Monday, December 31, 2018

New Years Day


It is hard to adjust to it being the new year, when I wasn't even finished with 2018. I could have used a few more months, could you?

New Years Eve and New Years Day is in some ways much better than Christmas, as there is no prescribed custom. It is up to the individual how to observe it. 

In the north, the weather is usually so bad it is dangerous to drive or travel in any way. As a result, many people are alone, and reluctant to go to any celebrations, even at church. Driving late at night in the winter in some places is not a great idea, so there are a lot of stay-home ideas going on. I called around to some of my friends and found out what they are doing:


--Making a letter-writing station, with envelopes and materials all stacked up and in order, on a newly designated desk or table, so that they can begin the year keeping up with correspondence.

--Cleaning out a shelf and making it a station of some kind, for snacks or drinks.

--Trying out a recipe they have been intending to use all year. Those who live alone tell me they have learned to divide the ingredients into 1/12 amounts so they don't have too much, and it makes it easier to try new recipes.

--Painting a picture.

--Trying a new paper craft, such as paper-bag albums, and  other things with paper bags.

--Sewing a New Year dress.  I regret I have not done that, but I've been busy changing the bandages on Mr. S.'s foot, while it heals, and he is very grateful. He let me out for awhile today so I could get him some more food supplies.

--Reading

Other people I talked to said they were enjoying resting at home and keeping themselves away from bad news.


6 comments:

Sandy Lewis said...

Happy New Year! These are great ideas to start the new year with! I also have set up a letter writing box with stationary, notecards and thank you cards! I’m ready to send and receive and enjoy FUN mail!!!
I hope you and your husband have a happy and healthy new year! Hugs, Sandy

Janet W. said...

Oh Lydia, Mr.S is not the only one with a dry sense of humor. You are quite good at it yourself, “ He let me out for awhile today so I could get him some more food supplies”. ��
Happy New Year Sweet Lady!
Janet Westrup

Lynn said...

How about watching some You Tube videos as another idea.

Emmarinda said...

We are in Seattle at the moment, visiting relatives. I am happy to be here but will welcome getting back to the east coast later this week in order to begin implementing some of my new year's resolutions. For instance, I want to purge a good deal of our build-up around the house. My desire is to simplify and live as quietly and peaceably as the Lord allows this year.

Laura Jeanne said...

On New Year's Eve, we watched a slide show on the computer of every single picture I took in 2018. It took an hour and a half! But it was fun to review all the fun things we'd done in the past year.

Today, I have been working on decluttering the house, a job which I began several days ago. I always do that after Christmas, because I feel claustrophobic when all the new Christmas gifts come into our small home. Today I organized all the bookshelves, removed 3 boxes of books to donate, and went through all the children's coats and footwear. I found some old winter coats to donate, and I threw out several small bags of old footwear that were too small for anyone to wear!

My goal for 2018 is to completely declutter and organize the entire house, even all my fabric and craft supplies, and to paint the rooms that need it. I feel better, energy-wise, than I have in years thanks to some new iron pills I've been taking, so I'm optimistic that I will be able to do it!

Lydia said...

I agree heartily with all you are doing. Most people say they want to declutter and refine their home living to make it easier to clean, find things, have more space. My biggest enemy is paper and books; cookbooks especially; also many patterns which I've saved since the beginning of my time. But if I can coral them all, and make everything stay in its place, it won't bother us as much.

My goal is to keep the fridge clean and the dishwasher unloaded and loaded; the kitchen clean, the floors clean too. The laundry, and the bathroom. I still read flylady, a homemaker coach that has great ideas. Keeping the house in top notch shape makes my mind clearer, my thinking more keen, my concentration so much better. Its like having windex on my thoughts,