Happy New Year: Many Blessings, Good Fortune and Happiness

January is a time for reflection and making resolutions: perhaps to shed a few pounds, to tighten up those flabby abs, to to manage the family finances better or to reconnect with old friends.  Roger and I make New Year's resolutions every year, both individually and jointly.  It's as good a time as any to think about how to create the life we really want and recommit to making it happen.  I won't bore you with all our resolutions for 2012, just the most important:  Roger resolves to maintain and improve his health, keep control of the GVH symptoms and stay in remission.  I resolve to finally complete my master's degree in Public Administration (it has taken far too long) and master the skills I need for my new position at The University of Montana.  By the end of the year, we'll be completely different people, so much improved you'll hardly recognize us!

We love "junking" and have quite a collection of miscellaneous decor pieces as a result.  A few years ago we bought these antique Chinese marionettes and have never really been able to display them properly.  This year they hang in our front hall entry as a celebration of Chinese New Year, which is coming up January 23rd.  The Chinese New Year is less about resolving to improve oneself, and more about celebrating life and, of course, new beginnings. 

Unfortunately, we don't know a thing about these puppets.
The smaller one is about a foot tall, the larger one about 18 inches.

Their eyes and mouths move.  Their fingers are fully jointed.
They are clothed in silk, which is now in extremely delicate condition.

 

Their features are exquisite and they have real human hair.

 The marionettes are so complicated with moving parts, the puppet master must have been very nimble and well-practiced to bring them to life.  Imagine the marvel of watching a puppet show with these beauties!  And who were the people that gave their hair to the enterprise?

A handful of antique mah jongg tiles completes the display.

Happy New Year, Happy Chinese New Year and Good Fortune to you all!

--Roger and Candi