Happy Tuesday 5/2014 - Using Family History As Art

Welcome to the 4th Happy Tuesday of 2014!   I hope you'll join the link party today, and share something that makes you happy!  Check out the info at the bottom of the post and join the fun!

As we continue to settle into our new home, I am trying to use pieces that connect to a story, some history of our family.

Things I learned in December 2013

To be honest, December was an up and down month for me this year.   The Christmas season is always my favorite time of the year, but this year I struggled on some days to find the joy of the season.  We're just a few months into our new life here in North Carolina, and so many things are different this year as compared to years past.  I have so many blessings, but some days they were hidden from me by my own sadness of missing things "the way they were".   On the whole, I think these sad moments were just a part of managing and coping with all the changes we've seen this year, and I know that as we continue to move forward, these moments will be fewer.

With that as background, here are some of the things I learned this month:

New Traditions

Changes are all around us, all the time.  In our family, 2013 was a year of a lot of change.  Our son graduated from college and moved to Minnesota; My husband transferred to a new job; I resigned from my 24 year career; and we moved to North Carolina, leaving our daughter at college in Maryland.  "New" and "Different" were the catchwords of the second half of our year for all of us.

The De-Santa-fication Process Has Begun

"The de-Santa-fication process has begun. "  (Name that movie.)

New Year's Day around here most often is filled with un-decorating and football.  And maybe a little Rose Parade thrown in for good measure.  And of course the pork and sauerkraut that brings good luck all year long.

We've made it through about 95% of the dismantling, and about 50% of the packing away.  With breaks for cleaning, eating, and watching football, I anticipate that it will take both today and tomorrow, off and on, to complete. I hope to be done by dinner time tomorrow night.  Until then, these are some of the views we have around our house.

Eating for Good Luck

Eating for good luck.  Now that's a superstition I can sign up for!  Actually, when I think about it, I think I only have one "good luck" tradition that involves food, and it's on New Year's Day.

Eat What You Want Night

On New Year's Eve, our family has a somewhat odd tradition for our dinner.  Rather than have an extravagant holiday meal, or hosting or attending a party, our tradition is to have an "Eat What You Want" night.