Ellsworth's First Snow and a party

Our next door neighbor's house - the reason for the New Year's party.

We go to our families in Aspen on Christmas Day, so we came back up to Sharon to see the cats, the first big snow, and water Kurt's orchids.

We don't have a tree this year, so I'm cheating and showing our tree last year in Lakeville. That entry demanded a big tree. But the snow is deep and it's really cold, so we caught up on decorating a bit here and there. I hadn't really planned on doing anything but I am in the process of decking our mantels with some pine rope and tying some bows around some old silver and rock crystal candlesticks that I got from Asprey when I could afford such things. But I have never regretted buying good things when I could. As Decorator Josie McCarthy http://www.josiemccarthy.com/, a great believer in buying the best always says, "If you buy the best, you only cry once". A loose and very apt paraphrase of a Chinese expression.

So the house looks hopefully inviting on our dark little lane. My neighbors and their new baby are across the street, and Karen, who lives in a conversion of the old 1812 Meeting House is here as well. So it's rather snug and not really as lonely as it could be. And John Allen, our next door neighbor was up for 30 minutes checking his house. He and his wife Susan live in the city most of the year. Susan and I spent a lot of time chatting over our garden fence this past Spring and Summer. There house is really cunning and has a great sunken garden paved in old brick. I covet Susan's sunken garden

Well, we somehow decided to have a New Year's Eve party. It started with John and I just talking about having a drink as they'll be up here, and we come back the 30Th. Suffice to say, I am up to about 30 people thus far, but most won't come. It's a little remote to pop in for a quick drink, but some people probably will do as we are just off the road between Sharon and Kent, which I am sure will be "jumping" New Year's Eve. And the last time I thought very few people would show was my friend Leslie's birthday party, and I think we had about 50. So I sent e mail invites (not those evite things - just an e mail). I try not to be too "cute" with technology. I don't think an electronic invitation needs an imitation copperplate look or little bows or other decorative elements best left to actual paper. But a number of people are getting written ones, like Polly and Henry Mellen and Mimi and Mal McDougall. Polly is a legend in fashion and Mimi is a genius decorator who's house I lived in in Lakeville. More importantly, they are 2 women who combine genius original style with kindness and grace.