New Year's

We have certain routines for New Year’s at our place.

On New Year’s Eve, if I have not done so, I am compelled to do some bookkeeping for my business. Mostly things I can do at the desk on the computer. Close out all last years records and total them up, then get new spreadsheets started for next years business activities. Computers sure do make this job easier.

We make it a “general habit” to stay home for New Year’s Eve, for several reasons. First, it has been a long time since I cared one wit about seeing the clock turn to midnight! I have probably seen it nearly every night this week, but not by choice, which makes it very likely I will be up at the change of the year, but it won’t be on purpose. Second, I hate to be a on the roads after mid-night on New Year’s Eve. Despite the fact that drunken driving awareness is better than it used to be, it still only takes one ‘nut’ to kill you or your family. It we needed more reason, tonight appears to be a ‘nasty’ one in MN. In our area we have rain, snow and wind picking up later with falling temperatures, that makes it even harder for an intoxicated person to keep to their side of the ditch! I will just stay home, no as though I would be up to a “party” this year to begin with.

New Year’s Day dinner at our home for the past 15 years or more has been a “primitive meal”, meaning, the main courses are wild meat, home grown vegetables, and early American foods. Served up on cast iron and primitive plates. Most often we dress in rendezvous clothing and use candlelight to top off the atmosphere.

I don’t think we are going primitive tomorrow unless the weather makes it necessary. They say we have a change of losing our power due to ice and heavy winds over the next 24-36 hours. Makes little difference to me, except in my weakened condition I am having trouble staying warm.

This should bring a smile to someone. I was so cold, at my noontime nap, I moved my quilt and electric blanket to a folded out futon, right in front of our big soapstone woodstove. Cranked the heat up on the blanket and commenced to nap. My wife was concerned that I was going to case problems by making an obvious fever worse, while my claim was that I could break the fever if I could get warmed up. J I am sure that will drive my medical friends nuts, but it was only a low-level fever, which I have been fighting for months.

After my nap I woke up, somewhat wet, but aware that I felt warm and much better and was sure the fever had broke. While laying there being warm for the first time today, I was thinking about what I might do if the power fails us and I don’t have my electric blanket. My half-awake mind pictured a Baker style lean-too tent set up over the futon, right there in the living room!

If you are not familiar with a Baker, or sometimes referred to as a Whelan lean too tent. They are designed to be open in the front to catch heat from the fire and closed on both sides and back, to hold the heat.

One thing is certain, it would work right there in front of that big woodstove. The only problem being, I fear my wife and child might go on some kind of war-path if I tried to “hog up” all the heat, if the power was out. But we always have plans to handle a power outage by closing off the upstairs bedrooms and “camping out” downstairs anyway. In fact it is generally easier for us to manage a power failure in the winter than it is the summer, due to the freezer being on a ’mud porch’ that is not heated and will keep good in the cold, but poorly in the heat. Hopefully the power will stay with us.

This evening I will at some point sit down and closely look at the things we have done this year and years past and reflect on what the future might be. As I have said elsewhere, I believe it better to reflect, for learning purposes and enjoyment, and look ahead with a degree of realism and expectation. But most of all, Enjoy the Day and be Thankful, We don’t know how many we have left to us.

Hopeing all have a safe New Year’s Eve and a Happy New Years Day!