December 31, 2013

White Dog was up early working next to the night light in the bathroom. “What are you doing?” I asked coming in to find her notebook on the floor as she was madly writing away. “I am trying to get everyone’s New Year’s Resolutions finished for them. They will need them tonight at midnight.” I took the pencil out of her paw. “Resolutions are personal things, Sweet One, and the best time to make a decision to change is NOT on New Year’s Day.” “But it is traditional!” I kissed her and gave her a gentle shove. “A better use of your time is to oversee preparations for tonight’s celebration.”

YoYoMa and Taiko had volunteered to handle the night’s entertainment and I heard them tell WD their program was “eclectic.” I know that the two boys have VERY different tastes and wondered how they had managed to come to agreement. When I asked Yo during his morning brushing, he swore me to secrecy and then shared the plan. “I get to do 20 minutes of stand-up comedy; you are doing to pass out laughing at my new routine. Then we will all enjoy pate on crusty French bread while we listen to Stravinsky selections; Tai knows he is one of dad’s favorite composers so we will all suffer, errrr, enjoy some highbrow music. Then after dinner, we will retire to a Bugs Bunny and Road Runner cartoon fest followed by the NYE family cuddle and movie, It’s Complicated.” “Sounds wonderful,” I congratulated him.

Oso and Puff chose kitchen duties and worked with Steve to create “Welcoming the New Year Around the World,” a menu of noshes that will have us travelling from France (pate), to India for saag panner, to Russia for blini with sour cream and caviar, to Thailand for coconut milk chicken, to Mexico for calabacitas, and home for sopapillas and pumpkin flan.

Bella who is still too shy to be assigned a specific task will be White Dog’s second in making sure all proceeds smoothly and a good time is had by all. She has whispered to me that if she is truly feeling relaxed that she may even dance for us!

It has been, in many ways, a year of incredible highs and heart-ripping lows and I am proud of how we have weathered, evolved and grown with the winds of fate. We deserve a celebration, a chance to laugh and cry and pat ourselves on the backs for not surrendering. We will enjoy our moment…and we hope you all will too, for so many have been on their own twisted up-and-down journeys.

And at midnight we will stand on the deck and howl at the new moon…in welcome and in challenge. We wish for all a new year filled with health, a full heart, a peaceful mind, and bounty enough to share…we ask the Universe to provide each of you the strength and tools needed not to wish for better in 2014…but to create it!

Be safe, have a fantastic night of celebration, and start the New Year with positive energy! 

Looking with love and excitement at the door to the future, we are blessed to share the journey onward with you. Siku Marie, Puff the Magical, YoYoMa, Oso The Fearless, Taiko the Tender-Hearted, Bella E. Premuroso, Steve and Sue.