christmas in connecticut

yesterday (thursday) morning we left new york around 9 am and arrived at my sister's around noon. 

 she was preparing the shrimp plates when we arrived . . 

 and putting the mozzarella on the chicken parmagiana.

 we called my cousin in annapolis to wish her and her family a merry christmas.

hanging on the mantel are three of the many christmas stockings my aunt evie, my mom's sister (and mom to my cousin, cindy, who we were talking to), embroidered for everyone in the family.

 after dinner, and before dessert, we played two different games . . (i realize now, that we never got outside for our walk at the lake or through the neighborhood . . we were so intent on playing games). the first game was a new one morgana had given korrina and brian for christmas.

 it was titled codenames and we had to think of a single word that would hint at one or more codes the others on our team had to guess at. for example, two of my words i had to give hints for were "jack" and "weight." i chose to use the word "heavy" and said that of the ten cards on the table, the hint indicated two of them. morgana was able to correctly guess that i meant "jack" and "weight."

 

we also played "bowl" again, or "basket," since the phrases were placed in a basket this time.

 time for dessert . . we had stopped at a bakery in middletown on our way to my sister's for italian bread and cookies.

 my cousin sent the fruit basket.

 we played one more game that evening (friday), balderdash, in which one makes up definitions for words chosen from a game card. players then vote on the different definitions and points are given for choosing the correct definition, and for when others choose your definition. i was very happy to win this game! (i even got the first word's definition correct, which was umiak: an eskimo boat).

and then i was ready for bed . . it was a fun night and a wonderful celebration.

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breakfast the next morning:

 morgana was regaling us with a story about school and london . . 

hmmm, i cannot remember the particulars and need to check with the storyteller . . 

 hearing about uncle warren's and aunt kathy's adventures in norway, and looking at photos in the special book my sister made.

 getting ready for the group photo . . 

 test pic . . 

the official pic . .

 my favorite pic . . 

 good-bye toby!

a view of manhattan from the whitestone bridge on a grey and hazy day.