Some Green Mountain

A bit too much celebrating the New Year, so not much of a post today, I fear.

The Danes have a crazy approach to the New Year, although not necessarily crazier than other folk. First off, you have to eat a dinner of cod fish, which, for my money (and it is a lot of money, because cod is over fished and expensive!). Cod is a fine fish and as far as I am concerned should be allowed to swim in the sea and do whatever cod do when they are undisturbed.

The other thing Danes do, besides a bit too much drink, is to blow away, in the form of fireworks, what must amount to the equivalent of a the GNP of a small third-world country in the form of fireworks.

I don't do fire works. I just sit up in my window, with a glass of champagne, and say "ooh!" and "ahh!".

Frequently in Denmark the New Year starts with a storm -- that is, meterologically. This year was no exception -- except it was a warm storm, it's a long way from freezing.

What follows below, is my youngest daughter's favorite of all my songs -- the problem is, she has this idea of how I sung it once, so when I sing it for her, at her request, it never is like she wants it.

Hmmn, kind of a parable on life in general, I suppose, like Thackery wrote in Vanity Fair, "Vanitas vanitatum, who in this life achieves what they want, or, having achieved it, is satisfied?"

I have had all things good
that one short life can buy,
fancy car, with a radio,
and a home in the best neighbourhood.

And I'd be high, on some green mountain,
far above the raging sea...
I'd be blessed by salt sea breezes
-- Speckled Bird, sing for me!

I have very fine credentials,
I have played all the games,
I have borne all the shackles,
I have worn the gentle, golden chains.

And I'd be high, on some green mountain,
far above the raging sea...
I'd be blessed by salt sea breezes
-- Speckled Bird, sing for me!

Then one day, I turned around
-- I saw something on the ground...
It was a sea-pink sea shell,
the memory of something long gone!

And I'd be high, on some green mountain,
far above the raging sea...
I'd be blessed by salt sea breezes
-- Speckled Bird, sing for me!

Frightened to know what I must hear,
I pressed it close unto my ear,
I heard sounds of glory ways,
echoes of our precious children days

And I'd be high, on some green mountain,
far above the raging sea...
I'd be blessed by salt sea breezes
-- Speckled Bird, sing for me!