Happy New Year!

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This year, we had a toned-down celebration, but every bit as much fun as anything else we've done in recent years. We took Dickie and Frances, our next-door neighbors, to dinner at a restaurant, using the gift certificate they had given us for Christmas. We also invited our dear friend Vada, who will be 90 in June and looks and acts 20 years or so younger than that.

Afterward, we all adjourned to our house, where we sat telling stories for an hour.

Then, at 10:00 instead of midnight, we put on our party hats and blew our whistles and banged our noise-makers and hugged each other. "We've just added two hours to our new year," said Vada.

Then we sang "Auld Lang Syne". Then we went next door to take our pictures in front of Frances and Dickie's Christmas tree, fancier than almost any you'll ever see anywhere.



Dickie, Yours truly, Vada, Frances



Then we said goodnight and made an early evening of it.

Every one of us felt relieved not to have to wait up any later, and Vada got home well ahead of all the tipsy drivers.

Nothing to prepare, nothing to clean up, and a gift certificate to cover much of the cost. Now that's a great way to do it!