Happy New Year!

James and I are wishing all of our family and friends a blessed New Year ... that's why I was sitting New Year's Eve at the dining room table writing some mail. Sigh. We appreciate to read how you are doing and wished we could just get together for a coffee, tea or (even better) a glass of wine.



James and I celebrated by ourselves. We needed some quiet relaxed time. We did something we had not done in many years ... we had a cheese fondue. I even knew where "the stuff" was. James quickly got a baguette. We very much enjoyed it.

Waiting for the ball to drop I worked on my newest Chrismon design. Almost how I want it. Next step: writing the pattern.

Enjoying very much my amaryllis. This was last Friday.

This was Sunday.

Monday I had a hair appointment close to Sarah's. Since it was still "officially" holiday Sarah and Wade were both off work and the day care closed. Sarah suggested that I drop Papa off before my appointment and then come afterwards for lunch too. Good idea! 

This is what I saw when I arrived and couldn't get my camera out fast enough:

In the first week of January we paid more attention to the weather forecast then usual. Plan had been to drive to Nashville on Friday. The weather looks very iffy. I decided that I should take the decorations down even if it is a few days early. Normally we take the 12 Days of Christmas very serious. Some last pictures before the deed.

The Chrismon tree in the sunroom. One each of all my designs in miniature and church size.

The straw ornament tree in the living room corner (very German).

The family tree (main tree, memory tree). Oh, all those memories. What the children made from Kindergarden on, what we picked up traveling (mainly with the children). Gifts from wonderful people.

And up in the loft the lace tree. More memories. Ornaments I made and many ornaments (all handmade) from lacemakers all over the world.

Also the Hartensteiner Advendsstern, the star which is as old as our marriage. It's being made in my father's hometown. My parents always had one. Hang up on the first Sunday of Advent. It was part of my childhood.

And now on to the un-decorating.
House doesn't look too wild. Managed to put the trees back into the attic. That is always tricky because one of us as to crawl through a little hole in the wall from the utility room. But by now we are quite a team. It will not be too much of a shock when we come back.


Thursday January 5

Can you believe it? I am writing this in the car while James is having a turn driving. The weather forecast really wasn't nice and we decided to go as early as we could and left at noon today. Hope we haven't forgotten anything.