I hope everyone had a happy New Year�s celebration. I have never been one for going out on New Year�s Eve unless I�m totally glamming it up. And, let�s face it, we don�t accomplish that very often these days. We have a tradition of making ourselves fancy multi-course dinners and staying in, occasionally donning formalwear just for the hell of it. This year, since my mom and dad were visiting, we shared our fancy dinner and came up with some party hats, horns, and those little champagne poppers that make a loud noise and emit silly streamers when you pull a string. We ate very well (caviar�lobster�the whole nine yards), and downed much champagne followed by cognac while watching the perfect New Year�s movie, After the Thin Man on TMC. I dozed off before midnight, but woke up when our neighbors started shooting off fireworks and went outside in my pajamas to watch the fun.

On New Year�s Day my mother-in-law, all my siblings-in-law and our nieces joined us for football and way too much food and still more champagne.

I suppose I should reflect on the year that has been and speculate on the year that is to come. This past year hasn�t been particularly earthshaking for us. The only big news was when I found out about my fellowship in June. 2004 should, I hope, be more noteworthy. I should finish my Ph.D. this year and start looking for work of some kind. If we decide to try for a second kid � still in the �what if� stages � that will probably happen this year too. My brother says he should be leaving Israel, although there is no actual plan in place. My grandmother�s selling her house and moving into a retirement community, the location of which is yet to be determined, although it is possible she�ll be moving in with my mom and dad for a while. My husband continues to get more and more work. I�m sure big things are in store for him as well, although it�s harder to measure his work in that way. AJ will turn 3 and (I sincerely hope!) be out of diapers. There are big things ahead.

No resolutions for me � I never make them. I�m not so good with facing up to long-term commitment to self-improvement projects. I prefer to break them down into smaller, more digestible chunks to stave off a tendency to be overwhelmed by my own imperfections. But suffice it to say that I�m beginning the year feeling optimistic. I�m not feeling much in the planning mode at the moment. Instead I�d like to wait and see what will unfold.

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