The First Day of the New Year

I awoke this morn and looked out my bedroom window.  Once again, ice was forming on the pond.  Strange winter, I thought. When the boys were young, ice would form on the pond in early December and it would gradually thicken until around about Christmas, the ice would be six to eight inches thick.  Papa would go down periodically at the boys' request with his axe "to test the ice".  They would be "chomping at the bit"  waiting impatiently for the day he would come up the hill and say the ice was just the right thickness for ice skating. The pond would stay frozen solid till the beginning or middle of March.

This year, unlike those years of the past, the ice would begin to form and then we would have several days in the high forties or even low 50's, and the glazing would melt.  Yesterday, temperatures hovered around 15 degrees, the wind was roaring and throughout the day snow fell at the rate of an inch an hour.  This morning when I came downstairs and went in the kitchen to make the coffee and feed the critters, I noticed it was five degrees.  Brrr...looks like it's going to be a stay-at-home day.  Looking out the kitchen window, I could still see open water.

Around 9:30 in the morning, Lena and Paul dropped off Sage and Julia.   Although the girls thought it might be fun to play outside in the snow, it was bitter cold so they ended up playing at the kitchen table with their new playdough set.

At 11 Papa and I brought the girls over to our good friends Maureen and Ed Fuller for a New Year's Day brunch.  They live in a beautiful old Federalist home about a mile from us.  Like us, Moe and Eddy had three very active boys who are now grown up.  Being empty nesters, this past year they have been extremely busy converting their home into a bed and breakfast.

When we arrived, the table was all set for our lovely brunch.  In the middle of the table was a large plate of fresh fruit...cantaloupe, strawberries and grapes.  Then we were served the most delicious French toast and a Quiche.

Maureen showed Julia a huge stocking Ed's brother had given him and Julia thought it might be fun to wear it.

Meanwhile, Sage found a Russian Nesting Doll to be quite enchanting.

Maureen gave the girls a tour of the house at Julia's request.  You know how kids love exploring new places.  "Nana, Mrs. Fuller has eight Christmas trees up stairs and nine downstairs! She has seventeen Christmas trees!"

"Jules, Mrs. Fuller really loves Christmas! I'm so glad you got to see all her decorations before she took them down."

And so this is how we celebrated the first day of the New Year.  I'm sure many of you would love to tour Ed and Maureen's house....and see how the Bed and Breakfast is coming.  Stay tune....that will be the next photo/essay.