Day 2 - 363 --Not 'Just" Anything

The penultimate day of 2015 -- spent at a grocery store that had many empty shelves, cooking a mediocre veggie dish for a wonderful supper with friends. For me, the accent lies heavily on that last word <smile>.  It is always pleasant and often quite relaxing to get out among people for a social event. Dinner was wonderful -- ham and scalloped potatoes, spinach and strawberry salad, warm beet and chard salad, and sautéed zucchini and eggplant with sticky toffee pudding for dessert. All very yummy.

As the year end approaches, there are several items that I always want to have done. So, tomorrow will see the completion of the yearly bookkeeping, cleaning of the house, and preparation of something to heat and eat for New Year's Day. My grandmother often said that what we do on the first day of the New Year is what we will be doing all year long -- trust me, I don't want that to be cleaning or accounting <grin>.  Granted, this is a superstition of sorts, but I often recognize how these little things creep into my daily thinking <smile>.  It could be that it is a tradition, since cleaning makes sense if company is expected for a holiday visit. Those who celebrate the lunar new year obtain new clothes, fresh flowers and updated household items prior to that New Year's Day. The stores are wall to wall customers. I was in Hong Kong once, flying out on the New Year. The four of us had to hold onto each others coats when crossing the street since there were hundreds of people heading in each direction. Everyone was out finding all those new items to usher in the New Year. Kai Tak Airport on lunar New Year's Day was a story unto itself, since everyone takes a couple weeks off and flies off to see relatives. All flights were overbooked and they tried their best to get us rerouted through Tokyo rather than direct to Vancouver. We stood our ground. That flight was the worst I've been on, with the many flight attendants holed up in the galley for hours without offering water or anything. Again, both of those adventures are for another blog. <smile>

The song for today is one that I've found to mean many things depending on my mood. This year, as in others, I do take issue with the word 'just' in the lyrics. No day should be thought of as 'just' anything. Each one is a gift and different from any other. They are unique and we shouldn't lose sight of that. On the other hand, the title could mean that there isn't a need to go out for a big bash to usher in a new year. Or, it could mean so many other things. I'll share it here so that you each can reflect on the lyrics and discover your own meaning (that is the postmodernist in me shining through <gg>). Enjoy!

It's Just Another New Year's Eve -- Barry Manilow