New Year's Day

No one really had any plans for New Year's Day. It seemed kind of silly to me for Barb and I to stay home and cook, for my parents to stay home and cook, for Barb's parents to stay home and cook. What the heck, let's just get together and cook and eat in one place.

So we did.

I do not believe that there has ever been a New Year's Day in my entire life when I have not started the New Year without pork and sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. It's a Pennsylvania Dutch institution, a symbol of good luck, and something I can't imagine being without on that one day every year.

I love it.

The smell of sauerkraut started taking over the entire house around 10 a.m. yesterday. Now I know this is not everyone's cup of tea. But, for myself, I was in heaven.

The boys bellied up to the table. The two Dads and myself were not getting short-changed on some great eats and we went at it. Barb made a separate pork roast for the ladies, with a gravy accompaniment. The men dug into the sauerkraut.

Alyssa and Charlie joined us for the day and at one point Charlie leaned over to me and said, "Aren't you going to try any gravy?"

I can't hold it against him. He hasn't grown up with this like I have. "The sauerkraut IS the gravy," I explained.

Somehow I made it through the day. It was great to have everone over, and a big thank you to everyone for jumping in their cars and joining us.

The night before I only managed about two-hours of sleep and I was running on fumes all day yesterday, and feeling pretty weak and shaky. Last night I broke down and took a sleeping pill (which I rarely ever take) and fortunately it worked and knocked me down for the night last night.

There's little time to rub the sleepy from the eyes this morning and get going again. It will be off to the hospital again today for another radiation treatment to the hip bone. Then I'll have the weekend to try to rest a little and catch-up on things a lot.