New Years Past and Present

New Years...there have been 77 of them and none of them stood out in memory so I resorted to reading through my journals which I started in 1998.  My conclusion is that we were not the types to frequent clubs or huge gatherings but instead enjoyed spending time with family or friends.  When spending New Years in Burleson, we usually enjoyed a dinner out with our "Cruise Group" ending with games and fellowship at one of our homes.  We even managed to stay up to welcome the new year on occasion!   If in Boise, we usually stayed with the boys so Austin and Amalia could have some time out with their friends and we could enjoy private time with our grandboys.  The best part of those earlier celebrations is that I shared them with Steve, the love of my life.  

New Years 2024 was the first one I was on my own, meaning without Steve,  Realizing things would be different this year I decided it was up to me to create new traditions, so I asked my single friends to celebrate with me.  There are 8 of us who have lost their husbands to either death or divorce.  Out of those ladies 6 were delighted to have something to do and were able to join me.  I made a pot of taco soup with chips and dips.  Others brought whatever they wanted to compliment the meal.  We ate, laughed, played games and generally enjoyed each others company.  It was decided that we would welcome the new year around 10 to be home before the roads became crowded with those who may have celebrated a little more energetically than we did.  Since none of us were experts at opening "champagne" we went out on the back porch just in case it spewed all over the place. The whole process was rather comical.  We had so much fun that we decided to make this our new tradition.  This is a new phase in my life and I realize it is up to me to make it what I want it to be.  Thank goodness for supportive friends and family, I feel very blessed to have these people in my life.   

Comments

  1. AdminJanuary 10, 2025 at 8:56 AM

    That sounds excellent. I'm so glad your new tradition is off to a strong start.

    I can't remotely remember the year but at some point as a teenager our New Years Plans put us at the Baldwin house (maybe just to pick Amy up) before we went wherever we were going. I remember a bunch of adults (the Rivers stick out in my mind?) around a table, playing cards, really enjoying themselves, and I both questioned whether what we had in mind was going to be as entertaining as what you guys were already doing, and filed away that in a few years if I had good friends to play cards with on New Years I'd feel I'd done quite well.

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  2. AmyKJanuary 10, 2025 at 4:53 PM

    I can totally see you trying to open champagne outside on the porch so you don't spray it all over the house. Ha! 🍾🥂

    ReplyDelete

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