December 30, 2001

This is my very favorite time of year: that wonderful gap between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

I'm always really excited, egged on by the anticipation of making the next year's to-do list, finally accepting the inevitable shortfalls from the previous year's list, rolling things over. I have the energy and enthusiasm and good cheer I lacked between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I've still got a couple of days left. Hopefully I can tick off a few extra things so I'll have more room on next year's list.

This is when I do my spring cleaning, when I finish little projects, start new ones. I'm not having a party this year, so I'm enjoying the quietude and the time alone. I'm cleaning my pantry instead of stocking it.

I'm really looking forward to my solitary New Year's Eve. I can't remember the last time I wasn't around people on New Year's. Maybe never. I'm getting the house all cleaned up now, so I can spend the day on the couch watching the Twilight Zone marathon on Sci-fi and doing little projects--crocheting a new hat, cleaning out cupboards and closets, organizing my desk, shaving down my filing cabinet, putting pennies on all the windowsills, cooking my black eyed peas, mustard greens, and cornbread. I've got a cornbread recipe somewhere that actually has black-eyed peas in it, very clever. But I love Texas Caviar, so I'll still make that anyway.

When it gets dark, I'll kill the ringer on the phones and turn off all the lights except the TV and light a bunch of candles. Then I'll make myself a few trays of hors d'oeuvres. At the stroke of midnight, I'll eat an apple, drink some champagne, then run out to the street, banging on a pan and yelling HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Then I'll light one of the sparklers I found cleaning buffet yesterday and spin around in circles until I fall down. That's my new New Year's ritual. Although maybe I should rethink the spinning around in circles thing; not good after champagne.

I'll wait an hour or so for the firecrackers to die down, then I'll walk the dogs and take a hot bath, finalize my list for the year and print it out (I've disposed of my engagement calendar ritual). Then I'll decorate my new Airstream calendar with the stickers I ordered from the Korean stationary store (assuming they get here by Monday). Voila! Happy New Year!

12.20.01