Happy happy
If you ask me there's no better way to bring in the New Year than having a New Year's Eve sauna. Woodfired and super heated, with a refreshing rub-down of snow afterwards. Leaves you feeling extra clean and saintly, and ready for just about anything, I reckon.
That's how our sauna looked last night - cosy light in the window as we walked down to the bath-house through the shadowy, snowy landscape.
I am not a big one for new year's resolutions. This year I've kept them practical: I want to learn to roll my own sushi. And I intend to keep going to the gym.
Is that setting the bar too high?
It actually wasn't time for too much philosophical contemplation last night - the hubbub of friends and kids that descended on our country place kept me active. I over-ambitiously decided to make pelmeni for the first time in my life - little meat parcels that are traditionally Siberian, a bit like ravioli really.
Other friends got busy making traditional winter solstice decorations with reeds from our pond. I love these mobiles - called puzuri - but rarely get a chance to make them myself.
The most beautiful moment last night was an instance I didn't manage to catch on camera - I was too busy locking it into my memory. I stepped back from the traditional fireworks spectacular arranged by the pyrotechnically literate males in our community - and watched it all from the side. Our kids craning their necks backwards to watch the colour explosions in the sky, muffled in scarves and hats, red cheeks from the cold and squealing like hobbits at Gandalf's light show in Lord of the Rings. Then I watched everyone lighting sparklers from afar - crowds of silhouettes with bright little stars exploding periodically amongst them, lighting up faces and smiles and shining eyes. Ach, maybe it was the champagne talking, but it all seemed pretty wonderful to me.
So on that note - 2013!! May it sparkle and shine.
And for good measure - looking forward to hanging out with these dudes in 2013...
I can imagine this all, M. Just lovely. Wish I could've partaken of the pelmenyi, too: bloody yummo. Happy 2013 from -11 degree Lianyungang. :-) *wave*