Good day! How are you? I missed this humorous, sensible group, and I’m excited to catch up. We have now some enjoyable posts deliberate this month, and within the meantime, listed here are a couple of snapshots from the break, when you’d wish to see…
We hosted Christmas in Brooklyn this yr — with the boys and me, after all, plus my dad, my aunt Lulu, and our cousin Jimmy. We lit quite a lot of candles and ate quite a lot of yummy issues. (“I’m low-key hooked on mandarins,” Toby instructed me.)
Our first journey for the vacations is all the time driving to see the lights within the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Are you able to think about transferring there in the summertime and instantly realizing what a Christmas scene it turns into? Folks promote scorching chocolate out of their garages, and Bing Crosby blasts from automotive radios.
When our family arrived from England, we have been so excited!
Jimmy and Anton have been already twinning with out planning it…
And Lulu instantly set about making carrot soup. The extra issues change, the extra they keep the identical. xoxo
We took walks to the Brooklyn Promenade…
..and stopped by Jane’s Carousel and the close by ice-skating rink…
…and admired the views from The Edge in Manhattan.
On Christmas Eve, we went to church and ate a number of smelly cheese.
By the best way, how cool is this olive tray? It was my Christmas reward to myself 🙂 I can’t keep in mind the substack design publication the place I initially found it, however I’ll let you understand if I discover it!
On Christmas morning, the boys opened their stockings. Right here’s 12-year-old Anton’s haul. I liked how his wishlist mirrored his in-between age — with gadgets like a scented-pen (child) and pimple patches (teenager).
Plus, after all, a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper.
We had a gathering on Christmas Day, since, I discover, children are normally jittery from all the thrill by the afternoon, and it’s good to have pals over to take in that power.
Additionally, though long-time readers might discover it hard to believe, I’ve really been having fun with cooking. One crowd-pleasing dinner for the group was this simple cheesy beans dish. I added extra onion for crunch and extra crushed crimson pepper for warmth.
The Kalanithi dad and mom; lunch at Hook Fish.
Afterward, my dad and I headed to San Francisco to see my sister, her daughter, and her in-laws.
We crashed at my good friend Lena’s beautiful home, since she and her household have been out of city. (They’re going to remain at our place in the summertime, like a non-simultaneous home swap.) And that cool phrase artwork? “When my son Eli was studying handwriting, he began making giant letters on single sheets of building paper,” she explains. “I took my favorites and tiled them in an enormous plexiglass body I purchased off Craigslist.”
As all the time, on New Yr’s Eve, we visited Paul’s grave. We poured out Champagne for him, and the youngsters toasted with Martinelli’s.
Hope you had a great break and obtained some relaxation and leisure! And if not, that’s okay, too. As they are saying, everybody you meet is combating a battle. A number of love, as all the time, and searching ahead to a beautiful 2026 collectively. xoxo
P.S. 11 readers share their happy moments, and what are you grateful for, large or small?
