Happy New Year

The forced gaiety of New Year’s Eve has never been appealing to me. In fact it is a holiday that I prefer forgetting by going to bed in one year and waking up in the next. For me the year really changed at the Solstice and the bringing in of the tree.

This year I had planned to be in Argelès but having been felled by the flu I found myself in bed from Christmas night on. The only good thing I can say for the flu it waited until the last guest had left, the last present opened, and the last dish tucked into the dish washer before it hit. The amount of energy after being in bed for the week made the simple act of taking a shower equivalent to an 18-hour work day. Slowly I was becoming more functional able to get my own medicine and food even if it was exhausting.

My lovely housemate had taken my ticket to the train station and brought back the refund at least allowing me the pleasure of knowing money hadn’t been thrown away. She then took off for the UK guilt-free as she should be to spend the holiday with friends, knowing that I was now able to take care of myself.

Feeling better allowed me to at least catch up on my credit union newsletter work www.cunewswire.com

As evening was nigh as the song says, the young man of the house who is planning to go out for the evening decided we should have a mini New Years Eve before he left. Out came fois gras, salmon and champagne. The pretty poinsettia napkins were laid beside plates. Toast popped from the toaster. We had a special salt left from Christmas that combined Merlot wine with sea salt turning it purple. Lemons were cut.

And for a precious hour we sat and talked.This is a New Years Eve without the forced gaiety. It is one that will be special and I am smiling as I prepare for bed to sleep into the next year and he is getting ready to head for the Veille Ville.