Happy New Year!

We have been so busy celebrating the new year that I have yet to slow down to contemplate the new year. To bring in the new year, friend Kathryn and I made homemade mozzarella and fried it into crispy melty balls. After passing those around to game playing children, we made homemade pizzas. The wine flowed, the sparkling apple cider flowed, the laughter flowed. We played around with the new camera, made lots of little bitty hamburgers, opened the champagne and were very relieved when midnight rolled around and we could fall into bed.

Next day the cook was way too sleepy to cook very early so we had our yearly tradition of homemade yeast doughnuts for lunch instead of breakfast. I have no idea when that tradition came into our home, but the kids can't remember when we didn't make doughnuts for the New Year. Kathryn read Lilies of the Field as we consumed mountains of fried sweetness around the fireplace. We took a nice walk around the farm then celebrated again as several more friends gathered around the table for pork roast and blackeyed peas and all sorts of other good feast foods. It was chaos and way too many people crowded around the table and jostled for space. Giant bonfire was lit. Stories were told. It was pure delight to be together with dear ones and laugh and laugh and laugh. Philip earned even more heavenly rewards for milking Coco that evening!

Our Woolley friends departed yesterday with tears all around. Holly came in to take their bed later in the evening. We were glad she didn't mind eating a bunch of leftovers. After a lesson in mozzarella making she headed down the road to Asheville and a final semester of college. My sister and her daughter come in for a quick visit from Knoxville this evening. We are happy to get to see them. Too bad they are coming at the end of the week. It was scrambled eggs and a glass of milk for supper. One can only feast so many days in a row.

The children are busy playing with a marble tower in the dining room. Thomas finished reading Crime and Punishment. Philip is still in the attic working on a wiring problem. He has spent many hours up there this week, God bless him! I should be making lists.

The new year for me usually means lists. I like to think of lists of goals for our homeschool, for the farm, for my business, for household maintenance, for my spiritual life. One of the children mentioned to me that we forgot to spend some time on New Year's Eve or day remembering the highlights of the year. We like to recall our family bests and worsts. We were so busy enjoying friends that we forgot to pause. Thank goodness that nobody made it a law to get it all done and finished by January 1st. I think I have decided that I want to get around to pausing and making a few VERY SHORT LISTS by January 10th.

By the way, the wind has calmed down, the day today was warm. At least 50 degrees. We actually sat outside on the deck for a chat and a cup of coffee when our friend Donna dropped by. The sun felt marvelous. It was weird to see the small goat herd. All but one of this year's babies have been sold. Just in time for the winter hay period. The moon is making her appearance again, finally. She is growing larger, day by day and night by night. The stars are bright. The house is not quite so cold. Of course that means that the pond is far from frozen and the Christmas ice skates are still waiting under the Christmas tree. Oh well. Winter is far from over, but we are rejoicing, nonetheless, in the days that are already noticeably lighter.

As the light returns I wish for all of us sufficient moments to pause and reflect, and to remember Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

My main hope for 2009 is that I will be willing to roll with the flow as the Lord establishes my steps. And hope the same for you!