New Years Eve....

I decided to splurge and bought some Shrimp and made myself huge Shrimp Cocktail(15 of them), a crisp fresh Caesar salad and opened a bottle of 2009 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine from the finger lakes. Really excellent.

I am sure my friends in Luxembourg plaza will notice that the Ice wine I am enjoying this evening, is the same that we enjoyed over lunch while I was in Prague in September.... ;-) It was a fun lunch.

and this wine is delicious. I will bring another bottle with me next September... and the next year starts very soon indeed...4 hours and 45 minutes from now.

Cheers and Happy New Year to all my friends.

and the new years started a little over an hour ago for my friends in Prague...
St'astny novy rok!

and Eva... notice the card.. I only just rec'd it this afternoon; 31 Dec. ;-)
Dekuju moc..

Merry Christmas

Wishing my family and friends, here and abroad a very Merry Christmas.

Christmas lights.....

Making these today, the 24th

Made these this morning.... just plain ol' cut out cookies, then frosted them..
and ones in the middle are called: "thumbprints" and in the thumb print in the middle of the cookies, sits a 'caramel Hershey's kiss'. Really good.

Will have a few this evening in front of a roaring 'radio'....

Vánočka, na tento Vanoce dneska

The traditional Christmas Bread in the Czech Republic...

Thank you Eva for sending a photo of this special, the three loaves for your family.

again... Merry Christmas to all my Friends in Prague, Mukařov, Žižkov, Přibram, 'Škoda' Bolešov, Teplice, Usti nebo Cologne, and a little place called 'something Lahota', or 'Lahota something'(my apologies Eva, can't remember the name of your town)....

mej se hezky. - S

Vesele Vanoce

..to all my friends in the Czech Republic as you celebrate your Christmas today...

Vesele Vanoce. Merry Christmas !

Czechs bid farewell to Vaclav Havel

Czechs and world leaders paid emotional tribute to Vaclav Havel on Friday at a pomp-filled funeral ceremony, ending a week of public grief and nostalgia over the death of the dissident playwright who led the 1989 revolution that toppled four decades of communist rule.

Bells tolled from churches while a wailing siren brought the country to a standstill in a minute of silence for the nation's first democratically-elected president after the nonviolent "Velvet Revolution."

Family members, friends and leaders from dozens of countries gathered Friday at the towering, gothic St. Vitus Cathedral which overlooks Prague. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron were among some 1,000 mourners who bowed their heads in front of the coffin draped in the Czech colors.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who was Havel's political archrival, and two friends — Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright — paid tribute to Havel at the cathedral, which dates to the 10th century and has not witnessed a state funeral since 1875.

"He was our star, he gave us democracy," said Iva Buckova, 51, who had traveled from the western city of Plzen. "He led us through revolution. We came to see him for the last time."

In a message read at the funeral by the Vatican's former diplomatic representative in Prague, Pope Benedict XVI praised Havel. "Remembering how courageously Mr. Havel defended human rights at a time when these were systematically denied to the people of your country, and paying tribute to his visionary leadership in forging a new democratic polity after the fall of the previous regime, I give thanks to God for the freedom that the people of the Czech Republic now enjoy," he said.

Europe owes Vaclav Havel a profound debt," David Cameron, Britian's PM said before departing from London. "Havel led the Czech people out of tyranny ... and he helped bring freedom and democracy to our entire continent."

..then finally Cut this one...

Finally found this somewhat small one, but it will fit nicely into my apartment.

Brought it home, set it up and will decorate it early this week..

more photos to come.

Searching out a Christmas Tree

Yesterday my children and I went drove into the countryside in search of a place where we could cut our Christmas tree..

We found a small tree farm outside of the small village of Victor, south of Rochester and hiked back into an area to look around...

Found this one... a bit strange with no middle.

but kept searching...

Vaclav Havel, leader of "Velvet Revolution," dies

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Vaclav Havel, a dissident playwright who was jailed by Communists and then went on to lead the bloodless "Velvet Revolution" and become Czech president, died at 75 on Sunday.

I am extremely moved," an emotional Prime Minister Petr Necas told Czech Television when told of Havel's death.

"He was a symbol and the face of our republic, and he is one of the most prominent figures of the politics of the last and the start of this century. His departure is a huge loss. He still had a lot to say in political and social life."

Havel became a guarantee of peaceful transition to democracy and allowed the small country of 10 million to punch well above its weight in international politics.

"Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred," was Havel's slogan that Czechs remember from the Velvet Revolution days.

My condolences to my Friends living in the Czech Republic.

enjoyed some Svařák...

...yesterday while writing Christmas cards.

A friend in the Corporation GTS Czech gave me her recipe and it was..IS excellent.

It is essentially what we call Mulled Wine over here, but I like it the Czech way ( were you surprized?). I made some for Thanksgiving, then had some left so I just kept it in the refrigerator...and heated it up yesterday afternoon... Mnam !!

It was actually better than on Thanksgiving... since it is Now much closer to Christmas.... Na zdravi. pa pa

Dekuju moc Eva.

The Mug: from Dresden; last year.

Busy Day on this Sunday

Started out by making the dough to make Gingerbread men. The dough has to refrigerate for a few hours, so during the waiting time, I got to work on my Christmas cards...

The recipe only made enough dough for Eight of so it said. I stretched it to Ten.

Happy Holidays.

3rd Sunday of Advent

This Advent wreath is something that one can find almost everywhere in Prague at this time of year. Friends who live in Žižkov sent me this photo of theirs. I grew to like these and while I lived there, would purchase one and light it each weekend of Advent.

This another example of differences of here vs there. One rarely finds Advent wreaths over here unless one is a church goer.

Thanks Alex and Ada for sending me such a nice remembrance. Cheers...

Fulll Moon Today

St. Nicholas Day ( Mikulas)

Although here in the US, we do not celebrate 'Mikulas', It is a day I remember fondly from my time in Prague. A special day for families and their children and a special commemoration in Old Town Square; music, singing and children in Awe of the bright lights and Trio's of Angels, devils and Mikulas's walking all about.

To my friends in the Czech Republic: Happy St. Mikulas Day.

Year ago today, I was there

This weekend is the 2nd weekend in Advent already, and ONE year ago today, I was in Dresden, on a icy crisp, frigid day, enjoying the Christmas Markets which spread out from the Dresden Train station to the Elbe.

It was close to ZERO F that day.

Today, here it is 50 F ( 9 C ).

I fond memories of a year ago today. It was a good time. The Glůhwein was excellent as was the company I shared the day with. Amazing Day. Amazing Christmas Markets.