And so, the new year begins

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:-)

Too Old to be a Tekkie?

I got a new iPhone for Christmas, Lisa got an iPad and, and I was learning to add RSS feeds to my Outlook--big learning curve for both of us, Last night, Colin was going crazy, as one or the other of us called out, "Colin, I need help!" He declares that the problem with both of us is that we are impatient and want instant results. When I said I'd lost the Facebook icon on my phone, he found it. Today, he patiently walked me through adding an RSS feed again, and now I'm proficient at it. Well, sort of. I added Facebook to my phone all by myself, can take and send photos so I think I'm pretty good. I've had lots of trouble with the keypad--my fingers are too big. I bought a stylus and still rely on it a lot but I noticed today my fingers are doing better. Last night Lisa stayed up until 1:30 learning her iPad but before I went to bed she gave me a tour (on the iPad) of Central America. Then Morgan tried to show me Houston, and we got hopelessly lost in North America until we both collapsed in giggles. Jordan has announced she got a laptop for Christmas and she expects Colin's help with it tomorrow. Colin actually brags on me that for an old lady I'm a pretty quick learner for tech things--ah, triumph!

We decided we were housebound yesterday and had cabin fever, so today we went shopping--for fireworks, no less (Yes, I frowned in disapproval) and then to a clothing store where I bought a cute top I think I'll wear a lot. Later, we got out for a test run of blowing up their gingerbread houses that Colin and the children make from scratch. Apparently for the Houston Alters this is a tradition on New Year's Day, but they decided to do it early this year for the benefit of nephew Sawyer who loves explosions. I'll try to post the video below. We drove to a levee, far from houses, and did the test, which made Lisa scream and then laugh. But then everone looked for sparks that might ignite dry grass. We heard fire engines in the distance and had a moment of panic, but they were headed elsewhere. Quite an adventure for a grandmother who does not believe in fireworks in any shape or form. Besides, unless you were in the sun, it was cold as blazes out. My dog will sleep inside again tonight--too cold for even a heavy-coated Aussie.

It was a grand explosion, which has caused Colin to rethink his plan for the major explosion. The picture is of Kegan and Morgan with the test gingerbread house, the one Morgan made. She seemed quite philosophical about offering up her creation--and it was blown to smithereens. Here are the gingerbread houses before and a link to the video.