My first post of the new year!!

Okay...I'm feeling a little pressure here to make this post really meaningful and reflective, but I'm not quite feeling it, so this will probably just be a habberdashery of things. *sigh* Okay, I've been up since five-thirty this morning, having woke up at four-thirty, feeling wide awake and full of thoughts. We went to bed really early last night, so that is possibly the reason why I got up while it was still very early and dark. It snowed last night and the temperature was in the low teens, so the local schools have been canceled. I am going to see if I can talk Ed into going to Bob Evans for breakfast here in a little while.
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So, did you all have pork and sauerkraut for New Year's dinner? *smile* We did. I fixed a delicious pork roast, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. We had fruit salad and ice cream for dessert. The fruit salad I fixed was copied from a fruit pizza that I make. The last time I made a fruit pizza, I had fruit leftover so I put it into a small bowl for Ed and he loved it. I drain pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges and put them into a pretty serving dish. To this I add maraschino cherries which I have drained and rinsed thoroughly so that the red juice does not bleed into the other fruits. Next, I peel and quarter four kiwi fruit and add them to the rest of the fruit. And, lastly, I microwave between a fourth and a half cup of orange marmalade until it has thinned a bit and mix it gently into the fruit. We absolutely love this fruit salad and it is delicious eaten over vanilla ice cream, which I did but Ed doesn't. *smile* This fruit salad is also very colorful and attractive to serve.
Back to the pork and sauerkraut. When Daniel was still at home, he used to just grumble something terrible about how badly the pork and sauerkraut smelled. He would never eat it. Now he would eat pork roast if it had not been cooked with sauerkraut, but of course, for New Year's I always cook it together. I had mercy on him. I would always fix him something else for dinner New Year's Day. *smile* You know how we mothers can be.
All of my brothers and sisters had pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, too. *smile* As we were eating dinner at Red Lobster on New Year's Eve Day, I asked everyone if they had their pork and sauerkraut for the next day and everyone said yes. I don't believe our children are carrying on this tradition as they are all much pickier eaters than our generation is.
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After returning home Monday evening, Ed and I watched a movie and then went to bed at about ten-thirty to read. Finally, at about eleven-thirty, being very sleepy, we thought we would talk until the new year arrived, but, alas, we fell asleep, but Ed woke up a while later and said sleepily, "Hey, babe, it's 12:23am.....Happy New Year." I mumbled a "Happy New Year" back to him and slept on. Exciting, hm? *smile* We are way past having to party in the new year. Life is good. We had been invited to Daniel and Erin's church where they had services at church and then food, fellowship and games to see the new year in. That's what we did last year and it was a wonderful time. The young people at our church had pizza, games and prayer this year and they invited us to join them. But at the end of a busy last day of the year, I just couldn't push myself anymore. You see, I had breakfast at 10am with a dear friend who is home from bible school. We talked ourselves silly, while we ate, until shortly after noon. Then I went on to the church where I did the music for a young couple's wedding, which started at 12:30. I was there until about one-thirty. Then I took my car through the automatic car wash and filled it up with gas, went by and picked up my sister Debbie, came home for about a half-hour to freshen up for our dinner date and headed to Lancaster. I got home at about 7:30 that evening. Oh and before leaving that morning, I had done my morning tasks AND fixed cheeseballs for Pastor and Sis. Martin and Elder Bro. and Sis. Martin and delivered them. (Yes, I kind of overdid it for the day and paid for it in the pain department later but it was all worth it!!! *smile*) Oh, and if you're wondering where Ed was in all of this: He had to work Monday, so he was transporting his students to REACH. We kind of passed eachother and waved midst the goings-on of the day. *smile* He wasn't able to join us for our dinner at Red Lobster but I made sure he was taken care of in the food department. *grin*
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We went to Daniel and Erin's yesterday afternoon for a visit. Daniel was by himself, watching the Michigan/Florida game, as Erin and her mother had gone shopping. He's had the sickness that everyone has been passing around, around here the past few weeks. We had such a good visit. The puppies have grown so much and are so adorable! They are all sold, with even little Tiny, who is deaf, being sold yesterday morning. A family had come by to see the puppy in person.....or should that be "in puppy"........that they had bought and when they saw little Tiny, who is all white, they just couldn't resist. Daniel and Erin had planned to just keep her because of her being deaf, but his family just fell in love with her, so the kids relinquished. Just in case you are unaware of this fact, which I was, all-white boxer puppies stand about a 35% chance of being born deaf. Isn't that interesting? Well, Daniel accidentally dropped something next to where the puppies were sleeping one day, making a very loud noise, and all of the puppies started stirring and whining and yipping, except for little Tiny. She just slept on. So that was how they first came to realize that she was probably deaf.
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Another tradition that Ed and I have and many others who live in our area do also, is to leave our outside lights and decorations up through New Year's Day and then turn them on that morning and leave them on the entire day and evening. After that, they come down. Since it snowed last night, we'll have to wait for them to dry out before taking them down and putting them away now.
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Ed once again read his bible through this past year. I am still working on my 2004 reading schedule. I have about 4 books left to read and I am determined to do so. I found an interesting Bible-reading program here. Or if you just Google "Read the bible through in a year", you will find all kinds of reading plans and surely one that will suit you! I googled it for you, so you can just click here.
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Have a great 2nd day of the New Year, everyone!!