I’m seeing out 2016 watching Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rocking Eve, waiting for the ball to drop so Casey and I can kiss and go to sleep…   Hey, did you know that Melissa is at Times Square with the Mariah Carey entourage?  Gives me some extra motivation to stay awake.

We’ve got lucky food lined up, mimosas to wash it down, and we’re kicked back.  Black-eye peas are soaking for some hoppin’ john tomorrow.

I want to thank you for reading my stuff this last year.  There are so many adventures ahead and I hope you’ll ride along with us in 2017.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
   The flying cloud, the frosty light:
   The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
   Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
   The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
   For those that here we see no more;
   Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
   And ancient forms of party strife;
   Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
   The faithless coldness of the times;
   Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
   The civic slander and the spite;
   Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
   Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
   Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
   The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
   Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Peace