Tuesday 4~ The End of the Year

I'm a day late, but it's still The End of the Year!!

 The End of the Year

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4 in the new year. We wish you a very Happy New Year!


January is named for Janus the two faced god who looked into the past and future. Some believe he was Noah who may have been worshipped by his progeny. He certainly looked into the pre flood world and the new world.

The Anglo Saxons called January Wulfsmoanth meaning Month of the Wolf and the Wolf moon appears in January.

1. January 1, 1892 Ellis Island opened it's doors. Did any of your relations enter the United States through Ellis Island? If not, do you know your family's history?

I really don't know about Ellis Island, if any of our family ancestors came that way. I know my paternal Great-Grandfather and his mother and others did migrate from Germany, and I'm not sure what year, but I am quite sure it was before 1892.  And I know that my paternal Grandmother's ancestors were also here before then, as one Great-Great-Great Grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, and her maternal grandfather fought in the Civil War.  I have done some family ancestry research, the one most prominently done was about my paternal Grandmother, and I have shared her history HERE before, "Elva's Story~ A Story of Sacrifice and Love.  I especially wanted to remember her again right now as December 27th would have been her 130th birthday, and her story is so very special.

2. January's birth stone is garnet and the flower is the carnation. Do you have favorite gem stones or flowers? 

My birthstone is Sapphire (blue), for September, and that is my favorite gemstone.  This is the birthstone ring my hubby gave me many years ago...before the Princess Diana ring was so popular! It is a very dark sapphire, so much so that I wasn't sure it was a sapphire until I read the link above about the darker sapphires actually being considered the best! I didn't know that! So now I love it even more! LOL. Really, I love it already because my hubby gave it to me totally by surprise! That is a blessing in itself!

The other ring is my mother's wedding and engagement ring set.  I was blessed to be given this by my father right when my mother passed away. He told me to take it off her finger and keep it. Later I was pleased that my other siblings confirmed that it was okay with them that I should keep Mom's rings. So I wear them proudly and thankfully in loving memory of my mother.

 Flowers? Well, there are so many I can't name them all.  Roses, lilacs, peonies, and simple summer flowers like daisies and sunflowers and zinnias, and so many others. I love most wildflowers too! The Blue Aster is my birthmonth flower (September).

3. January 6 is Epiphany. Many take that day as the final day of the Christmas celebration and take down their decor. What about you?

My family tradition growing up was to always wait until January 6th to take down our tree and decorations, but I always thought it was because January 6th is my mother's birthday! She said they always waited until her birthday to take down the tree, but I don't know if she ever made the connection with it being Epiphany! Maybe she did, but I was too young to understand that.  As an adult in our own home, we have often waited until January 6th, but lately I've usually wanted it cleaned up before then, so often it comes down right after New Year's Day.  I don't like to do it on the holiday itself, as we may have company or we may be doing something special, so I usually wait until after.

4. There is some scientific evidence that January can set the tone for your entire year. What do you think of this? Do you make resolutions, etc? Do you pick a word of the year or have any traditions like that?

I don't make resolutions as I know that I most likely won't keep them, so why stress myself?  However, I have for the past several years selected a "One Word" for the year, and I have seen how God has used that word in my life throughout the year to help me to grow in a certain area of my life, whether spiritual or physical or other.  For 2025 my One Word has been "Wisdom".  These verses from Proverbs 2:1-11 have been my guide throughout the year:

Proverbs 2:1-11 NLT

The Benefits of Wisdom

2 My child, listen to what I say,

and treasure my commands.

2 Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

3 Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

4 Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

8 He guards the paths of the just

and protects those who are faithful to him.

9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,

and you will find the right way to go.

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

11 Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

I have not zeroed in on my new One Word yet for this year,  but hopefully by tomorrow I will have a better idea of what it might be. However, I normally do not reveal it until January 1st.  Right now I am still praying about it.  I do believe the Lord will help me discover it between now and then.

Click HERE for a previous post on this same topic.

Now, if you want to join in the fun, you can CLICK HERE and visit with others who are also playing along!  Happy New Year!

Here's some other good thoughts from Isaiah the Prophet as we approach the New Year...

Isaiah 43:18-19 NKJV

18 “Do not remember the former things,

Nor consider the things of old.

19 Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth;

Shall you not know it?

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert."

On another note...last night we celebrated our sweet Daughter in love's birthday. They came over and made homemade pizzas  (no picture of that, however), and then we had birthday cake and ice cream.  Rose is such a sweet sweet person, and she is such a wonderful blessing to our family.  Here's a few pictures of the celebration:

I changed the table decor from Christmas to birthday in her honor:

We always take pictures of people blowing out their candles! That's a family tradition!

Rose loves to work in her garden, and so she needed some new gloves. They actually have roses on them...

And she loves to feed the birds and needed a new bird feeder that was somewhat squirrel proof. Time will tell...and who doesn't love a soft new cozy blanket...especially when it dipped down to freezing last night?

All in all it was a lovely little family party.  Hubby was feeling well enough to join us but still has a bit of a cough, so he had to stay away a distance...and I am mostly better and thankful for that...

Okay, now we are ready to begin the big festivities of seeing in the New Year, right here from our couch...well, most likely from our bed because we never stay up that late!  So so long 2025, and we will see you all next year!!  

Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’