It was tempting, but I didn't buy these glasses this afternoon. I did buy a liter of Diet Coke and some fancy popcorn, i.e., made by someone else with more salt and oil than I use at home. I'm now snugly tucked into my cozy apartment. I had a fun afternoon with my friend, M., watching a movie and then we treated ourselves to snacks out. We ended with a two mile walk. I'm now blogging and then will do my Italian lessons on DuoLingo. I'll finish the evening watching the ball drop on television and toasting the new year with a Diet Coke on ice.
My younger self would have found this a much too quiet evening. But my present self is very content. The thought of being in Times Square or anywhere in the twenty blocks around it is inconceivable. I was there in the years (three times) before double security checks. The first year I moved to New York I attended a costume party in a friend's office that looked out on to Times Square. It was the New Year's of 1976. The city was in dire straits, but I was young, employed and at the kind of party I'd always dreamed of attending. I remember leaving at 3:00 a.m. and snow was falling. It was as close to magic as I'd ever known. The friend has long since drifted into the past, I vaguely remember the man I walked outside with on January 1, 1976, but the memory of the snow lightly falling on the streets of New York remains with me.
I'll return tomorrow with my perfect word for 2026. Until then I raise my glass of Diet Coke and toast all of the Citizens of Buttercupland. Thanks for being here, friends, and thanks so much for your gifts of friendship and support, laughter and kindness. Happy, healthy, peace and love now and always.
As ever, thanks for visiting and see you next year.
7 comments
What a wonderful retrospective, Carol. I, too, am more than happy to be sitting at home in my "ugly clothes" -- a scene that not so many years ago would have me doing an exaggerated eye roll. "The old dreams were good dreams" but I'm feeling blessed in the here and now. Here's to more good times and good friends in 2026!
Happy New Year, Carol! I think that home is the perfect place to be on New Year's Eve! I am looking forward to your word for 2026! See you again soon!
We had no intention of staying up into the new year but we became engrossed in an old Goldie Hawn movie and stayed up to finish it.
Earlier in the evening I finished reading my 91st book for 2025 - a disturbing one, Prophet Song.
Happy New Year!
Happy 🎉 New Year, Carol, and I am so glad that we were able to meet in 2025 and look forward to our continuing blog friendship. I liked reading how you would be spending the final day of the year, but also enjoyed the recounting of a NYE event years ago, especially the softly falling snow!
Patrick and myself spent a quiet evening after having invited 14 fellow residents for a get together the day before, Dec 30. Leftovers were delicious yesterday afternoon as we enjoyed them and played games with friends here in the mill apts.
I'm with you on how celebrating is different now than then! We watched NY come in at 7 from London and later wondered how all those people in Times Square could go to the bathroom without losing their place! Wishing you a very Happy New Year!
My good wishes to you for 2026.
All the best Jan
Happy New Year, Carol. Two of my bucket lists include...TS for NYE, and the Thanksgiving parade...alas, Jake has vowed never to step foot in NYC again...sigh.
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