- The neighbors stopping by for drinks and treats around the bar in our family room meant my sisters and I would get all sorts of yummies like mixed nuts, seemingly-exotic crackers with names like "melba toast", cookies, candies and falling asleep to the laughter of our parents and their friends against the clink of glassware and music.
- Watching Lawrence Welk and Guy Lombardo's New Year's Eve Specials and Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve, until the ball dropped in Times Square and wistfully wishing for that moment to be there.
- Auld Lang Syne - easily one of my favorite songs ever. Yes, it makes me wistfully sad and yet happy at the same time, and yes, that's why I love it.
- Clanking pots and pans out the opened-front door and flicking on and off the porch light at Midnight (something we still do every year, even though we're the only ones in the neighborhood making any noise).
- In my late teens and twenties, small parties with friends at the home of my boyfriend, where I'd always dress very pretty in something special.
- Wearing feather hats, and playing Twister with our two youngest daughters in the Living Room, until Jim fell over in one tricky Twister move, and they attacked him with hugs.
- Celebrating Sarah's best friend's New Year's Day Birthday at the last strike of Midnight with a Birthday cake and presents right then.
None of my New Year's Eve memories involve driving anywhere or being out in a crowd of strangers.
All of my New Year's Eve memories involve being with those I love in a celebratory, intimate, festive setting.
For me, it's the most bittersweetly-romantic night of the year, because of its symbolic ending to another passage of time, where it can't possibly contain all of the memories of loved ones past and present so those nostalgic remembrances overflow as the champagne over the rim of a glass.
New Year's Eve and my love for this night, was made even more significant, when 10 years ago this New Year's Eve, 2011, Jim proposed to me, right before the strike of Midnight.
It doesn't get anymore romantic than that. ♥
Cheers!
Here's a photo below taken on the very night that Jim proposed.
December 31, 2001
12-31-02
At my parents house when they lived further downstate, where Jenny and Sarah tried out Dad's wacky leg stimulators and a fun time was had by all. Note that this was when I had my broken elbow (from the December 26, driveway Bicycle accident - it was near 70 degrees the day after Christmas in 2003)
12-31-09
12-31-10
3 comments:
Oh, how I loved watching the creation and evolution of a new family! What a wonderful pictorial of how you and Jim have built a loving home together, and watching Sarah grow was special as well.
New Year's Eve is very wistful for me, too, and while I did spend many, many years in the presence of strangers, we now celebrate in our home and love it.
Linda, it was so worth the time to load those pictures, and I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed them!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Love and hugs,
Nan
Ours are usually very quiet too, my parents never celebrated New Years, so for us it is something that we started to do as adults. This year we are having a few friends over for dinner and then fireworks.
What a perfect time to propose, he did good.
Happy New Year my sweet friend. May the new year bring you joy and happiness. Thank you for being such a wonderful friend to me.
Heather
Such wonderful pictures and memories of New Year's Eve gone by and up until now. So romantic indeed that Jim proposed to you just before the stroke of midnight 10 years ago on New Year's Eve!! It's no wonder you love that night so much:-) We use to go to New Year's Eve dances in the church basement but it got to a point where I was tired of being stepped on and having drinks spilled all over me. In the last 15 years or so we just stay home and although some have been very quiet, as you know this past one was a fun one with family and friends. I'd like to continue doing that from now on:-) I really missed having Steve come over but his car died on him so he wasn't able to come:-( xoxo
Post a Comment