Wednesday, December 31, 2014

new year's eve


 taking a walk through the neighborhood . . 

 chanda is wearing my sister's mother-in-law's norwegian sweater. isn't it beautiful? 

 trying to pop holiday crackers . . 


 
only a few of us managed to pop them correctly to elicit a "bang!"

 we watched the ball drop on times square on the tv . . 

 the crackers threw out a lot of confetti! my sister was lamenting that my parents don't have a vacuum cleaner yet in the apartment . . she and chanda picked up all the confetti with masking tape . . which actually did a good job!

we hung the sunflower pics . .

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

tuesday in connecticut

 lake champlain chocolates from my nephew, and maple cotton candy . . 

 a few tree decorations . . 




 like father . . like daughter . . 

 walking about town . . 


dinner and then a card game at the apartment . .

Monday, December 29, 2014

monday celebration

 my sister and her family returned sunday night, and monday we celebrated the holiday together.

 it was a beautiful, sunny day.

 toby basks in the warm holiday spirit . . 


 cranberry stollen from german deli online . . (it was delicious and i wish i had ordered more than one!).

 norwegian krumkager that my brother-in-law made . . 

 eaten with lots of whipped cream!

 unwrapping my mom and dad's sunflower photographs for their new apartment.

 singing christmas carols . . (without morgana we didn't do our usual charades . . ).


merry christmas . . !

Sunday, December 28, 2014

a moravian church service

 my sister's church celebrates the sunday after christmas with a moravian love feast. hot chocolate and cookies are served during the time usually devoted to the sermon. pastor leads a meditation and then everyone stands to talk with each other while having their "feast." it was a lot of fun and we talked with a church member i hadn't met before and her friend who was visiting from the next town.

above you can see the moravian star, a three dimensional star with a threefold message: it testifies to the greatness of the creator who made the stars on the fourth day; it is a reminder of the star that led the magi from their homes to the christ child; it points to the divine star, "i am the root and offspring of david, the bright and morning star." moravian families hang this star in their home during the christmas season heralding the beginning of advent and the arrival of christmas day.

 the deacons also passed out beeswax candles.

back at my mom and dad's apartment . . we took them grocery shopping in the afternoon.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

in connecticut

 greg stayed home for a chess tournament, korrina stayed home to work, and chanda and i drove up to connecticut to take care of my sister's cat and visit with my mom and dad while she and her family celebrated christmas with my brother-in-law's norwegian family in new jersey.

 i hadn't been to my sister's home for christmas in years (we usually visit my mom and dad on montauk for the holiday). i was surprised at all her decorations.





christmas in connecticut!

second day

 chanda's card that she made for morgana from her geometric drawing waldorf class.

and korrina finished another hat with yarn from the store she works at . .

Friday, December 26, 2014

first day





greg went off to a chess tournament. korrina had her friend visit and then went to work in the evening. chanda and i walked in the neighborhood, picking up final gifts for friends and family . . and then had leftovers for dinner after watching the royal ballet's don quixote. tomorrow we'll travel to connecticut to see nana and nonno . .

Thursday, December 25, 2014

more of christmas

 chanda wearing the citron scarf that was left in her stocking, while trying to put on the heart bracelet also found there.

 korrina's has a black band, and chanda's a brown one.

 contents of a stocking: grapefruit, tissue packet, nuts and puzzle.

 chanda putting together the puzzle . . 

 each puzzle was different. animals depicted were an owl, a salamander, a frog and a dog.

 chanda's section of the tree . . 

 and korrina's . . 

 opening morgana's gifts!

 chocolate from austria . . !

 one of greg's gifts was a mug with shakespearean insults . . 


 yarn from morgana . . 

 breakfast each year is grapefruit, pannetone, gingerbread, and egg, cheese and sausage casserole.

 skyping with morgana . . 


 gryffindor socks from korrina for chanda . . 

mozart chocolates and spiced christmas tea . . 

 a walk along the riverfront . . 




walking along the boardwalk . . 



 i think it's interesting how these trees keep their leaves even though the wind is very strong off of the river.


 christmas dinner: florentine meatloaf with celery and carrots and tuscan beans.

 playing cards ("may i") with the new cat deck.

 (the cats are paintings from the met museum).

 (same expression!)

and singing "people look east" while having dessert . .