newyear

Hadn't actually planned on doing a New Year's page - you can relax, this is a quickie, as compared to my usual epic presentations anyway (~.*) As usual though, all the interesting info floating around prompted the effort. I think we're all feeling more "global" than ever. Certainly we all have the same wish for an efficient and satisfactory end to world chaos. The little cutie above could never have predicted our collective nightmares.

However, if anyone has the right stuff for handling whatever is yet to be ... can't argue with this face.

Same old song with me, we'd all be better off acting more like dogs. World class wisdom to be gained there just by paying attention. Dogs don't depend on amateur night for an excuse to go out and get stupid - even if some will insist on starting the new year with their heads in the toilet. Completely excusable, merely tanking up for business before settling down for a nice, warm sensible nap.

With apologies to the non-doggie people, but not really, this is just too funny .... and as I've noted seriously before, noteworthy* behavior. It is sooooo Buster too.

Walking in a Doggie Wonderland!

      Dogs tags ring, are you listening?
      In the lane, snow is glistening,
      It's yellow, not white,
      I've been there tonight,
      Marking up my winter wonderland!

      Smell that tree? That's my fragrance.
      It's a sign for wand'ring vagrants,
      "Avoid where I pee, it's my property!
      Marking up my winter wonderland!"

      In the meadow Dad will build** a snowman,
      Following the classical design.
      Then I'll lift my leg and let it go, man,
      So all the world will know it's mine, all mine!

      Straight from me to the fence post
      Flows my natural incense boast,
      "Stay off my turf, this small piece of earth,
      I mark it as my winter wonderland!"

* Of course I don't mean people should start marking trees, what everyone needs to learn is staying out of other people's biz, politics and religion.

To the dogs, I wish a full dish, a warm hearth and forever homes with enough hugs to create a lifetime of happiness ...

In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year's gifts of branches from sacred trees. In later years, they gave gold-covered nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, doors and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two faces - one looking forward and the other looking backward. The Romans also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors eventually began to demand such gifts. The Christian church outlawed this custom and certain other pagan New Year's practices in A.D. 567

The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized productiveness. The Celtic priests of what is now England gave the people branches of mistletoe, which was considered sacred.

The Celts took over many New Year's customs from the Romans, who invaded the British Isles in A.D. 43. By the 1200s, English rulers had revived the Roman custom of asking their subjects for New Year's presents. Common presents included jewelry and gold. Queen Elizabeth I acquired a large collection of richly embroidered and jeweled gloves through this custom. English husbands gave their wives money on New Year's Day to buy pins and other articles. This custom disappeared in the 1800s. However, the term pin money still means small amounts of spending money.

Many American colonists in New England celebrated the new year by firing guns into the air and shouting. They also visited taverns and houses to ask for drinks. Other colonists attended church services. Some people held open house, welcoming all visitors and feeding them generously.

Another old custom involved using the Bible to predict what would happen in the new year. People chose a passage at random, then applied it to the coming months of the new year.

Modern customs on New Year's Day include visiting friends and relatives; giving gifts; attending religious services; and making noise with guns, horns, bells, and other devices. Children in Belgium write their parents New Year's messages on decorated paper. The children read the messages to their families on New Year's Day. The Chinese New Year begins between January 21 and February 19. The celebration lasts four days. On the last night, people dress as dragons to frighten and delight the children. In Japan, many people worship on New Year's Day.

Crowds gather in Times Square in New York City, on State Street in Chicago, and in other public places. At midnight, bells ring, sirens sound, firecrackers explode, and everyone shouts, "Happy New Year!"

During the Middle Ages, most European countries used March 25, a Christian holiday called Annunciation Day, to start the year. By 1600, many Western nations had adopted a revised calendar called the Gregorian calendar. This calendar, the one used today, restored January 1 as New Year's Day. Great Britain and its colonies in America adopted it in 1752.

Many people celebrate the new year on dates established by their religion. The Jewish New Year, a solemn occasion called Rosh Ha-Shanah, is observed during September or early October. Hindus in different parts of India celebrate the new year on various dates. Muslims use a calendar that has 354 days in most years. As a result, the Muslim New Year falls on different dates from year to year on the Gregorian calendar.

Found the above in various publications, more ahead. Nothing presented here is intended as historical truth, or particularly accurate. In fact, some is contradictory further down the page. Far be it from me to try to sort any of it out. Or kill duplications as they're used in different contexts. Below are notes gathered from friends - some thought provoking, some fun - send yours too! I'll squeeze in as fast as possible, and there's always next year. MarthaJones1@aol.com, subject line: New Year - also please see mail ID notes at the end of page.

OH HELL! I just realized I'm missing the piece about not eating chicken because they scratch backwards and pork being good because pigs don't look back. Arrrrrgh. Those are the only two I remember. I also forgot about my dad's midnight shotgun habit, which was, I s'pose, slightly more legal than the little cannon (really) he used for years. Scared us to death - at the same time it was too cool. Guess the neighbors didn't mind, don't recall any cops. I know I'm forgetting something else ...

"I always tear down the Christmas tree New Year's Day and put away all the decorations. Feels good to have my living room back, all clean and neat. Champagne and Eggs Benedict is a must New Year's Eve ... never go out though. Can't deal with the amateurs on the streets."

That's a me-too on the tree, although I might just leave the icicle lights up on the inside of patio door. Looks pretty spiffy, a twinkly drape.

Thinking about the eggs, using a mix for the Hollandaise* natch. Dunno though, definitely no hurry - Mike has been very weird about anything exotic lately. What the hell, feedin' him beans and weenies is easy, he's happy as a pig in SOS. Everything "bizarre" I like is going into my ongoing hash brown pizza experimentation which I highly recommend as a new habit/tradition. One of the best cheap thrills going. No kidding, when I do cook a "normal" there's always a drib and drab of meat and veggie leftover. Throw on top of the HBs after almost as brown as you like, with whatever else sounds good (thinking pizza), hit it all with a fat layer of cheese - YaHoo! I may weigh twice as much by this time next year but then we all have to make these sacrifices in the name of science.

*Dang, the sauce ain't that hard. Just egg yolks, lemon juice, butter and a dash of Tabasco. Poach the eggs, toast English muffins and instead of Canadian bacon, fry up lamb chops - awesome combination. We call it Baa Baa Benny. ;-) Also, slice a few black olives over the top if you can't find truffles. Ah, and we serve it with canned pear halves. We got this thing down."

Resolutions never seem to work for me, too much pressure. I do better making my mind up to start or quit whatever, whenever I reach aggravation saturation, then I can stick to change. I do maintain that certain vices are necessary to overall quality of life. For instance, I resolved to eat all my red and green M&Ms before this page was done. OOOOps, found a new bag while putting groceries away ... I'm OK nevertheless, never having absolutely truly, once and for all, finished a page anyway.

"We always try to have black-eyed peas cooked with pork of some sort. I also make cornbread, and sometimes rice. No particular traditions. I never make resolutions because I forget what they are."

"Corned beef/cabbage, cornbread and black-eyed peas. I have no idea why we as a family have to have corned beef and cabbage on New Year's Day, and we have to cook a piece of silver with it too. This comes from the German side I'm certain, but why, not a clue. I usually use a silver dime in a tea strainer. Throw it in to keep my mom happy.

"A friend's family from the Philippines put coins above all the doors for luck. She was born in Canada, so didn't know anything about her family's customs - preferred corned beef and cabbage here.

"Pea treatment: Jowl, onion and garlic. Maybe a bit of vinegar, needs something to spice it up, booooooring otherwise."

Yuck - hock maybe, I'm sticking with bacon and onion, vinegar's a nice touch. Bub would hate it, will have to add after I dish him out. Just found a bottle of Balsamic in the back of cupboard I bought for gawd knows what. Think it's supposed to be mild. Or super strong ... guess I'll find out. I could look it up - nah, that'd spoil the adventure.

Follow up: "For the past three or five years, honest, who remembers?, a friend, D, has come to New Year's Day dinner with us. Now, it's her fault we even know about black-eyed peas, misnomer that it is, pea my ass, tryin' to trick the kids into eatin' beans I bet. Anyway, D, was going to make them this year. Typically, she waited till the last minute to find any. She started looking early this morning, after five stores had none, she came to the conclusion she wasn't going to find black-eyed peas in a can. She called a while ago to inform me, along with our corned beef and cabbage, we were having soup. She managed to find a bag of beans, she looked at the pastic bag the beans came in, and lo and behold, there were at least five black-eyed peas in this bean soup, so she figured they would rub against the other beans during cooking, thus creating juices that would contain the magic good luck charm.

"Okay, I told her, figuring in the back of my mind, we're covered, if I can find that darned silver dime to add to the cabbage, 'Rabbit, Rabbit,' <-- you have to say this for good luck, compliments of Scotland. We're in so much trouble, just thinking about all this stuff makes me crazy~!"

Told Bub, LHAO but said that was OK, it qualified, thought counts - not quantity. He wanted his plain, I split the can, doctored mine with onion and parsley flakes, minced "fresh from jar" garlic, bacon bits, then added a good shot of shredded Cheddar right before out of oven. Dang good, better than any I recall. Must do again sooner than next year. Had a great brown sugar coated ham (came that way), did some green beans plain but added French tangy bacon dressing to mine, female (no nuts) spuds* and cornbread. Had to pass out for about an hour to digest.

"My only resolution every year is not to make any. I learned long ago that I can't keep them so why lie about it."

"Ya gotta eat black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year's Day. Resolution: I'm gonna loose this double chin or else this year!!"

"For many, many years we have celebrated New Year's Eve with a group of friends and a gourmet dinner. The main dish is always Beef Wellington - which Jim and I make - and everyone else brings the other courses. It takes a ton of time to prepare - but most of it can be done ahead. The biggest problem is the fear that we will overcook the sucker. At today's prices for filet, that would be a most expensive error. Everyone brings a couple of bottles of really good wine - usually one white and one red which makes a nice change from the usual swill <G>. It is a nice way to spend the evening as none of us are inclined toward the restaurant party deal.

"On New Year's Day we always have black-eyed peas. We dump them in a pot with bacon and chopped onions and let them simmer for a while. Don't know if the good luck part works, but we always have them just in case.

"I don't do much in the way of resolutions - too many failures in the past. However, if I did, I would go for the 'Dance Like No One's Watching' lifestyle."

"I always resolve to gain weight and be a bigger bitch than last year. It's not that I want to, but at least I can smugly say that I kept my New Year's resolutions! So there! I vow to only lie about my age and weight only when I really feel I have to! Proud to be old enough to lie about it. As to 'good luck' traditions ... I always put a condom in my brassiere on New Year's Eve hoping I'll get lucky the following year.

"Since I was supposed to be in the WTC on 9-11 and only a freak accident (or divine intervention) prevented it, and since I lost so many friends and acquaintances that day, this year I am going to visit the site and say a prayer for those who died and those of us who witnessed and lived through it."

For Times Square 2002 all 504 Waterford crystal triangles of The Ball will be replaced with the new "Hope for Healing" design - three lit candles surrounded by outspread hands in gesture of healing. A select number of crystals will be engraved with the names of all of the countries and regions that lost citizens in the September 11th tragedy. Also, a number of crystals will be engraved with the names of the uniformed rescue organizations that lost members during the rescue effort. The Pentagon, the four airline flights and the World Trade Center will also be honored with engraved crystals.

The first Ball lowering celebration atop One Times Square was held in 1907 and has continued as a proud tradition for the past 92 years. The New Year’s Eve Ball is the property of the building owners of One Times Square.

Ask yourself why you want to do it.

Share your resolve with someone important to you. Talk about what you want and why you want it.

Write it down and include not only the resolution, but the time frame, intermediate steps, how you'll measure your progress and potential problems and solutions.

Visualize the results. Where, when and what will you be doing differently? How will other people respond to you? How will you feel? Fit your resolution into your overall career or life plan.

Take small steps to implement your resolution, solving the problems that may arise as they come along, always keeping your goal in mind.

The new year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today - only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the new year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus, he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the 16th century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the new year was returned to January 1.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures use lunar calendars which are less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius - sometime between January 19 and February 21. The Chinese celebrate the holiday by exchanging gifts, having parades, and exploding firecrackers. One of 12 animals, such as a tiger, a rooster, or a dog, is associated with each new year.

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is celebrated on the first two days of the Jewish calendar's first month, Tishri, which falls in September or October. The Jewish New Year is heralded by the rabbi blowing a shofar, or ram's horn, in the synagogue. The Islamic year starts anew every 354 days. Because there are no adjustments, like Leap Year, to make each calendar year correspond to the earth's cycle around the sun, the first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram, is not in the same season every year.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year. In France, families gather and exchange gifts and greeting cards. Children often present their parents with homemade gifts to wish them Bonne Annee. In Italy, a piece of mistletoe is hung over the front door to bring good luck to the entire household. In Scotland, people bring delicious cakes and cookies to parties. It is believed that the first person to enter a house will receive good luck. "Auld Lang Syne," the traditional New Year's song, was written by a Scottish poet, Robert Burns, 200 years ago.

In Japan, New Year's is celebrated for three days, starting on January 1. Everyone receives new clothes and little work is done. On New Year's Eve, Buddhist temples ring out the old year by letting passersby each ring a huge bell once until it has rung 108 times, one time for each kind of evil in the world. On New Year's Day, it is traditional to make a pilgrimage to a Shinto shrine or a Buddhist temple.

In the United States, the New Year's celebrations that are familiar to us today were originated in the 1750s by the Dutch in New Amsterdam. Today, we make New Year's resolutions. We decide to "turn over a new leaf" and improve ourselves in some way during the new year.

There are special New Year's traditions in various parts of the country. In New York City, tens of thousands of celebrants crowd into Times Square to await the dropping of a large, lighted ball from the top of a skyscraper precisely at midnight on New Year's Eve. The occasion, shown on television, triggers celebrations all across the United States.

On New Year's Day in Philadelphia, thousands of people dress in elaborate costumes and dance through the main streets in the daylong Mummers' Parade. In Pasadena, the Rose Bowl football game is preceded by the Tournament of Roses Parade - marching bands from all parts of the United States and hundreds of floats covered with fresh flowers make this a festive celebration. Several other bowl games are also played around the country to end the college football season.

The making of New Year's resolutions dates back to early Babylon. Modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonians' most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

Many ancient peoples started the year at harvest time. They performed rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves for the new year. For example, some people put out the fires they were using and started new ones.

The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flower to celebrate the ripening of the orange crop in California.

Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC to celebrate the god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the church to reevaluate its position, finally allowing its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.

The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the 14th century.

The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700s, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."

Auld Lang Syne
by Robert Burns

Chorus

For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

I

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

II

And surely ye'll be your pint' stowp,
And surely I'll be mine,
And we 'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

III

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine,
But we've wander'd monie a weary fit
Sin' auld lang syne.

IV

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn
Frae morning sun till dine,
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.

V

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine,
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught
For auld lang syne!

Tips for successful toasting

Be prepared. Rehearse it.
Keep it short. One minute is ideal. Three minutes is maximum.
The host should make the first toast. Ask the host's permission before you follow with your own toast.
Toasts should be well thought out and should enhance the presentation.
Keep it light, politically correct, complimentary, sincere and tasteful.
Tipsy toasts are a no-no. If you've had too much to drink, let someone else do the honors.
Don't try to be funny if you're not naturally funny.
Avoid the trite, the political, the put-down and the off-color.
Source: L. Raley's Guidelines for Toasts and Toasting

Can't come up with anything snappy for the New Year? Here's a selection of toasts, some once uttered by famous and witty people, some from less auspicious sources.

"We are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars." ~ Oscar Wilde, Irish dramatist and poet

"It is better to spend money like there is no tomorrow than to spend tonight like there's no money." ~ P.J. O'Rourke, U.S. author

"May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future."

"May your home always be too small to hold all of your friends."

"May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live."

"May the good Lord take a liking to you, but not too soon."

"May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night, and the road downhill all the way to your door."

"May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you."

"Dance as if no one were watching, sing as if no one were listening and live every day as if it were your last."

If you've forgotten to chill the bubbly, never put it in the freezer. Instead, place the bottle in a bucket filled with water and ice. Add one tablespoon salt. Refrigerate, turning bottle occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes.

To open the bottle, remove the foil. Place a kitchen towel over the cork and carefully loosen and remove the wire cage. Holding the bottom of the bottle against your body, gently twist the cork in one direction and the bottle in the opposite direction. The cork should come out gently.

Wise words from Abby

I will live through this day only, and not set far-reaching goals to try to overcome all my problems at once. I know I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I thought I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

Just for today, I will be happy. Abraham Lincoln said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be". He was right. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. I will chase them out of my mind and replace them with happy thoughts.

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

Just for today, I will improve my mind. I will not be a mental loafer. I will force myself to read something that requires effort, thought, and concentration.

Just for today, I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll make an honest effort to quit. If I'm overweight, I'll eat nothing I know to be fattening and I'll force myself to exercise - even if it's only walking around the block or using the stairs instead of the elevator. (Side note: obesity is now ahead of smoking as causes of death.)

Just for today, I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will look as good as I can, dress becomingly, speak softly, act courteously, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.

I'll try not to improve anybody except myself. We know so much more about nutrition and how much exercise and sensible living can extend life and make it more enjoyable; so just for today, I'll take good care of my body so I can celebrate many more happy new years.

Just for today, I will have a program. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it, thereby saving myself from two pests: hurry and indecision.

Just for today, I will gather the courage to do what is right and take the responsibility for my own actions.

It's fairly common for any new behavior to take four to six weeks to become second nature. Habits ordinarily take about six weeks to take shape and become permanent, not needing additional work. Don't try to "fix" everything at once. Target a new goal only after one is accomplished.

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible crescent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring). The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for 11 days. The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

The desire to start the New Year on the right foot crosses all cultures and it's epitomized in "lucky" foods. In the Netherlands, for example, donuts (the ring-shaped ones with a hole in the middle) symbolize the 12 months "coming full circle." In Spain and Portugal, people eat 12 grapes at midnight to ensure 12 months of happiness. For a closer look at how people in other countries eat for luck, hop over to AllRecipes.com and Epicurious.

Overall, traditional New Year foods are thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating Olie Bollen, a donut-like fritter, will bring good fortune.

Many parts of the U.S., especially Southern regions, celebrate the New Year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. Also from Southerner's - eating cornbread will bring wealth.

Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan. It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at midnight to signify the last 12 months of the year. German folklore says that eating herring at midnight will bring luck for the next year, and for those of Polish descent, eating pickled herring will bring good luck, also.

Black-eyed peas, fish, apples, and beets are eaten for luck at the Jewish new year's celebration (not celebrated on the first of January). Boiled cod is a must in Denmark. And in the Philippines, it is important to have food on the table at midnight in order to ensure an abundance of food in the upcoming year.

* In Spain, you eat a grape at the ringing of each bell at midnight.

* Italians eat lentils for prosperity.

* Neopolitans (folks who live in Naples, Italy) ring out the old and bring in the new by tossing their old pots out the windows at midnight. Look out below!

* Germans eat herring at New Year.

* Pennsylvania Dutch eat sauerkraut for good luck.

* Lots of people won't do laundry on New Year's Eve or Day. They get their house clean and the dirty clothes all done before to banish the gremlins and start fresh.

* And then there are those folks in New Orleans and all over the South who must eat black-eyed peas. That famous pea dish is called Hoppin' Jack ... some think the name got started by corrupting the French pois a pigeon or pigeon peas. The lucky New Year dish was created originally in the French colonies of the Caribbean.

See what I meant by those differences of opinion/info - who knows? I'm doing as many as I can for good luck. Couldn't hurt.

Welcome to the New Year

Hey, my lad, ho, my lad!
Here's a new broom.
Heaven's your housetop
And Earth is your room.

Tuck up your shirtsleeves,
There's plenty to do -
Look at the muddle
That's waiting for you!

Dust in the corners
And dirt on the floor,
Cobwebs still clinging
To window and door.

Hey, my lad! o, my lad!
Nimble and keen -
Here's your new broom, my lad!
See you sweep clean.

Keepable resolutions

I promise not to use prune juice for his pancake syrup on Football Sunday.
  I resolve not to say "I told you so" for the first three days of the new year.
  I resolve never to embarrass my husband by wearing cheap jewelry.
  I resolve never to work in the kitchen so I can look my best when he comes home.
  I vow not to "play in his garage" when he offers to help "whip up something for supper." (Watch it there.)
  I resolve never to take the dog for a walk - after all, he is mans' best friend.
  I resolve never to give the cat a bath because hubby needs to be scratched.

Arabic: Kul 'aam u antum salimoun
Chinese: Chu Shen Tan
Czechoslavakia: Scastny Novy Rok
Dutch: Gullukkig Niuw Jaar
Finnish: Onnellista Uutta Vuotta
French: Bonne Annee
German: Prosit Neujahr
Greek: Eftecheezmaenos o Kaenooryos hronos
Hebrew: L'Shannah Tovah Tikatevu
Hindi: Niya Saa Moobaarak
Irish (Gaelic): Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit
Italian: Buon Capodanno
Khmer: Sua Sdei tfnam tmei
Laotian: Sabai dee pee mai
Polish: Szczesliwego Nowego Roku
Portuguese: Feliz Ano Novo
Russian: S Novim Godom
Serbo-Croatian: Scecna nova godina
Spanish: Feliz Ano Neuvo, Prospero Ano Nuevo
Turkish: Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun
Vietnamese: Cung-Chuc Tan-Xuan

Down South and in Possum Waller you have to have black-eyed peas on New Years Day! Of course you have to throw some "greens" on the table and slice off your favorite part of the hog.

Hoppin' John

1 pound dried black-eyed peas
2 ham hocks, smoked
2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic, large
2 bay leaves
1 cup converted long-grain white rice
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with chiles, juices reserved
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
3 ribs celery, diced
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 scallions, sliced
hot red pepper sauce

In a large pot, combine the black-eyed peas, ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 onion in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the hocks, cut off the meat in large shreds, and set the meat aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaves, onion and garlic.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, 12 minutes. Mince the remaining onion. Add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the sliced scallions and meat from the ham hocks. Pass the hot sauce.

Happy New Year Peas

1 pound dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
3 cups water, or enough to cover peas
1 pound link sausage, or your favorite
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces prepared barbecue sauce

Cook peas in water until tender. Drain and retain half the liquid. Brown sausage and onions together. Drain. Place peas in a 3-quart casserole. Add sausage and onions. Stir in liquid, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and barbecue sauce. Bake for 1 1/2 hours in 200 degree oven. Serves 6.

Black-Eyed Peas with Ginger

2 cups dried black-eyed peas, rinsed, and soaked
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 slices bacon, 1-inch dice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup preserved ginger, chopped
3/4 cup honey

Drain and rinse the beans; cover with fresh water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Add water to keep them juicy if necessary. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a heavy skillet, sauté onion and bacon over medium heat until onion is golden and bacon is crisp. Drain off fat and stir bacon and onion into beans. Add mustard and salt and pepper, to taste. Add ginger; combine well. Turn into a 2-quart baking dish; drizzle with the honey. Cover and bake 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cover the last 30 minutes to brown the top.

I will stop sending email to my roommate.
I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm I answer my email.
When I subscribe to a newsgroup or mailing list, I will read all the mail I get from it.
I resolve to back up my new 100GB hard drive daily.
I will read the manual.
I will think of a password other than "password."
I will limit my top10 lists to 10 items.

Perfection as a goal is realistically unattainable. For example, you cannot clean a room perfectly. As you clean it, it's getting dirty as dust settles. New carpet? Shot once it's walked on. Written reports (and Web pages) can be polished and improved upon with more time and effort, etc., etc. Striving for perfection is stressful and frustrating. Do the best you can and move on.

You know you are getting old when you give up all your bad habits and still don't feel good.

Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. They gathered the evergreen plant which is parasitic upon other trees and used it to decorate their homes. They believed the plant had special healing powers for everything from female infertility to poison ingestion. Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe probably derived from this belief. The early church banned the use of mistletoe in Christmas celebrations because of its pagan origins. Instead, church fathers suggested the use of holly as an appropriate substitute for Christmas greenery.

Safe Driver's Champagne

32 oz. bottle carbonated water
32 oz. bottle ginger ale
24 oz. bottle unsweetened white grape juice

Have all ingredients well chilled. In a punch bowl or large pitcher, combine all ingredients. Serve over ice in chilled champagne or wine glasses. Serve at once. Makes approximately 20 4-oz. servings.

Starting anything is like eating an elephant. You can only do it one bite at a time!

First Footing is celebrated in Scotland on December 31st. The first foot inside your door after midnight will tell of the next year's future. Hopefully, it will belong to a young virile, good-natured and prosperous person bringing a small gift such as a piece of coal, bread or salt as they are symbols of life. It is also customary to walk the boundaries of your property in Scotland. In remote areas, Scottish dances, or ceilidhs take place, as well as fire ceremonies. Hogamany is the Scottish New Year, celebrated on December 31st. In the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Stirling, it has become a huge festival, with kissing and singing and flame and fire, which symbolize the bringing of the light of knowledge from one year to the next, lighting the way into the next uncharted century, putting your darkness past, but carrying forward its sacred flame of hope and enlightenment into a better world.

We all boast about our New Year’s resolutions. We puff up our chest and announce with all the authority we can muster that we’re going to lose weight, stop drinking and partying so much, concentrate on work, and focus on working out more.

Basically for the most part, we look no further than our own noses. To add insult to injury, we usually don’t carry through with our Me resolutions. In a matter of months we’ve forgotten all about them and feel awful about ourselves.

Perhaps we fail because we don’t set out goals high enough. What if we looked outward instead of inward when making our declarations? Would we then be able to finish the year feeling good about ourselves?

Let’s think of a few resolutions that might last a year, or, dare we say it, a lifetime. Resolutions that make you feel good about yourself might include thinking of others instead of thinking in terms of what will better your own world.

Better someone else’s world by adopting a needy family and remembering their birthdays as well as the holidays for one year. Be a lifetime secret admirer. They need never know your name. Knowing the sacrifice you make is done selflessly should make you feel real good about yourself.

What about volunteering your time at a soup kitchen. Put your name on the volunteer list and be at their beck and call. When you get a call the night before saying they need your help, and you were thinking of going out with friends the next day, it may force you to rethink your plans, and do some soul-searching. Won’t you feel good about yourself when you forget your previous plans and show up at the soup kitchen instead? Maybe your friends could be persuaded to join you!

In some animal shelters the need is so great, a lifetime volunteer probably could pick their own days and hours. (Not to pick here, but I've never known of any that insisted on "hours." I dearly love the "promo" my sister's organization uses. "Live the glamorous life, come scoop poop!" There are a million other things to do. Why walk by yourself? Go grab a dog. I once spent a whole day just sitting with two trembling puppies in my lap. Animal Control had found them on the side of the road. By the end of the day, they were calmed down and over whatever the horror was. If nothing else, go find a cat to tell your troubles to - cheaper than a shrink. Petting animals has been proven to lower blood pressure among other benefits. Win-win for all, no question about it.)

Retirement homes and homes for the physically impaired never turn away help. You may have to go through a screening process, to ensure you are who you say, but after that they’ll welcome you into their volunteer community with open arms. Adopt an elderly person who has no other family and friends, or who’s family lives too far away to visit. Bring little gifts. Bring in a young child or a kitten or puppy and watch the smile on their faces.

Become a Big Brother, Big Sister or Scout Leader. Get involved in your community. Join a committee, coach a team, volunteer at the local schools. Join a service organization - build and fill sandboxes for all the children in the township. The list is endless.

Adopt a stretch of highway and make it your job to keep it clean. Adopt a lighthouse. Plant and weed an elderly neighbor’s vegetable garden. Walk through downtown and offer to wash the store windows. Shovel the church’s sidewalk, and continue on down the street until you run out of steam.

Perform random acts of kindness and feel yourself grow from the inside out!
from Shirley

I am the New Year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned during the last 12 months about life.

All that you sought the past year and failed to find is hidden in me; I am waiting for you to search it out again and with more determination.

All the good that you tried to do for others and didn't achieve last year is mine to grant providing you have fewer selfish and conflicting desires.

In me lies the potential of all that you dreamed but didn't dare to do, all that you hoped but did not perform.

All you hoped for but did not yet experience - these dreams slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of an enduring purpose.

I am your opportunity, "Behold, I make all things new."

Have a great time whatever you're planning to do - I'm outta time to get this out there. The ball just dropped in Times Square. Now you know what a wild time I'm having tonight :) Below is a little rough, and I still have some pics to add ... and of course something(s) irresistible will pop up in the mail ... check back tomorrow.

Still finding New Year goodies in mail backlog, and new ... all of which would overload this page. Some will appear on next WAR page, others will go to separate departments, I think ... right now I'm trying to fix the mess I made loading hard drive Santa brought. Links will show up somewhere, and you are welcome to request new page notification, although I still can't promise delivery. Aol still operating at its finest, some things never change. MarthaJones1@aol.com - please see mail ID notes at end of this page.

From Lizzy, who is not Martha (that other one)
Edited slightly - and - my wicked self could not resist adding the graphics. None of this is going to make you feel any better if it's too late, but at least you'll know why you feel like death warmed over. I never found a cure that worked, other than time.

They don't call it intoxication for nothing. Happy juice can be poisonous. Put too much into your body and you die. It is not so much alcohol itself but the by-products of alcohol, and especially one particularly nasty chemical critter by the name of acetaldehyde. It's got a lot more of the bad kind of kapow, and the latest research suggests that it may be responsible for the worst of your hangover.

After you ingest alcohol, your body breaks it down into (among other things) acetaldehyde, before converting it into less harmful substances. The acetaldehyde messes with your brain at the same time as a host of depleted minerals are short-circuiting your nervous system, and that's in addition to low blood sugar and the classic headache and dry-mouth symptoms caused by dehydration. The result: nausea, twitchy nerves, pessimism, terrible brain pain, and a temporary suspension of the laws of gravity.

The severity of a hangover varies according to ...

* The amount you've guzzled in a given period of time
* Your own innate enzymatic capacity to deal with the poisons
* Your age
* Your gender ... guys can drink more. Hey, they are bigger, etc.

Translation: the more you drink in a short amount of time, the more you'll feel the alcohol. One's weight is also a factor (the less you weigh, the more you'll feel it), as is a genetic predisposition. Finally, the older you get, the more you'll feel the alcohol the next morning.

As anyone who has had a hangover knows, thirst and dry mouth are two of the cardinal symptoms. These symptoms caused scientists to investigate how drinking alcohol affects your water regulatory system.

Anyone who has been drunk knows that drinking eventually leads to multiple trips to the bathroom. Consumption of alcohol causes a decrease in a substance called anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). As blood alcohol levels rise, less ADH is available, and more water is excreted by the kidneys. This situation reverses itself, however, when blood alcohol levels begin to fall, and your body begins to compensate for the temporary, alcohol induced dehydration. ADH levels rise, urinary output decreases, and you become thirsty. By the time the hangover gets into full swing, you are actually retaining fluid, as evidenced by the puffy eyes and face that some people get after a night of drinking. I suspect that this fluid retention, also known as edema, contributes to the hangover headache.

Some of the other effects of hangover appear to be caused by a condition known as metabolic acidosis - when blood becomes more acidic than it should be. There are a number of reasons why alcohol causes this, but suffice to say that alcohol interferes with the normal metabolism of some acids, and actually produces others. The end result is a slight increase in the acidity of your blood, which reaches its peak during the hangover period, and the level of acidity is strongly correlated with the severity of the hangover symptoms. It takes kidneys and lungs about 18-24 hours to return the blood acid levels back to normal. It seems likely that the symptoms of nausea and sweating are related to this temporary increase in blood acidity.

The third cause of hangover symptoms is a disruption of some of your normal daily (circadian) rhythms. I have found some studies which observed that alcohol consumption that leads to drunkenness can change the normal daily rhythm of body temperature and brain activity. In those cases, the subjects' body clocks were set back about six hours; that means that if they woke up at 9 a.m. after a night of drinking, their bodies thought it was 3 a.m. This could definitely account for hangover grogginess and irritability.

Lastly, some people believe that certain impurities or toxins that can be found in alcoholic drinks, called congeners, can cause hangover. In fact, there is a brand of vodka that used to market itself as so pure that it was hangover free; I believe some governmental agency has since made them stop saying that. In any event, drinks like vodka and gin have fewer congeners, and are supposed to produce less of a hangover, whereas drinks like whisky and red wine, which have lots of non-alcohol ingredients, are supposed to insure a big headache. Along these same lines is the idea that a toxic by-product of alcohol metabolism (acetaldehyde), builds in the bloodstream and causes hangover.

You've just opened your eyes to find yourself crumbled into a collapsed mess, hopefully in a bed, hopefully in somewhat familiar surroundings, but, worst of all, awake. Your mind gradually manages to reconstruct some sort of memory of some portion of the previous night's activities. You feel like the worst part of hell ... this is the cue for the proverbial "I'll-never-drink-again" declaration. You need help. Quick.

You are suffering from the Big Three

1. Dehydration - the alcohol has forced evaporation of a certain vital portion of the body's water.

2. Nervous shock - with alcohol you're coming off the effects of a mild overdose of a depressant drug, so your nerves are displaying the great Newtonian natural law of action/reaction by going into a relatively hypersensitive state.

3. Malnutrition - pumping all that alcohol through your body has effectively flushed away a significant supply of your storage of vitamins and nutrients, chemicals which would stimulate natural defense systems, but you're running seriously low on them now.

What you need to do is take some restorative steps to begin a recovery process. Hydrate ... water, water, water, Gatorade, juice, tea sweetened with honey. Try to eat something that will help to replace the nutrients you've lost, in the forms of fruits/vegetables, not fatty, greasy junk, not dairy foods - something that isn't too tough on the already beat-up digestive system.

Bananas are great for key vitamins, so are tomatoes, which sort of explains half of the reason that a Bloody Mary is the standard morning-after drink. Try a little light pasta with a meatless, greaseless, tomato sauce. Cold gazpacho or a mild salsa may work too, but your stomach will be in no mood for onions and peppers. A glass of V8 may be just the thing. Citrus juices tend to bother the stomach too; but tomatoes are highly acidic, so I can't explain that part.

Before going out ...

Now that you know exactly how alcohol can affect your little ol' body and what makes you likely to feel the aftereffects, it's time to figure out how to prevent a hangover. Prepare yourself even before you step out the door, by following these tips:

* Don't go out on an empty stomach. The moderating effect this will have on the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream in the short term may be more important than the clogged arteries in the long term. The reason that food is so important is because it'll sop up the alcohol so that it doesn't all go directly into the bloodstream.

* Hydrate your body. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Sure, you'll probably still wake up at 4 a.m. with hairbrush tongue and a desperate compulsion to hang your head under the faucet, but every glass of juice or water you force yourself to swallow now is worth two in the morning. Everyone knows that alcohol acts as a diuretic. In case all those trips to the bathroom didn't tip you off, more is going out than coming in. You need to replace that liquid.

While you're out

* Choose your drinks with care. There are poisons besides alcohol itself that contribute to a brutal hangover. The nasty chemicals called congeners occur naturally in all fermented drinks. The general rule is that darker drinks, such as red wine, bourbon, scotch, and brandy have more congeners than lighter drinks like white wine, vodka, and gin. But you should also keep in mind that whatever your drink's color, the cheaper it is, the more poison will be in it. Avoid the cheap sauce. One further note: red wine contains an extra hangover-inducing poison all of its own called tyramine. So be especially careful with cheap red wine.

* Alternate alcoholic beverages with non-alcoholic beverages. This simple measure will help keep you hydrated. A fruit juice (which is particularly good at re-hydrating the body) is an especially good choice.

* Consume less than one drink per hour. Your liver breaks down alcohol at the rate of about a beer an hour, so spreading out the drinking over the course of an evening will lessen the likelihood of a hangover.

Despite all your best efforts ...

* Don't pass out! Your metabolism slows down when you're asleep, so your body takes longer to process and safely dispose of all that alcohol. This is how hangovers happen.

* You have to drink lots of water immediately. Remember dehydration is responsible for a major part of that hungover feeling. OK, you hate water - try diet cola or something, as long as it's not full of sugar. Drink at least two big glasses, whatever it is.

* You are going to stay awake for at least an hour, so chat with a friend (or the cat), make a cup of tea (not coffee - that just dehydrates you more), do anything that keeps you awake until you're only about half as drunk as you were, if not exactly sober. Now, go to bed - and when you wake up you won't feel nearly as ghastly as you would have without the extra awake time and the water. You may be pleasantly surprised by complete hangover absence if the impending hangover was likely to be mild; or if you were set for a major hangover, you'll get a mild one instead.

* If your list of hangover cures includes taking aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen, be aware that acetaminophen in combination with alcohol does horrendous liver damage. Alcohol alone damages the liver; and acetaminophen (Tylenol i.e..) does a little damage to the liver; but if you mix the two, the damage is exponential. This made news a while back - in other words, you can literally wreck your liver in a very short time if you mix Tylenol with alcohol. Aspirin upsets the stomach and aggravates the symptoms of a hangover. Ibuprofen is the best. Before you go to bed take two Advil (or any headache pill that is made of Ibuprofen).

*A multivitamin might help. Research has shown that B Vitamins are the first thing to be used up when the liver is processing alcohol.

See a doctor immediately if you are experiencing tremors, stomach pain, or if you see blood in your vomit. These are indications that you have tippled way too much, and must get professional medical attention, (e.g., a stomach-pump at the local emergency room). Better safe than sorry.

You can help ease the pain and assist rapid recovery by trying a little-known substance called cysteine. Found at vitamin shops, it counteracts the poisonous effects of acetaldehyde. (This is a new one on me, good luck. While you're at the health food store/vitamin shop, ask about herbal stuff that's supposedly good for liver rejuvenation - I know people who swear by milk thistle. Don't go by me. I've also had people swear by other stuff that set off some rather unpleasant results. Also keep in mind that herbals are not necessarily a good thing to mix with prescription drugs, or so I hear - ask to be on the safe side.)

If necessary, follow up with a dose of Maalox, lots of Gatorade, and bouillon. These ingredients will rehydrate, replace essential vitamins and minerals, and help get rid of some of the toxic by-products of metabolized alcohol.

For a headache that drugs don't seem to touch, try an icepack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel, 20 minutes on your head, 10 minutes off.

You will require something protein-heavy for breakfast - avoid lots of sugar. You can have a cup of coffee now, and extra water. Go out and face the day!

Subscribe to Lizzy: http://www.shagmail.com/sub/notmartha.html - This was an usually large piece even for me to swipe. However, there are no archives and Shagmail has some BS policy about reprints ... all's fair.

One of the best for a hangover is two tablespoons of honey. It really works on the worst of them.
Nux vomica is a great homeopathic for hangovers, and acid indigestion as well.
Never drink milk right after. It will curdle when it hits the alcohol and make you very sick.
Tea contains a stronger diuretic than coffee - make it an herbal tea.
Drinking a diet soda is not going to help you rehydrate yourself as soda is also dehydrating. Stick with water.

"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee. That will do them in." ~ Bradley's Bromide

A day without sunshine is like, night.
On the other hand, you have different fingers.
I just got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory.
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.
Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
Mind like a steel trap - rusty and illegal in 37 states.
When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane and going the wrong way.
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.
A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.
If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.
The sole purpose of a child's middle name is so he can tell when he's really in trouble.
People who are late are much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?
Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
Don't cry because it's over - smile because it happened.
We could learn a lot from crayons: some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors ... but they all have learned to live in the same box.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Happiness comes through doors you didn't even know you left open.

In the blink of an eye, everything can change, as we've seen this year. If it changed again tomorrow, have you done everything you wanted to do? What can you do for a change so that you do?

Everybody can do something to make the world a better place. It's sure as hell more productive to bitch about the things that irritate you to the powers that be instead of just sitting around bitching. Write letters to editors, TV and radio stations, tell them you're going to complain to their advertisers - trust me, that will get attention. Threatening to cancel a subscription won't. Go directly to store managers and demand money back for inferior products. Report rude employees. Find out why your kid is getting bad grades. Get to know the parents of your kids' friends, especially the problem kids.

On the other hand, when you happen upon unusually good service or over and above, out of the way courtesy - make sure a higher up hears about that too, even louder.

Complacency creates havoc, pay attention to the world around you. It's the only one we have.

One man watching another walking along the beach picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean finally asked why the guy bothered, "Millions wash up every day and die - what difference does it make?"

Bottom line ... one person can not do it all. Pick a main focus area, by staying "tuned" you will see progress. Doesn't have to be anything huge to count. It all adds up, sometimes quite unexpectedly. My "thang" is spay/neuter - which, in my not so humble opinion, is the key to any noticeable improvement in humane education all around. Think about it. Why should anyone care about the animals they're responsible for when they're so easy to replace - there's a new litter available on every corner, every day. Just like garbage ... litter - get it? Dump it when it isn't so cute or pleasant to have around anymore.

This is a piece that very much goes with above and it covers more - a must-read and circulate-to anyone you care about: http://momsplace.50megs.com/nurseslies.html
"I want to tell you lies"

http://www.therealmartha.com/WAR2002/index.htm
Wicked funnies to heavy thinkers, 'toons and great graphics, valentine and veteran stuff, critters, recipes, the usual variety, in no particular or reasonable order

Don't forget to bookmark before you leave - come back and grab anything you like, better yet - send the whole page to a friend - thanks

From the blizzard of boilerplate, press releases, and banal pronouncements, Smoking Gun has selected the 2001 Documents of the Year in categories like "Scariest Document," "Creepiest Jail Memos," and "Tackiest Police Press Release." Visit the Archives for more info gathered by the freedom-of-information sleuths at Smoking Gun: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/doc_o_year/doc_o_year.shtml

Comments above are mine, links below lifted from various sources - click at your own risk

http://www.blackdog4kids.com/holiday/newyear/ - Games, party ideas, free electronic greetings, desktop wallpaper, a bouncing clock screen saver and more.

http://www.timessquarebid.org/new_year/ - Besides the New Year's countdown clock, this site offers history and information on the Times Square ball lowering celebration, a tradition that's been going on since 1907 (OOOps, a little late, I'm sure it'll be there next year)

All comments, contributions are welcome, with a clearly defined subject line.

"Hey there, hi, this is great ... " subject lines do not cut it, spammers use those. Due to at least 10 tons of junk to sort every day - when I don't recognize sender name and subject line is not clearly defined, I delete. Downloads, from anyone, even you my friend, also have to be automatic deletions. Most people do not realize their scanners can't catch the latest virus/worms. Embedded images or copies of doc. files are welcome. Typing in all caps is not. It's extremely irritating and should never be used unless you mean to be screaming, which is even more irritating. I will not read, no matter the subject. If you have a great article or essay you haven't seen everywhere, go ahead and send the first few lines. I will ask you to retype the whole thing if I don't already have it in proper form. BTW, double spaces between sentences, broken lines or any sloppy spacing are also major editing pains. Don't even think about forwarding with << >> marks. If you do not know about copy and paste into a new mail and blind copy courtesy, check http://www.rrudder.com/safe/bcc.html.

I do try to answer all mail within 24 hours. If you do not hear from me in two or three days, it's likely the mail was lost - please try again. If you check and find your mail deleted, it could be because you saved me the trouble of opening one of many duplicates by using a clear subject line - thanks.

http://www.therealmartha.com/indexgraphiccr/default.htm
New Site Index/Graphics Credits and more - tips (Editing Etc. and much miscellanea learned along the way), humor, critter stuff and just plain out there in some cases (~.*)

Catch All series: Recipe and other newsletters co-op and who's who

Dog's Eye View hosted by Miss Liberty, M.E. (Mutt Extraordinaire)
The Libby Award Claws and Paws on the Keyboard, reserved for critters who do their own typing.
Toot-Toot from Buster
da Dude Award - "You dude a great page" - not limited to critter sites
Just my Dog - A must read - appreciation that (s)he's not just a dog
More Favorite Critter Sites