Life on the Prairie

We are excited to invite you to our newly constructed website. Click on the address below to visit our new website: www.onceupontheprairieblog.wordpress.com .

Don't forget to check out Judy's website at www.judithacarroll.wordpress.com for more stories.

You can still reach us at jcindy65@live.com as well.

Life on the Prairie

 

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

                                  -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

 

                          

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

                                           by Judy
I recently found a list of New Year’s resolutions I made over twenty-five years ago. At the top of my list was a resolution to always pick my children up from school, piano lessons, golf practice, birthday parties, or study sessions at the library on time. I did not keep that one. My children, now adults, have forgiven me and have overcome their feelings of abandonment. They have told me, though, if cell phones had been available during their youth, a call from me saying I was running late would have been appreciated.

Second on my list was a resolution to clean closets. As I thought back, the only time I remembered cleaning closets followed an unfortunate month -long problem with mice. While I did end up with better organized closets and found the jeans I thought gone forever, the mice did not fare well. I am making cleaning closets a resolution for the coming year.

Twenty-five years ago, my third resolution was to lose twenty pounds, and I’m happy to report, I had some success with that resolution. Oh yes, I’ve lost twenty pounds at least four or five times. Of course, I’ve always found those pounds. (Actually, they were all right there together—around my midsection.)

Another resolution was to not get out of bed before 5:00 A.M. I’m sad to say, I had no success with that one. My four children were spaced in such a manner that my years of having a child in high school lasted fourteen years. There were countless early morning trips to the high school parking lot for a child to catch a bus. My memory failed me when I tried to recall who went where during those years. I do remember, though, I was able to re-route my trip home so I could stop at the donut shop. No doubt, those donuts contributed to my finding the 20 pounds I lost. Funny, now that I don’t have to get up early, I naturally wake up early—I think it has something to do with my intake of fluids.

My old list of resolutions included one to not stay up past midnight, even if the party was at my house. These days I’m excited if I’m awake at 8:30 P.M., so I can change into my jammies for my 9:00 P.M. bedtime. I don’t worry about a party at my house lasting until midnight either. If any of my friends are able to party until midnight, I don’t know it since I’ve not been awake at midnight for years.

So now that I’m older, how do I celebrate New Year’s Eve? Most often, Grandpa and I celebrate it babysitting our grandchildren. We begin snacking around 7:00 P.M. We make a few resolutions and play Twister or charades. At 8:00 P.M. we put on party hats, blow whistles, ring bells, throw confetti, and wish each other a happy new year. Following that, the little ones that can’t yet tell time go to bed. I, myself, am ready for bed at 9:00 P.M.

What about the kids who can tell time? Oh, they are just fine with the plan. Last year I paid them $5.00 each to not tell the younger ones the real time, and after they pinky promised not to wake me, I let them stay up until midnight to watch the ball drop on television. It may cost me a little more this year, but….

Happy New Year everyone!