What is a new year anyway?

The celebration of the New Year is a bit odd, isn't it? It'd make more sense to celebrate the solstice, when something does turn, and at one time, the official year didn't begin in January, but in March. If you want to read about all the variations, check out here.

And why do we pin hopes of change to this one day? Why not on our birthdays? That would make more sense. (I've always thought it would make sense if on our birthday we gave presents to our parents for bringing us into the world. Don't you think?)

The New Year doesn't even happen at the same time, as our global community makes clear. Anne celebrated yesterday. Nicola and I are doing it now, and the American Wenches have 5-8 hours to wait. Really, it's time that drives us crazy, isn't it, if we look at it too closely. No wonder Doctor Who is a Time Lord.

My resolution is to seek joy in my daily lives and to appreciate the simple things, and in that spirit, I offer some pictures of Davy, who went with son #2 to Japan in 2009. 

Meditating


enjoying the sun and scenery

contemplating different spiritualities

and making new friends.

To start our 2010 pleasures, here's the list of historical TV that people here have enjoyed. Foyle's War
Cranford
Forsyte Saga
Upstairs Downstairs
Wives and Daughters
Cadfael
Lord Peter Wimsey
Deadwood
Robin of Sherwood
Onedin Line
North and South
Sharpe
Horatio Hornblower
Merlin
Joan of Arc
Here Come The Brides
The Last King
The First Churchills
Pallisers
Barchester Chronicles
Mayor of Casterbridge
Mapp and Lucia
Anne of Green Gables
I Claudius
Roar
House of Mirth
The Aristocrats
Flambards
Six Wives of Henry VIII
Crossbow
The Scarlet Pimpernel
Brideshead Revisited
The Tudors
Young Victoria
Blackadder
The First Churchills
Poldark
John Adams
Sherlock Holmes
Into The West
Jeeves and Wooster

Now for the winners. Alas, many of you didn't specify where you are, and I did say one copy of Chalice of Roses would go to North America and one to the rest of the world. However, as it happens, I think it worked out. If not, I'll have to pick again. A promise is a promise.The first pick was Cynthya, and as she was recommending John Adams, I suspect she's from North America.The second was Carol Thompson, and she spelled "favourites" the British way. E-mail me at [email protected] with your addresses. 

Chalice of Roses is out officially in a few days, but it's probably on shelves now in some places. We hope it'll start your year of with great reading pleasure,

All best wishes,

Jo

Comments

[Johnny Ancich]

Happy New Year!

Cartoon...
http://pastexpiry.blogspot.com/2009/12/cartoon-new-years-eve-2009.html

[maryjoputney]

ROFL at Davy's trip to Japan, and a fine and educational journey he seems to have had. (And where do your cabbage patch kids get their wardrobes??? Are there online sites that sell clothing for them, just like you can get clothing for yard goose statues in the US?)

New Year's in an appealing symbol, and having both public and personal ones (our birthdays) makes sense to me. And a happy and fulfilling New Year's to all of us, both human and Cabbage Patch!

Mary Jo

[Sharyn]

I just pre-ordered CHALICE for my Kindle, Jo! Thanks for the reminder and have a wonderful 2010!

[theo]

Happy New Year to all of the Word Wenches, present and past. I've enjoyed every minute with you all.

And I love the pics of Davey! So cute and he looks so excited to be there.

[theo]

OH! D'oh...Congrats to the winners. :)

[Jo Beverley]

Jo here.

I've made all the Cabbage Patch clothes. Lots of fun. Davy's main outfit ended up looking slightly Cossack, so he's Russian Dancing Davy. :)

Davy's a very happy soul. Charlie's the ruling entity and can be a bit of a bad-ass. Billy's young and cute. Charlie Too's just sort of tags along thus far. Identity problems, perhaps

What? They're just dolls?

Bwah-ha-ha-ha!

Thanks for preordering Chalice, Sharyn.

Jo :)

[Lyn S]

As I am a teacher and student and my birthday is September 1, that is when the year starts for me. I pre-ordered Chalice with my textbooks for the next semester. The first textbook that arrived in the mail is "The Time Bind" by AR Hochschild. I hope there is a chapter about fitting in Word Wench novels.
Happy New Year to all.

[Lyn S]

Oh. The only bad drawback to having a beginning of the school year birthday is when my mom gave out school supplies as birthday party favors. No one wanted to be reminded of what started the next week.

[Anne Gracie]

Happy New Year, Jo, wenches and reader friends. I guess March, as the first day of spring does make sense for the beginning of the year for those in the northern hemisphere who have spring, (as opposed to those in the tropics who don't have the same kind of seasons) but as a global date I like January 1, arbitrary as it is.

I think it brings a sense of community around the globe, that so many of us are celebrating the same thing in different ways on the same date.

Here's hoping 2010 is a happy and peaceful year for you all.

[Sherrie Holmes]

Sherrie, here.
Jo, I'm deeply impressed you made all your Cabbage Patch Kids' costumes! You talented thing, you!

One thing I'm going to do more of this year is sew. I have a fancy sewing machine that does everything but make coffee, so I'd better start using it! I just finished making a camera bag for my camera, and now I'm making a table runner for the dining room table.

I loved your idea of giving one's parents presents on one's birthday. What a great idea.