by Carolyn L. Brown of our Riverside Court location in Woodstock, NB.
After a green Christmas here in “ the big yellow house”, we were all a bit happy to see the pretty white snow say” Welcome New Year. “I was out early the other morning and while watching my feet erring on the side of caution in the fresh snow, I forgot to look up but when I did, I was so thankful. The trees were wrapped in that soft white powder and yes, just enough, to make them absolutely beautiful and I found myself thinking about how easy it is to become so absorbed in one thing it allows us to miss the beauty that surrounds us! As I looked across the river, yes, running free in late December, toward the Grafton hills, it was an artist’s dream, even in the early morning darkness.
Speaking of saying Welcome New Year, the rumor mill had it going that there was a 4th floor lounge party planned for New Year’s Eve. Now the word “ party” excites most of us some of the time but when I heard who was plotting this and what they were up to, I thought to myself ” well, I haven’t crashed a good party in many years “ so maybe tonight should be the night. So I made my way to our home.
Needless to say as the photo reflects, the party was in full swing with lots of laughter and cheery chatter. Rita Hawketts said I wasn’t allowed to enter the room without first donning a hat and wearing a smile, so I accommodated camera in hand. Now Betty Hatt was doing her best at playing charades and we had it figured out she was threading a needle and sewing something but we didn’t quite figure out she was sewing on a button. I will say she did her best!! A few more brave souls tried their hands at charades much to the delight of everyone. All that to say, there was laughter, music, conversation and, of course, lots of snacks.
As we enter a new year we are often cautioned not to live in the past, but remember we didn’t just land in 2024 out of the blue, we got here because of the years before that shaped us. We can’t let the past smother us with regret over things we cannot change, but we can look forward to a clean slate, a new page and year remembering the only one holding the pen to write the script is ….guess who, You. Sharpen the pencil, keep the eraser handy and be ready to change the script as necessary. What we need to remember most of all is to not become so focused on one thing that derails us that we do forget to look up and see the beauty of the world around us and embrace the family and friends who love us.
Happy New Year everyone!!!