No post since November! I am a bad blogger!!

The Christmas holiday in the USA was a spectacular collection of family, friends, and familiar places. 

The only thing we didn't do was get to our favorite restaurants. No Modern Diner, no Apsara Palace, and no Matunuck Oyster Bar. But there were plenty of wonderful meals. Bruce Tillinghast served up a mess o' snacks along with some mighty fine wine. Carol Fotos made pastitsio and lamb, Karen Karidoyanes (and Bill Orsi)  made a magnificent slow-cooker chicken cacciatore. Who needs restaurants?? And, of course, the Chinese Christmas dinner with Emily and Joseph will be long remembered!! Photos? Not one! You'll just have to trust me; this vacation was a moveable feast.

Our travels were blessed by the transportation gods. The one bag that didn't make it up to RI got delivered the next day. We made it out to Chicago and back over Christmas week without any delays, and we fled New England's chill on January 4 just after the snowstorm (which was over-forecast) and before Thermageddon arrives. Our trip down had a 50 minute connection in Atlanta and were 20 minutes late leaving Providence. When we got to Atlanta, we were 10 minutes early, and arrived at gate 28, concourse E. Our departure gate wasn't on Concourse C as we expected, it was gate 32 on Concourse E!! So we casually strolled down E, and boarded leisurely. I did have to gate-check my carryon (with my cameras) but everything was fine when we got home. 

Our return has been saddened by the non-reappearance of the famous Helou (aka Guapo). He went missing just before we left (went missing = ran away from home) and has not been seen by us since then. We figure he's hooked up with Los Gatos, and is now running wild in the woods with his amigos. He may still find his way back to the supper dish, but probably with tattoos...

I do have a new camera. Some results: