What did you do last night?

We stayed home. We ate Mexican Casserole, snacked on Summer Sausage with cheese and crackers, played a little Guitar Hero and all fell asleep way before midnight and the New Year rolled on in.

Its not cuz David and I are old....nope.... its not an age thing at all. David and I have been out a grand total on New Years 3 times in the last 26 years of marriage. Numbers 1 and 2 were the first two years of our marriage, the third was the year Nikki was born.

My mom babysat 7 week old Nikki for us and we went out with the couple who were our best friends at the time....we hit a restarant and then a bar and decided that we'd head on home about 12:30 or so. As we left the bar's parking lot, we had to sit and wait for a red light to turn green...our friend Woody was driving and when that light turned green, he just sat there. He was aware it was green, but something made him sit there for just a second or two longer then he would normally have done. And it was a good thing too.

Suddenly, a big car came barreling through what was to that car a big fat red light. And when I say barreling, I'm not exaggerating at all...that car must have been going at least 95 mph....! We all jumped there in our seats, without seat belts of course, because back then, it wasn't illegal not to wear those things.

Woody sat where he was, still not turning out onto that street; we were all just in shock at what nearly happened to us. As we sat through the second rotation of those lights, I looked at David and said "this is our last New Years Eve out. We're parents now!" And it was our last New Years Eve out.

Nikki understands this; she's heard this story all her life. So when she goes out on New Years, she goes to one friend's party and spends the night there...if that's not possible, she stays in with the rest of us and invites a friend or two to come stay.

I like knowing that I'll be here on New Years Day....alive and well unless God wills that something happens to me in my own home. I don't want to be out there trusting that the other folks in those cars have been responsible and designated a sober driver who won't run that red light at 95 mph......

Besides, a good book, good food, and my family all around me is all I ever really want for any New Year anyway....

Now, its time to bake the cornbread and set the table for Blackeyed Peas and Ham! Yum......