Christmas in Douglas, 2009

Susie and I spent Christmas Day with her family as they gathered at Dick and Dorothy's home in Douglas, MA. The food was delicious, the hospitality warm and the conversation lively. But hey, the photographs speak for themselves:

Cathy and Bernice:

Sister and brother - Bernice and Frank:


Mieke -- jetting in from Brooklyn:


And of course it wouldn't have been a Christmas gathering for a group of Vandenbergs without one round of the Bernice game -- Bernice, Mary and Dorothy:


Uncle Frank:

Dorothy:




A day of smiles indeed:

Going back to Paris -- of course

How can we not go back? It may not be as exciting as the 1889 Exposition -- when the Eiffel Tower made its "debut" -- but when is Paris not incredible?

So, Susie will be gone for another 7-week stretch, pretty much like the spring of 2009 but no professional development courses at Le Cordon Bleu this time. My hope is she will find plenty of time to spend doing tai chi in the Jardin du Luxembourg.

I'll join her for the last 3 weeks or so. We hope to see Richard and Pauline in Mouchan and spend quality time in Siena (again). That's the plan.

Right now all we have are tickets to get on an Air France flight and go. Next up, lodging -- in the 11th we hope!

Saying goodbye to the Mini

Yep. It's true. We got rid of our (2nd) Mini Cooper. The streets in Providence were literally killing our car. And it was, to say the least, not good in the winter. So we returned to our old ways and went for a new Audi A4 -- all-wheel drive thank you very much.

Adieu old Red, arrivederci nostra edizione!

Say ciao and bonjour to the Gray Ghost -- il fantasma grigio!

Remembering Scarborough Beach

After one major snowstorm followed by day-after-day of bitterly, brutally cold temperatures, a sneak back at warmer times along the ocean seems most appropriate.

Christmas in Douglas, 2009

Christmas in Douglas, 2009.

Susie and I spent Christmas Day with her family as they gathered at Dick and Dorothy's home in Douglas, MA. The food was delicious, the hospitality warm and the conversation lively. But hey, the photographs speak for themselves:

Cathy and Bernice:

Sister and brother Bernice and Frank:

Mieke -- jetting in from Brooklyn:

And of course it wouldn't have been a Christmas gathering for a group of Vandenbergs without one round of the Bernice game -- Bernice, Mary and Dorothy:

Uncle Frank

Dorothy

A day of smiles indeed: