Merry Christmas!

Missing everyone so much . . . am really looking forward to hearing all about your Christmas celebrations.  Did anyone have a white Christmas?  I was wondering about that!

We had quite a momentous Christmas Eve, with the arrival of our new piano around 1 p.m.  We set out some food (sandwich fixings, etc.) since it was lunchtime, and Dale and Brett (the re-builders of the piano) ate with us after the piano was all set up. We also had a friend of ours from church here to share in the excitement, who has taken a great interest in the process and has followed it all on my studio blog.

I just wanted to share a few pictures in case you might be interested:

  Setting up the lunch buffet with Elena

The piano movers were really efficient: ours was one of EIGHT pianos they were moving on Christmas Eve!  

 Having the double front doors and also the French doors inside made this part go really smoothly. 

 Putting on the legs and the pedals

 

 

Lining up the two keyboards as precisely as possible . . . 

Granny has had a massive facelift!

One ton (literally) of pianos!

Side by side, taken at a strange angle that makes the 1913 piano (on the left) look smaller than the one on the right.  They are actually the exact same size

It is a little confusing to talk about these pianos, because the newer piano chronologically is my "old" piano (that I've had since moving here).  The "older" piano age-wise (on the left) is my new piano.  So for clarity's sake, I'm calling them by their "names."  Evangeline (1913) is on the left and Annabelle (2000) is on the right.

Here is what Evangeline sounds like.  Merry Christmas!

We all lingered in there for a couple of hours, and then it was almost time to get ready for dinner and church.  Armando and I were playing some clarinet piano duo pieces along with a friend of ours at the service, and the choir was singing, but other than that I didn't have to play anything else, which was a nice change.  I love doing a big Christmas Eve dinner but because of the busy day earlier we ended up doing Panda Express which was actually really fun!

Later after church we came home and opened all the wonderful family gifts (THANK YOU!!!--more thanks to come!) and relaxed a little before bedtime.

Christmas Day was just wonderful.  The kids were up early and played card games in one of their rooms until Armando and I got up.  Then we had our usual drawn-out gift opening throughout the day, a little at a time.  We had cranberry bread, orange slices, stollen and fruitcake with tea and coffee early in the morning, and then had a brunch with eggs and sausage around noon.

Besides the two melodicas, the kids got other music gifts, the biggest one was the new case to hold both Elena's flute and piccolo, containing the piccolo (which had previously been Mando's) which had been completely repaired and updated.  Andreas also got a trumpet stand he had wanted.  There were lots of books under the tree, and some great DVDs including Brigadoon and Easter Parade. This is the first year the kids were very active in making gifts for us and also buying gifts for each other with their allowance (chore) money which was really special.  They've caught the spirit! 

In the afternoon we walked down the street to Lisa's house where her kids were gathering, and then came back here to cook dinner for Mando's Mom.  Eventually everyone came back over here to see the piano and visit and do gifts.  It all worked out really well.

I cooked a great sirloin roast that was so tender, it almost reminded me of filet mignon, but with even more flavor.  Low and slow, at 250 degrees for a couple of hours.  Then I was inspired by Dorie to do the green bean casserole from scratch, which was so delicious.  We also had mashed potatoes and a nice green salad with a lemony dressing.  Dessert was homemade mincemeat pie (pretzel jello was dessert on Christmas Eve).

After everyone left and the kids went to bed Mando and I watched the Call the Midwife Christmas special (thanks for the reminder, Emily!).  And of course, I lingered by the tree as always, reflecting on past Christmases and feeling that combined sense of profound relief and also a little sadness that the day was over so soon.

I'd love to see some of your pictures!!!  Please share them when you can.