New Years in Holland

They don't have exactly the New Year's Eve we know from America, but celebrate Old Year's Eve. There's no mistletoe, no party hats, no noisemakers, confetti and few countdowns. Instead, there are fireworks. And not that you go somewhere and watch them, every Dutch person gets fireworks and sets them off. Little children have sparklers, teens have what sounds like bombs (to me) and adults get the spectacular variety of lights and sounds that man can ignite with a match. The entire country is filled with thick smoke, and everyone is outside. After midnight, at some point, they walk around and say the Dutch equivalent of Happy New year.

Fire in the sky.

The smoke makes it difficult to get a good photo.

Another Dutch tradition - for New Year's they make appelflappen, which I am helping with in the shed, since it's quite messy to cook, and the smell of cooking oil gets in everything. My favorite for New Year's is oliebollen (the grandfather of our American doughnuts).

Okay - here it is. Finally the pictures of the furniture I PUT TOGETHER ALL BY MYSELF. Not really New Year's, but this was my first time EVER, that I did something like this without anyone else's assistance. A big thing for me, what with the brain injury and vision problems.

Sweet! I put together this one too. Luckily, I can follow picture directions pretty well, and it came out rather nice, I think.