I do make New Year's Resolutions, and I really try hard to stick to them. My resolutions last year included trying to fix many of the things that were broken (health-wise) with my poor ol' body. I tackled the sleep apnea first and now have a CPAP machine that helps tremendously. Then I tackled the bad foot problems, and things pretty much stopped right there! More than five months later, I'm still not fully healed, so the rest of that particular resolution has gone to heck in a handbasket!

And I absolutely do have hawg jowl and black-eyed peas, or Hoppin' John, for New Year's dinner. It's been a family tradition for my whole life. I don't know that it's brought me any luck, but having a pork roast in the oven and beans simmering on the stove makes the house smell like January 1 to me, every year.

I'm thinking up my resolutions for this year as I type. It's always seemed like a good time to take stock of what I've done right or wrong the previous year, and to resolve to do a better job in the new one.

Marcia

I always do blackeyed peas, jiffy cornbread and some green onions on the side Never was a greens person.

The thing backhome was, both Granny's would do a huge pot of blackeyed peas with fatback(mom's side) or hamhock(dad's side), collard greens, buttermilk cornbread (on a woodburning stove), a mess of green onions, and mac & cheese. My granny on my dad's side would have some of her famous sauerkraut( eek..lol) This would usually be a late lunch, early dinner.

So, since they both have passed on, I do my little thing in memory of them. It conjures up fond memories and smells. : )

I don't do the resolution thing. lol

Tropcialfreak

Thats funny. When we attended Bible College in Eastern PA they always had seafood for New Years. They had bins and bins of disgusting squid and other creatures outside of the grocery store even tough it was freezing cold out. Guess they didnt want to smell it indoors. The cats would come from miles around!!!!
We always stuck with cracker and cheeses that we'd gotten s gifts for Christmas!

Gees, I could learn to spell!

The blackeyed peas and hogjowls or pork came from my family.

To "bury" your money was from my MIL. Her Mom was pure scotch.

There is another I remember, out with the old in with the new. I got that one from living in PA. They told me I should clean out the old dirt and remove the Christmas tree before the new year.

Funny what one part of the country does, compared to another part, isn't it? Local traditions, I guess. I was raised that it is bad luck to take down the Christmas tree before New Year's Day, so mine always stays up that long. From the Friday after Thanksgiving until New Year's, and now and then a bit longer, if I'm lazy. That's okay. I have a friend who once left his up until MARCH!!! ACK!

Marcia

Long ago I knew a person that lost her whole family just before Christmas, husband and child and has never taken her tree down! How sad!

I think alot of it is supersition but it is fun to learn about different people and their beliefs.

WE lived in NE PA for 18 yrs. Most of our neighbors had seafood on New Year's Eve and then pork on New Year's Day. We eat whatever we want. Growing up in NYC, I don't recall any food traditions.

I did buy a new calendar for the fridge today and I don't think you are supposed to put it up till after midnight. I don't know where I heard that one, but it sounds good to me.

Happy New Year's!!!
Julie

And to you, Julie! Hope 2009 brings all you wish for! And to everyone else at GW...have a wonderful New Year!

I spent today with my granddaughter and it was a fantastic way to end the year, and hopefully, a good start for 2009. More time to play with Tabby, and less time worrying about stuff that really doesn't amount to a hill of beans! I'm all for helping Tabby dress up in her new Princess Tabitha outfits, and have pretend conversations on her feathered and sequined Princess phone, and in general, totally forget about reality for long stretches of time. Aaaah...the joys of childhood!

Happy New Year, Everybody!

Marcia

Happy New Year everyone!

Yes, we don't bury the money it goes on a window sill in old year comes in, in new year, because many years ago, in the old country Germany it was for the poor and Good Luck for you if they took it, and pork for new years day, because you never want anything that scratches for it's food, a pig roots with it's snout always moving forward...