Traditions. Every family has ‘em. From holiday festivities to spiritual rites of passages and customs, it’s how we honor our roots and keep a tie to the old ways of our ancestors.
In our family, our rituals were Catholic, German, and American: first communion, Easter ham, sparklers on the 4th of July, pickled herring on New Year’s Eve.
As kids, these practices were not always explained to us but we did ‘em nonetheless. Because that’s how traditions work…they are passed down through doing. We absorb them. The explanations come later…or they never come.
But thanks to the internet, I learned that pickled herring on New Year’s Eve wasn’t just Dad’s preference for briny fish – it’s actually a “lucky” food to ensure a prosperous year. Since we were never really prosperous, I have to assume that tradition was poppycock…or that things might have been a lot worse had we not consumed the herring. One shall never know.
Once my parents passed, we found ourselves wondering what to do for the holidays. I’m actually not a holiday person yet found myself hosting Thanksgiving every year for the last five years.
My Thanksgiving is NOT like my mother’s. There is no “fruit cocktail” (that stuff that comes in a can mixed with whipped cream) nor is there pumpkin pie (I detest pie and most things pumpkin-y). Instead, we have brussels sprouts cooked with pancetta and rosemary or green bean casseroles with freshly fried shallots, and a cookies ‘n cream cheesecake for dessert.
I love breaking those old rules and doing the unexpected. It feels good to put a twist on traditions or to flip the bird at them altogether. After all, rules are meant to be broken or renegotiated, right?
This year, we decided to upend the last five years. Thanksgiving was moved the over to my daughter’s new home (that’s her above, working away). It was her first time hosting and it was (according to me) time she learned how to make a fabulous fete for her family.
I did most of the cooking but she followed along dutifully. As I fussed over the food, she learned how to organize a dinner so that all gets on the table on time, how to set out a proper charcuterie, what kind of music goes best with these sorts of events (jazz), the right methods for keeping on top of the dishes and garbage so you end your evening stress-free and clean, plus what kitchen tools she needs in order to have a properly stocked kitchen (we’re going to be doing some serious shopping once I have the time).
The dinner was perfect and she hosted her feast like a chic mistress of ceremonies. Everyone was ooh-ing and aah-ing over her elegant yet quirky home as well as the delicious menu. And we all agreed – this was better hosted at her house because the layout favored sprawling out (my home has tighter quarters so it’s not the best for unbuttoning your pants and lazing about in a food coma).
As we bid adieu, we mused about how a new tradition just got born. This old lady is retiring and handing it over to a younger, more fitter model of elegant hosting.
And that tradition…better stick.
In our house, a black cat is a lucky tradition.
Other stuff:
I love looking at old photos. Here’s a family from the early 1900’s – with a pretty sweet life.
More vintage photos: faces of Ellis Island.
I really dig these old photos from fashion photographer Helmut Newton. That Jerry Hall one!
Carrie Paris and Julia Hesse are creating the most novel tarot product ever – Tarot At Your Table, an interactive tarot-fueled dining experience with china Tarot dinner plates! You’ve GOT to check this out!
Just in time for the holidays: Lunar Look-Book – Full Moon Shopping For Your Sign.
The holidays bring us all together. Here’s how to start some great conversations (and stay away from the politics and other hot spot discussions).
So you want to start an online tarot business? Great advice from Lisa Frideborg Eddy.
I love Leonie Dawson’s response to this mean guy.
My favorite post of the week comes from Damien Echols: Meditation Helped Me Survive Death Row and 19 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment. Courage times ten.
Kelly-Ann Maddox interviews Joanna DeVoe and magic is bound to happen.
How to see clearly without glasses. I tried this when I didn’t have my glasses on me and it worked!
Good to know: how to find emergency info on your cell phone.
This size 2 model was told she’s too big for the industry.
There’s a reason why I’m not a nurse – I’m too squeamish. If you’re a bit woozy too, you may want to avoid this nursing horror story.
Cannot wait to see the Janis Joplin biopic! It’s on the top o’ my list!
Sarah Von Bargen is so darn wise: how to enjoy work (even when you’re overwhelmed).
I’m obsessed with this post from Sarah Selecky on writing and sitting. (I always say that chairs are the enemy!)
If you’re running a spiritual business, you might want to take a gander at this new offering from Cindy Griffith and Lisa K: Grow Your Spiritual Business: How to Build a Business in the Internet Age
Got a small household and sick of leftovers? Dig into this: The Complete Cooking For Two Cookbook
If you love to cook, you’ll want to grab this: Kitchen Hacks: How Clever Cooks Get Things Done
This book from PewDiePie is hilarious: This Book Loves You
This might be the mother of all yoga books: 2,100 Asanas: The Complete Yoga Poses
My friend Angelo Nasios has a new book due in March: TarotUnlocking the Arcana
I’m always on the hunt for good foot creme. L’Occitane products never disappoint: L’Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream, 5.2 oz.
I adore itty-bitty makeup kits. This new one from Maybelline is too cute (and practical): Maybelline New York Up Makeup Kit Gift Set, Smoke
One thing that my daughter needs is a better colander. This is the one I’m recommending to her: Collapsible Kitchen Colander – Over the Sink Kitchen Strainer By Comfify | 6-quart Capacity | Green & Grey
What I’m Grateful For:
Flexibility
November rain
Clean kitchens
Cheesecake
Pumice stones on winter feet
Online shopping (screw you, malls)
A well appointed kitchen
Soundtrack for 11/28/15: WTF (Where They From) by Missy Elliot ft. Pharrell Williams – this is my jam!
Blessings!
Theresa
© Theresa Reed | The Tarot Lady 2015
images from personal collection
I’m Theresa Reed (aka, The Tarot Lady). I’ve been a full-time tarot reader for 30+ years — which, in my industry, makes me pretty badass.
I’m definitely not your average Tarot expert — I drop the F-bomb, I quote rappers, and I’m obsessed with pop culture + reality TV. Folks come to me for straight-talk + tough-love — without the woo-woo fluff. 
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