Christmas 2013

Hello, and Happy Christmas!! (I can still say this, because today is only the third day, hehe.) ;)

I'm back in the studio today, with more ideas, notes and sketches than I know what to do with, but before beginning, I thought it might be fun to share a bit of our holiday with you; the first in thirty five years I haven't hosted myself! I must admit to some initial reluctance in letting go of the reins, but once I did, I was able to sit back and enjoy the day as I haven't in years. 

Daughter Courtney her beau Robert went all out, continuing the tradition of our large Dickensian feast (his family does the same, so it's actually a shared tradition)...The table looked so festive...

 

(And that wheel of cranberry/apple/pecan covered brie you see there was just amazing!) The menu included a standing rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes and gravy, asparagus, creamed onions, carrots and turnips, and a delicious cottage pie contributed by one of the guests. Oh, and wine, lots of wine, and mulled cider simmering in the crockpot, served with a splash of spiced rum. 

Bliss! ;)

Oh, and dessert of Victoria Sponge (you take a slice and drizzle a bit of heavy cream over the top), and Robert's pumpkin pie (the best I've ever had, with a gingersnap crust!)....

As the younger folks prepared the feast, John was in the living room watching Dr. Who, and was delighted to find one of the other party guests was a Whovian as well. As they watched, I accomplished a bit of knitting. ;)

 

Here's a better shot of the beautiful tree, with Courtney's cat Chloe in the foreground...

After a thoroughly enjoyable day (LOVED all their friends, and connected with a few on facebook), John and I settled into a room at the Doubletree in Center City, rather than brave the Schuylkill on Christmas night. Here's the view from the 22nd floor...

Whenever I spend time in Philadephia, I'm reminded why it's one of my favorite cities. The architecture is just breathtaking. But as it turned out, braving the traffic at night might not have been a bad idea. Unexpected snow prompted us to leave early the next morning, and after a quick stop for coffee, we took the Schuylkill to the Pennsylvania Turnpike - where we discovered had we NOT stopped for that coffee, we would most likely have been a few minutes ahead, and involved in a horrific pileup! Multiple accidents on the same stretch involved something like 35 vehicles, and closed the turnpike for most of the day. In the two hours we sat parked (they eventually let us all go via an access road), this was our view...

Not a bad view if one must be stuck. Miraculously, there were no fatalities, and those injured were rushed to area hospitals. They remain in our prayers.

So home again, home again quite late in the afternoon, where we collapsed, did a bit of tidying, and turned in early. Sooooooo, all in all a very Merry Christmas, but an altogether exhausting Boxing Day!

Back to painting today, and back down the rabbit hole (that's a hint, hehe)...

I expect to be back very soon with a peek at what's on the worktable, and also expect to make major headway with all those January commissions!

In the meantime, I hope your holiday was filled with friends and family and feasting, lots of love, and as the movie says "all those lovely intangibles"!

Until next time, 
♥ Carolee