Fifteenth day of the Eight moon

Seriously, I felt like time just melt away. The days went by so quickly that when I was on my ten days leave, I never seem to remember what day it was and September is ending even faster, in about a week while according to the Chinese calender, its Mid-Autumn already. So the time of the year is here again. Mooncake festival also known as lantern festival or Mid Autumn Festival is today. Historically, it was a harvest festival for farmers. The origin of mooncakes dated back to a 14th century revolt by the Chinese against the Mongols , the Yuan Dynasty where secretive messages are hidden in the cakes.Mooncakes are also known as "reunion cakes" as family members gather to partake of the sweet confectionery. Mooncakes are now available as early as a month before the festival and eaten throughout the month before the actual festival day begins.

Jelly mooncake surfaced a few years back when people became more health conscious available in a variety of flavours. Shown here are chocolate, mocha, Lychee and Durian.I still preferred the traditional ones, after all I can only have it only once a year, or more like a box which consists of 4 pieces or maybe two boxes and especially filled with salted eggs, also the coffee or mocha variety and durian, yummy!
They make meaningful gifts and comes in beautiful box or tin packaging. The festivity ends in the evening with children from around the neighbourhood coming out to play with lanterns of all shapes and sizes in hand and walk around the neighbourhood. Today, it is not safe anymore for children to walk the streets at night in a neighbourhood. But various organisations and shopping malls are now organising lantern parade as part of their community service and also an effort to bring the various races and religions together in unity. Picture from my in-laws village community center decorating lanterns as children gathers to play.

I am not celebrating the occasion on a big scale, since DH is away again. So we are having Chicken Rice today, no elaborate prayer feast, a small mooncake eating session in the little garden under the moonlight this evening, hanging up some lanterns as we always do, provided it didn't rain (the rain came pouring since lunch) and red bean for dessert. Diane can take a bit of time off from studying to play some candles, hope it will help her to de-stress a bit.


Some stitching newsTwo days ago, this gorgeous envelope came from Kirsi in Finland. Its my PINK Theme Mail Art Exchange and she really really make it very very very PINK! LOL . And it comes with PINK postage too. Sweet! If you have done Mail Art before you'll understand why little things that match a theme even in a postage can be so thrilling.Thanks Kirsi! I loved it and thanks for the goodies that came in it, the beautiful rosy fabric and cute buttons.
Still no stitchy stuff to show, hopefully I will have some things to show on my next posting. I thought that I would have plenty of time during my 10days leave and was so looking forward to it, I thought I could stitch tons but then, I got distracted with tis' n dat' which I can't even remember what those things were in the first place, it's not like I didn't stitch or crafted, just not enough.
Another tiny bit on another birthday
MIL celebrated her 73rd birthday last weekend with a bunch of close relatives and neighbours that took 4 tables last Saturday
MIL seen here with her grandkids clowning. Hey! Brian you ain't old enuf to be drinking...yet and especially from a bottle! And those two at the back ain't that tall either !
That's the youngest aunty, sis to my MIL waving and a long time neighbour, Tee Hock.
Thanks for visiting again have a wonderful day .