In response to many requests, I’m starting a special open thread for New Year’s Day 2020. I may add a cute picture later, but for now let’s get this started.
66 thoughts on “Happy New Year!”
Comments are closed.
In response to many requests, I’m starting a special open thread for New Year’s Day 2020. I may add a cute picture later, but for now let’s get this started.
Comments are closed.
All right, Happy New Year again!
Properly attired for this lounge, I am wearing two piece flannel footie pajamas.
My New Year’s resolutions are: to lose ten pounds, to go back to university this coming fall (as a tester), and to try to put aside enough money so that hubby has the option of taking next winter off.
Last night, I dreamed I was cat-sitting. When I woke up, I started calling for the cat, completely baffling my husband.
Tomorrow, I hopefully find out if not being terminal means I can have Duckie back.
I am wearing a tank top and shorts, socks, and my fuzzy blue bathrobe.
Hope you do get Duckie back 💕
Me too! 🤞🏼
Happy new year, everyone!
Wonderful! The year is certainly new to the pup (as is everything else)!
Happy 2020! I’m indulging my favorite New Year’s Day tradition: Watching the Rose Parade with the sound off and instead listening to the annual Strauss concert from Vienna. Ani had a fun morning of running around the front yard and Teddy Bear got all frisky and attacked all of his toys.
I love seeing Teddy Bear and frisky in the same sentence. Yay! ❤
2019 was a difficult year for me but I am hopeful that 2020 will be somewhat better. In any case, this site has been a lovely respite from the trials of daily life. Thank you, fellow Cutetropolans (?) and especially, Mike. Happy New Year to all! 😊
Hey, Mike, I sent you a turtle picture to put with today’s Links — in the comments is fine. I sent it to the address listed here above, the new one; did you get it?
So good to hear Teddy Bear is fully recovered!
That’s a lovely tradition NTMTOM! If I were in Austria I would have watched the concert live on TV and danced a waltz with my bf. If I were in Iowa, I would make an Austrian dinner and watch the edited concert on PBS. But I am in Duluth, Minnesota so we are starting a new tradition!
Happy New Year, all!!! The only resolution I ever kept was the one I made years ago– not to make any more resolutions! Works for me.
One of the perks of living in a senior living complex is that we have a ‘Fun Coordinator’ who arranges for us to go places and do things that we don’t have to drive ourselves to and figure out the particulars for. Today a group of us ‘cat’ ladies are going to lunch and then to see the movie CATS. Should be a fun afternoon. Having seen the original cast of CATS in Chicago MANY years ago (as an anniversary present from my hubby), I hope I’m not too disappointed in the movie. I’ve read reviews that aren’t too gracious about the movie. Time will tell. In many instances, the ‘original’ play/movie is better than remakes.
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
-E.M. Forster, novelist (1 Jan 1879-1970)
Every few months, SHAW TV switches around a few channels that they let people have for free – worked out now, the Canadian SciFi channel is free, so I just have the Harry Potter movies on in the background XD …did want to watch the Arthur Christmas special on PBS this year too.. but they didn’t show it…
Well, Cuterepolitans, I am among those who has to work today, so I am enjoying this on my lunch break. Rise Parade with Strauss in the background sounds inspired – how did you ever think to do that?
Read a lovely quote this morning from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year”. Wishing you all many, many best days and all the fur (fins, feathers, hide, scales!) that your hearts can hold!
Happy New Year, everybody! I’m wearing leggings and a t-shirt so I’m in my “totally relaxed” clothes. Of course, this is what I wear every day at home (except in the summer, when I switch to shorts). Working at home has its advantages; I only have about one work-appropriate outfit any more! I’m having to work today, too, to finish up a HUGE job that’s due tomorrow, but it’s going well. I’m just getting heartily sick of it; It’s very, very long.
Yoofi did an about face with the change of year. (Except that she still steals and eats my cocoa butter sticks, but that will never change!) Since she got up this morning, she has been an absolute angel. She’s listened and minded any time we tell her to do or not to do anything. She’s been asking for pets by calmly standing in front of us instead of jumping all over the place, including on us. She is like a different dog. Did the New Year’s baby switch her out for a new model? I’m not complaining, mind you; we’ve been hoping that we would reach this point eventually, but we didn’t expect it would be this soon. Now we just have to see if she reverts back to her previous personality!
Duckie, I really hope you’re able to get Duckie back. I know how hard that was for you! Giving up a beloved pet is horrible, but I’m glad you still can have visits. That’s not the same, though. Do let us know!
Maybe her new year’s resolution is to be a good girl.
It’s like she’s been replaced with another dog entirely. We’re not complaining, mind you, we’re just mystified at the complete change in behavior happening all at once instead of gradually!
My big goal for the first part of the new year is to finish the refinance of my house. My realtor told me that interest rates had been dropping, and that I could save a lot of money. He was right. I’m taking 8 years off my loan for a negligible increase in my monthly payment. And I’m telling everyone else to consider a refinance right now as well — it could have a big impact on your finances.
In other news, my house is now, at least for one day, absolutely clean, down to the vents and the ceiling fans. And I woke up, as I do every day, to my sweet kittens licking my face. I have always held that whatever you do on January 1st represents the tone for the rest of your year, so I will be spending today NOT cleaning, but instead cooking fancy food, watching movies, reading, painting, and cuddling my most beloved cats. And telling my friends and family that I love them.
Happy New Year, Cutetropolians! Thank you for being one of the blessings I count on every day. And especially you, Mike, for making it all possible.
Squiddy, I feel the same year about January 1, so I too plan my day carefully as a kind of roadmap for the year. I made coconut cream fudge (for work), sorted through some spinning samples so I can plan the yarn, and enjoyed an audiobook and favorite music. And it’s not eve 12:30! Still more fun to come.
Good luck with the refi, Squiddy. They’re always a real pain in the behind, but interest rates are SO low right now that you can really get some good savings.
Exchanged the sheep jammies for jeans and a sweatshirt but that’s as dressed up as I’m going to get today.
We’ve already had a visit from the “New Deer” (a doe and her two fawns, plus a bonus buck).
My 2020 began with cleaning up cat puke, so…it can only get better? LOL!
They weren’t able to shoot fireworks off the Space Needle last night due to high winds (they did a laser light show instead), but they said they might be able to at 2 a.m., so now I need to find out if they did it later ’cause I wasn’t going to stay up that late to find out.
Just put a pot roast in the slow cooker, so dinner is taken care of! The rest of the day shall involve lots of relaxing, reading, and possibly a visit to a friend who lives down the road.
Happy New Year, Cutetropolitans!
There’s a resolution I should work on: find good (healthy) recipes for my slow cooker. I often see recipes that call for a 6-quart one and mine’s only 4. I don’t know how much I’d need to scale down for the smaller cooker.
Allein, my husband does a lot of crockpot cooking, and it’s just for the two of us so it’s not huge quantities. I think all you need to do is just reduce the recipe by whatever percentage you need to get the quantity you want. So if you want to make the full recipe except for your smaller cooker, just subtract 1/3 from everything. That’s what I would do, anyway.
And speaking of slow cookers, there’s something in ours. I don’t know what it is, but I know that by late afternoon the wonderful fragrance will be torturing all of us. My office is about as far away from the kitchen as you can get in the house, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get the lovely aromas that make me anticipate another yummy dinner, usually for hours. It’s very nice of him, but it’s also quite torturesome when it smells really, REALLY good.
Which it usually does — he’s terrific with a slow cooker. Doesn’t use recipes, just tosses in whatever spices he thinks will work, etc. A few times I’ve had to insist he write down the recipe for a particularly delicious sauce or something so that he can repeat it because it’s too good to only eat once!
Get him to write them down so you can post them for us!
I’ll try. He uses odd combinations of spices; he lived across the Pacific for 23 years before I met him, all over (Australia, Philippines, Okinawa, Guam, Japan) so he learned how to do all kinds of interesting cooking. I’ll see what I can get him to do. I promise you’ll be surprised by some of his meat marinades or sauce mixes in the crockpot!
Any pics of the new year deer?
Not this time, but they may come back later. They’re regulars to our yard, probably because we feed them occasionally.
A couple of dogs chased them away, but one of the babies is back. Will have to send the photo to Mike since I don’t know how to post them here.
Here’s the dear deer!
That is a very, very cute fawn. Partially grown, I gather? Thanks! I love deer, they are so very, very cute.
Yes, they’re usually born around June, so this one is about 6 months old. We had one that was born really late this year and is about 2/3 the size of the other fawns. Not sure what happened to her mama, but she was adopted by the mama of the one that was born in our landscaping two seasons ago, so now they travel as a trio: Maple (the one born in our landscaping- she was featured on Cutetropolis a while back), her mama, and the adoptee. 😀
The adoption is so sweet.
Really lovely! Thanks.
Millie and I slept late. Binge watching Dr. Who dressed in jammies. Finishing my current drawing. Reheating food. Tomorrow haircut. Undecided on the style. Winter hats are not good for the tiny bit of style I still have control over.
“Is it so small a thing to have enjoyed the sun, to have lived light in the spring, to have loved, to have thought, to have done.” Matthew Arnold
Just a line of poetry I’ve always loved. ❤
Thank you for that. Its lovely.
I am hoping that as of this post I will have solved the issues that have limited my posting. In a few minutes I will know. Meanwhile, I love everything that people have posted about their New Year Resolutions, what they’re wearing, doing, cooking, and hopeful masters for 2020. I remember, as a kid, thinking ahead to future dates “How old will I be in 2000?” etc. My name may change to “Mursky” because I signed into WordPress with that. Also, I updated my email – this better work. Well, here does, (holds nose, goes underwater…..) – didn’t work. Oh, well, I’ll have to try again.
Murray, I had the same thought as a kid! “I’ll be 35 in 2000!” It just never occurred to me that time would keep passing after that!
Sounds like everybody except poor Nancy is enjoying the day. It’s so nice to hear how you all are celebrating.
Well, Deb G, thank you for the thoughts! Doing much better now as my shift is over and I’m about to head home. I am off tomorrow as I work this coming weekend so I shall probably be in some form of sweats/jammies until about 5 am Friday ☺️. A friend (who always chooses extremely appropriate books for me for Christmas) gave me a new autobiography of Julie Andrews so I may well dig into that tonight or tomorrow. Blessed New Year to you all!
Hee hee 😁
If your resolution is to relax more…
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/17/788906118/how-to-have-a-good-weekend
Happy New Year everybody! I’m a regular lurker around here but rarely comment; maybe one of my resolutions should be to be more chatty?
Anyhoo, after a productive morning re-arranging my bookshelves to accommodate the 25 books I accumulated over my Christmas vacation, and getting my new 2020 planner all lined up for January (hooray for color-coded stickers – I feel so organized!), I fully intend to spend the rest of the day reading the Chronicles of Narnia and listening to Benny Goodman. Oh yes, and I’m staying in my retro floral pjs all day. Hope everyone else has a cozy and relaxing day!
Jump in! The water’s fine! Retro floral pjs go well with Benny Goodman, I like the trio and quartet recordings from the 30s.
May your new year be this relaxed and mellow
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and may you have someone like this to snorgle when it is not
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I don’t think the cats in the top pic have been assembled properly Diane. 😁
LOL
“Some settling of contents may have occurred during shipping and handling.”
Have some Scottish shortbread cookies, everyone.
Happy New Year!
The first day of the year was quite good, (it is bedtime here) I hope the year continues in this style: it will be good and I will sleep a lot 🙂
I was totally surprised that there wasn’t so much fireworks that would make me feel in a warzone last night. But then I overheard stalker neighbour’s chat with the “usual suspect” neighbours. Well usual suspect family got so drunk daytime already that they spent the whole evening and night passed out. All of them: man, wife and their 15 year old kid. Talk about classy neighbours 🙂 But at least I could sleep and the cat was not afraid.
This year Marci cat was a good boy on NYD and allowed me to cook in peace. Last year I was completely baffled why my lentils didn’t get swollen no matter how many times I refilled the water on them. But then I entered the kitchen at the right moment and realised it was Marci who had drunk the water from the lentils every time.
But then I entered the kitchen at the right moment and realised it was Marci who had drunk the water from the lentils every time.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hmmm. Did Marci have any (tooting) issues?
😁
That’s funny!
That’s terrific, Jan, if you can retire! Lily clearly is starved for attention and needs more (ha!), and I hope you’re able to enjoy retirement. Lots of people find themselves with too much free time, like my husband at first. I’ve been much happier since he took up therapy visits with our dog!
Happy new year, all Cute-peeps!
Good riddance 2019! I had four friends and/or acquaintances die last year (cancer, ALS, cancer, car acccident). Just as I was hoping that was enough, a friend’s brother was hit and killed by a car at Thanksgiving, and another friend’s father died a couple of weeks later. That last was old age at 91yo, so the only one that wasn’t what you might call untimely, but still leant an element of gloom to the holidays.
Yesterday was my “Double-Nickel” day, so I get to start the year out qualifying for senior living centers. Luckily, Lily doesn’t think I’m old! And I have left over cake to eat up. No fireworks off the Space Needle last night was something of a let down and it looks like they didn’t get to fire them off later either. I was on a ferry across Puget Sound earlier in the day, and while it was a little breezy, it didn’t seem that bad to me; I’ve been out there in the past in far worse weather! In accordance with my new curmudgeonly elder status, I didn’t recognize any of the music or artists from the laser show or from the Times Square NY show, and mostly didn’t like any of it. But I figure that just means I’m doing curmudgeonly right!
Really shouldn’t be too grumpy however. My new knee is doing well, I even took it on some light hikes around Whidbey Island over Christmas and it did great. So I can look forward to further improvement there. And there’s a possibility that I might be able to retire at the end of the year. My parents are still alive and kicking and doing fairly well, I have a nice snug house, and Lily to entertain and keep me company. Much to be grateful for and much to anticipate!
Sounds good! And Lily gorgeous as ever. Does double nickel mean 55? Those were the days! I will be 70 and this month and am taking it very hard.
You guys are still pups at 55 and 70!! I’ll be 83 in a couple of months. Now THAT is getting old. My husband passed away at 84 in July. We moved to a senior living complex 2 years ago. I went to see the movie CATS this afternoon for lunch and a treat out. Their costumes are something else. See it if you get a chance. Makeup had to take a LONG time!!
I’m so sorry you lost your husband… 🙁
Thanks, Leigh. All of 2019 was difficult. Watching him shrink away was hard to deal with. Harder was watching our son lose his Dad as they were very close. Living in a senior complex, it’s not unusual to have residents pass because that’s what happens when you get old so there are many people here who understand what you’re going thru and offer sympathy. Many residents have lost their spouses since the complex opened in 2017 and many of us moved here. So we pick up the pieces and carry on. Let’s hope 2020 is the quiet after the storm of 2019.
Happy New Year to one and all!! I had started a nice long post and somehow hit the wrong button on the computer and poof, it disappeared. I can’t remember all of it sooo, I’ll leave it short & sweet. Good to hear everyone’s news, had a relaxing & early New Year’s Eve. Same type of day today and no real resolutions on my end. Just planning to be more mindful of what I’m eating and not eat too much sugary and junk food plus attempt to exercise a little more. If I lose some pounds that’s a bonus. Now off to make spaghetti & meatballs for dinner over carrot zoodles instead of regular pasta.
Coming late to the party so Happy New Year all of the cutetropolis family and affiliates!!!
Just finished cleaning up the traditional pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and thinking of my sweet Nana. This was her favorite meal.
Happy New Year All! Boy howdy, here’s hoping that 2020 is better than last year!
I’m very late to the party as I was traveling to California, later this time because my dad is turning 80 on the 5th so I wanted to be here for that.
I love Squiddy’s philosophy that the way your first day goes is how the year will go. Here’s hoping! I pulled an all-nighter because I had to catch a cab to the airport at 5am. The first four hours were pretty frantic trying to finish binding a birthday book for my dad, but then I managed to pack everything together in time for the cab who showed up, on the dot at 5am, barely had a security line at the airport, was able to take my slightly-too-large “roller board bag” onto the plane, which had been upgraded so we had more room so I had an entire roll to myself. Slept three of the four and half hour flight. We landed early in Phoenix so I didn’t have to sprint to the next gate in half an hour. On the second plane, the row in front of me (and the upside-down triangle I was sitting next to) was also empty, so I moved and again had an entire row to myself. AND, the flight landed in Long Beach rather than the nightmare that is LAX! Had to check my bag this time, but it was waiting on the tarmac as soon as we got off of the little puddle jumper. No wait at baggage claim! Long Beach is much closer to home, so quick ride home for an afternoon with dad’s wife doing arts and crafts, dinner at favorite Mexican restaurant with adorable niece and nephew, home in time for Jeopardy (dad’s favorite show) and now a wonderful perusal of Cutetropolis before bed. sigh, a pretty good day.
Wishing all of you all the best for 2020 and thank you for being such a wonderful community.
2019 was not a great year, for me or my extended family, so I’m hoping for a better 2020. 🙂
I hope everyone here has an awesome year! I don’t always comment, but I do read and enjoy or commiserate with the writers. I do love this site so much and am grateful for the joy it brings into my life.💙💜💚 Here’s to a great 2020 for our community!🥂🍾🎉