Red Egg and Ginger
Last Sunday was baby Madeline's big day. The baptism was in the early afternoon, then we went to a local park for a little party - the road to the park providing some of our friends with their first exposure to the loitering turkey. Then, when rational people might call it a day, we headed to Chinatown for the traditional one month red egg and ginger party.

There was a moment during the baptism when I was sitting there with my mouth hanging open. Fr. spoke about Madeline being a form of Magdalene and went on to talk about Mary Magdalene and the miracle of the red egg. I was sure he chose this story as a tie in with the red egg party but it was a coincidence. Having married Emily and Ed besides spending some time in China, Fr. was familiar with the significance of the color red. But he had not heard of the red egg and ginger party. Wild coincidence!

The Red Egg and Ginger party was at the same restaurant where Emily and Ed had their wedding dinner and Lilyanne's Red Egg party. I took the coward's way out and accepted the fork profferred by the waiter. (Did he remember the lobster that I sent flying last time while maneuvering my chopsticks?) So what if I was the only person at the table using a fork - it was late and I wanted to eat. Lobster, shrimp, broccoli, pea pods - not just jelly fish spooled around a chopstick. (Fr. has eaten scorpions, so I wasn't going to impress him anyway.)

Bedraggled family portrait.

Madeline Olivia - in the dress made by Auntie Fran!