Happy New Year 2011!

You know you are getting old when you remember a New Year's Celebration at your parent's home and your dad was going on and on about "I can't believe it's 1980!" Well now 1980 is ancient history and I find myself exclaiming, "I can't believe it's 2011!" Does time just fly by for you? It just seems like yesterday that I was in High School, getting ready to graduate. Only a few weeks ago I was graduating from college starting my teaching career. Only yesterday Kevin and I were preparing to walk down the isle to start our life together. And now I am retired and old enough to be a grandmother. Where does the time go? Most of the times we don't really do much for New Year's Eve. We have never been partiers. One year, the restaurant is now closed and abandoned, Kevin and I had gone out to dinner. The restaurant had a band, with New Year hats, noise makers and free champagne. We invited one of our couple friends Cheryl and Ken to join us. We had one of the best times ever. It was not planned and has never happened again. The other time I remember New Year's Eve we were at Kevin's sister Christi's house and I got a phone call that my niece Laurie had been dumped at a local hospital in Lubbock and was in ICU. That was a scary time. She made a full recovery, but it was a very sobering New Year's Eve. There are photos from one year we had a little party here at our house, but I couldn't find them. So here are some photos from the party in 1980 that I referenced earlier in this post.


You know it was a special occasion as Daddy and Grandma were both playing the game with us. I can't tell you the last time Daddy played games with the family.

Here's De and Lavonna in the festive mood. Check out those glasses on De and dig that "modern" camera Lavonna was using.

 Here is a group shot starting with the left girl in the white shirt looking at the camera is my cousin Colleen, next my dad, Aunt Jackie, Uncle Jerell, De, Teresa, and the maroon vest is Lavonna.

Another view of the group. We were playing Pit. That's a fun game, but you definitely need a group to play.

We even got Mom's dog Muffin in the celebration.

And our all-out decorations! What a party!

I used to make New Year Resolutions, but never kept them. I was doing good if I kept them for the first month of the New Year, but they always fell to the way side and I would return to my comfortable habits. A few years ago I read a suggested idea to set goals for the year. To write down your goals for the year, seal it in a envelope and put it somewhere you will find it at the end of the year. I usually store mine with my Christmas decorations. I'm always pleasantly surprised at the end of the year how I've done. It's not like I think about it constantly, but I guess writing it down must keep it in your subconscious. A couple of years ago one of the goals I set was to read the whole Bible in a year. I've done that every year since. I've already got my new edition ready to go. Some other things I have put on my goal list in the past are: learn three new yoga moves, complete three Bible studies, make one new friend, eat better, volunteer, save $500 and join the choir at church. Most of them I accomplished but not all. I try to be very specific. Try it this year, you might like it better than making resolutions that you won't or don't keep.

 I thought it would be fun to do a Google search on New Year Resolutions and see what are the ten most common resolutions. Here they are.

1. Spend more time with family.

2. Exercise and get fit.

3. Lose weight.

4. Quit smoking.

5. Enjoy life more.

6. Learn something new.

7. Help others.

8. Stop drinking.

9. Get out of debt.

10. Get organized.

Out of these I've already accomplished # 1, 4 (never started) 7, & 8. That was easy. If I were to chose any of these for my list this year it would be to exercise, lose weight and get fit. What will be on your list? Be sure and answer on the poll in the side-bar. Whatever you do, whether you write it down, tell someone or don't do it at all I wish you the best and most blessed new year ever.