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New Year's Observations, 2024
Jan. 2nd, 2024 04:00 pm--The new year has arrived safely. We got the text that it had been delivered and we got it into the house before the porch pirates found it.
--2023 had its nice points, but it was marred by the deaths of my sister-in-law and my brother. This was the first holiday season without Paul, and it was hard.
--Darwin wanted to throw a New Year's Eve card party of the kind his mother had. I let him. :) By this, I mean I let him arrange everything. I planned and pulled off Thanksgiving and Christmas (with a second Christmas at my mother's, which required a fair amount of planning and pulling off of its own). By New Year's, I was done! Darwin ordered pizza and made party potatoes.
--The party went very nicely. Lots of food, lots of lively card playing. My great-niece Lorelei, who is two and up way, way past her usual bedtime, was a little sweetie all evening and didn't throw a single "I'm TIRED" tantrum. We were all mightily impressed.
--In the morning, I remembered to say "Rabbit, rabbit" when I woke up. So 2024 has to be better. Right?
--On New Year's Day afternoon, Darwin and I de-holidayed the house. The tree came down, the decorations went into their packing, and the boxes went into the storage room until next year. I always insist we do it this way--on New Year's Day, everyone is home (even if "everyone" is just the two of us), and if we put it off further, it won't get done until Valentines Day. It didn't take long, really. We've cut back on the amount of decorating we do, which makes many things easier!
--It was a smooth, if bittersweet, holiday season.
--2023 had its nice points, but it was marred by the deaths of my sister-in-law and my brother. This was the first holiday season without Paul, and it was hard.
--Darwin wanted to throw a New Year's Eve card party of the kind his mother had. I let him. :) By this, I mean I let him arrange everything. I planned and pulled off Thanksgiving and Christmas (with a second Christmas at my mother's, which required a fair amount of planning and pulling off of its own). By New Year's, I was done! Darwin ordered pizza and made party potatoes.
--The party went very nicely. Lots of food, lots of lively card playing. My great-niece Lorelei, who is two and up way, way past her usual bedtime, was a little sweetie all evening and didn't throw a single "I'm TIRED" tantrum. We were all mightily impressed.
--In the morning, I remembered to say "Rabbit, rabbit" when I woke up. So 2024 has to be better. Right?
--On New Year's Day afternoon, Darwin and I de-holidayed the house. The tree came down, the decorations went into their packing, and the boxes went into the storage room until next year. I always insist we do it this way--on New Year's Day, everyone is home (even if "everyone" is just the two of us), and if we put it off further, it won't get done until Valentines Day. It didn't take long, really. We've cut back on the amount of decorating we do, which makes many things easier!
--It was a smooth, if bittersweet, holiday season.
