New Year's Eve

Midge ran up to the porch and called for Booker-T. “Hey Booker-T. Where are you?”

“I'm right here,” called Booker-T as he came running around from the back yard. “Are you ready to go to Jake's?”

“I'm ready,” smiled Midge. “Lets go.”

The two started up the sidewalk and Midge started humming as she hurried along.

“What are you humming?” asked Booker-T.

“I think my owner called it something like Old Lang Syne,” said Midge.

“I think they call it Auld Lang Syne,” said Gabby as he flew down from the tree above.

“Maybe that is it,” laughed Midge. “Sounds like Old to me.”

“Why do they sing that song at this time of the year?” asked Booker-T.

“I think they are saying good bye to the old year that is ending,” said Midge.

“What was wrong with the old year that we have to throw it away?” asked Booker-T.

“I don't think we are throwing it away,” said Midge.

“We just used it all up now,” said Gabby.

“Is that why we have to start a new year now?” asked Booker-T. “So we have a new year to use?”

“I think this gives the humans a chance to start over and make things different if they want,” said Gabby.

“If we don't throw the old one away, where does the old one go?” asked Booker-T. “Do they save it for later and go back to it?”

“No,” said Midge. “Once it is gone, it never comes back.”

“Why?” asked Booker-T. “If they don't throw it away, they should be able to bring it back to use it again.”

“I don't think the years work like that,” said Midge. “Like the days. When the day ends and the night time comes, we don't go back to the same day again.”

“But we do,” said Booker-T.

“How do we go back to the same day again?” asked Midge.

“Every 7 days we do a Sunday all over again,” said Booker-T. “And then a Monday and on to another Tuesday and more.”

“But that is different,” said Midge. “We really aren't doing the same day over again. The new day just has the same name as the old one but the dates are different.”

“Oh my,” said Booker-T shaking his head. “The human's world is confusisng. They get the days over and over with the same names, but the years are different.”

“It is like you getting older,” laughed Gabby. “Every new year that comes around, you are another year older. You age day to day and at the end of the year you are over 300 days older.”

“Oh,” said Booker-T. “I didn't think of that. It sounds like I'm really get older when you say it that way. Wow!”

“It's not so bad,” laughed Midge. “Everyone gets older and older as the years pass by.”

“I guess they do,” said Booker-T. “I never gave it much thought before.”

“Today is the last day of this old year,” said Midge. “Tomorrow when we wake up, it will be a whole new year for us to have fun and do things in.”

“Does your owner have a New Year's Eve party?” asked Gabby.

“She has a lot of friends who come over and they eat and listen to music and then they cheer and kiss each other at midnight,” said Midge.

“Hey guys!” called Jake as the three walked into the yard. “What are you talking about?”

“We are talking about today being the last day of the old year,” said Midge. “Booker-T wondered where the old year goes. He thought they just throw it away.”

“It goes back into your memory so you can look at it sometimes in your mind,” said Jake. “My owner is always going back and looking at the different years.”

“When you think about the times when you were living in the alley behind the cafe,” said Midge. “Those are memories in that year you lived there. The memories will be there but the year itself will be gone for always. You can't live them again except in the memory.”

“Interesting,” said Booker-T. “I didn't know that. I think it makes sense but I don't know for sure.”

“Just remember that when the old year ends,” said Jake. “That your memories of that year will always be in your mind. Now we will have a new year to make new memories to put in our minds.”

“Memories of having fun,” laughed Midge.

“Is your owner going to have people at the house tonight?” asked Jake. “Mine is going out with a friend to a party. I heard her talking on the phone.”

“There will be lot of people and good food at my house tonight,” said Midge. “She already got the house all decorated for the party. What about your house Booker-T?”

“I don't know yet,” said Booker-T. “Don't know if anyone is coming to the house or she is going out.”

“Some people don't go anywhere and some don't have people over,” said Gabby. “They like to spend a nice quiet evening watching something good on television and enjoy the quiet evening after the excitement of the Christmas holidays.”

“Maybe that is what my owner is going to do,” suggested Booker-T. “I don't know.”

“I only heard my owner talking on the phone,” said Jake. “That is how I know she is going out tonight with someone.”

“And my house is all decorated so I know someone is coming,” smiled Midge. “I like to sit in the kitchen and watch them having fun. They are funny sometimes.”

“Why are they funny?” asked Booker-T.

“They dance around with funny hats on their head and they blow these little whistle things that paper rolls out of the ends and they toss streams of colored papers in the air,” said Midge. “Then they all sit down and have something to eat at midnight, but all evening they are eating snacks. They sure eat a lot that night.”

“Are you ready for a new year?” asked Gabby.

“It never seems to change from one year to another,” said Midge. “I never notice we are in a different year when it comes around. Nothing changes.”

“I think with the humans, the dates change,” said Jake. “I've heard my owner saying “Whoops” a lot in the first few days of the new year.”

“Why?” asked Midge.

“I think she keeps writing down the old year date and forgets to use the new one,” said Jake.

“When my owner is at her desk sometimes, she does the same thing,” laughed Midge. “Maybe she is doing the same thing.”

“I think I like it being the same all the time,” said Booker-T. “I don't think it really matters to us what year it is.”

“Only when it is time for our yearly shots at the vets,” laughed Jake.

“Oh yes,” said Booker-T shaking his head. “That seems to come around all the time.”

“It does,” said Midge.

“Are we going to the park to play?” asked Booker-T. “Or do you want to sit here and rest this last day of the year?”

“Ha ha ha,” laughed Jake. “Resting is what you do best.”

“I like the idea of resting today,” said Jake as he leaped into the swing. “Come on up and lets just stay here today.”

Midge and Booker-T jumped into the swing with Jake and they all sat watching the people hurrying along the sidewalk and in their cars. Gabby perched on the porch railing and joined them in their people watching.