Happy New Year!

No, I didn't stay up to post this at midnight. In my family, we have an old New Year's tradition: we go to bed early and pretend it isn't happening. Other traditions involve such foods as collard greens and black-eyed peas, which are supposed to bring good something-or-other in the coming year, and are guaranteed to bring at least one good meal. Since it is difficult to prepare black-eyed peas or collards for one person (and I'm not much of a cook, anyway), I will probably have to invent a new tradition. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

In other news, today is still only the eighth day of Christmas, which I like even better than New Year's. I am experimenting with how long I can get away with saying "Merry Christmas!". For some reason, people expect you to say "Merry Christmas"before Christmas, but not during Christmas, probably because it feels like it is after Christmas. But I figure, if we are going to celebrate the Incarnation of Our Lord, twelve days is really the bare minimum.

I also like to say "Merry Christmas" in July, which is less of a nod to tradition and more just plain fun. Try it sometime.

~Pastor Sarah