The "Sharing New Year's Day Dinner With Family" Story

It was an ordinary day.  January 1st and my family just left our house to head home after sharing a wonderful New Year's dinner of pork and sauerkraut.  It is our traditional meal that we share every New Year's Day to hopefully give us all good luck for the upcoming "New Year."  My wife, Carol, had made our family's Christmas dinner for a table of a dozen friends and relatives, but our New Year's dinner table only brought half-a-dozen hungry mouths to the table.  Family that live out of state usually don't fight the traffic on New Year's Day as they do when we celebrate Christmas. Last evening we enjoyed watching all the celebrations that were on TV such as the ball dropping in New York, the Hershey Kiss dropping in Hershey, PA, the White Rose dropping in York, PA, the Lebanon Bologna drop in Lebanon, PA, the Dill Pickle drop in Dillsburg, PA,  Martin's Potato roll drop in Chambersburg, PA, etc, etc., but were disappointed this year since my hometown of Lancaster, PA did not have the Red Rose drop this year due to poor attendance last year to see an event that cost over twenty thousand dollars last year.  I must admit that I don't care to stand outside in the freezing cold winter air to watch a fake red rose drop, or rise, to celebrate the New Year.  Trying to find parking, at times having to walk a few city blocks and then wait for who knows how long before a fake rose is dropped or raised is a bit too much for my old body anymore.  Years and years ago it was fun, but it's so much easier to watch the event on TV now that I have begun the downside of my life.  Evidently, there are too many people in Lancaster that feel the same way and the city of Lancaster decided to eliminate the event this year.  I did feel bad for those who do enjoy watching some item fall from the sky or rise from the street, but my aging body can no longer stand the winter weather.  And, if I want to have a chance to enjoy the Christmas Holidays next year, I thought I should stop standing out in the freezing weather to see a fake item drop, or in some cases rise, just to celebrate New Year's Eve.  My wife, family, and I would like to wish all of you who have found these stories on my blog, a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year.  And, if you care to check back in the future, I will attempt to entertain you with more  extraordinary stories from an ordinary guy!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!