happy new year

fireworks over St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague

Every one here in our household is moving slowly this morning, the first morning of 2011. We were up until 2am setting off fireworks in the snowy field behind our house. Fireworks which would be illegal in California. I am groggy and my ears are still ringing form the sound of mortars going off. You put them in the tube and light them and run away screaming, hoping to put some distance between you and the explosives. The thing is that the launcher falls over each time it sends up the mortar round. Will it fall over before it launches, after it launches or during the launch...that is the question. Dan remarked last night (or should I say, early this morning) as we were loading another round into the launcher, "This could be the one that sends any one of us to the hospital"...meaning: we are all targets.
Some of the explosives we had were hand held rockets that spouted fireworks ala wandwielding Dumbledore. This was amazingly awesome. Roxie and Dan shot their wands out into the field, up into the sky, at trees (TREES!!) and directly into the snow...my fave cuz they illuminated the snow with colours before fizzling. 
Earlier in the evening we were at our friends' house celebrating the coming new year. We arrived at Anna and Miloš' at about 9pm after watching "Kuky Se Vrací" (an incredible new czech film) at home. Anna served us a traditional New Year's Eve light supper consisting of boiled pork meat, dark bread, horseradish and mustard. We watched TV with them, Czech entertainment shows for New Year's, and "Československo má talent", the equivalent of "America's Got Talent". Hilarious. Miloš regaled me with stories of his mean boss who is making him feed the wild boar and deer in the forest today, a state holiday, and tomorrow, Sunday, when, as Miloš claims, the animals already have plenty of feed. Poor Miloš. Anna made sure that our drinks were refilled and that we had plenty of snacks to eat. We all sat around like couch potatoes. Then it was time. We counted down and Miloš opened the champagne (and kids' non-alcoholic stuff) just as we said "Happy New Year" ("Št'ástný Nový Rok!") We shook hands, kissed each other on the cheek and toasted each other. The kids were itching to set off fireworks, so we bade them goodbye and walked out into the cold to see snow softly coming down.
On the way to the field, fireworks in tow, Roxie asked me if I had any resolutiions for the new year. I said I did and she told me that she didn't think she had any. Today at our New Year's dinner (chicken, stuffing (thanks Opa), sweet potatoes, fresh bread and broccoli) we are going to thank God for his blessings in 2010 and ask Him, together as a family, what His will is for us in 2011.
Tomorrow I will write more about resolutions...stay tuned.