2023 in Alphabetical Review

A  Anders, Anna, Andy & Amy, Acapella, Anna Grace, Airbnb rentals, Achilles Tendonitis, Alpen

B Brothers, Buffalo 

C College, Clara, Crazy for You, Camp Counselor, John Canning

D Drivers License, Disregulation, Dorm, Dinghy

E  Eighteen, Evan, Ellie, Elie, Emida,  emergency room visits w Barbro & Bjorn

F  Foreign exchange student from Frieberg, Fires in Canada, FMLA for 6 weeks, Family, Friends

G Germany, Geoff, Graffiti explosion, girlfriends, homemade Granola

H High School Graduation, Hadestown, Hamas attacks Israel 

I  Israel attacks Palestine, Improv, Icelandic sweater 

J  Judy, Jasper and family move to Idaho

K Kuba, Keats, Kefir, pirate King & swamp King

L Lightening Thief, Science Labs, Les Mis, Lake Champlain

M Morgan, Mikayla, Mexican Lasagna

N Neil Patrick Harris

O Our Flag Means Death, Only Murders in the Building, Old BHS demolished

P Perkins Pier, Prom,  Pirates of Penzance, Ping Pong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Q Quilt for Anders

R Rich & Rachel

S  Sailing, Samuel, Sylvan, Sweet Sixteen, BHS Sophomore, Sandy, Spamalot, Squidward,          Spongebob, Side of our house reSided

T Truro Fine Arts Center, Trek, Tenor Bass Choir

U University of Vermont, the war in Ukraine, JV &V Ultimate

V  Very Merry - for work and play, Voice Play, a lot of  College Visits

W Wildlife biology, Walt & Chris, CCRH WE, Wordle

X MMXXIII

Y Brown Cow Yogurt 

Z Zoe goes to Kindergarten 

Christmas 2023

This Christmas had some kinks.
The first being that Peter and Jen were going to host the Thelemarcks on December 24th. Then we were going to celebrate Christmas day with Sandy at our house and Anna's brothers and mother would have Christmas day without us.  But - fate did not allow that.  Peter got Covid and so the plans changed. 

We did meet up as a big group at Peter’s house to exchange gifts, outside in the backyard with Pete masked up. Later that day we hosted Christmas Eve without Peter, Jen and Kaj. The next day we had Christmas brunch with Claes and Vikki and Sandy, and Christmas dinner with Sandy and Barbro.  Lots of last-minute changes! We rolled with it, but it felt a bit confusing at times. We really missed Jen, Pete and Kaj.  Also, perhaps it was odd because Lea and Hannah were not here either and they add so much life to the mix.  We still managed to have a delicious Swedish Christmas eve and a mellow and relaxed Christmas day.  Next year we are heading to Buffalo. Hopefully, Covid won't become a regular part of our holiday celebrations and derail next year too!

 

FONDUE

This holiday season could not go by without a fondue dinner.

We invited Sandy, Jamie, AJ, Zoe, as well as Morgan and her mom.  

It was a very cheesy night with a delicious spinach salad and 

yummy dessert.  Some of us just loved it, and others of us felt like 

we have turned into a ball of cheese ourselves. 
MORE SPINACH PLEASE! 

 

Holiday Mud

'Tis the Season...for mud? 

Climate Change has certainly impacted our weather.

Absolutely NO SNOW this Christmas.

In fact, in exchange for snow, we've had flooding! 

Here we are walking in the intervale which was coated with mud, everywhere.  

Still, our spirits were bright and our desire for fresh air was just as high as ever.

 

Pierogi

 

All the Light

 Anna and I hosted a dinner party on the Solstice.
The guest list was carefully curated by Anna - who wanted to be sure that there would be a nice connecteion between guests, as some knew one another and others had never met. It was super fun and spirited and Anna did a great job!

Happy Solstice!

 

Solstice Fun

We took an evening hike with friends up to Lone Tree Hill at Shelburne Farms.

It was beautiful and we sang and ate cookies and played in the dark night.  

Happy Solstice!

 

Sisters

This year my sister has become even more important to me. 
Losing my mom has brought her into super sharp focus.  

I love her so very much. 

I need her in my life so very much.

I feel enormously grateful.  

 

Semester 1 - It's a Wrap!

Anders finished his last exam on Friday, December 15th.  
It was exactly one week after having all 4 of his wisdom teeth extracted.
He was home by the late afternoon, with a car full of plants and bags full of clothes.  

WE CANNOT BE MORE PROUD OF HIM.

He did well in his classes, found his friends, he and Sylvan are great roommates, he joined clubs and held a part time job and started a relationship.  Amazing.  

JOY.

He will be home for one month so we get to seem him regularly now!!

 

From This to That

 

The tree experience this year was a bit of wild goose chase.  We went with Andy and Amy, and headed towards Underhill.  We passed by the regular White's Tree Farm and drove to their alternate site.  After many wrong turns we ended up finding out it was not open this year.  Instead, happened upon a fun little sign advertising a family run tree farm.  It was truly that, and it wsa behind their house.  So we tromped into the field and each found one. I think this year our tree is a lot wider than it usially is, but it's still quite lovely.  Happy Holidays! 

Madrigal Concert

  

This year Kuba has joined the BHS chamber choir, and sings with a small group of others.  Recently they performed with about 20 other high schools at the Unitarian Church.  It was lovely to say the least.  You can check out this beautiful performance here.  

First Snowball

 I took a dog walk with Kuba today.  There was a bit of snow and he was goofing around.which I loved.

Still Happy to Help

I always love it when we bake together.

First we had Kuba helping and then later, Anders and Morgan.

I'm so happy they are willing to jump right in.

 

The Big Feast

This Thanksgiving Holiday was a big one.

Twenty of us all packed into our home.

All of us, and all of Anna's family, minus Hannah and plus 

Dameon and his family.

The table looked beautiful

the meal was delicious 

the pies were scrumptious

the people were lovely

and the mood was merry.  

We all recited a haiku after our meal.

They were so much fun to listen to.

thank you for this life

simple things matter most

enough you love me

Peter

ten course meal served hot

beautiful family friends

loved ones all here

Jen

roses are red     nah

double double toil and     nah

joyful thanksgiving

Anna

friends and family

coming together to eat 

mmm  mmm mmm mmm mmm 

Kuba

it's hella cold

but not inside this rad home 

thank you so much folks

Simone

the clouds in the sky

made shadows on the mountain

on my way north west

Mary

thank you for the food

thank you for the people here

red winterberries

Barbro

I am so grateful 

for the love and support of 

my friends and my fam

Lea

if you look for joy

you'll find it too difficult

it's already here

Jamie

meeting new people 

can be a wonderful thing

except when eating

David

I am thankful for 

everyone in my family 

mommy & daddy

Zoe

twenty twenty-four

we hear you knock at our door 

thank you for this year

AJ

the air is fragrant 

with the scent of fallen leaves

let us walk awhile

Sandy

from the very start

families never apart

always in your heart

Vikki

take a minute now

slow down look around and breathe

you have everything

Judy 

it's thanksgiving day

today is when we show thanks

thank you everyone

Anders

happy turkey day

where we eat eat eat and eat

and then we all nap

Claes

happy thanksgiving 

friends family are awesome

let's dig in right now

Dameon

happy thanksgiving 

happy thanksgiving you all

happy thanksgiving 

Iya

 

BHS MUSICAL

Kuba was brave and for the first time tried out for the BHS musical, The Lightening Thief.  I was so proud of him!  It's a very small theater program and not many kids are willing to brave it out.  He did. He was a fantastic Luke!  I am so proud of his courage and devotion to doing something he loves.  
 

HADESTOWN

 For Kubas birthday we all went to see HADESTOWN in NY City.

It was an amazing show that all of us loved so much.   

We've been singing it ever since.

Wait for me! 

 

Home & Hippo

Anders is home for the Thanksgiving holiday.

He came home with two backpacks.  They didn’t fit very much.  When I looked in his room I saw all of his stuff - which included his stuffed hippo.  I love that kid so much.  Even more than he loves his hippo. 

 

Just the Right Light

We were at Dia Beacon recently and I took about a thousand photos of the boys.  I especially loved these because of the fantastic light.  

 

‘Tis The Season

 Our annual trek for holiday greens.  

Sweet Sixteen

We celebrated Kuba's 16th birthday with a delicious family dinner followed by a yummy fruit tart.  He requested Mexican lasagna for dinner and the fruit tart for his cake.  We also sang to Jamie (11/3), AJ (10/25) and Lea (11/11). 

We have so many birthdays in November, so many Scorpios!!!

Zoe’s is on 11/18!  

 

The Many Faces of Halloween 2023

‬

  

It was Halloween for days and days around here, with many costume changes.

Kuba had a party to go to the weekend before the holiday, and he went dressed as weird Barbie and his friend Ken went as Ken.  Then, there was the spooky trail event over the weekend where Kuba and Keats helped to scare little unsuspecting kiddos at a haunted trail walk. There they were just a bit scary in their zombie-like costumes with bloody bones hanging out instead of limbs. Next there was the school day of Halloween, and Kuba was super jazzed to go in costume as a mime.  He spent the day NOT TALKING at all, just miming, until he hit Algebra.  There he broke his vow of silence to answer some important algebra quesions.  And lastly, there was Halloween night when friends of Kub'sa came over in witchy costume and they handed out candy over a smoking cauldron and then roamed the neighborhood.  Anders and some college friends also stopped over and our barn and evening were full of halloween festivities and lots of teens. 
It's amazing how into Halloween costumes the kids are - because Anna and I just cannot seem to get a groove about costumes.  We just bail each year on the adult halloween festivites that we are invited to.