New Year's Eve in The Grand Duchy. . .

One of just a few more seasonal illustrations his morning.  Nothing quite so striking as Cardinals against a snowy backdrop.

Still quite cold.  Snowy.  Swimming lessons for the Young Master and a family ski tour later this afternoon before the Grand Duchess whips up a New Year's Eve dinner of pork tenderloin with fennel and onion relish, roasted vegetables, roasted brussel sprouts, and a few other items including the last of a cranberry and orange relish that I make us each year.  

Which reminds me.  I need to put together a cherry pie for dessert.  Otherwise a lazy day ahead nibbling on the remaining Christmas treats and listening to some Christmas jazz one last time before we put things away for another year on Tuesday and settle into that post-holiday quiet, which is just as intoxicating in its own way as is Advent and the eventual celebration of  Christmas itself.  

Sadly, the start of school again on January 8th looms for all three of us, but we have one more week of relatively idle time.

And yes.  It looks like my planned Christmas Week game is slated to become a New Year's game.  Ah, well.  The journey is always at least half the fun.

-- Stokes