Friday, January 01, 2016

New Year's Day Thoughts...

 
My Christmas tree this season with the candles lit,

When I was a child I never liked New Year's Day. It meant taking down the Christmas tree, putting away all of our gifts and cleaning up the last of the needles. As children we thought it meant the ending of all the holidays. (As a grown up I have come to love and appreciate all holidays even the remote ones!) 

The house was bare and empty without the tree and the stockings. The cookies were all gone. The Christmas carols were no longer sung in church. (I could sing Good King Wenceslas all year.) We were forlorn in all ways.

Our dad understood our sadness. When we went to bed he would always click his fingers and say, "It's almost Christmas." That sent us to bed smiling knowing that another Christmas would come round. It was a sweet moment in childhood and an even sweeter moment in adulthood.

Happy New Year's Day...and before you know it, it will be Groundhog Day!

Until tomorrow.

Spring break in St. Pete...

  Adam and his pups! The late-night flight is full. Everyone is heading out for spring break. Students and teachers, moms and dads, kids and...