It is way past midnight, officially January 1st, but the new year is only a few hours old. It's still dark, and the night resonates with echoes of New Year's Eve.
I had initially planned a long, meandering post. Fortunately for you, I'm weary and not in the mood to think or write. I'll offer a few random reflections.
For me, new year's eve has never been a particularly celebratory time. Even at a young age I was always deeply reflective in somber pessimism. To believe that my new year would ever be happy, prosperous, or completely fulfilling was beyond the realms of my limited definition of possibility. To hope for too much was a certain assurance of doom. The superstitions of my Magyar gypsy ancestors taint my blood.
New year's eve has always been a sober time for me - a night for sweet remembrance, teetering on the vague threshold of uncertain possibilities. It is a magical night, a momentous night - filled with visiting ghosts of the past and the internal conflicts of resident demons.
I'm thinking out loud again, which isn't always the wisest thing to do. Reflections are often best left unsaid.
This new year's eve began as a dank, chilly, rainy day and quickly dissolved into a very dark, cold, rainy night. I didn't do much at all, but I did it with peaceful pleasure and a sense of calm that I haven't felt in a long while.
I got up fairly early after a few hours of gratifying sleep. I did chores, played with the cats, went outside for a few rain-soaked minutes to take some photos of the final day of 2016. There was nothing to see, really. Naked, rain-soaked trees and a dismal sky.
view in the back yard
view looking out from the front of the house
This was an extremely quiet night - and the most uneventful new year's eve I can remember. No coyotes or dogs, no owls - absolute silence. I seemed to be completely disconnected from civilization. Nothing but impenetrable darkness and intermittent rain.
I wrote a few emails to long-lost friends, watched the Times Square "festivities" on live-stream, sent a few texts (one to my cousin Nancy), and had a pleasant dinner at midnight.
That's the extent of my new year's eve.
My cat Kitzee (Scratch) stayed with me all night. She's presently on my lap as I write. Bosco and Scruffy are asleep in another room.
I had a few glasses of frosty ginger ale. Cheers!
I lit some candles in remembrance of
ghosts of my past
An antique English mug (loving cup?) from the 1850's, traditionally used on new years eve. It's very large. I've had it for years.
My love and very best wishes to all of you for a peaceful, productive 2017.
Jon V.
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHave a great new year, David!
DeleteI just love your candles and colored lights!! Have never heard of a traditional New Year's cup but it is quite a looker. I had a quiet, peaceful night, too. Enjoyed your sparse, but beautiful, woods pics. May this be a really good year, Jon. :)
ReplyDeleteI've never used that antique new year cup (it's too big) but I think it's an appropriate addition to the spirit of new year's eve. I always light the candles in remembrance of loved ones who have passed away.
DeleteHopefully 2017 will be a good year for both of us!
It has rained al night and still raining here I heard a few fire works as the clock struck twelve, but other than that it was a quite night. Your candles, colored lights are so pretty and I love the mug. Jean
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be raining everywhere - - but we are expecting some snow by next weekend.
DeleteMy very best to you and your family for 2017!
Both the candles and Auld Lang Syne cup are pleasing to my heart.
ReplyDeleteLast night's and this morning's sky is sullen and rainy ... I'm not inclined to 'adult' anytime soon!
Love you right back, JonV! :)
I felt the need to do something "festive", even though it was only a small gesture. I always take out that cup on new year's eve. I'm sure it holds many secret memories. The candles help resurrect warm memories of my past...
DeleteHope your 2017 will be overflowing with all good things!
Lots of fireworks here. So much for the rules of this town. Have a better year Jon.
ReplyDeleteI sure remember the new year's fireworks in Texas! They are annoyingly festive. Take care, Paula, and have a great 2017.
DeleteThanks Jon, and I hope the next year will be a peaceful one for you!
ReplyDeleteMy very best new year wishes to you and your family, Jenny. Your blog is always such a pleasure to read.
DeleteI appreciated your comment on my recent Christmas post (King Ludwig II). I apologize for not responding to it (I'm often lazy about responding to comments).
Scratch looks so thrilled by the festivities!!!! Perhaps all the calm and quite will set the tone for your New Year. A year of tranquility and a change of things to come. Happy New Year to you Jon.
ReplyDeleteI think Scratch was tired...and slightly bored, although I don't see how anyone could be bored after spending the night with me (*smile*).
DeleteHave a delightfully warm and wonderful 2017 (I know you will).
Unfortunately, fireworks are legal where I live and the idiots started setting them off before 7:00 p.m. I fed the German Shepherd a tranquilizer and it only worked for about two hours before I had to feed him another. That did the trick and he managed to sleep through the rest of the night. The noise finally stopped about 12:30. I know there will be more today/tonight because there always is. I don't believe that things will necessarily be better in 2017 but I can say my hip surgeries have been successful and I'm gradually gaining more energy. I hope to get rid of a load of crap that's accumulated over the years and simplify my life. I wish you success in your endeavors and the best of everything.
ReplyDeleteI definitely sympathize with your plight. Fireworks are legal in Texas, too, which always assured a night of annoyances. Sometimes they would be banned during unusually dry weather - but that never stopped people from using them. It's a shame that your German shepherd had to suffer.
DeleteSimplifying our lives is a very good idea. I left some of my things in Texas, and the movers lost a lot of my stuff - - but I still have an abundance of junk that I don't need. I plan to start sorting all the things in the garage.
I'm glad your hip surgery was successful, but gaining strength takes a long time.
Take care and have a wonderful 2017.
Sorry I'm late to reply since I just got home from spending a few days at a mountain resort snowboarding. We got a foot of fresh powder yesterday and the hills were alive with people crashing into one another. All good - no major injuries.
ReplyDeleteI love how you light candles in remembrance of lost loves ones. That makes me want to tear up. I cry easy. And your English mug would really hold a lot of hot chocolate - or tea. It's lovely.
May this New Year equip you with good luck, good health, good fortune, along with many many good times. Happy New Year, Jon ! PS - thank you for the card. Beautiful!
Snowboarding during the holidays sounds like lots of fun. So far there hasn't been any snow here in TN - but when it arrives I'll be doing a lot of slipping and sliding without a snowboard (that's how I injured my back....).
DeleteAs for the candles, I've always been very sentimental and nostalgic - - distant memories haunt me.
I hope your new year will be filled with all good things.
New Year's Eve was stinking hot here, matey, and it still is this morning. Oops, it's now afternoon. But thanks to the wonder of air conditioning, life is bearable.
ReplyDeleteMakes me wonder how we coped when we were kids, we didn't even have fans, except for the hand held ones - they were far too expensive. Only really rich people had them. Even places like banks and so on didn't have air con. Not to my recollection. And I'm not THAT old. (Born in 1050)
Whoops, were I born in 1050, I would indeed be really old! But no, it was the more prosaic 1950.
DeleteThings were very similar when I was a kid in Southern California. We never had air conditioning (and it would get damn hot in the summer and autumn). The schools were never air conditioned - - and I remember going to school in September when it was 114 degrees (Fahrenheit).
DeleteBy the way, I sometimes FEEL like I was born in 1050.....
Have a fantastic New Year!
Loved the pretty lights you still have inside. I think you touched a nerve for me when you talk about ghosts from the past and 'remembrance, teetering on the threshold of uncertain possibilities.' That sounds like my New Year's Eve too. I wish you a HAPPY NEW YEAR! And hope it does not disappoint.
ReplyDeleteColored lights always give me a warm, soothing feeling during the holidays. I love them. The candles also lend to the sentimental atmosphere. I am hopelessly nostalgic and haunted by ghosts and memories of the past.
DeleteHave a blessed and peaceful New Year!
Jon,
ReplyDeleteColored lights also give me a calmness during these hectic and often too commercialized "holiday season." Bill put some up on our fireplace mantle for the first time this year. I suggested we keep them up there all year. I wish you a very happy, peaceful and healthy new year. Love seeing pictures of your cats.
Ron
I've always loved to put colored lights on the fireplace mantle - and I was often tempted to leave them up all year. Then I decided that it would be too much of a good thing, and the novelty of it would be lost.
ReplyDeleteI wish the very best for you and Bill in the new year and always.
I join fellow discerning readers here to extend best wishes in this new year. I'm privileged to be blog-friends with you.
ReplyDelete"Discerning" is probably the key word - - "courageous" might be another. I'm delighted that you've stuck with me, Geo - through all of the bumpy roads. My heartfelt best wishes to you in 2017.
DeleteHappy New Year, Jon and same to the kittahs and Mr. Possum. What a wonderful teacup for a wonderful guy! I'll have to keep me eyes open for something similar when I'm prowling antique shops and shows. I usually walk right past glassware, pottery etc.
ReplyDeleteA Happy New Year to you, too. I love that Auld Lang Syne cup but have absolutely no use for it - - so I take it out every New Year's Eve just to look at it (I keep it in a curio cabinet so that the kitties can't break it).
ReplyDelete