Thursday, December 31, 2009

Surprises and Traditions, Goodbye 2009!


The 2009 year ends tonight at midnight. Do you have a tradition you celebrate each year as the clock strikes midnight?

Before I get into my comments about my New Year’s tradition, let me say a special “Thank You” to Albert the Cat. I was surprised yesterday when he stopped by and bestowed the “The Honest Scrap Award” to Thoughts in Progress.

In presenting the award on his blog, he noted: The Honest Scrap citation reads - "for bloggers who put their heart on display as they write from the depths of their soul." He went on to say, “Don't worry if you have received it before. Like the Oscars, they make good bookends.”

I’m proud to say, I have received the award before. It was my first award and was given to me by Michele Emrath from Southern City Mysteries.

I’m delighted to display both awards, along with the other two I have been honored to receive. Now in receiving Albert's award, there are a few conditions that I have to comply with in order to accept it - they are as follows:
*  Highlight the award on your blog and link back to the person who bestowed the award to you - I've done that.
*  Post 10 interesting things about yourself - that will be difficult as I don’t consider myself interesting.
*  Pass on the baton by presenting the award to 10 other blogs.

First, the 10 things about myself: 1) I love most animals;  2)  I don’t like mice, rats, or gophers;  3) I don’t like opossums (they caused my first horse to die); 4) I enjoy horseback riding; 5) I love flying, especially in helicopters; 6) I can’t ride roller coasters; 7) I enjoy taking photographs; 8) I hate having my photograph taken; 9) I love the outdoors; and 10) I enjoy all types of music.

Now to pass the baton on to deserving bloggers. There are so many it’s hard to select just a few. I would like to pass it on to the ones who have help me during these past two months of getting my feet wet in the land of blogging. Since it is my award now, I’m changing the rules a bit. I won’t require that the award is passed on, you can do so if you wish; you don’t have to link the award back to me; but 10 interesting things about yourself would be nice (since I had to come up with mine). Feel free to do as you wish with the award. I pass the award onto:
Mystery Writing is Murder
Southern City Mysteries
Confessions of a Mystery Novelist...
Under the Tiki Hut
Crystal Clear Proofing
Patricia Stoltey
The Conscious Cat 
Journaling Woman
Romance Author, Terry Spear
Lesa's Book Critiques
Cozy Murder Mysteries

Now for traditions. We have a tradition for New Year’s Eve that started the second New Year’s Eve after my husband and I met. We decided to get together with his cousin and his family; one of the cousin’s sisters, her family; and one of their brothers and his families. Yeah, there was a house full of people including a lot of children.

At the time VCRs had just come out and none of us had one yet. We rented a VCR and about a half dozen or so VHS movies from a friend who owned a furniture/appliance store. He told us we were crazy for watching movies on New Year’s Eve.

Well, we did. We stayed up all night watching movies, playing board games, playing games the kids got for Christmas, and playing "Donkey Kong." At midnight we shoot fireworks (we all live in the country).

The cousin’s youngest child was just barely a year old the first New Year’s Eve we all spent together. Tonight he will be there with his wife and their baby boy who just turned two in November.

Every year, even when the kids were teen-agers off dating, they were home (sometimes bringing their dates) by midnight to help with the fireworks. It’s been 28 years and we still rent movies and shoot fireworks on New Year’s Eve.

The crowd has thinned down to us, the cousin and his wife, and their three children and the children’s spouses and children. We no longer stay up all night, but we do still ring in the new year together. It’s a tradition that has a lot of history and meaning to us.

Do you have any traditions on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day? Does your family have a special meal on New Year’s Day?

As this year draws to a close, let me say a special thanks here for all those who have commented on my posts or just stopped by during the past couple of months I’ve been doing this. You all have made my blogging experience wonderful and I look forward to our continued friendship in 2010.

Have a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!


27 comments:

  1. First, thank you SO much, Mason, for the award! I'm very honored!

    As for New Year traditions, I've never really had any, and although I did stay up to ring in the New Year last year, I usually don't. That's way too late for me! :)

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  2. Woohoo, thanks so much, Mason, I'm totally excited and honored! :) My life has fluctuated so much, no real New Year Eve's traditions, although we usually go out for a movie on New Years Eve and I'll be making beef stroganoff for dinner for my son and his girlfriend. New Years Eve? I'll be working on Wolf Fever! :) Have fun, Mason, and again thanks!!!

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  3. Mason - Thank you very much for this award! What a nice surprise! It is a real honor and a privilege.

    Your New Year's Eve traditions sound like a lot of fun, and I think it's wonderful that you've been able to keep them for as long as you have. I hope you thoroughly enjoy New Year's Eve and have a wonderful 2010.

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  4. Crystal, you're welcome. As for staying up late, for some reason our little group doesn't stay up as late each year as they did the one before. Can't image why. :)

    Terry, you're welcome. Thank you for all your help and friendship. The beef stroganoff sounds great. And the movie and an evening with your son and his girlfriend sounds like a good New Year's tradition.

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  5. Margot, you're welcome. It's been a privilege and an honor developing our friendship. Funny, you mentioning how long we've had our tradition. We were talking last night wondering how long we'll be able to continue it. Hopefully for another 20 years. One can dream.

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  6. Thanks so much, Mason!

    New year's Eve traditions? Not much but spending it with the same group of friends for ten or fifteen years!

    Oh, and karaoke!

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  7. Mason,

    Thank you so much for the award! What a nice way to end the year. (And you received yours from Albert the Cat!) I agree with Albert. You have a beautiful blog, and I love the music that plays when I open it.

    No New Year's traditions. In fact, we barely make it past 10 PM, but since, for us, that's past midnight on the east coast, we do watch the ball drop in Times Square, and say, well, we made it to midnight.

    Thank you, Mason! Happy New Year!

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  8. Thanks so much, Mason, for the great award! That's so sweet of you.

    Georgia has a MUCH more fun policy toward fireworks than NC does. We can buy them in SC, but aren't supposed to shoot them here. Sigh.

    My husband and I usually go out to see a play and have dinner. I end up waking up my kids to see the ball drop in NYC on TV. Then we all go to bed!

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder

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  9. Donna, you're welcome. I like the idea of spending the evening with friends. Oh, you and karaoke - I'd love to hear that. Maybe you could record it for us? :)

    Lesa, you're welcome and thank you for the kind words. I've wondered about the music, thanks. I guess technically you are up till midnight. Hope you have a safe and Happy New Year too.

    Elizabeth, you're welcome. Sounds like you have a wonderful tradition with your family. As for the fireworks, we can buy some locally (mostly sparklers and such). The real fireworks we have to buy in Alabama (just across the state line). Since we live in the country we usually can get by with a little more than the normal locally bought fireworks. ;) Have a great New Year.

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  10. We don't have any New Year's Eve traditions, but for New Year's Day, we always have black-eyed peas and cornbread. Must have those!

    Helen
    Straight From Hel

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  11. Thank you for the award, Mason! What a wonderful surprise, and such an honor.

    I don't really have any New Year's traditions, and for the last couple of years, I haven't made it much past 10pm....but it looks like I'm in good company with that! I do like to take some time for reflection on New Year's Eve - look back on and appreciate all the old year has brought, and look forward and think and dream about what I'd like to create in the New Year.

    Have a very Happy New Year, Mason!

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  12. Helen, sounds like you have the same meal we do. We also have turnip greens (which I can't eat) with it that is suppose to represent more money for the coming year. Such traditions. :)

    Ingrid, you're welcome. As I get older I start thinking the New Year really should be observed earlier in the day. It does get harder and harder to stay up till midnight. Hope you have a wonderful New Year.

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  13. Congrats on the awards - & thanks for the new links to check out :)

    We don't have any new year's traditions - although we've often done the movie thing with friends as well. Wishing you the best for the new year!

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  14. No New Year's Eve traditions at our house, but like Helen, we ALWAYS eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

    Thank you for the Honest Scrap Award. It's an honor.

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  15. Jemi, New Year's Eve is always the time I get to catch up on new movies out on DVD. I don't watch that many during the year. Hope you enjoy the links. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

    Carol, you're welcome. Another Southern eater. I'll remember ya'll tomorrow when I'm eating my black-eyed peas.

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  16. Thanks so much for thinking of me with the award! I really enjoy your blog and the content. I love coming here and try to come every time you post. It feels like home.

    I want to say what a great tradition you have. I have absolutely none - zero- on NYE or day. Now I feel cheated. :)

    Happy New Year!

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  17. Teresa, you're welcome and I'm so glad you feel like you're home here. That's very sweet. You could look at that by not having a tradition, you have a tradition. When we first got together all those years ago, none of us realized we were starting a tradition. Time just flys by.

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  18. Kudos on the award! And only blogging 2 months? Quite a remarkable thing you have going already. No traditions for the Wilsons - we just do whatever seems right to have happen each year. Happy New year to you and yours!

    Marvin D Wilson

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  19. Marvin, thank you for the kind words. Sounds like the Wilsons are ready for the unexpected and enjoying life as it comes. Way to go. Happy New Year to you and your family as well.

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  20. Congratulations on receiving the Honest Scrap award, Mason, and thank you a bunch for passing it on to me (and in such wonderful company). I appreciate it very much.

    Now that my hubby and I are older, the New Year's Eve tradition is to watch the party on television, celebrating on eastern time (instead of mountain time) so I don't have to stay up so late. The New Year's Day tradition is watching the Rose Bowl Parade on television. Geesh, that makes us sound like a couple of old fuddy-duddies.

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  21. Patricia, you're welcome. Thank you for your friendship. I don't think you and your husband are fuddy-duddies at all. Sounds like a wonderful way to bring in the New Year - with the one you love and then enjoying beautiful floats the next day. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

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  22. I just found your blog today and wanted to wish you have a Happy and Healthy New Year. May all they books that your read in 2010 be terrific.

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  23. Diane, thank you so much. Hope you have a safe and Happy New Year. Looking forward to seeing you back again.

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  24. Felicitation on your awards and every happiness to you and yours in the New Year.
    Warmest regards,
    Simone

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  25. Simone, thank you for the kind words. May the New Year bring you good health, success, and much happiness.

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  26. I'm getting to this late because the post is so chock full of respondable sentences...

    At 11pm last night my husband and I were headed to bed after watching a movie for his birthday when we both realized it was also New Year's Eve! This is the first year we haven't celebrated the holiday, but I'm glad to say we did spend the day celebrating him. So I think that is ok for us.

    Thank you for the award. It means a lot to get it back from you! I promise to follow the rules as soon as possible.

    Michele

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  27. Michele, sounds like you celebrated New Year's Eve in the best possible way - honoring the one you love. Nothing could bet that. You are more than welcome about the award.

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