Christmas is Sharing; Christmas is Caring 2024

 This golden Christmas tree with as many lights as we've ever seen on a tree, stands in front of the Hapsburg's summer palace, Schoenbrunn, in Vienna, Austria. It  is absolutely stunning and the picture doesn't do it justice.  The picture does carry with it, in each of its lights and each of its gold ornaments, our wishes for the merriest of Christmases in this holiday season.   

Traditionally  our Christmas cards consist of family updates.  This one is no different -- keep scrolling for the rundown: 

 John and Georgia have been serving the Foreign Service in Jerusalem for the last year and a half.  They had only been there for four months when October 7th, 2023 happened. It has been a stressful time for them but  they promise us now that Jerusalem itself is peaceful.  They tell us that we'll be safe and can see most of the holy city when we visit them next month.  John celebrated his 50th birthday is 2024 -- what?  How'd we get that old???  The picture is the most recent we have of these two -- taken during COVID.  We'll get to snap some new ones soon.

Matt and Katy are loving their home in Colorado.  Both of them have invested  a lot of sweat equity that's resulted in their increasingly beautiful house that  celebrates a stunning  view of the LaPlata mountains.  They also travel both nationally and internationally to seriously pursue the best mountain biking locations.  They've had some scrapes and falls and one  broken clavicle, but even so, they love the sport.   In the picture Lindsay (Michael's wife) is sandwiched between Matt (left) and Katy (right) all saddled up for a Thanksgiving trail ride.

Mark is serving the Foreign Service in Vienna.  Lucky us, because we get to visit him in Vienna -- one of the nicest cities in the world, so say we.   His exciting news is a lovely fiancee, Amber, and her cute-as-can-be five-year-old daughter.  We are so happy to have them in our family.  We're anxious for all the details and planning to solidify.  

Michael,  still active duty Army, is a lieutenant colonel living on post in Fort Huachuca, AZ with his lovely family -- son William, his lovely Lindsay, and their big ole Weimaraner, Roux.   They've had some ups and downs this year when William fell off his bike, sustaining a broken femur, but they are coming out of the other side of that and all is healing well.  William is playing the saxophone and Roux is eating Thanksgiving pizza! 

This is probably the first year in many when we've gotten to spend the holidays with all of our children, even if it's in a patchwork fashion.    Michael, Lindsay and William hosted us, along with Matt and Katy, for Thanksgiving.  We are writing this from Vienna with Mark, soon to be joined by Amber and Laura,  where we will celebrate Christmas. Then we'll see John and Georgia early next month. 

Here's a snapshot of the day after Thanksgiving.  We are eating tacos, etc., in Naco, Mexico:

 Here's some snapshots of Vienna.

Schoenbrunn Christmas Market, with the palace behind.

Mark and Bill at the Rathausplaz Christkindlemarkt (City Hall Christmas Market) supposedly the largest  in Vienna. It does have a two-story carousel, the first such we have ever seen.  Lots of other kiddie rides and so much food to buy -- and eat.

The Christmas markets have many booths selling lots of food and items for gifts.   Gluhvein (mulled wine) and punch  (rum and something) are the drinks of the season.  All kinds of typical Viennese snacks  can be purchased and eaten-- lots of bratwurst and pastries of all kinds.  There are even 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire...."

The red heart in the middle traveled to and fro above the heads of the market goers.

This market had a red heart theme.

Then, if politics, paperwork, wars and airlines align happily, we'll spend the beginning of January in Jerusalem with John.  We will have to post pictures of them in January.  It's been so long  since we've seen them, -- this is definitely exciting and pushing the limits of our adventures, what with bombs and all.   And in case you are wondering about what we look like, here's some pictures of us and as many Christmas lights as we could find. And some without Christmas lights.

In Cafe Prukle in Vienna, with fellow Food Tour companions.  We had such a good time --Sisters from Canada and a fellow from The Philippines.  Not pictured are some folks from Australia, and a couple from Guatemala.   All of us are sampling the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage that is the Cafe Culture of Vienna. 

And they thought I should sample a deli meat made of horse.  Uhm; that  was a hard NO.

Taken in Sedona, AZ, in December.

We started 2024 in Key West, Florida, and will end it waltzing in Austria.  We've have many adventures in between and are so very, very grateful for them all.  

 As we set our course for 2025, we leave you with a quote from Dickens' A Christmas Carol:

   

"I will honour Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.  I will live in the past, the present and the future.  The Spirits of all three shall strive within me.  I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."

This is the cast of a modern(ish) production of A Christmas Carol that we saw in Tucson.

Woyaya