Here's to Old & New Times!

It's that repeated phrase, cup of kindness, I remember and recite to myself. Yes, that's it!

The cup! I have many, but will only show this one photograph of a row of them in my new place...they are obviously symbolic. Repeated joy and friendship, I think...

At New Year

A little online history. "Auld Lang Syne" is traditionally sung at the conclusion of New Year gatherings in Scotland and around the world, especially in English speaking countries.

It is common practice that everyone joins hands with the person next to them to form a great circle around the dance floor. At the beginning of the last verse, everyone crosses their arms across their breast, so that the right hand reaches out to the neighbour on the left and vice versa. When the tune ends, everyone rushes to the middle, while still holding hands. When the circle is re-established, everyone turns under the arms to end up facing outwards with hands still joined. In countries other than Scotland the hands are often crossed from the beginning of the song at variance with Scottish custom.

The Scot folk melody. Robert Burns: The song's title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago", "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, is loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".

Old and new combined. It's not exactly "take the best of old and new, then leave the rest," but perhaps it is this sifting and sorting--then, accepting, that means something, at least to me. Up from the negative, the judgmental unless someone has crossed a boundary, entered your fortress unannounced or cruelly, or deceptively. We have all had it happen to us--and spoken against it or not.

Each year that I have blogged, I have thanked people who have come into my life and are either still with me in some respect (mostly virtual) or have passed and have left their mark on my "soul." The list is long. I will cite a few first names; they may be duplicative, so only one name must stand for more than one. Accept it with grace and know that you made a difference in my life.

I did not include teachers from High School...but Olive Eckerson comes into view and fades, so long ago.

And, the list of people I want to thank...am grateful for...they are not in alphabetical order; my spices are not either. Finally, they are presented horizontally, rather than vertically, another clue to my being perhaps. Perhaps not.

Alison, Margaret, Jean, Sharon, Roxie, Myrtle, Aurora, Doreen, Dwight, Danielle, Monica, Maria, Maureen, Adrian, Ines, Bobby, Bob, Kate, Caroline, Wendy, Leslie, Trudy, Dave, Mary, Denny, Jeannene, Ariella, David, Camilla, Amy, Rich, Eric, Phil, Melody, Neil, Lora, Dodie, Mick, Wally, Chuck, Peggy, Karen, Denee, Kaycheri, Maureen, Kathleen, Kathy, Bryan, Anne, Michael, Doreen, Jeff, Charles, Lance, Liz, Lauren, Bo, Sally, Norie, Laura, Cooper, Kaye, Rachel, Scott, Lisa, Steve, Dorothy, Brod, Ruth, April, Peter, Martha, Paul, Rebecca, Tony, Robin, Alan, Jill, Grace, Cindy, Jane...

I know this is incomplete, but my time online is up now--I need to move forward, write a Sestina for the online poetry course. Camilla is asleep...a cold wind is blowing.

Happy New Year!

Kay and Camilla