Happy New Year

I made the mistake of climbing into bed at exactly midnight last night. There was such a constant stream of loud fireworks that I'm thinking Ester, a small town across the valley from us, may have done their firework show at midnight. We can also buy some pretty impressive fireworks here, so throughout the night I heard folks setting off bombers, or balls that shoot up and explode in the sky. At least there is no fire danger this time of year, and it is dark so we can see them, unlike Fourth of July here.

My husband was working, the  kids were fast asleep, and I'd stayed up watching the last two episodes of the BBC series Daniel Deronda, which was very good. I could feel a cold coming on, so I drank ginger root tea and kombucha all night, while taking echinacea and a homeopathic remedy every few hours. I still woke up with a painful sore throat this morning.

I think last night was the first New Years Eve of my adult life that I felt I was not missing out on anything by being at home, awake by myself as the new year rolled in. In past years five years I've spent most New Years Eves at the house with the kids while Dustin works. I've often felt like I was missing out and wished I could be elsewhere celebrating with adults, watching fireworks, toasting with champagne etc. As I climbed into bed I wished I had gone to bed a half hour earlier so I wouldn't have to wait for fireworks to die down. I didn't even peek out the window to see if I could catch a glimpse.

I had ventured across town to my folks yesterday, looking for some company and diversion for the kids. The kids were excited to see their grandparents and play in a bigger house. I hadn't realized how hard it was snowing, and the temperatures had warmed up enough that the snow was turning to ice on the windshield and wipers. I had to keep the wipers going on high, and the truck defroster on high to be able to see out the window. By the time I'd made it to the other side of town it was dusk and I could hardly see the road. I had this sense of dread that I was headed the wrong way. Thinking it was not a good night to be driving with precious cargo, on bad roads with who knows how many inebriated drivers out, I turned around and headed home.

After eating soft corn tortilla tacos, one of the kids favorites, they had a special treat of blood orange sorbet. Noah pulled some of the simple pull pop fireworks on the back porch. We finished off the night with the Disneys Robin Hood, also one of our favorites.

Today, if the kids will allow, we may take down our paper Christmas tree. Other than that, lounging around, drinking tea and eating clear broth soups is about all that is on my list. Happy New Years to each of you.