Musician's Widow

My husband and I have spent every New Years Eve together since we rang in 2003 together, and we’ve agreed that as long as its possible, we will ring in the new year together. As such, we’ve spent the holiday all over the place in the last eight years. This is our ninth to spend together. (NINTH!?!)

Welcome 2006!

2003 – Billy Bob’s Texas in Dallas, Texas. I bought tickets to the concert he was playing that night. Why not do something different and ring in the new year with my friend, all while seeing a great show? I had NO idea it would start a tradition!

2004 – Cowboy’s Red River in Dallas, Texas. Same idea as 2003. Same artist, even!

2005 – Sixth Street in Austin, Texas. He didn’t have a show that new years, and this time instead of my traveling to ring in the new year with him. He traveled to ring it in with me!

2006 – Jubitz in Portland, Oregon. Newly engaged, we rang in the new year in a club he used to play in “back in the day” with old friends of his. My new fiance originally had a gig in Buffalo, New York, which was canceled last minute. We lost a lot of money changing our flights, but the fun we had was worth it!

2007 – Star Hall in Cyclone, Texas. Six days away from our wedding, we were surrounded by family and friends as the clock struck midnight.

2008 -Lexington, Kentucky. My husband had a show in Lexington that night, so I drove up from Nashville to see the show and spend our sixth new years eve together.

A kiss at midnight... 2009!

2009 – Fiddle & Steel Guitar Bar in Nashville, Tennessee. My husband didn’t have a gig, so we welcomed 2009 in our “second home” surrounded by our Fiddle Family.

2010 – Star Hall in Cyclone, Texas. We expected the same party we had in 2007. Didn’t quite work out that way, but we were still with friends and family, and definitely were left with a story to tell!

2011 — We will welcome the new year in downtown Nashville again this year. My husband doesn’t have a show, so we’ll go join our close friends and toast to the hope and promise of the coming year.

I have bought black-eyed peas and collard greens to make tomorrow for luck and prosperity. It’s the only “superstition” I really follow… well, that and a kiss at midnight! One of these days, there will be the first new years we will miss spending together. That will probably have to do with our kids, when they come.  But until that time, we will spend every December 31st into January 1st together. No matter where our jobs take us, we’ll find a way to be together.

Do you have any new years traditions? What are they? Where will you be when we click over into 2011?

I visited Opryland Hotel at Christmas time for the first time in 2005. One of my husband’s best friends got married there in November, and it happened to also coincide with my now-husband’s birthday. So, of course, I flew to Nashville to spend the weekend with him (never knowing he already had plans to get me an engagement ring for Christmas that year! AND I caught the bouquet at the wedding!) and I experienced the magic that is Opryland Hotel at Christmas.

Every Christmas since that year, we’ve made the trip to see the lights. It’s become a Christmas tradition that, even in the craziness that this year has been, I refused to miss. Especially now that the hotel is back open post-flood! It just made it all the more special.

So, Sunday night, I declared it date night and our gift to each other. We drove out to the hotel and spent a few hours basking in the beauty of the lights and holiday cheer.

As always, I took over a hundred photos, and I thought I’d share a few of my favorites.

I’ve held a couple of my favorites for this week’s Weekly Winners, so check again then, or go visit my Flickr page. SUCH a fun tradition!! If you’re ever in Music City at the holidays… its a must-see. Trust me on that.