New Year on the Horizon

Winter is officially here.  The snow in the foothills has disappeared again, but we are frosty and foggy in the mornings.  Doesn't encourage me to be the early bird and all the worms are hiding anyway.

Spent a long, lazy Christmas day at my son's home in front of their fire.  The grandkids love sitting there too so I could visit with them.  The tree was lovely, the presents were all appreciated, and there were many leftovers from the night before to nibble on all day.  Got to hold a 5-month baby while she took a nap.  What a delightful thing that is.  Youngest son played and sang at the 11:00PM service Christmas Eve, I am sorry to say I was home and sound asleep by then, wished I could have stayed awake but I am not much of a night owl anymore. 

Soon this year will be gone and I'm planning on literally sweeping the old year out the front door, my family tradition.  Unless I'm asleep. 

I read that in Japan people may dress in new clothing and rise early in the morning to greet the New Year's dawn.  Another tradition is the making of mochi/rice cakes for the family.  They also send New Year's postcards, I like that, Christmas cards escape me each year.  Then I saw that Mexico has a tradition of putting the old year's bad and sad events to paper and burning it before midnight to remove the negative from the new year. I like that too, and a local church has a "burning bowl" ceremony for pretty much the same thing.

How do you celebrate the New Year?

Me and Charlie Brown

Took this with my cell phone.  The camera is not great.  It really looks better than this but the apartment is pretty spare right now.  No pictures up and not great light, and again the camera is not great either.  So much for the apologies.  Having said that, I wasn't going to put a tree up at all since I am basically in transit for the next month or so.  Then my eldest son went to my storage with me and we excavated one of my fake trees and some of the decorations.  Not the decorations I thought I had grabbed however but they'll do.  My lovely Nativity set is underneath it but I couldn't get a decent picture.  My "real" camera is stored at my youngest son's house. The angel on the top will be 50 years old soon.  My husband and I got her at Woolworth's (I think) the first Christmas we were married.  He was in still in college, and I was working, and we were broke.  I've kept her ever since.  She makes me smile every time I see her.  A couple of times I tried bringing home something fancier but nothing dislodges her from her place in my heart.  She's been with me through babies, toddlers, deaths, divorce, fun parties, and somehow her little cardboard and glittered self has hung together.

 

 

The angel rode the top of this tree below to the floor as it fell over my 7-month old second son while I was taking a photo of one of his attempts to crawl into it.  We were frantic when it fell, he was totally non-plussed.  The cats had a hissy fit though although I don't know if that was because the tree fell or they were insulted he was moving into their territory.  We moved it over by the window and guy-wired it to the drapery rods.  Two months later he was walking.  The angel saw it all.

 

 

In a couple of months the painting and flooring should be done in the condo and I will be living in my new place.  Next Christmas the angel will be in a more homey spot.  But this is where I live now and I've learned enough at 71 not to ruin things by wishing any of my life away just waiting for something else.  It was delightful to have my son help me put up the tree, I made chicken wraps for dinner and we talked.  We have family, friends and plans, and are safe and warm. 

 

Peace on earth good will to all.