December 2007
Christmas in New England
29 12 07 06:40
I am too lazy to write too much about Christmas, but I did take all the photos and collect them into an album on the Photo Albums page of this website...
We spent Christmas day at Mom and Dad's place in Fiskdale. It was just the immediate family: Mom and Dad, siblings John, Susan and myself, my partner Carl, and John's son Kurt. We started with gifts, followed by a potluck breakfast downstairs in Crescent Gate's common kitchen, and generally had an extremely relaxing day. Susan likes the digital camera John, Carl and I gave her, as evidenced by many of the photos in the previously mentioned photo album!
The day after Christmas we headed to Granby, CT to my Aunt Barbara and uncle Bruce's place for a larger family gathering. Grandma and Grandpa, Barbara and Bruce, cousins Janet and Diane and Denis, and my cousin's children were all there. At one point my siblings and cousins were tasked with taking the children outside to expend pent-up energy. Otherwise, we ate food and acted silly like we generally do at our family gatherings.
Yesterday Carl and I took a day off from family and went on a nostalgia tour of Worcester. On our way in to Worcester we ate at Ella's on the Hill, a diner at the top of Dead Horse Hill. Then we went driving by my old haunts such as the house I grew up in on Monadnock Rd., downtown Worcester, Institute Park, and Dad's church from the late 70's through early 90's. After driving around a bit we stopped at Best Buy to buy a gifts for Carl's siblings, niece, and nephew. We ended up having dinner at Zorba's in Sturbridge.
Not much else to report. It has been gray and cold the entire time we have been back here. Grey enough that I have had this moody, trapped feeling. It makes me grateful for the sunny Southwest!
We spent Christmas day at Mom and Dad's place in Fiskdale. It was just the immediate family: Mom and Dad, siblings John, Susan and myself, my partner Carl, and John's son Kurt. We started with gifts, followed by a potluck breakfast downstairs in Crescent Gate's common kitchen, and generally had an extremely relaxing day. Susan likes the digital camera John, Carl and I gave her, as evidenced by many of the photos in the previously mentioned photo album!
The day after Christmas we headed to Granby, CT to my Aunt Barbara and uncle Bruce's place for a larger family gathering. Grandma and Grandpa, Barbara and Bruce, cousins Janet and Diane and Denis, and my cousin's children were all there. At one point my siblings and cousins were tasked with taking the children outside to expend pent-up energy. Otherwise, we ate food and acted silly like we generally do at our family gatherings.
Yesterday Carl and I took a day off from family and went on a nostalgia tour of Worcester. On our way in to Worcester we ate at Ella's on the Hill, a diner at the top of Dead Horse Hill. Then we went driving by my old haunts such as the house I grew up in on Monadnock Rd., downtown Worcester, Institute Park, and Dad's church from the late 70's through early 90's. After driving around a bit we stopped at Best Buy to buy a gifts for Carl's siblings, niece, and nephew. We ended up having dinner at Zorba's in Sturbridge.
Not much else to report. It has been gray and cold the entire time we have been back here. Grey enough that I have had this moody, trapped feeling. It makes me grateful for the sunny Southwest!
Gamie Jammie
09 12 07 20:32
Well, yesterday afternoon I atteded my first Fine Stream Gamelan 'Gammie Jammie,' a gamelan pyjama party where we all get together, play Christmas tunes modified for Gamelan, and sleep over at Mike and Wayan's home (aka Crickethead Inn). It was a freakin' RIOT! We played pelog, which provides enough tones per octave to play recognizable renditions of 'Silent Night,' 'Jingle Bells,' 'Silver Bells,' etc... Matt describes them as 'twisted Christmas carols,' which they were, a bit. I played bonang panerus, and decided to apply a modified traditional pattern to all the pieces. Chad similarly improvised a semi-traditional bonang part. We made a great team!
After eating, playing, looking out the kitchen window for coyotes and foxes, eating dessert (a black rice pudding with coconut juice), playing some more, and falling asleep on the living room floor, we all went off to our appointed rooms to go to bed. The rooms at Crickethead Inn are beautiful!
In the morning, Wayan and Mike made us a breakfast of pancakes, homemade cranberry bread, strong coffee, yogurt, and fruit. What a treat!
Their B&B borders National Park and their backyard is undeveloped mountains that are protected from development. It is the most beautiful setting imagineable.
After breakfast, everyone went out to play bocce:
Chad left with me, and followed me home to borrow my slentem, since we won't have another gamelan practice for a month.
After arriving home, Carl and I headed out to the 4th Ave. Street Fair, where I did a bunch of Christmas shopping. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out at home.
I guess that's all the news that's fit to prin from this weekend! The holidays are just around the corner and I am getting excited about returning to Massachusetts and seeing my family. It will be fun to be back for Christmas, I think it's been a decade since I have been in New England for the holidays!
After eating, playing, looking out the kitchen window for coyotes and foxes, eating dessert (a black rice pudding with coconut juice), playing some more, and falling asleep on the living room floor, we all went off to our appointed rooms to go to bed. The rooms at Crickethead Inn are beautiful!
In the morning, Wayan and Mike made us a breakfast of pancakes, homemade cranberry bread, strong coffee, yogurt, and fruit. What a treat!
Their B&B borders National Park and their backyard is undeveloped mountains that are protected from development. It is the most beautiful setting imagineable.
After breakfast, everyone went out to play bocce:
Chad left with me, and followed me home to borrow my slentem, since we won't have another gamelan practice for a month.
After arriving home, Carl and I headed out to the 4th Ave. Street Fair, where I did a bunch of Christmas shopping. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out at home.
I guess that's all the news that's fit to prin from this weekend! The holidays are just around the corner and I am getting excited about returning to Massachusetts and seeing my family. It will be fun to be back for Christmas, I think it's been a decade since I have been in New England for the holidays!