new year's eve

 we drove out to brooklyn for the nicest new year's eve chamber music celebration with our friends jeanette and tony. 

 it was incredibly cold: 8 degrees!

 it felt so good to be in their warm and cozy apartment, all decked out in holiday cheer.

 the piano is ready!

 but first a bit of delicious ziti, crackers, cheese and the grape/manchego cheese/salami hors d'oeuvres that i made for the dances patrelle nutcracker gala. they were a big hit here, also.

jeanette's ziti was incredibly delicious.

 we watched the ball come down in times square . . 

 and then the amazing fireworks from sydney, australia.

 waving hello to korrina whom i texted.

 new year's eve shenanigans at her work.

 we drove through our old brooklyn neighborhood,

 to the brooklyn bridge and home.

sixth day

 one of my favorite parts about christmastime: having christmas spice tea from san, and christmas apple bread.

 trying to finish chanda's christmas sock!

 discussing some paper work . . about jury duty? or acting school? bank statements?

 contemplating life,

 or just sunbathing?

 madeline has a new perch in morgana's room on the two big pillows that rest on the bins.

 chanda is away at her friend's country house upstate.

 it's just morgana, greg and i for waffles this morning.

 morgana and i are looking forward to new year's eve at our friend's home in brooklyn tonight. greg is being a bit of a curmudgeon.

fifth day

 we woke to snow this morning.

 hermione looks very cozy.

 morgana had slept over at deychen's house.

 

 marisa made breakfast for them and sent over these photos. it was like old times.

 morgana came home and then i went with her to wooster street for a solo rehearsal. she's working on a dance for the alumni concert.

 when ellen arrived she ran the dance for her and then they discussed . . the chair.

 hmmmm . . what to do about the chair.

tea and tennis shoes

we've always loved reading noel streatfeild, and morgana found a "shoes" book in london (of course) that we hadn't read yet: tennis shoes. it's even a new edition! (put out in 2015, i think.) we began it this morning, and ms streatfeild's character descriptions have us laughing out loud.

we read while drinking delicious spice christmas tea from lancashire, courtesy of san and family. thanks so much san! we're enjoying the holiday tea and coffee blends, and the holiday linens, and we so enjoyed opening our package from across the pond.

i have much to catch up on . . we left for connecticut the day after christmas and returned on wednesday. i enjoyed having "nothing" to do today, but would like to post some celebratory holiday pics soon.

for now, here's chanda in her new leotard from elevé dancewear with morgana in her new pants from uniqlo in paris.

to the theatre on fourth night

 we we got home from visiting marlene, we found a christmas package from san and family!

 we opened it while having tea and christmas marzipan.

 they were so beautifully wrapped. we only had a short time as we tickets for a performance of a christmas carol, at a theatre on macdougal street.

 our friends played a villager and tiny tim, and they both did a wonderful job.

 

 kudos to the actors!

it was a very cold night!!