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New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year. People in 
almost every country celebrate this day as a holiday. The 
celebrations are both festive and serious. Many people make New 
Year's resolutions to break bad habits or to start good ones. Some 
think about how they have lived during the past year and look forward 
to the next 12 months. 

Early customs. Many ancient peoples started the year at harvesttime. 
They performed rituals to do away with the past and purify themselves 
for the new year. For example, some people put out the fires they 
were using and started new ones. 


In early times, the ancient Romans gave each other New Year's gifts 
of branches from sacred trees. In later years, they gave gold-covered 
nuts or coins imprinted with pictures of Janus, the god of gates, 
doors, and beginnings. January was named after Janus, who had two 
faces--one looking forward and the other looking backward. The Romans 
also brought gifts to the emperor. The emperors eventually began to 
demand such gifts. But the Christian church outlawed this custom and 
certain other pagan New Year's practices in A.D. 567

The ancient Persians gave New Year's gifts of eggs, which symbolized 
productiveness. The Celtic priests of what is now England gave the 
people branches of mistletoe, which was considered sacred.

The Celts took over many New Year's customs from the Romans, who 
invaded the British Isles in A.D. 43. By the 1200's, English rulers 
had revived the Roman custom of asking their subjects for New Year's 
presents. Common presents included jewelry and gold. Queen Elizabeth 
I acquired a large collection of richly embroidered and jeweled 
gloves through this custom. English husbands gave their wives money 
on New Year's Day to buy pins and other articles. This custom 
disappeared in the 1800's. However, the term pin money still means 
small amounts of spending money. 

Many American colonists in New England celebrated the new year by 
firing guns into the air and shouting. They also visited taverns and 
houses to ask for drinks. Other colonists attended church services. 
Some people held open house, welcoming all visitors and feeding them 
generously. 

Another old custom involved using the Bible to predict what would 
happen in the new year. People chose a passage of the Bible at 
random. They then applied the passage to the coming months of the new 
year. 

Modern customs on New Year's Day include visiting friends and 
relatives; giving gifts; attending religious services; and making 
noise with guns, horns, bells, and other devices. Children in Belgium 
write their parents New Year's messages on decorated paper. The 
children read the messages to their families on New Year's Day. The 
Chinese New Year begins between January 21 and February 19. The 
celebration lasts four days. On the last night, people dress as 
dragons to frighten and delight the children. In Japan, many people 
worship on New Year's Day. 

In the United States, many people go to New Year's Eve parties. 
Crowds gather in Times Square in New York City, on State Street in 
Chicago, and in other public places. At midnight, bells ring, sirens 
sound, firecrackers explode, and everyone shouts, "Happy New Year!" 
People also drink a toast to the new year and sing "Auld Lang Syne" 


Auld Lang Syne, pronounced AWLD lang SYN, is the title of a 
traditional song of friendship in the English-speaking world. The 
words mean old long since, or days gone by, in Scottish dialect. The 
famous Scottish poet Robert Burns is usually given credit for the 
words of the song, but he probably based them on a folk song. The 
melody is a version of an old Scottish tune. "Auld Lang Syne" is a 
traditional New Year's Eve song in the United States.

On New Year's Day, many people in the United States visit relatives, 
attend religious services, or watch football games on television. 
Some people attend parades, such as the Tournament of Roses Parade in 
Pasadena, Calif., and the Mummers' Parade in Philadelphia. 

The date of New Year's. The early Roman calendar used March 1
as New Year's Day. Later, the ancient Romans made January 1 
the beginning of the year. 

During the Middle Ages, most European countries used March 25, a 
Christian holiday called Annunciation Day, to start the year. By 
1600, many Western nations had adopted a revised calendar called the 
Gregorian calendar. This calendar, the one used today, restored 
January 1 as New Year's Day. Great Britain and its colonies in 
America adopted it in 1752. 

Many people celebrate the new year on dates established by their 
religion. For example, the Jewish New Year, a solemn occasion called 
Rosh Ha-Shanah, is observed during September or early October. Hindus 
in different parts of India celebrate the new year on various dates. 
Muslims use a calendar that has 354 days in most years. As a result, 
the Muslim New Year falls on different dates from year to year on the 
Gregorian calendar. 

New Year 1902 Versus New Year 2002 

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was thirty. The remote desert 
community was inhabited by only a handful of ranchers and their families. 

The average life expectancy in the United States was 47. 

Only 14% of the homes in the United States had a bathtub. 

Only 8% of the homes had a telephone. A three minute call from Denver to 
New York City cost $11. 

There were only 8,000 cars in the US and 144 miles of paved roads. 

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. 

Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated 
than California. 

With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the twenty-first 
most populous State in the Union. 

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower. 

The average wage in the US was twenty-two cents an hour. 

The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year. 

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2500 
per year, a veterinarian between $1500 and $4000 per year and a mechanical 
engineer about $5000 per year. 

More than 95% of all births in the United States took place at home. 

Ninety percent of all US physicians had no college education. Instead, they 
attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press and by 
the government as "substandard." 

Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee 
cost fifteen cents a pound. 

Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks 
for shampoo. 

Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the Country for 
any reason, either as travelers or immigrants. 

The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and 
Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet. 

Drive-by-shootings -- in which teenage boys galloped down the street on 
horses and started randomly shooting at houses, carriages, or anything else 
that caught their fancy -- were an ongoing problem in Denver and other 
cities in the West. 

Plutonium, insulin, and antibiotics hadn't been discovered yet. 

Scotch tape, crossword puzzles, canned beer and iced tea hadn't been 
invented. 

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. 

One in ten US adults couldn't read or write. 

Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school. 

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at 
corner drugstores. 

The five leading causes of death in the US were: 

1. Pneumonia and influenza 
2. Tuberculosis 
3. Diarrhea 
4. Heart disease 
5. Stroke

Happiest of New Year wishes for all of you. 

May 2002 be the year you achieve your goals.
May 2002 be the year you realize your own value.
May 2002 be the beginning of a wonderful chapter in your life.

I wish you prosperity of spirit and the fulfillment of your dreams.
Thank you for all the beauty you have shared so generously.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



2002 -- Resolutions for Us All 

1. Throw out non-essential numbers. For yourself and others.
This includes age, weight, height and income. 

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
Try to lift others if you can but realize they are responsible for their own 
happiness.

3. Keep learning. 
Learn more about history, crafts, gardening, whatever. 
Never let the brain idle. 
"An idle mind is the devil's workshop." The devil's name is Alzheimer's.
Learning, and the insatiable curiosity that stirs it, will keep you young.

4. Enjoy the simple things. 
They are affordable and never go out of style.
When the children are young, that is all that you can afford. 
When they are in college, that is all that you can afford. 
When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford!

5. Laugh often, long and loud. 
Laugh until you gasp for breath. 
Laugh so much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive laughter.
Laugh so sincerely that you cause others to smile just hearing you.

6. The tears happen. 
Endure, grieve, and move on. 
The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. 
Be alive while you are alive. 
This moment, now, is all we have.
Honor your lost loved ones by living each moment fully.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. Fill it with whatever feeds your spirit.

8. Cherish your health. 
If it is good, preserve it. 
If it is unstable, improve it. 
If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. 
Go on a walk, to the corner, 
to the mall, the next county, 
a foreign country, but not to guilt country.

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, 
and make them feel it through your actions, 
at every opportunity.

Decide what kind of person you respect,
what kind of person you admire,
what kind of person you love to spend time with, 
and then decide to be that person,
starting today.


Happy 2002!

The Day After Christmas...

'Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house,
Every creature was hurting, even the mouse.
The toys were all broken, their batteries dead;
Santa passed out, with some ice on his head.

Wrapping and ribbons just covered the floor,
while upstairs the family continued to snore.
And I in my T-shirt, new Reeboks and jeans,
Went to the kitchen and started to clean.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the sink to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the curtains, and threw up the sash.

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a little white truck, with an oversized mirror.
The driver was smiling, so lively and grand;
The patch on his jacket said "U.S. POSTMAN."

With a handful of bills, he grinned like a fox
then quickly he stuffed them in the mailbox.
Bill after bill, after bill, they still came.
Whistling and shouting he called them by name:

"Now Dillard's, now Broadway's, now Penny's and Sears 
Here's Levitz's and Target's and Mervyn's--all here!
To the top of your limit, every store, every mall,
Now chargeaway-chargeaway-chargeaway all!"

He whooped and he whistled as he finished his work.
He filled up the box, and then turned with a jerk.
He sprang to his truck and he drove down the road,
Driving much faster with just half a load.

Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,
"ENJOY WHAT YOU GOT, YOU'LL BE PAYING ALL YEAR!"

Dear Mr. Bill Collector: 
I have not opened the bills that you sent me because I saw 
some white powder on the envelope. I fear that it may be anthrax. I 
am sorry that your payment will be late. Until the president says 
that we have caught those responsible and 
that it is safe to open my mail, I have no idea what to pay you. 
Sincerely, I-O-U 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Keep Your Resolutions

Lose 10 pounds. Save $50 a month. Cut down on the double-chocolate 
fudge brownies. Each January we arm ourselves with an arsenal of 
resolutions for
tackling the new year. Yet by Valentine's Day, they're often as 
neglected
as the holiday fruitcake stashed in the freezer.
Some tips for sticking to your resolutions: Set specific goals.
If your resolution is general, such as losing weight, replace it with 
a specific goal, such as shedding 5 pounds by March. Don't think in 
terms of "never" or "no more." Abstinence leads to rebellion and 
failed resolutions.
Write down your goals.
Once they're on paper, you can affirm your resolutions and update 
them as you progress. When you achieve a resolution, take pride in 
crossing it off your list.
Slip, but don't quit.
If you backslide on a resolution, don't view it as a failure. 
Instead, consider
it what it really is: a minor setback.
Reward.
Reward yourself when you stick to a resolution, but be careful to 
choose
a reward that doesn't contradict your initial goal. For example, if 
you achieve
your resolution of losing 10 pounds, treat yourself to a movie or a 
new exercise
video rather than a batch of cookie dough.
by Joe Piscatella 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some GREAT advice for the New year!

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and 
height. 
Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, 
whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's 
workshop," the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 

4. Enjoy the simple things. When the children are young, that is all 
that you can afford. When they are in college, that is all that you 
can 
afford. When you are on retirement, that is all that you can afford! 

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. Laugh 
so 
much that you can be tracked in the store by your distinctive 
laughter. 

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on.The only person who 
is 
with us our entire life, is ourselves AND GOD. Be alive while you 
are alive, 
don't put out a mailbox on the highway of death and just wait in 
residence for your mail. 

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it is family, pets, 
keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your 
refuge. 

8. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is 
unstable, 
improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 

9. Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, the next county, a foreign 
country, but not to guilt country. 

10. Tell the people you love, that you love them, at every 
opportunity. 

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER 
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the 
moments that take our breath away. 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Year Prayer 
God grant us this year a wider view,
So we see others' faults through the eyes of You.
Teach us to judge not with hasty tongue,
Neither the adult ... nor the young.

Give us patience and grace to endure 
And a stronger faith so we feel secure.
Instead of remembering, help us forget
The irritations that caused us to fret.

Freely forgiving for some offense 
And finding each day a rich recompense.
In offering a friendly, helping hand 
And trying in all ways to understand;

That all of us whoever we are ...
Are trying to reach an unreachable star.
For the great and small ... the good and bad,
The young and old ... the sad and glad

Are asking today; Is life worth living?
The answer is only in, loving and giving.
For only Love can make man kind
And Kindness of Heart brings Peace of Mind.

By giving love, we can start this year
To lift the clouds of hate and fear. 

~Helen Steiner Rice

My Wishes For You In The New Year

AUTHOR: Sandra Sturtz Hauss

May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. 
May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. 
May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending. Teach love to those that know hate, and let love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and who have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time in each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. What you may feel you lack in one regard may be more than compensated for in another. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. 

May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

<A HREF="http://www.talltexian.com/talltexianschristmas-special4/id43.htm">Click here: "A NEW YEARS PRAYER"</A> 
http://www.talltexian.com/talltexianschristmas-special4/id43.htm

<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/siennassite/">I am a Proud American</A> 

True friendship develops over time, feels good 
to your emotional side, makes sense to your 
logical side and brings you much more
joy than sorrow.

Dear Lord, as I close the door on this old year,
I ponder on the things I've done...
on the things I've said and the joys I've had...
then I wonder, have I lost or won?

I've thought of the new friends I have made,
and of the old ones staunch and true...
the path of the old year was made easier Lord,
because I have walked it with You.

I think of all the many times,
when my burdens were so heavy to bear,
and how my faith slipped away from me...
but somehow You were always standing there.

Now as I open the door to this New Year,
and carefully peep inside,
I wonder what it holds for me...
but I'll throw the door open wide

And whatever it brings to me and mine,
I'll meet it with a heart so true...
I know that, Lord whate'er it may be
You'll be there to carry me through.




God Bless you
Pat

I have no fancy graphics
Nothing I can share
Except my hopes and wishes
and this tiny little prayer.

May your new year bring your gladness
in all you dream and do
with a smile that knows no boundaries.
It's what links my heart to you.

So keep those tuts a coming,
and those links to PSP.
They help me grow and stretch a bit
and be all that I can be.

In this new year we're ringing in
no matter where we live,
it's all about what's in our hearts
and all the love we give.

Wishing you all a very wonderful New Year,
Karey Cummins

http://www.rtbwizards.com

Best New Year resolutions I've ever seen!

New Year's Resolutions You Can Keep:

Are you sick of making the same resolutions year after year that you never
keep? Why not promise to do something you can actually accomplish? Here are
some resolutions that you can use as a starting point:

~ Gain weight. At least 30 pounds.
~ Stop exercising. Waste of time.
~ Read less. Makes you think.
~ Watch more TV. I've been missing some good stuff.
~ Procrastinate more. Starting tomorrow.
~ Spend more time at work, surfing with the T1.
~ Take a vacation to someplace important, like to see the world's largest
ball of twine.
~ Don't jump off a cliff just because everyone else did.
~ Stop bringing lunch from home--eat out more.
~ Don't have eight children at once.
~ Get in a whole NEW rut!
~ Start being superstitious.
~ Personal goal: Don't bring back disco.
~ Don't box with Mike Tyson.
~ Buy an '83 Eldorado and invest in a really loud stereo system. Get the
windows tinted. Buy some fur for the dash.
~ Speak in a monotone voice and only use monosyllabic words.
~ Only wear jeans that are 2 sizes too small and use a chain or rope for a
belt.
~ Spend my summer vacation in cyberspace.
~ Don't eat cloned meat.
~ Create loose ends.
~ Get more toys.
~ Get further in debt.
~ Don't believe politicians.
~ Break at least one traffic law.
~ Don't drive a motorized vehicle across thin ice.
~ Don't swim with piranhas or sharks.
~ Associate with even worse business clients.
~ Spread out priorities beyond the ability to keep track of them.
~ Wait for opportunity to knock.
~ Focus on the faults of others.
~ Mope about faults.
~ Never make New Year's resolutions again.

Twas the week after Christmas, and all through the house Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. 

The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I would taste At the holiday parties had gone to my waist. 

When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store it was less a walk than a lumber. 

I remembered the marvelous meals I'd prepared; The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rare, The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese And the way I'd never said, "None for me, please." 

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt And prepared once again to do battle with dirt -- I said to myself, as only I can "You can't spend another winter disguised as a man!" 

So -- away with the last of the sour cream dip, Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip Every last bit of food that I like must be banished Till all the additional ounces have vanished. 

I won't have a cookie -- not even a lick. I'll chew only on long celery sticks. 

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. 

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore But isn't that what January is for? 

Unable to giggle, life's no longer a riot, Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet

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