Happ-y New Year!
Paws and mary janes anxiously awaiting aught six
So busy juggling guests and dogs, I was remiss in my photographic duties this New Year's Eve. Luckily, I invited
Kelly.
I did manage snaps of a few of my guest revellers:
Cindee and Dave
Dan and Auggie
and, of course, the food.
After too much champagne, the details of the evening are a bit cloudy, but I remember it was a festive, doggy, friendly, sagey evening. I think everyone left before I fell asleep, but I'll have to ask Dan.
Happy 2006!
J&O Christmas 2005
Everyone knows Jews and Orphans love Christmas; our little tribe gathered at Michele's to celebrate Jesus' big day like we always do: with food. Bored with the traditional turkey and accessories, Mo whipped up a little beef something or another* with mashed potatoes and haricot vert (they were too delicious to be called green beans). Stan and I ate faux beef strips with mushroom sauce. The meal was capped by my notorious red velvet cupcakes, a batch of German chocolate for Michele's mom, Millie, and a
Greenie for Millie's adorable Sheltie, Hero.
*It was fancy (and the hit of the party), I just can't remember what it was called.
Chef Michele
Hero and I are stuffed and covered with confetti
Due to a computer malfunction on my end, instead of my customary Jews and Orphans Xmas Mix, we were serenaded by the all-holiday channel on Sirius Satellite Radio. Since a mom was present, it was likely a fortuitious happenstance; and I can always save it for next year.
After dinner, Kelly surprised everyone with homemade Christmas crackers (the traditional British party favors, not Ritz) filled with tissue crowns, beaded name charms, and robot cartoons.
Michele and Stan
Kelly and Cindee
Jeff and Dan
Millie
Hero
Then we let Hero* do the dishes.
Happy, merry, Jews and Orphans everywhere!
*Stan
Ferry Christmas
Waiting in the ferry terminal
Leftover party favors from the office holiday party. I clearly missed a good time while I was in NC.
Transit strikes back
Walking through Central Park
Damn it. I work in Jersey City. Not only do I have no trouble getting to work, I am justified in riding the much nicer, convenient (but kind of spendy) NY Waterway Ferry to the office.
I did have to walk from a cat sitting gig on the Upper East Side to my therapy appointment on the Upper West and then home to Hell's Kitchen. Yeah. Not a good story.
Cheese lightning
Returning to New York in Seat 6A, American flight 1048
The in-flight snack
Make your own knitting needles
I looked high and low for size 13 double pointed knitting needles while visiting my family in NC. There were none to be found anywhere, so I made my own (plus Dad and I got to bond over a trip to Lowe's and discussion of appropriate power tools for the job). Ultimately, mujerisma was the only power necessary.
Oak dowl rods (3/8" = approximately size 13 (9mm) needles), tape measure, pencil
Measure and mark dowl every 8"
Cut dowls with saw
Make dull points with a pencil sharpener
Sand until smooth (I used fine sand paper and followed with 000 gauge steel wool)
Hold your awesome needles aloft in victory
Show off battle scar with pride (blister from pencil sharpener)
Unto you a child is born!
Lukey the shepherd
Laine (in dark blue) and Levi (in dark brown) the wise men
The cutest nativity ever
Remember that book, The Best Christmas Pagent Ever? Okay, well, I do. This one was better than that one.
Kids love hats as much as toys*
Luke in the SnB Umbilical Hat
Levi in a slight variation of the Umbilical Hat sans cord
Laine in a striped rib knit cap
The most surprising reaction was from Laine: "Aunt Leigh, these are pretty colors!" He put the hat on and went back to playing with his new Transformer. About 20 minutes later, he looked up and said, "Aunt Leigh, I have to take my hat off 'cause I'm hot."
They like them; they really like them.
*okay, almost
Christmas comes early
Mom puts the finishing touches on the tree
Laine, Levi and Luke wait patiently for presents from Aunt Leaf
I got to play Santa this year
Me with Luke in the gift-ermath
Mom and Dad share a chair in the chaos
Ben helped Levi build an awesome helicopter
The five Angels pose for the customary squish-on-the-couch photo,
and circle up for a new photographic tradition.
Sarah Day!
The main reason for my pre-Christmas trip to visit the fam was to celebrate Sarah's birthday. My baby sister only turns 28 once, after all.
Her boys were happy to help her eat cake
and open presents.
Uncle Ben (Ubee to avoid rice references) made the trip as well, bringing the whole family together (and made the trip by bringing a fifth of whiskey to share with the non-teetotallers. Read: me).
In pre-Sexual Revolution style, the men played poker in the living room, while the women and children played Yahtzee in the kitchen.
Happy birthday, Saresy! You've come a long way.
Crafty nirvana
Among the chiffons at
Mary Jo's
Miles
and miles
and miles of fabric.
Mary Jo's Cloth Store is a Gaston County legend. Originally located in my hometown of Dallas, NC, the mammoth fabric and craft store moved to Gastonia in the late 80s to accommodate its thousands of out-of-town shoppers by being closer to Interstate 85. On this trip I only needed a knitting needle, but any excuse will do. Mary Jo's is heaven. Crafty heaven.
Now bring us some piggy sammiches
That night, I joined my family and members of their church for Christmas caroling. A lot of people had lost power from the storm, so we brought food and blankets along with tuneful treats like "Silent Night" and "Joy to the World." Then we went out for barbecue (twice in one day is cool when one enjoys good bbq so rarely).
Singing with Dad
...Sarah
...Levi
...and Laine
Sarah, Dad, Mom, Levi and some lady with a hat
The Carolina Carolers
After the last house on our route, our dulcid tones lured a Rottweiler into my sister's minivan.
There's always room for another voice in the choir.
