Happy 2009!

If It's Wednesday, It Must be Doors

This being New Year's Eve and a Wednesday I chose a festive door from our trip earlier this year to the Eternal City. It looks festive, mysterious and cheerful - befitting for the last day of the old year and in anticipating the new.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful Christmas!

If It's Wednesday, It Must be Doors

The door here is almost an excuse, what I had hoped to convey was the mood. Yes, we are still in Rome and this little 'alley' is along side of the Spanish Steps where you can come up to the top in a less crowded fashion with some colorful spots along the way. There is a wine bar, a restaurant and fine porcelain shop at the top.

The intimacy of the small alley, the curves, the steps and certainly not lastly, the colors of the buildings that glow like melted gold in sunlight.

If It's Wednesday, It Must be Doors

As long as I'm here looking and it is Wednesday, let me post a beautiful door from the city of Rome. The photo was taken during our annual spring vacation.

The Dark of the Morning

For some reason (perhaps the rain clouds) it is as dark at 7 a.m. as if it were the middle of the night. The weather is mild but it had been raining every afternoon and during the night for the past week. Strung my 'icicle' lights indoors and the combination/contrast of the dark and bright things got philosophical. I would like to wish you all a wonderful week-end for whatever you set out to do. Maybe Kenny Rogers will help you also to set priorities. How many of you remember this song?

St. Nick's Day

Some places he is called Santa, others St. Nicholas and in Hungary the man in red who comes riding in a sleigh is called Mikulas. Unlike in the US, he is celebrated on his own day, December 6th. According to custom children clean their shoes before going to bed and put them on the window sill where Mikulas will come during the night and good boys and girls will receive treats while the rest will get switches placed in their shoes.

Were you good this year? Don't forget to clean your shoes before going to bed and leave them on the window sill for Mikulas to find them.

Slipping off quietly

My brother phoned to tell me that Mother passed away quietly at 9:30 this morning. She was an amazingly compassionate, energetic woman who was never too tired to make our favorite dish. She had been sick for a long time and had suffered much. She is now at peace. It will be a lot tougher for my brother - the two of them were very close. This is a picture of my Mom and my son on his last visit to her.

Anniversary/Birthday

Just noticed that my blog passed the one-year mark in November! Is it me, or do the years really go by faster and faster?

As much as I've enjoyed finding and posting the shots, visiting your blogss and reading your comments - I am afraid that I will be tapering off from daily postings. As you know by now, the only thing in life that remains constant is change. New directions require energy, attention and so I will have to divert from here to put elsewhere. Know how much I've enjoyed sharing this year with all of you and occasionally I will surely be back and visit - but it will not be as in the past.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Keep a balance in your life so you can enjoy what the holidays are intended for.

Theme Day - Circles

Being in the middle of Europe there are a number of countries that surround Hungary. Some of these countries are, as is Hungary, members of the EU but have not yet adopted the Euro as their official currency.

For my circles I've emptied my pocket of the Zloty (from a trip to Warsaw), Sk from Slovakia, Kc from Prague, Euro from Rome, a dime from the US and domestic Hungarian coin samples. Let's see the interpretations of others for this theme day - have fun!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants