I love a New Year! It just has that new year smell. It’s so bright and shiny and full of possibility. It’s the time to make fresh starts and dream of the future. I just love it so. I also love that there are so many great family traditions our families have around New Years. I thought I would share some of our family traditions and our hopes for 2019 with you, Dear Reader.
Traditions
New Years Toilet
We have never been party people for New Years Eve so most of NYE is spent with delicious food and a chocolate fountain. It’s yummy and interactive! A few years ago we added a New Years Toilet to this tradition. That’s right I said New Years Toilet. It began in a year Susan spent time putting in a new toilet at her parents house, and our Nephew Evan asked what we were going to do with the old toilet that temporarily was on the front porch. I’m not quite sure how it happened, but that turned in to us coming up with a new tradition of decorating the new toilet and at midnight we give it a flush. We have continued with the ceremonial flush every year since, and it tickles me so.
New Years Pretzel
As long as I can remember my Mama and Mom have made New Years Pretzels. The name is a little misleading as it is not a pretzel in the normal pretzel sense. It’s more of a yeast bread in the shape of pretzel. The family recipe calls for candied fruit in it, although I prefer it with out. It turns out that this seems to be a Pittsburgh tradition that maybe stems from a German tradition, as best I can figure out on the internet. I have purchased most of my adult New Years pretzels because I’m a terrible baker but this year I decided to tackle the beast, and drum roll please….. I did it! I succeeded in making something that was edible and not awful. Once you warmed it up and added a little butter it was down right good. I hope to do even better next year.
Pork and Sauerkraut
My family has also done the traditional pork and sauerkraut meals to start the new year off right. This year we waited until this weekend to have it with my family. In past years I have even made do with tiny sausages and a jar of sauerkraut…you do what you have to do.
Hopes and Dreams
My favorite tradition is to come up with a bucket list of things to do and accomplish this year. You might call them resolutions but I like making it a bucket list better. I’m still working on firming up my ideas but here are some ideas flowing around my brain.
The Year of 40 list
So I turn 40 this year so I’m planning on making a list of 40 things to do during the year. I’m getting really excited about this list and totally taking suggestions.
The Shed
We’ve decided this is the year we build a garden shed on the side of our house closer to the garden. We had thought we would do that in 2018 but we got distracted by the outdoor shower build and I have no regrets.
Harvest and Preserving
I admit this past year was not a great year for getting to use our garden goodies. I don’t know if it was a sophomore slump in the new garden, too wet, or just being overwhelmed, but we didn’t do a great job of living up to our gardens potential. I hope to do a much better job of eating and preserving all we can from the garden.
Garden Beds
I’d like to add a new garden bed but I don’t know where yet and I haven’t told Susan…so shhhhhhhh.
Organization
We hope to get our utility room and basement in a more organized state so life can be a little easier to get to things in storage and to functional things.
Slow Down
In the warm months we always seem to be so busy that there doesn’t seem to be time to really enjoy the fruits of our labor and I want to make a deliberate effort to change that.
Create
We hope to add new products and create more things we love. We also hope to put energy and love into our website and store and find ways to share even more with you.
So Dear Readers, that is the big list and our fun traditions. I’m hoping that by writing them down and sharing them with you I have given them even more power. I’d love to hear what your traditions are and if you have any grand plans for 2019.
Katrina