Grefsen church in a tree

I can never see the spotlight until I log out as I go straight form mail to here, I don't even know how to get to the spotlight without logging out, silly mutt what! Oh thank you, you(Plural) who are responsible, my little thoughts while exercising bore the fruits of understanding the simple things that happen and that we see and that have often the best feeling of existence, and at this time of year especially so. I experienced this view as something complete and tried to convey that to you, feeling it was only a sudden thought but you have put it here, wow. No accounting...what? Love you all Ann of Norway

Out onto the doorstep at midnight, the stars and moon decorating the frosty air the sound comes floating on the breeze, of bagpipes, wafted high, then low, a mystical atmosphere of dark and light still and waiting, then we went with some coal or a log to the next house, taking warmth for the next year as a gift, where they joined us and moved on the the next until there were a great number of neighbours who stopped at the last house and there created a Ceilidh and every member of the community performed a dance, a song, played an instrument recited poetry, whatever they felt like doing until the wee small hours when, after joining hands and singing Auld Lang Syne, they wended their way home again happy in the New Year. No fireworks, no noises in the still beauty of the night as the year changed its name in Scotland. In England my Irish/Scottish friend came round to us, where we indulged in a small glass of sweet Martini and listened to the Scottish wireless sending of New Year with dancing and music to which we too danced, we then opened the window and let the old year out, welcoming the new in. Horrified one time to see the neighbour was cleaning her teeth at the hour. In France my first time at New Year we happened to be in someone's car, and suddenly all the traffic came to a standstill in the centre of Bordeaux, the sky was full of fireworks and all the cars blew their horns as long as they could, a most deafening sound and then as suddenly as it took place it stopped and all went about their business as usual. Then in Oslo, where the bangs started at 10 am. sporadically, to slowly gather in numbers as the evening neared 8 p.m.. then at nearly midnight the explosions reached their climax and the whole of the sky was filled with enormous flowers of fire in all colours. This continued for at least an hour polluting the woods with smoke, probably making the birds cough on their perches, dogs howl and cats hide and if one wishes to sleep one has just to forget it until they at last give up. The bangs are going on just now out in my view, in the dark of the frozen night. I sit in here after having had a chicken meal that I have to admit was good with the glass of red wine to go with it. I WISH YOU ALL A HAPPY YEAR WITH MANY FINE EXPERIENCES AND GOOD HAPPY POEM WRITING. Thank you for all your encouraging comments, thank you all. LOVE FROM ANN OF NORWAY.