Frankly, I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. Historically they have led to more disappointments than positive change.However, when I asked Flo if she had any resolutions in mind, she challenged me for mine and I came up with one.I would embrace some advice from my father - and add my own.My father always said to count to 10 before saying “no” to anyone. I would add…and count to 5 before saying “yes”.

In recent years recurring fees have become a part of our daily lives. Subscriptions, monthly fees, recurring charges. They hit our credit cards every month, after time goes bye you forgot what they were for. Your being billied every month and you dont even know what it is. Wall Street loves them, its dependable recurring revenue. I hate them. My New Years resolutions is to cancel as many as I can and at least understand what they are if i decide to keep them. Often times if you try to cancel them the provider will offer a discount.

I have an approach to family holiday gifting and follow my own model every year.  There is always one big gift and a bunch of small ones. There is usually something playful and very often a gadget or two. This year, everyone was gifted a set of herb scissors and an electronic measuring scoop.  Seemed fun for my foodie children.We have also started leaning into experience gifting.  Tickets to a show or a concert are always a hit.Then there are the staples – socks, dreidels and chocolate.What is your gifting model?

My very close friend’s daughter got married last Friday. It was a Friday afternoon reception in a beer garden/hall in Staten Island. I had no idea, at all, what to wear. Another friend of mine lent me two beautiful dresses. I tried them both on but felt that they were a bit too dressy for the venue. I looked into my closet and found a classic style dress that I have had for, at least, fifteen years. I tried it on and sent a picture of me wearing it to my biggest fashion critics, my daughters. They both pronounced it as “perfect.” 

In advance of celebrating each New Year, my blog traditionally shares my verified (meaning all the links work) Songs to Ring In The New Year playlist to herald New Year’s eve.  In the process of re-checking all the links on YouTube (32 songs) and updating two links there I noticed the list now approaches a dozen years.  Time does fly.

Christmas morning used to start by searching for batteries so the toys and gifts could work right away. Now, most electrified presents are quiet at first. They need to be plugged in with a USB cable and charged before they can be used. So we sit and wait while the devices power up, learning that some fun doesn’t happen instantly anymore with all of the phones, games, and toys sitting together by the outlets. Christmas is still exciting, but it has changed a little. The fun is still there, it just takes a bit of patience before it begins.

I have kept a diary/journal since 1/1/70 and, somewhere along the way, added a "Year in Review" entry. Such entry is mostly comprised with personal highlights and lowlights, with a few earth shaking world events spiced in for the sake of history.  As I began the year end process I thought "That's a blog subject" and here it is:  On balance 2025 was a good year, as I fight the good fight against aging and irrelevance.  My shining light is my mantra "It's better to give than receive and what goes around comes around"!Happy happy NewYear!

This is the season of traditions. Visiting, gifts, acknowledgement of thanks.We have a Christmas Cactus. It is nature’s embodiment of tradition. Always flowers at this time of year. Nature’s tradition.Let us enjoy the traditions of this season — whatever they may be.