Hello everyone.
I was remembering the New Year's parties my parents put on for their friends, with us kids in attendance, mostly to fetch drinks & empty ashtrays, it seemed to me. I didn't enjoy the social - didn't know what to say or do, felt 'outside' a lot.
At midnight we'd make a lot of noise, banging on pots & pans, blowing those party blower things, the ones that unroll with a feather stuck to the ends, & tossing paper streamers.
But that wouldn't be the end of the night. It wasn't enough for us kids either, to see in the New Year. We'd want to stay awake all night & see the sunrise.
As the night wore on, the people would be 'relaxed' shall we say, & because here in Australia, the night were warm & we'd be outside. The music would be turned down low.
Small groups would be in quiet conversation. Others were dozing wherever they happened to be. Really lucky if they had a bean bag, not so if they happened to be lying on the cement around the pool.
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I feel sort of sentimental about those parties, although they weren't all that much fun for me. & the next day, it was us kids who had to clean up, too.
Although it hasn't happened anywhere near where I've lived for many years, I still half expect to hear neighbours shouting "Happy New Year", banging pots & pans, then dogs barking, & cars going by, with their drivers tooting their horns.
But, no, that doesn'thappen anymore - except, if someone has the tele on, watching the fireworks from somewhere, & it'sthe people attending who I might hear yelling, "Happy New Year" & "Hip, hip, hooray!"
Hugzies
mmMekitty
