Our lives are a series of journeys – traversing various paths along the way, some straight and clearly signposted, others winding, confusing. We stumble over obstacles, the cracks in life. What matters is we move forward – time is never still, nor is life.
We might not be sure what is at the end of a certain road…but that is no reason not to explore, examine in detail. Take a risk, walk on.
Be aware how those oft travelled roads change form with the seasons. For a day or two a busy car-laden highway becomes a mystical wintry snow grotto where only the odd car passes.
The norm is never just that…a new angle, emotion is required to see the road in a new light…to see the view ahead in a manner transformed.
That doesn’t mean we should charge through life obliviously – take time to notice, be aware of the surroundings. They will raise a smile, ignite creative thoughts, inspire stories, poems, art.
Along the way we stop for nourishment, sharing a meal with friends and family.
Here we not only satiate our physical hunger but that of the soul as well; the location often setting the ambience and mood for the occasion.
Birds and their flight of freedom never fail to grab our imagination; their elegant effortless glide into the skies, their expanisve wings stretched to the full.
How often don’t we dream of just that – stretching out, soaring away. But then again, perhaps we already do – every moment of our lives…unconscious of the mystical flight of living.
Finally, I would like to wish each and everyone of you a wonderful celebration on New Year’s Eve and may 2018 be a peaceful year filled with joy and creativity.
As I’m hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner party, I’ve been busy preparing a menu which I would like to share with you.
Annika Perry 
Hope this first quarter of the year has been blissful and dreamy, Annika.
Your poetry and other posts I passed to get to the beginning all look fascinating. 💞 Happy rest of 2018 to you, dear friend.
I have been a hit or miss with fellow bloggers. I missed you! 💗 Hugs, Robin
Robin, I missed you too!! ❤️ I’m so glad you enjoyed my posts this year and thank you for all your lovely comments. I’m smiling at the blissful and dreamy … realising that much of it is, but at the same time full go with lots happening around! The peaceful moments are ones to treasure – heartwarming. How are you, Robin? I thought of you and wonder how your brother, Randy, is doing? Have a wonderful weekend and great to hear from you. Hugs, xxx🌸🌻🎈❤️
Hope it’s been a fabulous start to the year, Annika! Wishing you a year ahead filled with much love and joy and writing!
Thank you, it’s been a great busy start to the year and been proofreading for the paperback of my book which is out any day now! Thank you so much for your wonderful wishes and I hope you have a maigical year filled with joy, laughter and peace! 😀❤️
Happy trails!
Thank you so much and wishing you many happy adventures along life’s paths!!😀
Happy Bew Year and congrats on your book! I read your interview with the hamsters so I came by to say hello! Thanks for sharing your NYE dinner menu! Lovely photos
Wishing you a very Happy New Year too, Jena and may 2018 be one filled with joy and creativity! 😀 Thank you so much for popping over from Shey’s blog and your lovely comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed my post. I do love taking photographs and sharing them here…any excuse for me to look through them!! 😀😃
“The norm is never just that…a new angle, emotion is required to see the road in a new light…to see the view ahead in a manner transformed.”
Especially love that part! 🙂 And the picture right after that somehow reminds me of typical residential areas in many parts of my country. Then again, this is perhaps just a deja vu. 🍸
Thank you so much for reading and commenting…I am so happy you liked that sentence! Wow, your residential area is very idyllic and dreamy. I adore these little lanes surrounded by houses and garden – glad to bring a sense of deja vu for you! 😀
Beautifully written, Annika, and your photos are simply lovely. I’m a little late reading this, but I hope your New Year’s Eve dinner and celebrations were magical. I also hope that 2018 brings you much joy and happiness and wish you every success with your recently published book. 😀
Millie, thank you so much! 😀 It was lovely to read your comment and there is no time limit on visiting these posts!!😀 I hope you had a great start to the New Year…our celebrations were magical and the dinner a huge success. Wishing you a year filled with joy, peace, and creativity.
What a wonderful post – and best wishes for the happiest of years in 2018!
Thank you so much, Sarah and lovely to meet you here on WP. Wishing you a wonderful, successful and creative year full of adventures! 😀
A beautiful post! I’m a bit late but Happy New Year to you my dear friend. May you keep moving forward in your creative endeavours. Much love…
Thank you so much, Khaya and wishing you a wonderful and creative year! 😀😃 hugs xxx
A beautiful and heartening post, Annika. I see this growing into an inspirational book. Happy New Year, my friend ❤
Thank you so much, Tina and I’m so touched to think this is inspirational…I’m not sure I’d have enough for a book though!! Having said that, it was seeds like these that resulted in my short story collection book! 😃❤️
We never know where inspiration lies, Annika! ❤
HAPPY NEW YEAR, Annika! So very much I admire your perspective and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds you. You always make me smile and I love that you do. Your menu looks delicious, by the way! I hope that you had a magical New Year’s Eve filled with oodles and oodles of love! Wishing you so much happiness and nothing less than extraordinary in 2018!
Tanya, wow!! 😀 Thank you so much for your extraordinary comment – it means so much to me! 😀 Nature is always such an important part of my life but it was only as I was looking through my photos that I saw how many walks, how paths I’d traversed…on so many levels!
Oh, the food was fabulous although I must admit the soup was spicier than intended – no complaints though!! And yes, a wonderful loving evening of celebration; including dancing to 80s music, charades, Bucks Fizz, champagne…I hope you had a great evening to welcome in the new year.
Tanya, I wish you a wonderful year filled with joy and peace…may your health be strong and may you be able to partake in any adventures you desire! hugs xxx ❤️
Love the sound of your NYE – makes me wish I had been with you!! Ha! Lots of love, Annika! 2018 is going to be epic, for both of us!! 😃
Happy New Year to you Annika. Thanks for sharing your lovely post and dinner menu! Sounds scrumptuous. 🙂
A very Happy New Year to you, Marje and wishing you a year filled with joy, peace and creativity! We had a wonderful celebration and the meal was a success – and no one complained about the super-spicy soup! Phew! 😀
A meaningful and gorgeous post!!
Thank you so much, Lynz – I’m happy when the two can work well in a post!
Wonderful reflections on life here, Annika. And your menu has delicious dishes! I also hosted a NYE party here at home right upon my return from Stockholm – and of course I went with a typical Swedish New Year menu 🙂 May 2018 bring you good health, joy and contentment.
Hej Tiny! I hope you had a special New Year’s Eve celebration and bet your Swedish menu was a huge success.Is there any specific one dish which is typical for New Year as there is at Christmas? It does seem to be the time of reflection…ending of an old year and the photos brought it home to me of all the paths I’ve travelled – on all levels. Your time in Stockholm must have been even more poignant. Wishing you a very special year and may it be filled with peace, and creativity. hugs xxxxx
Hi Annika! The most typical/popular main dish at a New Year’s Eve party in Sweden is “Oxfile Provencale” i.e. the best part of the beef tenderloin on a “potato bed”. And if the main dish is meat, the starter will be seafood. I made Toast Skagen (skagenrora) – all of it was very popular 🙂 My time in Stockholm was warm and wonderful…will go back in the summer for sure. Many hugs and best wishes for happiness and success in 2018.
What a beautiful post! Love the pictures–I’m a sucker for nature pics 😀 I’m a few days late, but it looks like you had a delicious New Year’s Eve dinner. Hope it was fun! May your 2018 be filled with more joy, more creativity, and more fun than the last 😀
Julie, I love your wishes of ‘more’!! That sounds wonderful to me…more time for reading as well?! I wish you a successful year full of creative moments as well as a joy and laughter carrying you through the days. We had a magical New Year and the food was so good, even if the soup was spicier than intended!! Hoping you had a wonderful evening of celebration. hugs xxx