New Years 2023

Another Year Gone; Another Year To Make A Difference

Three New Years Together!

Mary and I first celebrated New Years together in December 2020 and here it is December 2022 or New Years Eve again!  Its been three times and we are getting it right.

This year we are with our group of eighteen plus two other groups of eight; it will be a blast for sure!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022

Did You Know?

December 31st - New Year's Eve, the final evening of the Gregorian calendar year, traditionally a night for merry-making to welcome in the new year.
December 31, 1781 - The first bank in the U.S., the Bank of North America, received its charter from the Confederation Congress. It opened on January 7, 1782, in Philadelphia.
December 31, 1879 - Thomas Edison provided the first public demonstration of his electric incandescent lamp at his laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

1762 Dec 31, The Mozart family moved from Vienna to Salzburg. (MC, 12/31/01) 17

75 Dec 31, George Washington ordered recruiting officers to accept free blacks into the army. (HN, 12/31/98)

1775 Dec 31, The British repulsed an attack by Continental Army generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold at Quebec; Montgomery was killed.

1783 Dec 31, Import of African slaves was banned by all of the Northern American states.

1805 Dec 31, The French Revolutionary calendar law was abolished. France returned to the Gregorian calendar.

1815 Dec 31, George Gordon Meade (d.1872), Union general, was born. He defeated Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg.

1841 Dec 31, Alabama became the 1st state to license dental surgeons.

1852 Dec 31, The richest year of the gold rush ended, with $81.3 million in gold produced.

1857 Dec 31, Britain's Queen Victoria decided to make Ottawa the capital of Canada.

1858 Dec 31, Vincas Kudirka (d.1899), author of the Lithuanian national anthem, was born in Vilkaviskis County. (

1862 Dec 31, President Lincoln signed an act admitting West Virginia to the Union.

1862 Dec 31, In Tennessee Union General William Rosecrans' army repelled two Confederate attacks at the Second Battle of Murfreesboro (aka Battle of Stone's River). Fighting continued to Jan. 2, 1863.

1862 Dec 31, The USS Monitor sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras, NC., while being towed by the Rhode Island. 16 officers and seamen died. In 1973 scientists from North Carolina's Duke University discovered the deteriorating relic 16 miles from the coast, in 240 feet of water. In 1975 the site was designated the nation's first marine sanctuary, and it was the first shipwreck to be named a National Historic Landmark in the United States. In 2002 the turret was raised.

1879 Dec 31, Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance," premiered in NYC.

1880 Dec 31, George Catlett Marshall, Chief of Staff who led the U.S. Army to victory in World War II and later became Secretary of State for President Harry Truman, was born. He won Nobel Peace Prize in 1953 for the Marshall Plan.

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022
Click for a larger image! Find the THREE empty champagne glasses!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022

Old Fashioned Party
We are ready to go all night long!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
We arrived right on time; 5:45 PM!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
I await the arrival of our guests; 
I gave them their wrist bands and dinner selections.

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Paul would make an excellent Doorman!

Our wishes for you are not limited to just the next year but to all the years that you experience in your lifetime and in your reincarnations! Have a fun-filled, smashing, rocking and happening New Years!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
The got the Starlighter's Gazzette; we hope
they come to the next dance on the 20th

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Line dancing kick the everything off!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Our group gets up and moves!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Vada and Jim meet Bob; they talk music!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
We could hardly pry Jim and Bob apart!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
New Years Resolution; Get Jim and Bob up dancing with their brides!

We are fortunate to have friends who bring so much joy and craziness to this life. I can't imagine what it would be like without you cheering me on. Have a great New Year's Eve celebration.

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
"Here's to you and everyone else also!"
* Just teasing, Brenda is a responsible drinker!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Barbara observes the dancers!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
We wonder what she is saying???

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
We are moving...

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31
Gail and Paul show everyone how it is done!

May someone loves you enough to forgive your faults, be blind to your blemishes, and tell the world about your virtues.

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Switch in the "OFF" position!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Switch in the "ON" position!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Bob takes the ladies out for a spin!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
We all had great fun!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
He is surrounded!!!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
The Ash's hit the floor; no pun intended!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Rocking up a storm!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31
Mary brought the oxygen bottle!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool.

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
It's ponly 10:00 PM but it is midnight somewhere, right?

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Awe!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Bob has multiple talents we didn't even kn ow about!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Having fun!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
The stage lights sure made it difficult to take photos!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Black and white clears it up!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31
Bob and Mike compare notes!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31
Meanwhile in the adjacent room!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31
Bill and Barbara are hitting it off.

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
GHetting ready to depart; the music got a little too loud for us at 10:15 PM

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
That's my sweetie!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Iris celebrates her 97th birthday tonight!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Someone caught us dancing!

New Years Eve at ther Santa Ana Elks December 31st 2022
Ah, the romance of it all!

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks December 31 2022

New Years Eve at the Santa Ana Elks 2022-12-31

The Old Lamp Lighter