New Year

 New Year's come and New Year's gone and life goes on as ever.

We're having a week of stricter lock down so schools can open next Monday.  Sometimes it rains.  Some days the sun shines.

We spent New Years Eve on our own and somehow I managed to stay awake till midnight.  Don't know how, don't know why.  There was nothing of interest on television and we counted the minutes and I yawned.  No fireworks, no neighbourhood celebrations.  

K went out and broke a pomegranite for good luck.  It was bit on the hard side so I cut the top with a sharp knife to encourage good luck.  It spattered all over the paving stones so I suppose we're good for another year, just like we were last year.

He came back inside making sure the first step was with his right foot, tapped me on the back of the neck with a key and all traditions taken care of he settled down to a long winter's night with visions of sugar plums dancing in his head.

New Year's day was very bright and sunny.  We sat outside and warmed our bones.  The silence was audible.  Not a dog barked or bird chirped.  Fine for me.  Peace.  Traditional people do not like peace and quiet.  But it didn't last long.

A guinea fowl started its raucous cry  and then the family arrived en masse

Time to cut the New Year's pita and see who won the lucky coin.

Elli won the 'flouri' in our pita (cake) 

K won the 'gold' coin in Elli's pita/cake.

We all ate from both of them and leftovers were removed from our house.  We have enough sweet cakes and biscuits till last us till Easter.  I turned the last of the fruit/xmas cake into a trifle, pouring orange juice and whiskey over the pieces of cake before I added the custard.  We finished that off this afternoon.

The branch of the family down-by-the-sea had an at-home-party

on New Years Eve.  Gin fizz and virgin cocktails.

Yeh!!!  Three calendars arrived from New Zealand today.  One for each household.  We love our kiwi calendars.  One hangs over my computer as I write.  I turned last years calendar back to January.  Now I can discard it and write up this years calendar with name days, birthdays, births, baptisms and hopefully a few family get togethers.  Maybe towards the end of the year.  Thanks R and J

One more xmas card has arrived from England.  I await the rest.