New Year's Eve: All About Tradition

Christmas is all about it, of course -- and so is New Year's Eve.  Tradition.  

Tradition.  Not Jewish tradition. Not here, anyway. Pretty thoroughly Catholic tradition at our house.  For instance, today was always a fast and abstinence day for us -- a fast before the feast day.  Today we prepare for the feast of the Circumcision, the day on which Jesus officially received His Holy Name.  Kind of a big day in the Church -- in the history of the world!  And so, in the strictest traditions, Catholics fast and abstain -- no meat.  We've rather relaxed our observance of this in recent years for various reasons, but the meatless tradition has stuck...   I'll get to how that is in a minute.

But, first, along with the Church observances, we have about a bazillion family traditions at our house, too. As all families do.  But especially as numerically blessed families seem to!  Why is that, you ask? What's with that, you ask? How did all the traditions get started?  Ehhh..  As Tevye says, "I don't know."

But here's what goes on around here in the dangly last few hours of every year:

We always have board games going -- card games, too, but today this day it was Monopoly, and Grandma apparently "kicked everybody's butt,"  (This according to William, who said she did seem to feel bad about it anyway...)

And you'll notice there's a jigsaw puzzle in the making.  The children get one
pretty much every Christmas and Grandpa helps them assemble it before he leaves
shortly after New Year's.  It's tradition.  Also tradition, the scramble to get it out of the way
in time for New Year's Eve dinner!

Because that's the biggest deal of all, the special New Year's Blow Out Meal, courtesy of Dan's parents.  Since we traditionally observed this day as a Vigil Day (as I mentioned), we've gone back and forth over the years between meatless enchiladas and cioppino.  This year was a cioppino year -- and, oh. my. goodness.  We all agree that this may be the best seafood feast yet!

Sharon outdid herself!  Smell that Ocean Goodness?

(Try not to gag, Nicole...  gglggl)

Everyone got to crack open their king crab legs and fish out the yumminess...

Grandpa (Dan) is a pro!

Grandma (Sharon) and my Dan know what they're doing.

The girls have it figured out!

But William?

Not so much.

 We helped him, though.  Don't worry.  He got some crab.  :)
And, now as I sit here typing, we're watching Princess Bride.  It's tradition.  After Princess Bride, the kids will watch Shrek with Grandpa.  Tradition.  Dan and I will go to bed like we always do --  It's tradition. We're old fuddy-duds that way (and someone has to be alert to get the troops going for morning Mass tomorrow!)  The children will play Bingo with special Grandpa prizes, and they'll stay up until midnight, wear silly hats, blow on horns, have a glass of sparkling apple juice, and go straight to bed.  Tradition. And they'll all wake up tired tomorrow.  Tired and grumpy.  Tradition.

What is not traditional this year is how short-handed we are for our New Year's Eve party.  Dominic had to work today and is sick tonight, so is missing out in order to go to bed early.  My sister who's usually here had to go home last weekend; Michelle who's living in California near her fiancee had to leave last weekend, too; Paul is stationed in Florida with Nicole and the children and couldn't make it home this year; Kevin is in Denver and couldn't make it due to work;  Frater Philip is at the seminary where they pray for the rest of us as we put the old year to bed and wake up the new year.  Deo Gratias for them!  But we miss Frater and all the children as we go through the familiar old New Year's routine.

 Life goes on that way, though, and each new year takes some and gives some. Even as we add to the happiness bank, we have to adjust to the changes as the children grow up.  We're so proud and happy for all of them as they make life decisions -- all in Godly ways moving in Godly directions -- but we can't help but feel lonesome for them sometimes and nostalgic for the old days.  But, to everything there is a season; a time to every purpose under heaven...  And there's more happiness than anything in this season. Happiness and new traditions getting started. 2015 promises to be very exciting -- and very busy!  More on that as the new year gets rolling...

In the meantime, ((Hugs)) and prayers for blessings for all our friends and family, far and near, and our best wishes for all good things, but mostly that Christ reigns in our homes and families and that Mary's Immaculate Heart triumphs over the forces of evil in our world. Happy New Year, everyone!

Davis Family Video #42

Because this is what little boys do.  Saved for posterity.

Yes, That is Frost

On the inside of the window.

Isn't it kinda pretty? Living in an old house, you get to enjoy this kind winter art display on a sub zero morning.  No biggie, though.  We're used to it, having lived in thermal-window-challenged homes most of our family life.  The kids just get up, throw another log on the fire, slip on another sweater, and snuggle under a fuzzy throw blanket -- before turning on Monsters Inc. on New Year's Eve eve.  All part of the ambiance, it's a connection with our pioneer forefathers and mothers that none of us really minds all that much.  The grandparents think we're a little nuts I'm pretty sure, but it's all good. (I guess we are a little nuts.)

We hear Vegas is expecting snow tonight.  How 'bout that?  We're glad we'll miss it!  Though snow would have been a more than welcome change of pace for us when we lived there, I'm not sure we would have enjoyed it as much in the conventional, air-forced-heat house we lived in --  with the cactus in the front yard and all of Vegas behaving like the world is coming to an end because of a few snowflakes.  We'd rather live where a December snow storm is a matter of course, where no one thinks twice about throwing the truck into 4th gear to run into town during a snow storm to get marshmallows for hot cocoa.

Our cozy little old house is resplendent in the snow, windows made up in ice crystals, icicles dangling like earrings, snow drifting down on the roof like a sequined veil. Lovely, but nothing new or unusual about it. The Nebraska cold and snow has christened this house every new year for over a century, blowing through the cracks in the windows on every new tenant...  Let's test this new bunch of tenderfeet!  But, ha! No winter wimps here. This is all old stuff to us.  We turn our heavily-sweatered backs to the drafts, we trace patterns in the ice crystals, we keep a pot of hot chocolate going on the stove -- and see who we can talk into going down the road for marshmallows... and we type long blog posts to keep our fingers warm.  (And intermittently cradle a cup of warm mocha in my fingers..)

Happy New Year's Eve eve to all.  Hope everyone is warm and contented.  Or at least contented not being too warm.  (And hang in there, Las Vegas friends! It'll be over soon!)

The Camera Jinx

So, almost all of our cameras are out of commission for various reasons -- and the one working camera went missing until just this morning....  Terrible timing. Michelle was here for Christmas, as well as Frater Philip, along with my Mom and brother, Steve, my sister, Nina, and Dan's parents...  And now that the little red camera has shown up... the family has just about all gone home.   And here I am with almost no Christmas pictures this year.  No silly mug shots on Christmas morning.  No record of everyone's Christmas outfits.  No gift-opening  photos; no waffle breakfast pics. Dadgummit.

It's not a total loss, though.  I think.  I might be able to get a hold of a couple shots Dominic took with his phone over the last couple of days...  Plus Dan's parents are still in town, so we'll hopefully get some pics at the traditional New Year's Eve party with them with the little camera...

And there are these, from this afternoon after we found the camera.

New sleds for Christmas, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa.  And snow today...

 Deo Gratias!

Just a couple inches  --  but enough for some refugees from the Nevada desert to wallow in for a while.
 And these Colorado natives know what to do with snow.

There are those who throw snowballs...

Those who avoid snowballs...

Those who slide in the snow...

Those who fall in the snow...

Those who warm up kitties (or who get warm by snuggling with kitties)...

And those who take pictures of them!

And then run in and make a great
big huge cup of cappuccino to warm up.

Busy Elves Tour

Advent starts out fairly slow and simple around here, then ramps up like crazy the last week or so. We do just a bit of decorating the first couple of weeks -- and do a good bit of preliminary behind-the-scenes planning (i.e., shopping).  Early hang a wreath with purple ribbon on our front door, trim our bulletin board in purple, and set up our Advent wreath and our little manger with the straw-incentive devotion for the children...

Our Advent calendar this year is a simple map of the Holy Land.
We've been moving a little image of the Holy Family, step
by step across the landscape to Bethlehem.  The first child up
and about gets to make the move.  (That's almost always William.)

Our manger with the straw is just out of the picture on a little
shelf just beneath the purple topper on the table beneath the
Blessed Mother and the Advent wreath... It's good and full
of soft hay, I'm happy to report!

But, now here we are -- less than a week to Christmas, and we have to scurry to get everything ready for Jesus' Birthday!  The children and I started the bare bones of the Nativity scene this past week, but Dominic is really the master of this art.  We were so relieved when he got the day off the work and could come help us finish it off in grand style!  

Dominic at the good ole' chop saw.
(The children decided today was "hat day."I don't know why; 
they just do that sort of thing sometimes.  Thus the chapeaus.
In case you wondered.)

 Come this way now, into the living room.  See what's going up on the venerable old green cabinet?

Starry sky installed, Dominic and company have begun working on the vertical "layers," here.
Since our house is so --
How shall I say?  Quaint?  Cute?  Compact?  Lacking horizontal space? 
-- we had to get creative and work up the wall for the Nativity scene...

Smile, William.  Thanks.

In the interest of full disclosure:  the house is a complete disaster today.  This small
sample of disarray doesn't do justice to the bedlam everywhere.

We think it's coming along amazingly -- but Dominic's not satisfied....  (We're
so not worried, though...  He always comes up with something spectacular.)

Meanwhile...  In the dining room, the girls are sharpening saw blades...

Because we have to be able to cut the Yule logs -- which mainly means the wood
that will keep us all from freezing this Christmas season...

...and because every girl should have "saw blade sharpening" in her repertoire of skills.

A little bit of holly and ivy on the book case -- and our old Franciscan monk
and nun that Gabriel found rummaging around out in storage bins today...

Everything, including the kitchen sink is starting to look Christmas-y.
(Check it out: more clean dishes on the drainboard than dirty dishes
in the sink. A miracle. Or beautifully efficient girls working behind the
scenes. Thanks, girls!)

The hand-carved Nativity Dan's parents brought us back from Bethlehem
a few years back.

Even a wreath on the bathroom door...

 And now, if you'd like, follow me outside, to the head elf's workshop...

Consider this an official pass to come in and have a look around.
Welcome!

Here we are, you see, at gift wrap central.

Got a nice snuggly fire going in Miss Hottentot.
(Need it, too; it's cold outside!)

Little wreath and candle over in the corner. (I love candles!)

My little Hummel, reading girl.  I've had her forever, but haven't
had a good place for her.  She seems very happy right here, though.

The daybed is hard to resist sometimes...  but too much work to do
to test it out just now...

Been drinking chai tea, using my early Christmas gift from Dan,
my electric kettle.  That drawer right there is full of tea.  :)

And my little cabinet.  My uncle's collection of little lead
Christmas skaters and a happy antique store find,
 our vintage sparkly Christmas town, seem made to
go in here.

The bulletin board above my desk we made from an old screen door
 with cork behind it. Isn't the original red paint awesome? 

And this is my favorite seat in my favorite place in the whole world.
How 'bout you snuggle in on the daybed and we'll have a cuppa
tea and a chat?

Oh, did you spy my little mouse house?  You have to get
a closer look.  This was so much fun to "build."  The children
built me my little summer kitchen hide-away -- and all I
constructed was this little hole in the wall.  But it makes me
smile.  Climb down there and have a look.

See?  That's Mr. and Mrs. Mouze.  (They're the mousie equivalent
of me and Dan.  See Mr. Mouze's glasses -- just like Dan's.)

Yes, see?  There's a light in there -- another couple mice, a rug,
 and an indoor Christmas tree.  

Got a little better view from here. Don't tell the Mouzes, but I'm
working on a welcome mat for them for Christmas --  and
maybe a covered porch.  Still working out the details...

 But now -- I guess I'd better get busy.  Have to go make some dinner. (Have no idea what!) and then have a slew more gifts to wrap!  So, yeah...  I'll spare you -- for now anyway.

"No more pictures!"

I'll update with some shots of the finished Nativity when Dominic gives me the thumbs up!

Thanks for coming by for a visit!  Blessings in the last week of preparation!