Magic

So it's a new year, the time when all delinquent bloggers write a post vowing to blog more in the coming year.

This is not that post.

I simply want to log a moment of magic from last night, and I figure this is as good a place as any to do so.

My New Year's Eve plans consisted of a sweet party involving Netflix and Sloppy Joes followed by a bedtime of 10:00.

While snug in my bed, I was awoken at about 20 till midnight by a crazy raucous happening outside. I lay there for a while, listening to the noise, thinking it would soon die down again. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of my warm nest. At midnight, I decided to check out what was happening outside, so I put my slippers on, opened our rouladens, and stepped out onto our balcony where I was greeted with a sky full of fireworks and the sound of church bells being rung quite intensely.

Here I need to add a couple notes. (1) We do not live in a large city. In fact, what we live in is much more village-like than anything else. (2) We do not live in the center of town. We are definitely on the outskirts.

That being said, I was extremely amused by the exuberance with which my neighbors were celebrating. I counted at least four houses in our little neighborhood shooting off all kinds of fireworks. Added to that were some campers in the mountains with their own pyrotechnic display as well as (what I imagine) was our village's own sparkling celebration.

I stood out on the cold balcony in the misting drizzle for a solid 20 minutes, soaking in the celebration, and sending out my own New Year's happy thoughts. When I did crawl back into bed, it was with a smile. Those moments out on my balcony were magic, and I want to hold on to that feeling of complete, loud, uncontrollable excitement that I was a part of last night.

Here's to 2012 and many new delightful adventures.