New Year, time for some changes in my life. This year we started our first one by staying home for New Years. We had takeout and watched the fireworks from our bedroom window. Not very exciting, I know, but it was nice to be home...stress free. No working out where we were going, what to wear, how do we get there (if I decided to drink), etc.

Today all the Christmas decorations come down. I have to admit, I was surprisingly in the Christmas spirit this year, even with the lack of the white stuff (at least until the very last minute). Paul surprised me with a Kurig when we had decided not to buy gifts for each other this year, which really was fun, I must say. Plus, I LOVE coffee, so double bonus! Besides that, it was really quiet. We only went to his sister's house on Christmas eve, and had Mom over on Christmas Day, like usual. And yes, I cooked two separate turkey dinners, also as usual. But we didn't go to any Christmas parties, we didn't go to Paul's family gathering on Boxing Day, we didn't go visiting to the usual suspects, etc. We just hibernated, I guess. And it was nice. We didn't have to get caught up in everyone else's drama.

Although, I must say that it seemed like this year, besides us, not many others were in the Christmas spirit. I only received 2 cards via mail, so next year I am not sending any. Maybe that is just a lost tradition, with email and texting taking over talking on the phone, etc. But I also noticed that our gift exchange at Paul's sister's house was not the usual as well. Gift cards and money were the name of the game, and here I arrived with old fashioned gifts. Next year, I will save on the time, effort and wrapping paper and just buy some gift cards. Won't be the same though. I really love picking out gifts for people and wrapping them up all nice, then watching them open them. Oh, I will still buy a small truckload for Mom, but that will be it. Maybe Paul and I will exchange gifts next year, like we used to. I don't know. Maybe I am just too old fashioned. When you don't have kids to buy for and to make Christmas special, it just seems like another day of the year.