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?

fourth day of christmas

we're at my mom and dad's on montauk and it's incredibly windy. m and c got hoops for christmas from my sister and my mom and they were going to run with them along the sand today (again). . but it's way too blustery. we couldn't even walk back along the water . . the sand was whipping right into our eyes. we had to go back by the road. we even had to take care opening the car doors and the trunk . . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . we're at the library right now. it's very cozy with the sun shining in. before we left the house this afternoon a pretty little grey and white kitty came by to say hello. the girls gave her some milk and chicken. i just don't want her to get too comfortable . . jack will be a lunatic when he sees her. she would actually come inside if we let her . . . . i'll try and take a picture of her. i'm sure she's still a kitten. 

 well, i noticed in the archives that we were on montauk last year for the fourth day of christmas, also. it's a nice place to be.

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? 

 

merry merry christmas . .

solstice leaf

solstice tree

we drove up to connecticut to cut our own tree this year. i always have mixed feelings about christmas trees . . but we thanked the beautiful tree spirit and sawed through the wood and brought our tree home and decorated it. my friend janet says her dad would cut just the top off of a tree . . he would climb way way up . . and cut off the top . . . .

snowstorm!

we had a wonderful snowstorm yesterday! during it c played at a concert third street had at TDK bank on 3rd avenue, and then played at the weekly music hour. today we went with our good friends to the park to make many trails and snow angels and snowballs. the sky and river were incredibly beautiful.

surprise nutcracker performance

k's old ballet coach called yesterday, offering m and c orchestra seat tickets to nycb's nutcracker for tonight. they were very excited! of course it was storming . . but we managed to get ourselves out and to the theatre. they had a wonderful time and made friends with the people who had won the tickets during dances patrelle's annual holiday fundraiser.

ellen's holiday dances

c had her holiday dances for ellen robbins' this evening. one of my favorites is the russian dance during which they wear these beautiful skirts that ellen's mom made. this is also one of c's favorite dances. it's very fast, very happy and very swirly!

the yorkville nutcracker performance

(an angel dancer and gingerbread dancer in disguise)

today was the performance for dances patrelle's yorkville nutcracker. i worked backstage for the first show and got to watch the second. it's the first time i've seen the show and i really loved it. my favorite scene is the central park ice skaters (dance of the snowflakes).

homeschooling craft fair

our homeschooling group had their craft fair today. the girls are always busy weeks before making hats, bunny rabbits, pot holders, mittens . . their friends sell hair clips, bags, necklaces, cookies, truffles . . we also have free crafts to do. this year my friend janet had beeswax candle dipping and i did pinecone people and pom pom making. it was nice to have grandma and grandpa visit and see what goes on at one of our homeschooling group's monthly meetings.

children's chorus concert

after the craft fair, c and i went up to the kaye playhouse for a dances patrelle, yorkville nutcracker tech rehearsal. m went to an nyu children's chorus concert rehearsal. c and i joined everyone at 6:30 pm for nyu's education department's holiday concert in which the children's chorus was singing. it's always a wonderful show, with performances by the school's madrigal singers, jazz chorus, and women's chorus. afterwards, we took grandma and grandpa to veniero's for espresso, cappucino, hot chocolate and some incredible cannolis! we were sad after our delicious dessert, as grandma and grandpa were catching a plane the next morning to return to florida and we had to say good-bye. it was a very special new york at christmas time visit with them.

holiday windows with grandma

we visited lord and taylor's christmas window display today, before running off to a dance rehearsal for dances patrelle. these are our favorite windows in the city. we like the old fashioned warmth and the moving figures . .

on the train

four of us rode the early morning 6:44 train from montauk to penn station. c had orchestra and m had acting and k had a lighting gig. it was fun and reminded me of my holiday time train ride from oslo to copenhagen . . i was on my way to spend christmas with friends in bremerhaven, germany. it's always been my favorite time of the year.

in sag harbor

all of us drove to sag harbor today. we walked around looking at the water, and in the variety store and the kite shop . . i was told this coffee actually wasn't very good . .

dinner with grandparents

the fare last night was antipasta, lasagna and apple pie. the grandparents stayed long and late at the table, talking and drinking their coffee, while everyone else went to bed . . well, maybe one person stayed up knitting and watching tv (and, no, that wasn't me).

visiting grandparents

m and c and i rode the train out to montauk yesterday to stay at my parents' house with g's parents. he picked them up at kennedy airport with k and jack, and they drove out. today we went down to the beach and the water was rather wild! . . windy and wild . .

at the pond

it's warm, but we're skating at bryant park again. it's funny to be on the ice without feeling like we need mittens . . or hats . . or coats! i think one of us even took off her sweater and skated in her summer camisole!