Happy New Year to all my readers
Yuck! Today is the last day of finals, the end of school for this semester -- five days before Christmas. In all my years of schooling, I've never had the two days come so close. This might be a good thing though as the rain passes us by up here.
Since all I have to celebrate with are two dogs and a cat that likes to cuddle, perhaps the lack of buildup time is a good thing. It gives me time to prepare for my special New Year's ritual, one I share here after 20 years of praying to the future.
Every year, on New Year's Day, I greet the day with new clothes, a complete outfit from head to foot. It is part of my simple New Year's wish – May the new year be better than the one we just left.
The one year I was unable to do this ripped my heart out. My wife, Vicki Lee Vaughn-Brune, 51, who I had known for 14 years, died from a massive heart attack. Because her cardiovascular event came without warning, I am now an advocate for the American Heart Association's annual Think Red campaign. More on this tomorrow.