Moldy mochi marks holiday end

The omochi that was on display has started to grow mildew. To me, that signals the end of the holidays. I scrape off the black spots, cut the hardening slab into smaller pieces and freeze them. We've had our fill by now. Nobody even wants to think about the stuff. We feel like balls of sticky rice. But on a cold day in February, it might be nice to have one more taste of winter, so I'll store them in the freezer.

It is time to be planning for the early spring chores; deciding if we will go to the tree auction; looking for some part-time work and making home repairs.