HAPPY NEW YEAR
FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE
FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE
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About Me
- nightreader
- Smithers, BC, Canada
- My profile photo shows me holding a 3-4 week old baby Black Bear. Just goes to show life is full of surprises. I was born in Vancouver, BC, Canada, 1st of 5 children, I'm the only girl. Met my husband in church where he was packing his parachute in the hall while I was at choir practice; married 50 yrs, 3 children, 4 grandchildren, all in B.C. Moved to Smithers in 2006 and love it. I have run the gamut of girl friday for Customs agency, pay office clerk for Longshoremen, hobby then pig farmer, retail clerk, University Professors' assistant until retirement. Moved from New Westminster, where coincidentally my maternal grandmother was born in 1892! We moved to the rural district west of Smithers in northern BC and joined the wildlife. The rest is history. I absolutely feel at home here. Since I turned 70 my whole life has changed. I've enjoyed the friendship of the Northern Lights Wildlife Refuge members and all the work they do with wildlife rescue, particularly the bears. I enjoy everything book. Am currently a proofreader, have done some light editing, review books and occasionally do some writing in between. The only thing I haven't done yet is get back to ice-skating!
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2 comments:
Thinking about New Years' past, I realize that if it's not shared with family and friends, it's just not the same. I grew up in Vancouver, BC, with both sets of grandparents throwing huge parties New Years' Eve (my Dad's Carver side) and New Years' Day (my Mom's Harcus side and my Carver side). Although these parties were well-weighted to relatives from all over the area, and many lifetime friends.
The Harcus side also had a big party of closest relatives New Years Eve. Both Grandmas would be baking, cream puffs, shortbread, gingerbread, Nanaimo bars (interestingly, we called them New York Special, strange considering the family originally came to Vancouver Island in 1858/9 and the father (Great-great-great Grandpa Kelly) did some work in Nanaimo in the 1860s), date bars, meringues (which my cousins & I called "Lights", and all kinds of fancy baked goods & candy, even turkish delight. There would be games, dancing, and the most wonderful food.
Turkey dinner at both houses on New Years Day (we had two turkey dinners every year, one at noon and one at suppertime). I tried counting up from my memory and got close to 100 at each New Years party (not for dinner). Only one of my brothers and myself were in on these parties, because my other brothers were born after these had been considerably downsized when my Great Grandma Kelly (Harcus side) became ill, and Grandma & Grandpa Carver moved to a basement suite.
Grandma Carver passed away relatively young at 63, Grandpa Carver a few years later. Grandpa Harcus passed away on Leap Year Day, in 1968, and Grandma Harcus on New Years Day 1988 in her 96th year.
Because of the wonderful parties I attended as a child, I knew a lot of the (very) extended family, which has been a real help to me in genealogy. Also the fact that most of the family lived within driving or ferry distance away. Some came further: from Seattle and area, some from California, and some managed to come from Wisconsin and further east both in Canada & the US on occasion.
My parents have carried on the tradition of mostly immediate family and anyone else we might bring along. Considering the size of the family, that can number quite a few. These parties are much more low-key but they do play games, cousins who don't see each other much get a chance to play together, there are still baked goods, and at midnight New Years Eve everyone goes outside with bells, whistles, and yells of Happy New Year, still we try to get dark-haired person go in first, an easy thing since so many of us are dark-haired. We toast the New Year with punch, hugs and kisses, but no longer sing Auld Lang Syne very often.
Since Dennis & I moved away we have spent New Years Eve alone. It just seems strange to me, so I go outside at midnight after my New Years kiss, sometimes bang pots and pans, but mostly just holler Happy New Year out each door. We're rural, so probably only the moose hear us. And this year I sang Auld Lang Syne!
Don't forget those melt in your mouth cheese squares ;) Sadly, times have changed & I, of the last generation of the "bigger" parties miss those hours of games & goodies. After reading this, & reminding me of those times, I hope that next year my job won't keep my away. PS.. I did get a Parlor Games book in my stocking ;)
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