Collage 20

I’ve played cards with Alice in Wonderland

Greeted the White Rabbit holding a watch in his hand

Tamed all the dragons and made them my friends

Fed Dote the Goat living near a lion’s den

I’ve swung far and wide on a breezy day

Built fortresses where I’d keep enemies at bay

Perched on Daddy’s high shoulder totally unafraid

Sat on the railroad track while the wind blew at my face

I’ve precariously hung upside down under a sink

Traversed the land by hanging on ropes and links

Conquered the world fearlessly like a mighty king

Snuggled up with Dene the Dragon with whom I shared many things

When I am weary at the end of my journeying

I need a touch of magic to keep the fire within burning

When the quests are all done and my feet are hurting

I come to Mommy who gives kisses and feeds my yearning

Tết and Snow

My hundred-word essay on Ngày Mồng Một Tết Ất Mùi 2015:

Tết is what we call the Lunar New Year and its celebration, marking a new beginning when everyone puts the past behind and moves forward with a promising future. We settled debts and wish each other health, wealth, happiness, and blessings in the year to come. Tết is associated with Spring, colorful blooms, and warm weather. Looking out my window, I see no flower buds and grass is covered with snow. I did not think Tết and Snow would go together. But on this Tết’s First Day, the glistening white snow promises a return of Spring. I count my blessings.

Birthday Present

Today my husband handed me a wrapped present for my birthday. He told me the present was from our daughter Lan. This is what it looked like:

He asked if I liked the wrapping. He must have wanted me to think that he had wrapped it. Then he asked “Do you know who wrapped it?”

“You?”

“No.”

“Lan?”

“No.”

“Drakeson?” (grandson)

“No.”

It was getting harder. It was taking me longer and longer to come up with a next guess.

“The store where this was bought?”

“No.”

“George?” (son-in-law)

“No.”

“Thal?” (son who’s living close by)

“No.”

“Liên?” (daughter who’s living in Hawaii)

“No.”

This was getting ridiculous.

“A random person?”

“No.”

“It came that way.”

“No.”

I gave up. Who on earth would have wrapped my birthday present?

It turned out it was Tim, our neighbor. My daughter had texted my husband, asking him to intercept a gift package and to wrap it. My husband happened to be out of town that day. He forwarded our daughter’s request to our neighbor, including the instruction to wrap the present. Voilà. It was done.

This is what it looks like unwrapped:

It is a lovely necklace of a string of pearls holding a dragon with a pearl on its tail. If you did not know, my name Trân means Pearl and our grandson’s nickname is Nhỏ Con Rồng or Little Dragon.

I will wear this many many times.

Thank you everyone involved for a lovely present and a fun story to tell.