A Toast To You

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that you brought the new year in with a bang, that you will find it to be the best year ever for you and yours. I like to see the year arrive while with special family and friends; this we have been doing since 1986. There are some who joined us in the past who no longer come by (I think they have grown older than the rest of us; I understand they just can't stay up long enough to see that ball fall. Some are now keeping grandchildren while the mamas and papas stay home). The rest of us still look forward to getting together and having some good, old-fashioned fellowship and fun. For the past 2 years, we have switched to sharing dinner together and everyone usually departs around 1:00 AM. In all the prior years, we always enjoyed the men preparing a full-course breakfast for us and everyone leaving for home around 2:00 or so. The problem some of them have now is that they want to get home earlier. I do enjoy the dinner; however, I do miss that breakfast time, even though it does take me longer to clean up and get to bed. (No problem, though, because I can sleep in the next morning, just as everyone else can do, too). None of us are alcohol drinkers but for the occasion, we share a bottle of champagne. You wouldn't believe the faces during those few minutes! No one is carried away with the taste of champagne (there would definitely never be an alcoholic in our crowd!).

This year, as usual, the guys ended up in the den watching the ballgames and talking while the ladies stayed in the kitchen and talked and laughed. I can understand how laughing is good for you. I felt so great after having such laughs! The ladies decided to play electronic guesstures and that was a lot of fun! The guys kept wondering what we doing but only one joined in our fun! We were just too active for them we think. If you have never played that game, you should try it with your friends. Every year, we have enjoyed some game such as Catch Phrase, etc., and we have some ladies who are especially talented at that, particularly my sister. Give her a hint and she usually comes up with the word.

Since most of you readers were not here last night, my toast to you is that you have a very happy, healthy year; that you keep all your old friends and add many new ones; that you make the time to enjoy your family and friends; that you try to have at least one good laugh every day, or at least a great big smile; that you make time for yourself; that you have all your needs met and many of your wants fulfilled, too; that you will enjoy a year of freedom and peace in this country; and, most of all, may God bless you real good!