new year's eve

[rivendellrose]

Spent New Year's Eve with The Boy, irishninja and shadawyn out at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America (Shinto shrine in Granite Falls). We started the drive at about 10:30, and pretty quickly figured out that there was still snow on the ground up north. The sky was perfectly clear, so the stars were absolutely brilliant once we got out past the lights into the country, and the snow on the ground had sort of frozen over again so that it sparkled wherever a little bit of light hit it. Even bundled up as we were, it was freezing when we stepped out of the car at the gate of the shrine, but they had a little heater stand set up by the entrance, and a fire further down. I wish I'd brought my camera - the evergreens were all weighed down with glittery snow, and so were the shrine's statues and gate. Oh, and the little hand-washing well thing, too. There was ice floating in the water. Kind of a different experience from washing one's hands in one of those on a balmy late-autumn day back in Tokyo. Same goes for taking my shoes off at the shrine entrance - as nice and cozy as it was in the little waiting room upstairs (where, bless them, there was tea), my feet absolutely froze during the ceremony itself downstairs.

Overall, a beautiful way to start the year, but I think next time I'll have to remember to wear thicker socks.

Today... writing (at least I hope so...), and possibly out to see The Tempest later on. At the moment, I'm still trying to wake up. ;)

It occurs to me only now that the biggest thing about this new year is probably that I graduated from high school almost ten years ago. It feels at once like it can't possibly have been that long ago, and also like it might just as well have been a hundred years and another life. Very strange.

Added: In completely unrelated news, I have just noticed that IMDB now shows no information at all for projects listed as "in development"... which neatly makes it almost completely useless for anyone who doesn't want to pay for their "pro" feature. Nice one, guys. Thanks.

Comments

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have to take the title and possibly who's involved and use a regular search engine to find out anything.

:(

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

All in all it sounds like a beautiful way to start the New Year.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I've wanted to go up there, but it's a long drive for me. One of these days...

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

It's so pretty up there, you really should go sometime. The friends I went with had been before, for one of the spring rituals - I might have to consider going again sometime, too, now that I've been once. It's a lovely, lovely place.