Brrrr, it's January!

Well, I hardly know what to write after our busy, traveling-all-over December!  But, I AM so happy to be settling down into routine again….walks on the nature trail,

 

 bike rides, family history, and just savoring the quiet, calm days of winter.  We have about an inch of snow on the ground with bitter temperatures this morning.  However, just Thursday, it was so mild that I did a little bit of yard work!  I pulled off bagworm bags from our poor blue spruce tree and pruned the tart cherry branches away from the sidewalk.  

Yesterday, Steve and I built a fire in the pit in back and burned old documents because the poor paper shredder couldn’t handle the load.  We had some branches from the Frasier fur Christmas tree and it was cool to hear the popping of the needles when we threw them into the fire.  I roasted some marshmallows.  Trissy monitored our progress.  It was too cold for Sadie.

Can you spot me in the midst of all the cellists?  

 

  The Odyssey Chamber Series concert yesterday was a free children’s affair featuring the Carnival of the Animals and two of my students and I were part of the sixteen cellists playing “The Swan”.  This photo was from our Saturday rehearsal.  

I am resuming my pottery lessons and I threw three pots last Saturday!  It was SO fun. 

See the cute little elephant pitcher?  Steve’s sister, Michelle, gave it to him for Christmas. 

  It was the one used every pancake morning at the Lambson home while Steve was growing up.  Michelle got it when Iola passed away and she decided Steve should have it.  She sent it in a box with pancake mix and real maple syrup.  The griddle and coffee pot are cast aluminum and also came from Steve’s mom.  Steve learned to cook pancakes on that griddle when he was a boy. 

On Monday, I had a dentist appointment in Boonville and Steve and Elise tagged along so we could visit a new second-hand store I had heard good things about and an antique mall.  The store was very nice and I came away with three skirts, a scarf, and a dress jacket for $8.00!  We ate lunch in a little diner near the river before returning to Columbia.

 

Melanie celebrated a birthday last weekend.   

  She had a “princess party” on Friday, the 8^th, and we had her birthday dinner ( pork loin, mashed potato, green salad, strawberry cake)  on Sunday, the 10^th, although her actual birthday was Saturday, the 9^th. 

Sarah and Sadie photo during the games we played after dinner....

 

Steve and Kirsti are celebrating birthdays today!
 
 We enjoyed stuffed pasta shells, garlic bread, green salad, grapes, and chocolate cake with gelato for Steve's birthday dinner. 

Steve is modeling one of his gifts - a tunnel for his train setup.





Bacon and Bones finally settled down during the games but their usual activity is to wrestle each other all over the living room.  In fact, we put the leather couch cushions up so they won't destroy the upholstery.  Trissy, on the other hand, was not bothered by that.

 And, Sadie, just needed to keep warm!