Most of you know other places to find me on the web, but for any of you who mostly hang out here, this is what's up with me.
The rundown:
Back in December Rainy Planet Press (Ezra and I wearing our letterpress hats) participated in the Boston Bazaar Bizarre. It was good--a little better than last year, probably because we did it last year so we knew what to expect and because our stuff this year was better.
We held our yearly Christmas party the following weekend. We did a potluck again and I'd say it was a success. We were joined this year by our friends Jeffrey and Christie, who we never see these days and who brought their two adorable daughters, Patricia and Elizabeth. Also, John and Sonya came down from Portland. They would have stayed the night, but they had to drive back up b/c of an oncoming blast of snow. And the usual suspects were also there. My friend Christina told me that it wouldn't be Christmas without our party. :)
Christmas itself was great, but too brief. Ez doesn't have a lot of vacation time at his new job. We saw family and an old friend or two. Ez got me a point and shoot camera that takes video and I received lots of other nice presents... books, a DVD, a CD, some bookbinding supplies, ... oh, and Ez and I received an XM radio, which is quite cool.
After two days at home to see the cats and pack, we then set off for Berlin. I loved loved loved Germany. Maybe it was partly because they were all decked out for the holidays, but I felt a sort of kinship with the place. I love the art there... the landscape, the vibe. It was cold outside but cozy inside. That's just perfect for me. We hit a bunch of Christmas markets, took in the Film museum and the Bauhaus Archive, did a bit of shopping and wandering, and generally sucked in the atmosphere. On New Year's Eve we got a bottle of champagne and took it back to our (very awesome) hotel suite. We drank champagne, ate little German cookies, giggled at a little bit of the New Year's stuff on TV, and then watched out the window as people set off big firecrackers from the surrounding rooftops. Apparently fireworks that would not be legal for an average citizen here are very common there. They were everywhere!
We also spent a day in Leipzig. It's the site of a Gothic fest and I can totally see why. It's all shadowy with winding streets, and there are a number of spots that pay tribute to Goethe's Faust. We went to an old coffee house called Riquet that was very cool as well as the Mephisto Bar and it's adjoining restaurant--an underground beer hall that's been around since the 1500s. I got more or less authentic German food there (and me a vegetarian!). We were in Leipzig on New Year's Day so a lot of stuff wasn't open, alas. We did get to stay in probably the nicest hotel in town (stuff is cheap in January!). We had a drink in their wine bar and tried to decipher the many signatures on the wall from various famous people who'd stayed there--the likes of REM, Pink, and Van Morrison were legible.
After Germany it was off to France. Ezra's sister lives in Nice and we went down to see her and to go to her wedding. In France couples have to have a civil ceremony, which takes place at the town hall. April and her now-husband, Manu (short for Emmanuel), were married by the mayor of Nice. The next day they had their church wedding, which was small but very lovely. We spent about 5 or 6 days in Nice, visiting with family, shopping, and wandering around. We went to Monaco (it poured) and saw April perform in the ballet (she's with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo), wandered around Old Nice, went to an antiques market (very cool), spent some time in Menton, which is right on the Italian border, and generally soaked up a bit of off-season Riviera. There were a couple of Christmas markets there, too, but personally I much preferred the markets in Berlin with their faerie lights and spiced treats and chilliness. I was the "official VIP" photographer for April's wedding, so we took a couple of cameras and my tripod with us. Ez also got me a few late Christmas presents--two new lenses! You can spend a ton on lenses. He went for relatively inexpensive ones, but they're great! Now I can take pictures in fairly low light. I'm excited to try them out in March, when I'll be seeing a bunch of shows at the Middle East. I think my photos of the wedding came out well. I was kind of nervous as it's a big responsibility to take someone's wedding photos. I gave it my best shot and I think everyone's pleased.
Now we're back in Somerville. I'm working, Ezra's working, the cats are glad to have us home. I've been doing a good bit of knitting and reading. It's that time of year and I love it. A dear old friend of mine who I hadn't communicated with in about seven years found me online and it turns out that she lives in Somerville. We met up for coffee last Sunday and had a wonderful time. I'm so thrilled that she's here!! Somehow, seeing her has breathed a little extra life into me.
And, more or less, that's where we are.
xo
T
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
content
tired