Four Rocky Mountain Stars

I like the way the Scottish celebrate New Year’s. They call it “Hogmanay,” a word with several different spellings and pronunciations. It’s a two- or three-day celebration, which gives everyone plenty of time to get it right. The first day, New Year’s Eve, is spent putting your affairs in order: cleaning house and paying back debts. After midnight, you make a very big deal about the first guest who sets foot in your freshly cleaned house. Depending on where in Scotland you’re from, you might engage in singing or dancing, baking and eating cakes, ringing bells or parading through the streets swinging fireballs from sticks. Since New Year’s Eve is Sunday this year, any cleaning I do will probably happen today. Tomorrow I’ll take the dogs to the park, play the organ in church and cook dinner for the family. There may be time January 1 to enjoy a jigsaw puzzle and to begin a Marvel Movie Monday Marathon.