Today is the beginning of the year in China. (That's the second New Moon after the winter solstice.)
Today is also the beginning of Lent in Catholicism. (That's 40 days before the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the spring equinox.)
So I'm confused. Firecrackers and fasting?
Street racers love New Year, although they warn this particular year is not auspicious (so buckle up!). There's no first day of spring this year (it starts too late), so it's a bad year for new beginnings -- weddings, new business ventures, that sort of thing. Other folks are hoping to get rid of the oranges and start up some new traditions.
It's the year of the rooster, or yiyou. 
(Can't pass an opportunity to plug a friend: Think you'd like a little rooster something of your own?)
This year's rooster is the wood rooster, one typified by the growing, expanding energy of the element of wood. See, not only does the Chinese horoscope have 12 animals, but also 5 elements -- there's a full cycle of 60 variations. The last time the wood rooster rolled around, Steve Martin, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, the first electronic computer and frozen orange concentrate all came to be. This will be a special year for all of them.
So, this morning I was shuffling through my Neil Young albums to make a mix CD on the laptop, and, because I'm getting over a nasty cold, I'm drinking lots of juice today instead of having my regular water-only fast.
And while I'm not wearing sackcloth and ashes, those who venture too close might get a whiff of cat's pee. On my way to work, I tried to yank some aluminum siding out of a neighbor's trash pile and noticed too late that some neighborhood cat had already staked a claim.
So why was I trying to commandeer discarded aluminum? Despite the omens, I'm starting a new project.
I thought it'd make a good roof for our new henhouse.
Cool! A henhouse! How many hens are you getting and what kind? I'm kinda jealous. The closest I'll get to having happy hens of my own is a cool book or poster from McMurray Hatchery.
You have to get "Daisy Comes Home" for your little on to read now. It's all about happy hens.
Oh...and thanks for the plug. Proceeds go to a good cause.
Posted by: Trix on February 9, 2005 11:51 AMSo how goes the henhouse project? I did a bit of work in our chookshed (that's aussie for "henhouse") this weekend - laid down new wood shavings (there's your wood, but no rooster anywhere to be seen, i'm afraid), dug their run over to loosen up the dirt and find any hidden bugs for the girls to eat, and laid some bricks down on the fenceline - they're avid diggers, and had actually gotten so far down that there was a gap under the neighbour's fence. not good for keeping local kittycats away, and I also had a vision of the buggers sneaking out themselves to take advantage of our neighbour nancy's amazing orchards of tomatoes, &c.
the end of that story
would have been chicken cacciatore
and that would have made me sad.
Posted by: adam on February 20, 2005 07:47 PM