Happy New Year!

Why are you dragging me into this?

It is 2014. I hope this coming year brings you happiness and love.

When you think about it, New Year's Day is actually our only worldwide holiday. Other holidays involve specific religions (Christmas, Easter, Passover) or your specific nation (Independence Day, Thanksgiving), or even cultural (Valentine's Day). But all people, nations and cultures acknowledge and celebrate New Year's Day.

I was up early this morning. As I drink my coffee looking over the cold snowy valley below my windows, I realize that I am alone this morning but not lonely. The snow contains the comings and goings footprints of the deer and foxes who passed through my valley last night. I wonder where they are this morning. Are they safe? Warm? Did they find what they were looking for?

New Year's Day feels different than other holidays. It doesn't have the anticipation of the coming day such as Thanksgiving or the 4th of July. It doesn't have the celebrating of Christmas with opening gifts or playing with new presents. It is quiet because holiday is basically behind us. Maybe it is because some people are still "sleeping it off." Others are just sleeping in because they have the day off. Some even have to clean up from the party the night before.  So we can take a minute to pause (or paws in Neko's case). We look back at the last year and look forward to what is to come.

Actually 2013 was a good year for us:

My family and I all made it through healthy. I would like to lose weight but I know enough not to try to make any resolutions. Just try.

We're not in the poor house yet. We don't seem to have a lot of money, but we realize that we don't need much right now, so we'll be okay.

We worked hard on some causes that were important to us with some success.

I got a new job that I am very happy with and it looks like it will be around for awhile (even though it leaves less time for knitting).

My sons are starting to figure out how to succeed in this new type of economy. One is moving to Los Angeles and the other is going back to school.

Most importantly, I have enough yarn to last me for the next several years!

Back to the needles.