Happy new year! Happy new year to all! I have a cold dumpling in Saran wrap sitting on my desk, left over from a celebration at Maria's, waiting to be devoured at midnight.

According to tradition, one wears new clothes on New Year's day. I have my own something new and red close by. Also according to tradition, one goes around the neighborhood the morning of, wishing all their friends and neighbors prosperity and happiness. The proverbs that go along with this are far too loaded with meaning to be cruelly translated by me, suffice to say that when I was younger, it was a race to see how many I can remember and how fast I can spew them out in one breath. I must have gone around the neighborhood with my grandparents every year growing up, yet somehow, only one particular memory stands out.

I can see the living room, almost the couches... I can recall the voices, but see only my grandfather's smile, and my grandmother's beam, as I said my greeting. I did't want to linger, for I was wearing new clothes that I couldn't wait to show off. This makes standing still quite difficult, thus I shifted my feet in the coal-furnace heated house...

Anyways, a bit of memory to comfort me when I am so far from it all...

Thank you for your kind words.