good-bye little snowchild

happy new year . .

when i was a little girl my mom would always set out the pot lids for us to bang together at midnight. after clanging away for a few minutes we would be silent and listen as we stood at the front door . . we always used to hear other people yelling and ringing noisemakers in the cold night air. people don't seem to do that anymore. the girls and i listen every year, but it's always silent. but i guess that's alright . . we have a good time! i still think that one year we'll hear someone . . (hello out there . . )

watching the ball drop . .

and eating shrimp and tater tots and drinking sparkling cider . .

and now for some sledding . .

(it's good we brought the sleds . . who would have thought we'd have such great snow . . )

k heads home

k caught the 11:14 train back to penn station to spend new year's eve with her friends. nonno drove her to the station, and picked up some shrimp for us on the way back to have for new year's eve hors d'oeuvres. g is on his way out. he gets in at 2:14 pm. it's a busy day considering the snowstorm!

skating on green pond in the snow

we heard there was to be rain later on today, so we got up early (7 am!) to get some more skating in before the pond started defrosting. well, as we were skating some snowflakes started falling. . . . . . and falling and they got bigger and bigger and more and more plentiful until it was a regular blizzard! it was beautiful skating in the snow, though we did stay away from the ends of the pond as we heard definite loud cracks happening in the ice. there must be a slow current underneath that heats things up quickly, as the pond really isn't that deep. 

 i was a little worried about driving home. plows and salt had not gotten out yet and we took it really slow. it was a cold white world we drove through. 

 

skating on green pond

every year we visit my mom and dad in the wintertime, and the annual question is: is green pond frozen? well, weren't we in shock when we drove out to east hampton today and it was! i never saw two girls get their skates on so fast. 

 

skating was so fun and so beautiful, and so cold . . we skated for hours and then went to warm up in the east hampton library before heading back to nana and nonno's for a delicious chicken soup dinner.

 

and what is happening in other family member's worlds?

the sea the sea . .

the ocean was incredible today . . just white froth and spray . . i think this photo is a current favorite. i love the wind and the clouds. 

 m and c tried rolling their hoops on the sand. m was very excited and repeatedly asked me to watch her with the hoop. when i finally stopped snapping shots and complied, she rolled the darn hoop right into the sea. she had to run in and catch it, or it would have been swept away. well, i missed that shot but i have it forever on my brain. her shoes and feet and tights were sopping wet and we had to go back home to change before heading to the library.

hoops

the girls first saw these hoops at sturbridge village. i don't know where and how they've gotten in so much practice time! here is my sister and i trying them out . .

and this second movie is m and c . .

hmmm . . such finesse!

. . hand that man a dish please . .

 

is this the line for a plate of mussels?