New Year greetings - and thoughts on '99

Happy 2000!

So far, the best thing about the New Year is the absence of two words that were used far too often in 1999 - Millennium and Y2K. Thank goodness that's behind us.

At least, we hope it is.

This piece was supposed to have been written last week - or was it two weeks ago? Time is flying by in 2000 already.

As is sometimes the case, circumstances of more weighty importance than this column developed and it was placed on the back-burner - where extra ingredients have since been added and it’s simmered and stewed quite nicely.

In its original form, this New Year piece included a tip of the hat to Eagle Township where we're restarting the County Road series. That hasn’t happened yet either - next week, I promise.

Actually, I'm really looking forward to driving the winding roads of Eagle. A couple of 'Rileyites,' Lawrence and Mark Witt, are pretty sure I can't make it around the township without getting lost. I plan to prove they’re wrong.

Another element from the original column focused on the wonderful idea Jeanne Temple had of ringing in 2000 - literally. Jeanne had submitted an article here at the close of '99 where she suggested that people could welcome the New Year by ringing church and school bells as folks had done for special events in previous decades.

We know of several people who took Jeanne's message to heart. Mary Hiler and Helen Wakefield rang the bell at Greenbush United Methodist Church, and the Kam Washburn family rang in the New Year at the old Duplain Church in Rochester Colony.

If any other bells were ringing in Clinton County as the clock struck midnight New Year's Eve, please let us know.

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I owe a long-time friend a word of thanks for coming up with just the right words at just the right time this past week. The same combination of work assignments and personal issues that caused this column to be late in appearing also made it necessary for me to cancel a lunch date with Sue Kiley White.

In explaining how a back injury that my dad sustained and time spent taking care of a little granddaughter, Gwendolyn, had put me more than ever behind the eight ball here at work, Sue helped put everything into its proper perspective.

"You're in the sandwich generation," Sue said.

Not quite catching her meaning, she was forced to spell it out for me. "You're the meat in the middle."

How true.

Providing some assistance to parents who need a little help now and then, and relearning the lessons of childhood by taking care of a little girl at the opposite end of the age spectrum - that's a big part of my life in 2000.

What a wonderful way to begin a New Year.

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This is also a good time to thank three other very special friends who helped me immensely in '99 - as they have many other years before. I won't embarrass them by mentioning names, but I hope they recognize themselves by the words they used to describe me - curious, genuine, and earnest.

Much the same as Sue, the comment that each made at different times throughout the year helped smooth over a rocky part of life's road and proved to be uplifting.

I'm not sure how accurate any of the three adjectives actually are - sometimes I feel anything but curious, genuine, or earnest - but, I have a feeling these friends are pretty close to the mark.

In any case, I am truly grateful for their love and concern.

They're another good reason to look forward to the New Year.