling  pot down here in S. Louisiana that can take care of all them crabs at one time if you want. It'll do a 40# sack  of crayfish with no problem.