Year of the Dragon
2024 has been a scary, beautiful year...
What is it about those fierce, mythical creatures that holds such enduring fascination? I’m not sure—but I am certainly under their spell…
HOLIDAY: FEAST OF SANT JORDI (THE DRAGON SLAYER)
Steve and I visited Evan when he was in grad school in Barcelona, Spain in April, 2016. Among our delightful experiences were the festivities on April 23rd, the Feast of Sant Jordi (Saint George). We were walking down the street, and overnight, book stalls and stands selling roses had appeared. Turns out, that’s the day the Catalan people celebrate by giving their loved ones roses and books. Books? Well, April 23rd is the birthday of both Shakespeare and Cervantes, two of the world’s greatest authors. Roses? The flowers commemorate the legend of the saint—he killed a dragon who’d been terrorizing a village. Where the dragon’s red blood spilled on the ground, a beautiful red rosebush sprang up.
The most touching moment of that day for us? We took the train to Montserrat, a monastery in the mountains. While there, we attended Mass. The altar was banked with red roses, and as we watched, a very elderly worshipper slowly made her way up the aisle, and gently laid a huge bouquet in front of the altar (see our photo).
This simple faith—in God, and in a story about a dragon-slaying saint—is part of the ancient fabric of Catalunya, and we felt so lucky to be there that special day.
HISTORY: Wise, Lucky, Terrifying: The Surprising 4,000 Year History of Dragons
I really enjoyed this article from the BBC—lots of interesting dragon lore from around the world!
CHILDREN’S BOOK : Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
I’ve read this storybook to Aiden and Peter’s classes, and it’s lots of fun—answering the “burning” question: just what DO you feed a hungry dragon? Tacos, of course—but whatever you do, do NOT add spicy salsa!
RECIPE: Dragon Roll
I’ve loved sushi forever, but only recently have I attempted to make my own. My two favorite rolls involve tempura seafood: Spider Roll (with soft shell crab) and Dragon Roll (with crispy shrimp)! People-eating dragons? Try dragon-eating people:-)
SONG: BELIEVER by Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons is an American pop-rock band, founded by alums of Berklee College of Music in Boston (Rose’s alma mater). Here’s their song “Believer,” “reimagined” for string trio by Simply Three!
BLOG PREVIEW: TAKING THE FIFTH (AND SECOND)
No, this is NOT happening. It is impossible that our Aiden begins FIFTH grade today—and Peter starts second! For Heaven’s sake, slow down, time!!
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
Leave it to Rilke to give us new insights (and if you haven’t done so, do read his whole wonderful Letters to a Young Poet). This week, my friends, let’s imagine our own dragons as the scary, mysterious things in our lives that we can conquer with love!