Solemnity of Mary

We had a low-key affair watching the ball drop last night.  Just me, the Mrs., and the little ones.  (Our usual New Years Eve partners in crime were going to a party at their neighbors house and we felt it weird to crash it.)  Mrs. Hopper made a delicious lasagna from scratch.  The girls got into PJs and brought pillows and blankets down to the living room.  We watched a whole bunch of year-in-review stuff, then switched to Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve.  Patch lasted until 10:30, Little One made it to midnight.  We all had either champagne or sparkling raspberry soda. 

Today is a Holy Day of Obligation here in my neck of the woods, the Solemnity of Mary.  I dutifully got up at 7, showered, got dressed in the quiet house, put on my heavy jacket to protect against the 19 degree weather.  There was some confusion as to mass time – the bulletin from last Sunday said 8 am, the church website said 9 am.  I figured to go in early just to be safe.

I was wrong, as was two or three dozen other churchgoers.  Oh, and I was the youngest one of ’em all.  We stood outside locked church doors, wondering what to do, not wanting to admit that we all were probably an hour early for mass.  Ever been a round a flock of enraged seniors?  I half expected them to knock down a nearby telephone pool and ram the church doors.  Finally a woman from the parish office came by to tell us it was decided yesterday to change mass to 9 am, so that more people could make it.  An indignant old man next to me cried out, “Says who!”

I thought I could read in my car for the ensuing 45 minutes but it was too cold.  So I went home and chatted with the wakening family.  Once the real mass was done, I came home again and we all had a major breakfast: eggs, bacon, biscuits, OJ.  The girls did their arts and crafts, we watched some teevee shows, I paid some bills followed by a hot bath reading a book on the Crusades.  I’m typing this up waiting to eat reheated leftover lasagna, perhaps the greatest food ever to spring from the mind of man.

Happy New Years Day, all!