Happy Holidays!

The casually (crazily) decorated tree in our town square. I'm taking a break for the holidays - enjoy yours! Happy 2014!

***

Below, to make up for my holiday hiatus, a glance back at 2013...

Spring springing...

A mostly-London summer...

...(with a touch of Paris)...

...(and Norway)...

Autumn gold...

Let it snow!

Last-minute holiday shopping

In our town square. My favorite cheesemongers and jewelry shop (both on left) helped take the edge off:)

Postcard from Washington, DC: Deck the halls II

Somehow, I neglected to show the actual decked halls from DC's Union Station yesterday. Here they are!

Postcard from Washington, DC: Deck the halls

To end my work travels, sunset glow at the capitol and GIANT wreath in the halls outside Union Station.

Man in moon

Taken the night before I left for work travel. I kind of see a face, a melted-snowman-face. Perhaps it's that elusive man in the moon.

The first dusting

Like icing on a cake. (I feel I've shown this street before, but cannot find the post now.) I'm taking a short break for work travel. Be well, see you soon!

Winter wonderland and really wet nose

Lunch yesterday, Princeton's (and Kona's) first big snow! (Kona enjoyed extra pets from the sledding kids:)

Frozen and liquid

At the Princeton policy school, feels like winter! Today is also Human Rights Day - the school is hosting a panel discussion and exhibit of photos from "Justice: Faces of the Human Rights Evolution."

Weekend explorations: Shakespeare on Broadway

What's more English than fish and chips? Maybe a double bill of Richard III and Twelfth Night? Starring the incredible Mark Rylance, these Broadway productions recreate the originals: all-male cast, onstage seats, the pre-show ritual of actors getting dressed onstage. Here's the Richard III set (pardon my pocket camera).

***

Below, the cast gets dressed for Twelfth Night. The last shot is too far, but I enjoyed catching Stephen Fry - in black to the right of the table - being dressed as Malvolio:)

Rest in peace

Nelson Mandela, 1918-2013. A moving reaction to the New York Times obituary:

"I can't explain how sad this makes me feel. I grew up in apartheid South Africa, 15 years old standing in a long line watching my mother vote for the first time in her 44 years. She was jailed twice for curfew, her brother, an anti-apartheid activist is still missing to this day. South Africa was more than blessed to have a leader such as this man where a country could transition peacefully.
Because of him and those like my uncle, I am free today."
-Rosalie, NY, December 5, 2013

Recent weeks VII: Color

It was T-shirt weather yesterday, go figure! So I'll move back in time too, with glimpses of our November color and last November rose.

Mistral

Peeking into the kitchens of multi-cultural Mistral, a recent arrival on Princeton's restaurant scene. (The New York Times gave it a very good rating.) The grilled octopus with papas bravas was delicious.

War relic {+Churchill randoms}

Did you know Winston Churchill has a Princeton connection? Churchill's maternal grandpa, Leonard Jerome, attended Princeton University and led the 1838 effort to return this Revolutionary War cannon to Princeton. (The cannon was left in Princeton by Washington's army after a Revolutionary battle, but relocated to nearby New Brunswick during the War of 1812 to again ward off the British - more here).

The cannon now fronts a Princeton eating club (this one). Churchill was an iconic 'war relic' too - and the first honorary citizen of the U.S.!

Recent weeks VI: Saying goodbye to autumn

Princeton University's "front lawn" and historic Nassau Hall. Autumn leaves were already fading in this November shot, but I love the season so and can't resist the colors.