absolutely nothing...

absolutely nothing left of our wonderful christmas tree but a few needles in the carpet after we turned on the candles for one last time. outside it's freezing or snowing or both and also absolutely nothing left of our poor plants in the garden. the kittens complained loudly when they experienced their first cold paws a few days ago and at the stables today it was so garstly that the horses begged to go on a ride only to get warm a bit.

so, with the holidays over and absolutely nothing to look forward to other than work, work and work again we found this pic tonight in a catalogue from one of our alltime favourite art projects, the centre for land use interpretation and just by looking at it we thought it might actually be not that bleak at all and there are interesting things ahead. apart from their main los angeles base they have an office in troy, ny (thought i saw it years ago) but it is really their camp at the walter de maria installation that we want to see -  just to add a little sparkle to our january lives...

the rossell's new year's day party

it really is an entire year later and - unbelievable - already time for our traditional new year's day party again

a long line of fabulous people from our neighborhood and some friends from further afar including sixteen children

and interesting conversations from the arts to god (hi father alan!)

but as much as that counts in the end it all boiled down to deac's amazing cassoulet and boston chowder washed down with an ice cold hürlimann - happy new year again!

happy 2010!!!

dinner on new years eve is always a small affair

but rike is shocked when nothing but a few bangers arrives - leaving some space for tomorrow's feast is clearly not to her liking

what - no more chocolate under the tree?

but darling - mum and dad nicked it!

midnight approaches fast and we check on big ben

many, many people at the fire works

so a happy new year to you all!!!

(fireworks pics taken by rike)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

(have a look at our new and old rascals in the holidays on the picasa album on the right)

w-w-h (wild weekend halle)

finally one merciful soul has send a few pics from our wild adventure in halle a few weeks ago (danke, pam!!!) and by putting them up i should perhaps correct the several implications you could be mistaken to believe



1. there were not just five people at the party
2. no, andy turned only 50
3. all his ex-wives were present (but most)
4. we all looked that good by the end of the night




but even if we're all posing a bit here it was just fab to see so many old friends and share the kind of chit chat that you usually reserve for school reunions (which i have failed to get to yet) and find out that they're all doing quite nicely

before we turned more seriously and checked the bottles and the dance floor and then it was almost like in the good ol' days and in the end we danced to some pretty weird stuff from ossi land as well as the sins of our youth (tainted love anyone?) before we all returned to husbands, wives, children etc. the next day with the slightest hangover and the puzzling question what it will all look like when andy turns 60 or so...

magical moments in trafalgar square

a wonderful, magical moment on trafalgar sq last night where the fabulous southwark concert band (yes, with our daughter) played a full set of christmas carols, right next to the climate change protesters and their activities, oddly matched but peacefully side by side. rike swore she saw about 250 santas!

snow white and the tasmanian devil

busy days, folks, not only at work where we are drowning in the run up to christmas while our students are already boarding their holiday flights but also at home with the arrival of chilli the tasmanian devil (pictured), 12 weeks old



and little snow white being two weeks older and a tiny bit bigger but still kittenish enough to play day and night untill they crash out (preferably on rike's bed where they have decided to reside).



both were rescued by the celia hammond trust until we took over and rike is now the proud mum of the two fluffers whose main purpose in life is to shred everything in sight.

but being so utterly charming, clever and cute always helps and already they are getting treats and pressies every other minute and it can only be a question of time before they rule the entire household. much to rike's liking...