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Before ringing in the New Year, we have to prepare. We have to do a little housecleaning. We have to wring out 2007. This will have to be a figurative "wringing out," as those of us residing in the Southeast have been experiencing severe drought. Nothing in these parts can become saturated enough for literal wringing out.

You are probably wondering exactly how one wrings out an old year? Like most happenings in my family, we start with food. In order to properly wring out the Old Year, one must stock up on comfort foods. Chocolate, pizza, cheesy beef burritos, marshmallow-glazed leftovers from the holidays -- whatever relaxes your emotional nerves. Don't worry about calories. You can diet on lentils or pintos and greens while celebrating the beginning of 2008.

Once you have an arsenal of goodies at the ready, ring up your friends -- even the ones who are not on your cell phone network -- and invite them to your place for a very informal gathering. Explain that this gathering will be so informal that your house will still be a wreck from the holidays.

Tinsel will be intertwined with the dust bunnies. Candle wax drippings will be on the table. Foil-wrapping bits from consumed hollow chocolate Santa's will be stuck to the carpet. But not to worry -- this is appropriate decor for a Wringing Out the Old Year party.

You must make it clear about the informal dress code. Sweats, pajamas or well-tattered sports attire are acceptable. An Old Year celebration can only be enjoyed in comfortable clothing.

You will have plenty of time to squish your backside into a slinky black dress and hobble around in heels, or suck your gut in long enough to adorn a tux, on New Year's Eve, so save the shiny duds for later.

The most important accessory you will need for your gathering -- and I cannot emphasize this enough -- is a paper shredder. I suppose if you live in an area of the country that is well saturated with water, you could forgo the shredder and use a fireplace, fire pit or chiminea. The rest of us will stick to the good old-fashioned staple of the corporate world.

Whichever means of symbolic cleansing you choose, please use caution, follow all enclosed instructions and keep out of the reach of children.

When everyone is extremely comfortably gathered and well into enjoying some calorie-dense, feel-good cuisine, it is officially time for the 2007 Wringing Out the Old Year festivities to begin.

The purpose of this newly developed tradition is to unburden your future memories of all the "downs" experienced during the past 12 months. This will leave you plenty of room in your noggin to remember and dwell on the "ups" of 2007 as you welcome the New Year.

Let's face it, there is no value in clinging to the things that didn't go your way, ruined your life or fell apart. Use this one night (or afternoon or morning, depending on your preference) to let go, once and for all, of all the negativity from the Old Year.

Stress is not permitted during Wringing Out the Old Year celebrations, therefore there are to be no structured rules. I can, however, offer guidance -- a few suggestions to get you started.

For instance, bring a copy of your 2007 New Year's resolutions. Circle all of the goals you failed to meet. Vent about all the reasons you were unable to lose five pounds, paint the house or go back to school. Nibble on your comfort food of choice as you toss your list into the shredder.

You and your guests can also draw pictures or write phrases that represent each failure, hardship, obstacle or heartbreak you experienced during the year. Everyone gets to share. Everyone gets to vent. Everyone gets to shred -- or burn -- their baggage from 2007.

Keep in mind that you are not gathered to offer comfort to one another or solve each others problems. This celebration was created solely for the purpose of symbolically letting go of all that was bad.

It is perfectly acceptable to clap and cheer for each issue you and your friends shred into oblivion. And once the bad stuff from the Old Year is physically destroyed, simply let the weight of the past year's frustrations dissolve away.

I cannot think of a better, healthier way to prepare for 2008 -- mentally healthy, not physically healthy. I concede that the junk food part of this event is a diet buster. But you're planning to start a brand new, bigger and better, works-every-time diet on Jan. 1, anyway, right?

Micki Bare is a columnist for the Arkansas News Bureau and the Courier-Tribune in Asheboro, N.C., and author of the book, "Relative Expressions." She lives in Asheboro with her husband and three children. Her e-mail address is mickibare@inspiredscribe.com.