Turning The Page On January 1, 2016

Today was a good day with plenty to keep me busy as soon as I rolled out of bed. Errands run; kid pick-up from work and a second stop at Target got me back home in time to get started on Happy New Year Best Wishes Bash.

Image by L. Carilo, Jan. 2016

I don't entertain much, not at all, really. This holiday season was different. No weekend passed without friends and family dropping by for s'mores and hot cocoa out in our backyard "winter wonderland," or as close as we can get to that in the Southern California desert.

Image by L. Carilo, Jan. 2016

Tonight was downright festive... food, drink, music, games, and every sort of sweet treat you can think of, in the company of my nieces and their families, and my sister and brother-in-law. We shared a modified version of our traditional New Year's Day dinner, of salmon, wild rice, Hopping John black-eyed peas, and spinach salad.

Image by L. Carilo, Jan. 2016

This year's January 1st meal consisted of delicious crab and salmon cakes, black-eyed peas salad (for luck), wild rice (for health), spinach salad (for prosperity), and a buffet table overflowing with many more tasty dishes.

Image by L. Carilo, Jan. 2016

There were plenty of giggles from young and old sitting outside around a crackling fire. Inside we could hear all the fun the kiddos were having playing video games; ages ranging from 4 to late teens. The only tears came when it was time to shut the games down, our youngest guest did not want to leave. Loving hugs shared and off they all went into the mild evening air.

It was a good day, and a great start to the new year. I hope yours was too.

Lil