Family Christmas

Christmas Eve

Marcello, Christian, and I went to the family Christmas Eve service at St. Christopher's. It was lovely.

Marcello, Chris, Christian in the Fellowship Hall after the service

Then we picked up Arthur and went to Marcello's to enjoy a Pasta Bar created by Michelle for our Christmas Eve dinner.

 After dinner we had lots of fun playing Shut the Box and some card games.

Christmas Morning 

Michelle served German pancakes with raspberries. Delicious!

Pajama Boys: Christian, Colin, Arthur

Christian with Frosty

One of my gifts: A Year's Supply of Pasta in a lovely box

  

A wonderful gift from my former Latin student Stephen and his wife

Divine sandwich cookies filled with raspberry jam in two shapes. Some were Democratic elephants and others were round and others. They arrived in in a festive holiday tin.

Living Links

Another wonderful lunch at Pain Quotidien with Washburn and Edmonds-Peabody Connections -

Sonia (Toni's daughter)

Nancy (Aaron's mother)

Kim (Denny's daughter) and Chris 

Christmas at Epiphany

John, Indra, and I went to the Church of the Epiphany for its annual Christmas concert.

The program with Dr. Jinsun Cho, Music Director, The Church of the Epiphany Choir, and Modern Musick (Violin I, Violin II, Violoncello, and Organ)

• A Festive Voluntary: Variations on "Good King Wenceslas" by Petr Eben

• Cantemus Domino by Johann Joseph Ignaz Brentner

• Missa San Xavier by Giovanni Battists Bassani

• Kyrie- Gloria - Credo - Sanctus - Agnus Dei

• Congregation Hymns: Once in royal David's city and O come, all ye faithful (Adeste Fideles)

• Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day arr. by David Willcocks

• Rejoice in the Lord Alway (The Bell Anthem) by Henry Purcell

We had lunch at Au Bon Pain following the concert.

 John

Indra and Chris

Greek

Marcello, Colin, and I had Sunday brunch at Eleni's in Springfield.

No, Colin was not wearing a laurel wreath. (I took poetic license here!)

We then went back to Apache Street for some football, conversation, and Christmas decorating.

Mima and Colinsky

I'd Rather Be Reading

Christmas present from Katie

Art Talk

I met my friends Liz and Jane in the Cascade Cafe at the National Gallery of Art where we had lunch before visiting the Verrocchio exhibit. I was in the presence of two art scholars so I was in very good company and was able to enjoy the exhibit on a deeper level than would have otherwise been possible.

Jane and Liz posing in front of a beautiful display of Christmas flowers with the waterfall backdrop

The gorgeous floral display around the fountain in the NGA's rotunda

Photos of the art in the exhibit? Stay tuned!

Italian birthday lunch

I took my friend Barbara to Osteria da Nino for her birthday. She ordered a chicken dish and kept swooning over it. "It is so delicious," she repeated over and over again.

I chose exactly the same dish I had when I went there with Bill: the spinach ravioli filled with mozzarella di buffala, ricotta, and caciocavallo.

We then split a torta di ricotta for dessert. It was very good but not as delicious as the torte di ricotta prepared by Fabrizio in Via Antonio Silvani in Rome!

I had then felt in the mood to drink an espresso so I did!

 The Birthday Girl

 Barbara and Christine

One of the above needs a haircut!

Barbara's half of the torta di ricotta on a biscotto
She, by the way, ate all of the mint leaves and the orange peel.

I was able to chat a bit with Nino, the owner. I discovered much to my surprise that this restaurant has been in this very location for five - 5! - years!

It was Norway

Our Sons of Norway Reading Circle had a very interesting discussion about Steinbeck's book The Moon is Down about the Nazi occupation of Norway. Well, to be truthful, Norway is not actually named in the book but it was widely perceived as a description of Norway and its people during the war. I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of the group, probably because our professional photographer John O was not in attendance.

I highly recommend this interesting and not very well-known book by John Steinbeck.

Tuesday Concert

I joined my friends George and Mike at the Church of the Epiphany for the weekly Tuesday concert. It was "Radical Innovators and Deep Listeners" performed by faculty musicians from the Levine School of Music: Gary Prince, Electric Guitar, Sarah Foard, Electric Violin, Manny Arciniega, Percussion, and Chris Brown, Electric Bass. They played seven pieces but unfortunately I had to leave after the second one because the volume was too hurtful for my poor damaged ears.

I waited at Au Bon Pain for my friends and we had lunch together.

 George and Mike

Christine

Since my photo of the two men was not very good, I am posting an earlier photo.

Mike and George

Trying out Nino

My friend Cav. William and I went to Shirlington Village to try out a new restaurant there, Osteria da Nino. We found the food very good indeed. We, of course, tried pasta as the true test of the value of Italian cuisine.

William was not smiling in his sleep. He was awake! His dish: cavatelli al ragu d'agnello.

 My dish was ravioli di spinach stuffed with mozzarella di bufala and two other cheeses.

 A close-up of my delicious ravioli

William concluded his meal with an espresso.

The waiter was a charming man from El Salvador. He understood Italian quite well so there was some conversation in la bella lingua.