...happen each and every new year. It's like when you went to grade school... every new year brought a new chance to do well. You got new shoes (if you were lucky), new crayons, pencils, notebooks...a few things compared to the kids of today. We didn't have backpacks, ipods, laptops, kindles, ds-whatever - we might have been lucky enough to get new clothes for the new year, but only if we out-grew or wore out our current clothes. Oh, and when we went to Junior High School, we got a new gymsuit. Remember those? Your Mom had to sew your last name across the back of it. Boy, did those things get smelly in your gym locker...but I digress as usual.
What I really wanted to talk about is how wonderful our holiday was. We have a place up north (which I've blogged about), and we spent New Year's Day celebrating our Christmas with most of our kids and half of our grandkids. Oh, and my one daughter's boyfriend. What a house-full! Twelve people all together. Families/couples got priority for our two guest rooms - the rest on a couch or on the floor! But no one complained...we were together.
Our son flew in from NY (lucky to get out of there with the weather), one couple came up from IL, and two families came over from different parts of WI - no one was local, but they came. Having my children and grandchildren around me for Christmas dinner, conversation, hot chocolate at night, egg casserole for breakfast, and hugs all around upon coming and going is the best Christmas I could ever have. I'm sure many of you parents and grandparents out there my age feel the same. Sure, the gifts are fun (especially when they're hand-made), but just having them all around and watching them open their presents is the best parts of Christmas.
And, with the New Year comes new beginnings...like the new shoes of childhood. You can decide how you want your new year to be. Despite all of the hardships around us with the economy, etc., I'm sure we can each find it in our own private little world to cherish the bright spots and throw away the garbage. Clean house on that brain and heart of yours and start anew. I know I will.
Happy New Year!
I posted earlier about a project I was working on for the Special Olympics - Wisconsin. (I volunteered to make three scarves for the participants and their coaches in WI in the colors and yarn of their choosing.)
I plan to continue my series on "Attracked to the Flame" for those of you who found that interesting. Next, I'll talk about my burner (otherwise thought of as a torch), and my fuel source.
In my stash of "working on" projects, I have some things like these...
...happen each and every new year. It's like when you went to grade school... every new year brought a new chance to do well. You got new shoes (if you were lucky), new crayons, pencils, notebooks...a few things compared to the kids of today. We didn't have backpacks, ipods, laptops, kindles, ds-whatever - we might have been lucky enough to get new clothes for the new year, but only if we out-grew or wore out our current clothes. Oh, and when we went to Junior High School, we got a new gymsuit. Remember those? Your Mom had to sew your last name across the back of it. Boy, did those things get smelly in your gym locker...but I digress as usual.
I woke up this morning with a splitting headache - not to mention that I didn't even fall asleep until 6:00 AM! Then, I looked out the window and much to my pleasure and surprise was a winter wonderland! Suddenly, I felt much better. In fact, I thought it was so pretty that I put my boots on and ran out and took these pictures - yes, in my bathrobe! I must have been quite a sight! But, that's the benefit of living out in the country - no neighbors!
...sometimes a joy - sometimes a burden. I guess that's up to us to decide individually. It probably boils down to whatever you make it, like everything else. 
...No, I am not talking about finishing the Christmas Nine-Patch Pizzazz quilt I blogged about last time. Although I would have liked to finish it in time for Christmas selling, it's not to be...sigh. Perhaps next year.
