Happy New Year!

From Madrid, from the home of my friends.
It has been a fantastic visit so far.
Playing with little Alvaro.
Wandering through museums with Marta.
Walking and window shopping alone.
Writing in my journal.
Reading The English Patient. (I finished it. As always, the book is far better than the movie.)
Taking pictures.
Visiting with friends.
Getting ready to welcome the new year in just a few short hours.

I have spent some time during these past few days reflecting on the year that is ending today and the year that will begin tomorrow. Highlights and low lights. Travels. Books read. Classes taught. Meals cooked and consumed. Cups of tea and coffee drunk. School outfits ironed. Blogs written and read. Sunsets and sunrises seen. Tears shed. Stomach cramps suffered due to laughter. Text messages sent and received. Emails, text messages, letters, cards, and telephone calls ignored...

The death of the first friend I made in Charlotte.
The birth of new friendships.
Travel in the United States and in Europe.
Classes taught and lessons learned.
Friendships deepened and weakened.

Fires. Drought.
Earthquakes. Floods.
Marriage. Divorce.
Love. Apathy.

Another year come and gone.
Begun and ended right here in Madrid.
I wonder where I will be a year from now when I write my New Year´s Eve blog.


Also I have begun to work on my Mondo Beyondo List - the list of dreams that ¨my heart will keep track of¨ (thanks Jen Lemen for putting that beautiful phrase in your beautiful book, Beginnings) even though my mind will surely forget. My favorite writing teacher says: ¨Take your dreams seriously. Play with them.¨ I like that. I will be playing with a few dreams tonight and in the new year. And I wonder - What dreams may come? What dreams may come true?

Nothing to do now but wait and see.
And pray and laugh and eat and drink and live merry.
Travel and discover and reflect and give thanks.

Happy New Year to one and all.
May peace and joy reign in your lives tonight, tomorrow, in all of 2008 and forever.