ending and beginning {december 31, 2023}

My mom had a tradition of cleaning the house on December 31. It was an old wives tale that if you take a messy home into the new year, you will have a messy home all year long. So growing up that's what we did all day on New Year's Eve - take down the Christmas tree and put away decorations, clean our rooms, scrub the bathrooms, dust the baseboards, vacuum, and if there was time, straighten our drawers and closets. Looking back, I think Mom also used this as a ploy to make us look forward to going back to school. Smart lady!

After having a houseful for 11 days, my Chicago girls and their husbands are trekking back to the Windy City today, my son and his black Lab will return to Columbus on January 2. My Cleveland clan left on the 26th to spend time with my daughter-in-law's family. Just two people in the house? There will be an adjustment to the quiet but an appreciation for it, too. It's been a crazy, busy, wonderful family time. Unlike my mom, I will wait until January 2 to take down the Christmas decorations and clean the house at my own pace.

I don't make resolutions but I do have a small list of ideas that I'm taking into 2024: *Delve into Spotify to make playlists and fill the house with more music. *Take more photos. *Journal more regularly. *Get on the area's amazing bike trails more often. *Travel and explore. I bought the National Parks passport and I want to fill it with the passport stamps. It's always at the ready in my travel backpack. *I'm sure there will be other ideas popping up along the 2024 journey.

I'm grocery shopping today for my traditional New Year's meal, some kind of pork, sauerkraut, greens and beans/lentils. Hoppin' John is always good but T likes to grill so most likely grilled pork chops will be on our table, too. 

We have a few big events coming 2024: February will bring the birth of our second grandson; early spring will bring some house renovations; June...our niece's wedding in St. Louis. (I can get my NP passport stamped at the Gateway Arch!)

My New Year's wish for you ~ 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!