Smiles in the Sunshine

Great start to the first day of 2013 up on my mountain: sun is shining, blue skies, cold and crispy fresh air.  I so hope this is a good omen of things to come...

Watching the Rose Bowl Parade, as I have done dozens of times over the years.  I love the excitement, the incredible floats, and yes, even the marching bands.  The parade has always meant New Year's morning to me...even hung over and still half in the bag--the good ol' days--I would get myself a huge cup of coffee, stagger back to bed, and manage to watch the parade.

Nowadays, things have changed, of course.  No more wild parties with crazy friends, and just a few glasses of wine last night as I waited for midnight and the ball drop in New York, calming poor Ozzy when the fireworks went off down in the valley, then falling asleep with a wee dog on either side of me.

Still, some things, thankfully, don't change.  I'm happy with my mug of coffee as the sun streams in the windows and I listen to the marching bands, admiring the beautiful floats as they glide down the wide streets of Pasadena. 

It's good to be smiling on the first day of a new year...