New Year's night. The house is festive with twinkly lights (I won't take them down until after Twelfth Night) and a fire in the fireplace. We've eaten ham, black-eyed peas and spinach (my version of greens since I really don't do collards or turnip greens), so we should be the luckiest people ever next year--or this year now. We've listened to stories of being a meteorologist in WWII and Jacob's fanciful stories of his grandfather's narrow escape during that same war (he was far too young). We've shared wine and laughter and love. Now the house is quiet, and I, for one, am most content, ready for the new year (if we could only vaporize Eric Cantor). I look forward to 2013 though I know it will bring much more political turmoil, new threats of terrorists and probably violence on the home front, probably more violent weather. But I hope it will bring some small steps toward peace, toward loving our fellow man and worshipping whatever God we choose, toward respecting individuals and their choice of lifestyle, toward living in a world the God I worship meant for us to have--no more fracking and global warming and abusing the earth that we've been loaned. So far, we aren't good caretakers.
Personally I am optiistic about the coming year--I have books to write, a grandson to do homework with and other grandchildren to love as often as I can, the promise of some family get-togethers and some trips that I look forward to. I need to start a list of the people I want to visit with, entertain in my home, share my life with--they are many, and time goes by so quickly that I think, "gosh, it's July and I never did get with so-and-so."
No resolutions for me, but I've heard an idea that I really like: take a large jar (I prefer glass and rejected a plastic one in the store the other day) and fill it with scraps of paper noting the good things that happen to you. Jean told me she has a jar I might use, and I asked, "Is it big enough? How many good things are going to happen?" Her answer was, "You've got a whole year." Yes, I do, and I intend to take full advantage of it. Watch my dust!
Every Christmas for the past six years, my oldest son has constructed a gingerbread house--no pattern. The planning comes out of his head. This year it was an elaborate castle with a drawbridge. And every year after Christmas--this year on New Year's Day--he uses fireworks to blow it up (safely, out in the country, with everyone way out of the way). At first I thought it a shame to blow up something he'd worked so hard on (his kids help decorate it) but now I think maybe it's a fitting way to say "Out with the old, in with the new. Goodby last year; hello, new year!"
And Colin, enjoy that pick-'em-up. Your Texas roots are showing:-)
Personally I am optiistic about the coming year--I have books to write, a grandson to do homework with and other grandchildren to love as often as I can, the promise of some family get-togethers and some trips that I look forward to. I need to start a list of the people I want to visit with, entertain in my home, share my life with--they are many, and time goes by so quickly that I think, "gosh, it's July and I never did get with so-and-so."
No resolutions for me, but I've heard an idea that I really like: take a large jar (I prefer glass and rejected a plastic one in the store the other day) and fill it with scraps of paper noting the good things that happen to you. Jean told me she has a jar I might use, and I asked, "Is it big enough? How many good things are going to happen?" Her answer was, "You've got a whole year." Yes, I do, and I intend to take full advantage of it. Watch my dust!
Every Christmas for the past six years, my oldest son has constructed a gingerbread house--no pattern. The planning comes out of his head. This year it was an elaborate castle with a drawbridge. And every year after Christmas--this year on New Year's Day--he uses fireworks to blow it up (safely, out in the country, with everyone way out of the way). At first I thought it a shame to blow up something he'd worked so hard on (his kids help decorate it) but now I think maybe it's a fitting way to say "Out with the old, in with the new. Goodby last year; hello, new year!"
And Colin, enjoy that pick-'em-up. Your Texas roots are showing:-)
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