SOMNOLENCE

A quiet New Year's Day—not that I expected anything else. We went to bed around eight on New Year's Eve and woke up about five-thirty New Year's morning. If anyone set off fireworks or firearms during the night, I did not hear them.

As I had spent most of New Year's Eve getting everything cleaned up for the new year—an old superstition, if you will—most of Thursday morning was spent watching the Rose Bowl Parade with Lloyd. That's the first time I've done that in years. It's the first time he's done that in years. Of course, I had a book in one hand: the usual way that I watch television.

Lloyd has never come to grips with me being able to do other things while I read. Once a long time ago, we were in bed watching tv. I had my head on his shoulder, reading. To tease me, he bent his arm so that it lay across my eyes. I said nothing, as I could see the book perfectly well underneath his arm. When I came to the end of the paragraph, I turned the page. He almost freaked out as he was expecting a quite different reaction.

This New Year's we had roast pork tenderloin, left over from Christmas; black-eyed peas, for good luck; corn bread and spinach for dinner. It was delicious if I do say it myself. I hope you all had a quiet holiday and wish you all good things for the coming year.

Our word of the day for January 2, 2009 is "somnolence" — Pronunciation: \'säm-nə-lən(t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: the quality or state of being drowsy : sleepiness.

Our quote for the day is from Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), U.S. philosopher, author, naturalist. Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 99, Houghton Mifflin (1906):

The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us; and for an hour, at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day and night.

;^)

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ANNUAL

Happy New Year's Eve.

This is Lloyd's and my wedding anniversary. We had what you might call a whirlwind courtship. When he was pointed out to me by a mutual acquaintance, a voice in my head said, "You're going to marry that man." So, when he proposed to me—not eight hours later—I said yes. That was just before Christmas, and our wedding was barely two weeks later on New Year's Eve.

We've been married forty-two years now. We have raised two only children: our daughter was born nearly fourteen years after our son. Both of us are cancer survivors. Both of us have been able to find work when we needed it, and Lloyd was able to retire in 1996 at the age of 66. God has been good to us.

Sometimes people ask how we have been able to stay married so long. A determination to work things out between us is a key. Humor is another. If either of us were incapable of laughing at ourselves and the situations in which we have been, this marriage would have been on the rocks many times. Another point in our favor was that both sets of parents showed us in many ways that they loved and respected our choice of partner. (I always said that were I to run away from home, I would run to his mom as mine would just send me back.) We stayed away from those relatives who disparaged our relationship.

When we were first married, Lloyd worked for an aircraft field service team that contracted to repair, replace and retrofit airplane parts. His job has taken us from border to border, coast to coast and even to Puerto Rico. We have seen so many wonderful places and met many wonderful people.

We settled in Wichita in part because of the job market here, and also because Tim had attended eight different schools in two years. It was time to settle in one place. Even after we established our home here, we have been able to travel to see relatives and to just see the country. And we have been able to continue the courtship long after the wedding.

Our word of the day for December 31, 2008 is "annual" — Pronunciation: \'an-yə(-wə)l, -yü-əl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French annuel, from Late Latin annualis, blend of Latin annuus yearly (from annus year) and Latin annalis yearly (from annus year); probably akin to Gothic athnam (dative plural) years, Sanskrit atati he walks, goes
Date: 14th century
1 : covering the period of a year [annual rainfall]. 2 : occurring or happening every year or once a year : yearly [an annual reunion]. 3 : completing the life cycle in one growing season or single year [annual plants].

Our quote for the day is from Wallace Stevens (1879–1955), U.S. poet. Journal entry, March 4, 1906. Souvenirs and Prophecies: the Young Wallace Stevens, ch. 8, ed. Holly Stevens (1977):

Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise!

:^)

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