Happy New Year

New Year's Eve used to be crazy fun at my house growing up. My parents were quite the partiers. They would hold the most elaborate celebrations usually catered by my mom and grandma. There were cases upon cases of champagne piling up near the bar area. Family friends and acquaintances would pile in smelling like strong colognes and perfumes -- enough to suffocate you. Women came in wearing fur coats with the most gaudiest of jewelry. My mom would push all the sofas to the way end of the large living room area so it would become a makeshift dancing floor. Now, as a 5 year old, these people seemed ancient, when they were only in their early 30's to 40's top -- now seemingly young in my soon to be 40 year old eyes. They danced all. night. long. I remember sitting by the Christmas tree watching everyone have fun, pulling off the candy canes in need of a sugar high. I was allowed to stay up after midnight, because after all, it was New Years Eve. They let me watch the ball drop, I'd get a bunch of kisses from people I didn't know and then I would go to bed smelling like cheap perfume. New Year's Day was much more fun for me because the family was home and we were all loafing around watching marathon episodes of The Twilight Zone, eating all the leftover goodies from the night before.

Cheers! 
These days, I don't go out. I'm too afraid of what's on the roads on New Years. We stay home, have a few friends over sometimes or just by ourselves ringing in the New Year with a few cocktails and some good food. Sometimes, I don't even drink anything on this night. It's like a "forced party". As I got older, I started in with that New Years resolution bullshit. "Oh I'm gonna lose weight," every single year. I'd sign up for the gym with the rest of the world and go full steam ahead until February. I'm even tempted this year due to their enrollment free membership. I must be getting old if I'm excited about a huge discount, or they're going out of business soon. I never understood why January 1rst became the new "I'm gonna get healthy" promise to ourselves. Maybe because it's officially the end of the major "all you can eat" holidays, or maybe people need a fresh start to a date that's easy to remember. I haven't got a clue. I made my resolution in May oddly enough. I went on Paleo and stuck to it the best I could. I lost 30, gained 10, and now lost another 5. I have my moments of, "Ahhhh, I need carbs," and then get right back on track. I'm doing this for me because I want to be healthier for when I'm older --- like saving money for retirement. I'm saving my health for retirement. I don't want to be non-moving entity in this world who can't get up by herself. (I have my days mind you.) But I'm seeing so many people making these huge promises to themselves when I personally find them absolutely perfect as they are. If you feel you need to change, then do it for YOU…or you can just stay as lovely as you are.

Happy New Years to my family, my friends and to those who read my crazy blog. Please be safe so we can see you in 2014!

For more of Deb's articles, please visit: www.debrapasquella.com or join her on Facebook and Twitter. Check out her cooking blog for some of her famous recipes!