2016

Like millions of others, I will be watching the Pasadena Rose Parade today.  As a kid, before television (yes, children, once upon a time there was no television), we lived in a small town near Pasadena.  Only once did we brave the crowds to attend the parade in person.  Colorado Boulevard was a sea of faces and, being little, a forest of knees.  Once was enough for our family.  What we did do was go to Pasadena on New Year's Day in the afternoon.  All the floats were parked in a specific area and we could walk around to see the real thing up close.   As I recall, some of the flowers were a little tattered from wind and contact, but they were amazing, just the same.  Later, I was privileged to go to a boarding high school in the hills above Pasadena, overlooking the Rose Bowl.  Pasadena remains close to my heart.

Country living being what it is, we had an early, brief New Year's celebration yesterday.  December 31 is also Cam's birthday, another reason to party!  Linda and Camille came in the afternoon and Linda brought a quiche and some nibbles.  I had the cheese to go with her crackers.  A quick drink, a munch, and a toast to the New Year was the extent of the festivities at Farview.  Cam was going down to The Pub and needed to be there before 4 p.m.  It's an English pub and celebrates New Year on London time.  Linda needed to be home before dark as the roads are still slick with ice.

It was nice to ring out the old year and usher in 2016 with friends.  Happy New Year!