New Year's Eve 2023

Anne Mehrling

Jan 1

The last day of the year was such a pleasant one for me. I had no expectations and just enjoyed the day's unfolding. There was only one service at church, and it was later than usual for me. I knew David was running the sound board. He is always quick to notice when a mike should be muted or turned on. I wondered why he was later than usual coming home. He said people were saying goodbye to him. He intends to move as soon as he finds a place, wanting to be more independent.

We wanted to go out to eat at a nearby restaurant and juggled our choice of three. Barbecue won. The franchise owner was there working and welcomed us warmly.

During the afternoon and evening I talked or texted with all my blood relatives. I'm sure that's a record. Most unusual was welcoming the new year six hours ahead with Lise. She stood at her window and aimed the camera at her street where people were setting off fireworks. Danes are addicted to fireworks, especially at this time of year. They were using powerful ones that we would reserve for football fields or riverbanks. Dangerous? Oh! My! Yes! Cars and pedestrians wove their way around the explosions. Ash and debris rained down, which is why Lise kept the window closed. This began at dusk and continued beyond the usual 4:00 a.m. quitting time. Street cleaners pick up all the spent casings starting at 5:00. It was all exciting and fun from across the ocean.

I chatted with Kate, and David came in while we were on the phone. They talked shop for a long time, while I was making a quiche. Both work full time in supermarkets. As they talked, David was watching the Danish fireworks with Lise and telling his mother what was going on. I texted with John $ and Rose, three hours behind me. I didn't wait up for their new year.

Neighbor Joyce had driven four hours from her daughter in Nashville to get home. She must have been quite tired from the visit with grandchildren in Texas – the jumping off point being Nashville. She came over to visit with me until almost midnight. I enjoyed hearing about her car trip to Texas and the flight back. I was more content than ever to sit in an armchair to listen. I forgot to take a photo to mark the occasion.

I was alone for the last fifteen minutes of the year and thought about what I had done at midnight most of my life. We always looked at the ball dropping in Times Square. Amazingly, I found live coverage through the internet on the iPad. To mark the occasion, I took a video of the last few seconds with a camera. What a good way to end the year laughing!