I can’t help but think about one of my favorite childhood memories. It is the very reason that New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. Have I already blogged about this? I don’t remember. Oh well, I’m doing this anyway!

When I was 9, we lived in Ohio. It was December 31, 1979. I have no idea where the rest of my family was on that night, as I don’t remember anyone else being there. (To be fair, as the youngest of 8, I often was left to my own devices.) The Christmas tree was still up and the twinkle lights made the night feel magical. The living room was quiet except for Dick Clark on the television. I watched with excitement and wonder as the ball dropped and the crowd counted down to midnight. Then they announced it was now 1980! It felt monumental to enter into a whole new decade!!! The soft glow of the twinkle lights, the joy from the people in Times Square, the sense of awe that time was marked this way all combined to make a moment of pure joy.

To this day, I love that moment. I love the sense of a new year and a clean slate. I love the celebration and community feel of being together as the old year ends and the new one begins. I have spent NYE in so many ways. Even the most joyful have not lived up to that night when I was 9. And that’s okay. I still hold the magic of that night in my heart.

This was taken about the same time as my memory. Please enjoy all of the 70s goodness. And make special note of the beer stein and pretzel wallpaper. My mom loved it.