A New Year
Janus has arrived, showing us his backward-looking face at the moment. Not until a couple of weeks from now will he show us his other face, when we finally realize we are in another year and already have a few "this year" moments under the belt.
As usual, I am the first one up. Not even today do I sleep late. At nine, I dutifully get up to check on my father next door and feed the animals. There are three indoor cats, and three new outdoor cats, and one dog, that don't care what day it is. They expect to see their food bowls filled every morning no later than nine thirty.
The morning is cloudy for the first time in a week and a half, at least. There are no human sounds anywhere. What late revelers there are, are probably still inside the partially closed (or recently opened) bars eating churros dipped in thick, hot chocolate. Those that haven't dipped their livers in pickling juice all night, of course. Towards midday there will be more traffic, but not much.
At a little after eleven, we will watch the New Year's Day concert on television from Vienna. Classical music with spells of ballet dancers and a visual trip through a beautiful city I want to visit someday. But, then, there are so many cities I want to visit. It's a tradition we have grown into. The resounding ending of the concert with the Radetzky March thundering, also has me dancing through the kitchen, as I am cooking lunch. It's one of the pieces of music that always has me on my feet, clapping to the tempo.
Today is a day in which old news will be rehashed. I remember watching the news in Boston on New Year's Day, and the opening story was always the car accidents from the night before. The second story was the first baby of the year. Things haven't changed much, though time has gone by, and the country has changed. The first story now is how the world has celebrated, and then all the accidents, and then the first babies.
For one day we put our fears on hold, and hope that our brightest dreams are not simple castles in the air. The new year has begun, with everything about it yet to be discovered, both good and bad. But, surely, with lots of little good things in each day that make life worth living, no matter how hard it may get. Happy New Year!
As usual, I am the first one up. Not even today do I sleep late. At nine, I dutifully get up to check on my father next door and feed the animals. There are three indoor cats, and three new outdoor cats, and one dog, that don't care what day it is. They expect to see their food bowls filled every morning no later than nine thirty.
The morning is cloudy for the first time in a week and a half, at least. There are no human sounds anywhere. What late revelers there are, are probably still inside the partially closed (or recently opened) bars eating churros dipped in thick, hot chocolate. Those that haven't dipped their livers in pickling juice all night, of course. Towards midday there will be more traffic, but not much.
At a little after eleven, we will watch the New Year's Day concert on television from Vienna. Classical music with spells of ballet dancers and a visual trip through a beautiful city I want to visit someday. But, then, there are so many cities I want to visit. It's a tradition we have grown into. The resounding ending of the concert with the Radetzky March thundering, also has me dancing through the kitchen, as I am cooking lunch. It's one of the pieces of music that always has me on my feet, clapping to the tempo.
Today is a day in which old news will be rehashed. I remember watching the news in Boston on New Year's Day, and the opening story was always the car accidents from the night before. The second story was the first baby of the year. Things haven't changed much, though time has gone by, and the country has changed. The first story now is how the world has celebrated, and then all the accidents, and then the first babies.
For one day we put our fears on hold, and hope that our brightest dreams are not simple castles in the air. The new year has begun, with everything about it yet to be discovered, both good and bad. But, surely, with lots of little good things in each day that make life worth living, no matter how hard it may get. Happy New Year!
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