Another year has passed

Seems hard to believe that another year has passed. Tonight is New Year's Eve, tomorrow starts the new year, actually midnight tonight. Or is it midnight tomorrow, I don't know.

I was ill yesterday, another fibromyalgia flare-up -- bad one -- kept me abed all day and night. Today, I'm fine, or as fine as can be considering the pain I was in yesterday. At any rate, I'm out of bed.

Regarding Christmas decorations -- I am NOT putting them away yet. I got them up late, and so I'll keep them around for a couple more weeks. The weather pronosticators are saying we'll have ice and snow to night and all the drunks out there must be careful driving home after the parties of the night. Alan and I haven't been to a party for 10 years, and he was so sick with chemo reactions at that one, we just haven't been since. By the time the parties start, we're too tired to head out.

So, we stay home, eat a late dinner, say goodnight to each other around 10:30 and go to bed. How boring is that?

I remember parties, a few of them, but mostly I remember church gatherings on New Year's Eve. Each church is different. I don't know of any local churches that have a "Watch-night" service. I loved the service back home.

I guess Becky's church has a New Year's Eve service and gathering. I could go out there, NOT. I was supposed to go out yesterday, but didn't quite make it. I wonder if Mt. Calvary still has a festive NYE's service/eatery.

I loved the service -- it was exactly one hour and ended precisely at midnight at which time my father would walk down the center aisle of the church and go into the vestibule and grab the rope that rang the church bell and he would ring the bell for five minutes. Prayer started at around 11:45 p.m., and the bell-ringing signaled the end of the year, and prayer continued until the person praying at midnight was finished, then we went downstairs to the basement and ate.

It was a very late night for us children, and I'm sure we were up bright and early the next morning, but I recall mom giving us a plate of goodies then taking us home, and dad stayed at the church for a while after we left. I may have all this backwards, and I've been thinking about it for days. Did we eat before the service, or afterwards? I'm pretty sure it was afterwards, but it may have changed sometime because after midnight is just too late for old folks and the church people were getting older.

I do know, though, that we children, and my child-hood friends enjoyed the treats after the service.

I have more thoughts about "Watch-Night" services, but I'll save them for another day.

ttfn