Reminiscing New Years

         Nine years ago today I started my blog.  I explained my purpose and the reason for the title.  The next day I posted about New Years – my goal was to give gratitude with every post.  My posts may have started out that way but I don’t think I was diligent.  I don’t know.  I haven’t gone back to reread every post. Toward the end of the year I was more focused on my mom’s needs as she had dementia and I highly suspect that my posts did not always reflect that of gratitude.

        At the end of the year I had taken Jenna to the library for an afternoon countdown – counting up to 12:00 and blowing horns.  She had wanted to stay up but had conked out by 11:30.    We had gone to my mom’s house New Year’s Day 2013.  We played games with my sister and her husband.  Jenna played with her cousins.  When Corey called my mom later on she told him that we had gone hiking.  We had not gone hiking.  It was too cold.

        I did not post about New Year every year, but when I did I would usually mention the weather, traditions of taking down the tree and reminisced on someone always being sick or emotional on New Year’s Eve.

        By 2014 my mom had passed away.  It was Roland’s turn to be sick and yet he had donated blood on New Year’s Day.  Go figure.  The weather was awesome that year.  Jenna and I took Shilo (aka Highness) for a walk in the park.  Autumn leaves were still on the trees and on the ground.  It was awesome.

        2015 Jenna’s final countdown with West Valley library. We did not know that we would be living in another state within six months. 2016 our first New Years in Oregon.  Jenna rode her bike and I took pictures. 

        There was no mention of New Years in 2017.  Jenna and I had purchased a calendar and had decided to celebrate the list of silly holidays that were suggested. On 2018 I took a suggestion that my sister had posted to write down positive things throughout the year and place them in a jar to be read 2019.  I remember reading through each paper on New Years.  That is the year I had set a goal to write at least two dashes per week or month – I can’t remember. 

        New Year 2020 we completed taking down the decorations (which we had started early due to weather and Roland’s insistence) It was Jaime who was sad that year.  We didn’t know that 2020 would become the longest year known to man. 

        Which brings us to this year.  2021.  Jenna and I played games hoping Roland would join us – but he’s had this cough for over two months now.  A severe cold but nothing COVID concerning.  He’s not always the greatest at taking care of himself.

        At 10:30 we put in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle so that at midnight when Dwayne Johnson put the emerald back into the Jaguar statue.  Roland opened some sparkling cider that we drink only once a year.  It was still warm and half of it exploded on his pants, on the couch and in one of my slippers.  We poured at the rest to toast the New Year and said “Jumanji” with the rest of the cast as it seemed more fitting than happy New Year.

        Jenna and I took down most of the decorations from the house.  There are still a few strands of lights framing the deck and the eaves.  Roland was quite staple happy when he put them in, but I didn’t wish to drag out the ladder to unstapled them.

        The weather was nice until just after 3:00 – a fierce wind swept over our street just as I finished bringing in the chords that Jenna and I had neglected earlier.  And as with every other year, all of us are finding things that didn’t make it to the shed.