reporting in from connecticut

After a lovely Christmas Eve, made moreso by the earlier-than-anticipated arrival of Junior, we left Christmas morning for Connecticut and some time with my family. We enjoyed a holiday celebration and dinner at my brother's Christmas night, and dinner with Dad on Wednesday. Thursday we joined family friends for lunch, and at dinner my brother's family joined us here at Seabury followed by some hot and heavy rounds of ping pong and a couple of games of pool.

It's been an eventful day today. We met Dad for lunch at an Afghani restaurant where we had an incredible meal, and then headed over to a new (and still not completed) shopping center called Blue Back Square (see artist's rendering)--named for the color of the back of the student primer associated with Noah Webster, a hometown boy. We found some great deals at Crate and Barrel (why, oh why don't they come to Tennessee?????), then met Mom to see "The Kite Runner." I had not read the book, but found the movie to be a powerful, painful and redemptive story of human failing and courage. Definitely worth seeing. After the movie we found our way to a middle eastern restaurant and had another great meal (the tapenade was out of this world).

With two days to go before our return home we have more dates for food on the agenda, along with some idle time and a few tasks to help mom with some details at the apartment. It's been a nice respite, and though I have enjoyed seeing snow on the ground, I would really like to see some fall!

Unfortunately I couldn't find my photo card reader when we were packing for our trip so I can't share the two pictures I've taken so far, but you're not missing much.

Hope everyone is enjoying some continued holiday spirit, and those to whom we shipped packages on Monday have by now received them (except probably you, Clare!). Happy last days of 2007!