Helllo!!
Gosh I really do have to get better at blogging. I'm averaging about once or twice a month. I wanted to share some highlights of the December holiday season. Our holidays started early this year with Hanukkah falling on December 2nd. We celebrated with Rich's Aunt and her boyfriend in their swanky down town Phoenix apartment.
What a view!
Aunt Marcy and I.
Our Menorah lit up on the last day of Hanukkah. I have to be honest - lighting the menorah always scares me as I'm afraid the candles will fall off and light our house on fire. :)
December also brought my annual trip to Las Noches de las Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden (DBG). This is one of my favorite things to do in December! DBG lights up all of their pathways with delicate luminaries and showcases quite a few local bands. This year I went with my best friend Michelle and her two beautiful girls who I adore so much that I see them as my nieces. They are that special. Here are some pics from the evening...
It gets even more beautiful as the sun sets. It's very hard to get a picture that can truly capture the beauty of the luminaries but this is the best I could snap.
Michelle, the girls and I
One of our favorite bands! Actually these are two bands together - the Sugar Thieves and the Bad Cactus Brass Band. The gal's voice was aMazing - it was the first time I described anybody's voice akin to chocolate!
And of course...my other favorite are the handbells. I secretly desire to be a handbell player. Is that what they are called?
This is them playing Rudolph (hence the ears). There are probably about 16 players - quite fantastic!
Look at these girls! Aren't they just so beautiful? Also - very funny too! They both keep me smiling. ps - both of them were our flower girls at our wedding.
This year, we had a dinner party for our closest friends Dolly, TJ, Amy and Krzysztof mid-December and we had quite a feast! Rich and I created an incredibly yummy Middle Eastern spread (alas, no pictures) with baba ganoush, tabouli, spanakopita and lamb kofte with yoghurt sauce and muhammra. Recipe here. I highly, highly recommend this recipe! It was so delicious - our friends were very impressed. :) We got the baba ganoush recipe from my sister's youtube videos, the tabouli recipe from Cooks Illustrated and the spanakopita from Costco's freezer aisle. :)
Well, by that point Rich and I had put so much energy in to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and our dinner party that we decided to keep Christmas day itself pretty quiet. We had plans to volunteer by assisting the Salvation Army with their wheels on meals program on Christmas day but unfortunately we got bumped out of volunteering as they had too many volunteers! I guess that's a good problem to have, right? So we hung low on Christmas Day and feasted on my sister's beef brisket, her thai mac and cheese and our own roasted brussel sprouts. It was FABULOUS.
New Year's Eve was once again spent at our friends' TJ and Dolly's house for their annual NYE bash and it was of course a lot of fun! And that brings us to today!
And so with that, I close for the evening with a promise to at least think more about blogging - let's hope that thinking about it leads to some actual activity!
Peace,
~k
7 comments:
An old friend of mine plays the bells, she was probably there. Her mother started playing late in life. They aren't hard to play and really sound lovely. I think you should go for it!
I secretly desire to meet up with you and Michelle for tea sometime... I think we need to do that before March. Really I do.
That was a full month! Love the pics - I can just imagine the luminaries - I'd LOVE seeing that!
-Ally
Hi Kuv, welcome back!
It is wonderful to see Michelle and the two cute little girls. And btw you are not the only one who adores the the cuties, we do too; remindes us of you and Aarth during Dubai days.
Your month sounds (and looks) really festive and fun. i hope 2011is more of the same for you!
:)
blogging can wait dear, have fun living your lovely life.
xo lori
So amazingly fab to see all the pics of your month and our lovely evening! I love the "crooked" pic that guy took, turned out great after all! :) Love your Dad's comment too, brought a tear to my eye. I am honored to have you in my life and have you as such a dear friend. You are one of the very best people I know so thank you for being you! xx
P.S The girls adore you, but you knew that already! :)
Great to see how you have blossomed out into a wonderfully accomplished "LADY".
I am glad and thankful that God has Blessed you with a wonderful life.
I am positive more blessings are on the way Kuv.
I've been poor at blogging too but wanted to stop by and wish you a Happy New Year! Sounds like you had an eventful December :)
Bell ringing is called campanology by the way :)
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