Today looks like winter. The still branches of the scrub pines are sun lit against the blue sky. Today is cold, 35°. I still have an empty dance card. I’m still in my cozies.

When I was a kid, time in winter was precious. After school, it got dark so early we played our hearts out until the street lights. Dinner was at the same time every night, usually around six, but it always felt later in the dark of the afternoon and early evening.

One Christmas I got the book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors. It had been on my list. I grabbed it, found a corner and started reading. My mother found my reading a bit disconcerting. She warned me if I didn’t take it slowly I’d finish the book. She was right.

I don’t remember bring bored when I was a kid. I always had a book so there was, in my mind, no downtime. Some nights I had homework. Thursday was the big night: spelling test on Friday. I studied by spelling all the words out loud over and over. My favorite homework was reading. That seemed a treat of sorts. Sometimes I had a worksheet to finish, usually an arithmetic worksheet. I finished it before dinner.

When I lived in Ghana, I had no TV or radio. I did have a cassette recorder and tapes. They had been Christmas presents from my parents my first Christmas in Ghana. I played the tapes just about every night. I had cards and a Password game. I had a book of origami folds. I had a Peace Corps book locker and the town had a library. I was never bored. I was never good at origami.

Happy New Year!!!

I’m sorry about yesterday. I woke up nearly at noon as I had gone to bed when it was already light then I had to pick up my dinner at Ring’s and after that it was time to leave for the concert. This last concert of the year was superb, and I do not use that term lightly. We had the largest crowd we’ve ever had, and they stayed and they clapped and they sang along. I even had friends in the audience. It was also my first concert back after the mighty fall and the plague.

Today started mostly cloudy but the blue has broken through. It is a cold, still day, in the 30’s. I have nothing planned the whole week. We even have a uke break. I’m thinking cozies for the whole week. I’m also thinking maybe cleaning a little each day. That would make cleaning a bit more palatable, sort of like a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party for cleaning.

Every New Year’s Day now seems just like any other day. Today for example: I slept late, again, had life saving coffee and read the paper. That could be tomorrow or the next day or any other day. The only difference between them is the date, the change in year.

When I was younger, I used to get excited for New Year’s Eve. My friends and I would get together for a little party, play some games and drink toasts to Auld Lang Syne and to the new year. Last night I watched another year go by. I am going to be a year older, a year deeper into my 70’s. I will celebrate being retired for twenty years. I will celebrate for the sake of celebration. I’ve earned it.