Mid Autumn Festival

Greetings:
Today is Thursday, September 11 and it has been another somewhat eventful day. I am fast discovering that every day in China is an event!
Rog had class this morning starting at 8:00 a.m. until noon and I had no classes today :) I got up, washed and Joann called and asked me to go to the store with her. We have 3-4 grocery/variety stores here on campus and we have named them after the stores in the USA. She wanted to go to our so called "Albertsons". We walked to the store - I am going to be in the best physical shape when I get home in July - and dilly dallied back to the apartment. Rog arrived home and we all walked to the cafeteria which is a gastronomical delight! (Todays specialty was baked flour and water biscuits, eggplant surprise, scrambled eggs and tomatoes ala yuck, chicken upchuck, fatty pork and sprouts and 2 undeterminable items..)
After the tasty lunch, Rog had a department meeting and I had a darling little Chinese gal, by the name of Ariel, come to the apartment to talk about helping all us teachers go shopping and find things we need. She said that she knows an excellent taylor for a good price, as well as anything our hearts desire. We will go shopping with her next week, as we have a 9 day trip planned starting September 28 on the "Silk Road" and we want to look our best! AND we brought too few items of summer clothing and it is still hot here.
Starting Saturday China will celebrate the mid Autumn Festival. We have no school on Monday to celebrate. "The joyous mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th moon, around the time of the autumn equinox. Many referred to it as the "15th of the 8th moon.
The mid Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and the minorities. The custom of worshipping the moon can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties. (2000 B.C. - 1066 B.C.) This day was also considered as a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time of year and food was most abundant. Food offerings were placed on an alter set up in the courtyard. Special food for the Festival is the moon cake. For generations moon cakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus seed paste or Chinese dates, wrapped in a pastry. Sometimes a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert. People compare moon cakes to the plum pudding or fruit cakes which are served in the English holiday seasons. Nowadays, there are 100's of varieties of moon cakes on sale a month before the arrival of the Moon Festival".
The University gave us all a "Six Pack" of Moon Cakes for the holiday. They are delicious...
Must go - I have company....
Sure do love all of you. I will write more later..
Much Love,
Mom