How will you be ringing in the new year?

[hearts and roses]

On GN's thread about alcohol consumption, Nomad made a good point about how we celebrate the passing year and ring in the new.

So I was just wondering how many of us even celebrate the passing of this year and the coming of the new? I know people who don't do anything and just go to bed. Some years that is me - I can't keep my eyeballs open! But for the past couple of years I've made it a point to mark the change.

Although it is snowing here today, I have plans to meet my sister after dinner tonight. We're going to have a small fire and bang our new drums that we made in a Native American Drum workshop. Tonight it is even more significant because we are having a Blue Moon (two full moons in the same month!) and those do not happen that often, so it's special. My friend from NY will be visiting me as well and she will join us.

Like Nomad said in her post, I typically do make a list of things from this past year that have had an impact on me and then I make another list of goals - not resolutions. Just a few small goals that will help me live and feel healthier, whether physically or emotionally or mentally or intellectually.

We will likely drink a glass or two of wine, but it's not about getting a buzz on - it's social and we don't over do it. Anyway, that's it.

So how will you be ringing in the new year?

 

[Nomad]

husband received a generous gc to a nice restaurant from a friend.
We are sharing it with a couple we know who has two difficult child adult kids and are stressed to the max right now.
At most, we will each have one drink each (if we drink at all).
I have also thought of offering them one drink at my house if we come back to my house and they stay until midnight.
The object of our night is to talk and have fun....and we are fortunate to be able to do this very economically.

Oh and YES, husband and I always make a list or two. I have been contemplating about areas that need improvement and goals. Will write them down probably tomorrow. Will also sit down and discuss with- husband things we are grateful for and a few mutual goals.

Our son already called this morning and said he would call us shortly after midnight...this is really GREAT!

New Year's is actually my favorite holiday! Happy NY JoG and everyone!

 

[Steely]

I will definitely watch the rising of the blue moon. Even though it is cold, I am going to wrap up in a blanket and go outside on my porch, and ponder it's beauty as it rises over the frosty lake.

I will most likely be by myself, because I just don't like any of the choices I have in friends to hang out with. The friends in my life make me feel bad about myself in various ways, so I am going to try to take care of myself by just being with me. It is hard for me not to call dysfunctional, rude, neighbor guy - because I don't want to feel lonely - but it is all part of my resolution to take care of me this year.

I have been spending the whole week trying to get my papers and house in order - so that I can go back to work Monday with energy and focus. I am determined to make 2010 the best ever.

 

[witzend]

With the proviso that husband and I are usually in bed by 10 PM on New Years, this year we are doing something completely different.

A friend is getting married at a downtown venue tonight. Cocktails at 7:30 (The specialty is vodka, which makes me ill, so I won't be drinking those), vows at 8:30, and ring in the New Year. We have hired a town car to bring us there and drop us off at home.

I have to be sure to pace myself and drink plenty of water because in the morning I have to get up and get ready for 30 people to come watch the Rose Bowl at our house! Ay yi yi!

 

[Mattsmom277]

It is our Anniversary today. 5 years

We are spending the day and evening here at home. We plan to spend the afternoon playing board games. I'm going to make a nice candle light dinner for the two of us (three of us if difficult child doesn't go to his friends as he thinks he might - easy child is at her fathers until tomorrow). We will spend the evening watching movies and probably just cuddling on the couch. Before midnight we will probably go back and forth from watching the Time Square countdown and the one in Niagara Falls on t.v.

Wishing you all a great end to 2009 and nothing but good things and positive strides in 2010!!!

 

[trinityroyal]

Normally husband and I host a big New Year's Eve party at our house, for all our friends and family.

This year, sister in law spiked it by sending a sob-story guilt-trip message to our entire invitation list, bemoaning the fact that we wanted to have our party rather than spending the evening with husband's mother at her house.

(husband's mother is going through chemo right now, and isn't up to attending the party. We spoke to her about whether or not to go ahead with the party this year, and she said that she'd be sad if we didn't do it, so we went ahead and set it up.)

So, now all of our guests have bowed out and husband and I will be spending the evening alone at home with the babies and difficult child.

Normally I'm pretty introverted, but NYE and husband's birthday (which falls on the summer solstice) are the 2 times per year that I like to host a ton of people. But we've been thwarted this year on both fronts.

Sigh.

 

[ML]

My brother challenged husband to a duel of Trivial Persuit. Both of them would be contendors for jeopardy! I bought a couple pounds of king crab legs on sale for 6.99 a lb and we'll have good eats, board games and just relax.

 

[flutterby]

I was planning on going to a friend's, but we are supposed to get "freezing drizzle" all night and she lives out in the boonies, so we're staying home.

I will watch some of the festivities on tv and we always watch the ball drop. easy child and DF don't have any plans, so I think we'll make it a family game night.

 

[Shari]

I am going to spend this evening riding a painted pony with exSIL and some other friends (indoor arena time - we are splurging), then when we get bored with that, going home and joining folks from our giant camping group at the Legion hall, which has been rented for a byob and karaoke. And when we get bored with that....who knows. lol

 

[everywoman]

We've been invited several places, so we may make the rounds tonight. My sister wants us to come there, a friend is having and NYE/Anniversary Party, and another friend has a boat leaving the dock about 10 for NYE on the river...decisions, decisions...I think I may just stay home.

Tomorrow is the traditional New Years meal: pork, hoppin' johns, and collard greens!

 

[donna723]

I'm not much on New Years parties. It will be just me and David Letterman this year ... again! I very rarely stay up till midnight on New Years anyway ... whoop dee doo!

 

[tiredmommy]

We'll be heading over to friends' from church, it'll be a rip-roarin' good time. We have to drive so we won't drink but most of the guests are walking. There will be several kids there so things won't be too wild, just fun. We'll end up leaving before midnight to hopefully beat the drunks on the road.

 

[klmno]

The plans you ladies have sound great to me! I, too, like the relaxing sort of things, maybe a little socializing and time with immediate family. difficult child and I started our own tradition of grilling out our favorite foods no matter what the weather is doing, watching a movie together or playing a board game, and then trying to stay awake to watch the ball drop on TV. Not too exciting, but quality time nonetheless. We'd usually take the tree down over New Year's, too, and plan a vacation for the upcoming year for warm weather! Gosh I miss that this year.

But this year, I too have been experiencing the toxic feeling from dysfunctional people and worried about difficult child, etc. After spending the past two nights up half the night crying, I made a resolution for myself and difficult child. Since I have given up on finding a therapist who even understands what I'm talking about or who is able/willing to pick up with the recovery program my old therapist started me on (seems tdocs these days all want to throw anything previous out and do their own thing, which isn't much), I decided to just dig back in on my own. And, I decided that I need to talk to difficult child about this. I hadn't been comfortable about that before because I thought he needed to work on his own issues re. his absent father and coping skills and I did not think he was old enough to have old family issues dumped on his shoulders. But, maybe since he has thrown up to me that I have issues, too, which I always agree with him about that, I decided I don't really have to tell him everything about old family issues- I can however explain dysfunctional families to him and how they pass from generation to generation and that I am trying hard to stop that cycle and am going back to actively working on myself due to this. Maybe at some point I can get him on board to understanding that parts of this need to be worked on as a family, but parts of it are worked on individually and I'm doing my part so he can get a little involved, too. Even with the little I've read so far I can see where even though I thought I had made sure difficult child and I weren't acting codependent or enmeshed (and I still do believe that for the most part), there are "residual" aspects of this that contributed to him being a difficult child and has left him with less than adequate coping skills.

So I went to the bookstore today and short-listed six books, sat there and read a little from each one to try to pick out two to buy. I ended up buying three, LOL! Then I came home and googled "breaking the cycle in dysfunctional families" and found preview passages of another I'd like to get.

To finally answer your question- I'll be watching a football game, reading, maybe a fire in the fireplace, and a little pink champagne! And I'll be thinking my Higher Power that this year and decade are over and praying that this upcoming year is a turning point!

 

[jal]

We aren't doing much as you can tell since I'm on here at this time. We haven't gone out since difficult child was born. I made difficult child his requested meal of homemade mac 'n cheese and baked "chicken on the bone" (chicken legs).

husband and I shared some shrimp cocktail while difficult child ate dinner and I am making linguine and clams in a red sauce with-crusty bread for dinner (clams are cleaned and sauce is done so after difficult child goes to bed, we can enjoy in peace).

Hopefully soon difficult child will crash, as he always does (thankfully), but they are playing nerf tag and he's excited...he has been great all week long until later this afternoon when he had a HUGE tantrum/meltdown...first in a long time. We got thru it fine.

We have no bake cheesecake for dessert.

An easy meal and dessert. Tomorrow the tree comes down, things get packed up and a total over haul on certain areas of the house so I am ready to go back to work on Monday.

It has been a relaxing vacation, thankfully, for the most part. We took difficult child to see Alvin & the Chimpunks the Squeekqual yesterday. We had a quick moving snow storm this am...It's been a mixed bag here in CT of freezing temps and strong winds over the past few days, which has made it hard to get out and about.

Happy New year to All and I hope it brings much deserved peace and joy to all of us.

 

[KTMom91]

Miss KT is going to a party with the latest boyfriend and a bunch of her friends from church, so it's just me and Hubby tonight. I went to the store and got several kinds of munchies, including shrimp for shrimp cocktails, and we'll spend a quiet evening together. At midnight, we'll go out and listen to the neighborhood.

Thirteen years ago, it was just me and Miss KT. At midnight, I gave her a wooden spoon and a pan, and she ran around the yard screaming "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!" and banging on the pan. It was our first NYE in this house. Where did the time go? And where is my five-year-old?

 

[Nancy]

husband and I made steaks on the grill and are watching footbal games on TV. easy child and difficult child went out and we will probably be in bed by midnight. We are not big partygoers the past few years. We really enjoy a quiet evening at home not worrying about drunk drivers on the road.

Nancy

 

[gcvmom]

We usually have a movie marathon -- we pick a series and then watch them all back-to-back. But it looks like it will be random movies this year and/or a House marathon (husband got 4 seasons for xmas). Broiling some steaks in a little bit (it's only 7pm here) and I have a Dutch apple pie in the oven... then at midnight we'll have sparkling apple cider (for husband and the kids -- I bought some of the good bubbly for me ) and we'll run outside with our pots, pans, lids, wooden sticks and difficult child 2's trumpet to do our best to wake the dead and ring in the new year!

 

[muttmeister]

I was just thinking about some of the New Years Eves that I've spent. One was fogged in at the airport in Montreal; one was in Times Square; several when I was young and single were dinner parties at my house; some were times when I drank too much and forgot just exactly what I did; some were with my kids when they were little - they tried to stay up till midnight but often didn't make it.

This year I took my 95 year old mother out for supper to a seafood buffet (I ate enough crab legs to sink a cruiser). It is now 9 o'clock and 7 degrees and I'm home inside my nice warm house with a full tummy and two dogs who are glad to see me. I have a book calling to me and maybe we will still be up by midnight. Kissing my dogs sounds much more enjoyable than some of the humans I've kissed over the years. I have some frozen strawberry daiquiris left over from Christmas. I might even have one.

Happy New Year to all!

 

[Marcie Mac]

My DS and PSP both have been charged and loaded wih new computer games I haven't played yet, the supply of junk food has been purchased and SO and I are crawling into bed early with the dogs. The neighbors next door came over and said they were having a party, and they are, and its loud. I wouldnt mind cause we have earplugs, but the dang dogs start howling when they hear Mexican music and we figure the back bedroom may be far enough away and the TV loud enough to make them just lay down and be quiet.

Hopefully we will be awake when the midnight hour comes..

Marcie

 

[SRL]

I'm to avoid visitors and crowds until next week so I stayed home alone and watched Battlestar Galactica DVDs. I'm going out shortly to pick up my boys who were at a youth group all nighter, and my husband and daughter went to the gathering with friends we usually attend. I didn't even hear them come in. Zzzzzzzzz...

The only bummer was when the four episodes on my Netflix dvd ended with a cliffhanger "To be continued...." Then I realized that's what amazon video on demand is for.