Under the knife ... and beyond

Whew!  At my Tuesday appointment, the surgeon pronounced the blister condition as "satisfactory" and so the surgery scheduled for yesterday was confirmed.  I kept my fingers very crossed during the wait from Tuesday to yesterday afternoon ... just in case.  But, fortunately, all went ahead as scheduled yesterday.  So far, the surgery seems to have been concluded without any obvious hitch.

Because the location for the surgery had been changed to the local ambulatory care facility from the doctor's private clinic, it was necessary to redo the paperwork I had already done and sign page after page of new documents, all saying pretty much the same thing as the those for the clinic had.  It was startling, however, to be asked whether I had an "Advance Directive" (aka "Living Will") and when the answer was "yes" to be asked to bring in a copy.  All this for outpatient surgery!

I can understand that it's an excellent idea to know one's wishes in case of incapacitation ahead of time, but it does shake one's confidence before going in for surgery that doesn't seem all that major.  It also shakes one a bit to have to initial "left" twice on the form describing the ankle scheduled for surgery.  Then, when one sees the surgeon actually mark the ankle itself with what appears to be magic marker, one wonders whether some people still have problems determining "left" from "right."  But I've heard horror stories about surgery mix-ups, so I am very happy that everyone was being very careful.

As directed, HWMBO delivered me to the care center just over an hour ahead of the scheduled surgery time.  He then was able to join me in my pre-op cubicle after the staff had helped me to dress in a hospital shift, bandaged my gold wrist bracelets that are too tight to take off, and inserted an IV drip.  Unfortunately, in his zeal to document my progress, he took some photos that I fervently hope will never see the light of day anywhere.  Ever.  Thank God, they didn't let him into the operating room itself!

The anesthetic was just enough to make me pleasantly drowsy, not to completely knock me out, so I was in a twilight zone where I could hear voices but couldn't - and didn't care to - understand what those voices were saying.  When I fully regained consciousness, I was back in my pre-op cubicle with a foot that appeared to have significantly increased in size, having been covered with an impressive bandage, an orthopedic shoe and an ice pack.  At the time and until about five minutes ago, I could feel no pain whatsoever.  In fact, it felt SO much better than it had before the operation that I - almost - jumped up and began dancing around right away.  Of course, I didn't do that.  And now, I believe that the prescription painkillers will have to prove their worth.

Since returning home, I've mostly been sleeping - better than I have in a long time.   Water, tea and crackers or dry toast are about all that I've been able to eat so far and I really don't even want anything else.  Wouldn't it be nice if my appetite remained like this long enough for me to shed about 30+ pounds?   Ah well, one can always hope.

The crutches are a pain, to put it mildly.  But I'll be rid of them in a couple days.  In the meantime, they do help me move around when necessary.  And they make me appreciate more fully what those who must rely on them permanently must endure. 

Let the healing begin!  It will be a very quiet New Year's Eve around here.

"Two feet" of snow in NY

I couldn't resist posting this!  Feet have been very much on my mind lately.

We hope that the transportation situation unsnarls as expeditiously as possible and that all make it to their destinations safely.  Thankfully, we here have only had a slight snow cover - nothing like our neighbors to the north.

Happy Boxing Day!

Today, 26 December, the day after Christmas, is "Boxing Day."  It is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth nations.  When Christmas Day occurs on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, the Boxing Day holiday will generally occur on the subsequent Monday.  In 2010, because Christmas Day, itself a holiday, occurred on Saturday, the public holiday for Christmas occurs on Monday, 27 December and Boxing Day falls on Tuesday, 28 December.  But traditionally, "Boxing Day" refers to 26 December.

In its original context, "box" referred to gifts or gratuities received at Christmas.  But because the day was also traditionally associated with sporting events in village celebrations, boxing prizefights are scheduled in some countries.  Rugby and football (US soccer) matches are also scheduled, along with the King George VI Chase, the most prestigious chase in England after the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Although it has now become a major commercial event, with some deducing that the "boxing" reference means repackaging of unwanted Christmas gifts for return to the shops, the traditional "Christmas box" was generally a wooden or clay container where gifts or treats were placed.  On 26 December, the box was opened and the gifts were shared with the poor. 

Instead of being a major shopping day, as it has now largely become, Boxing Day sets historical precedent for the sharing of bounty and blessings.  Thus, working at foodbanks, taking up collections of clothing and other items to assist the needy and serving the community in general are all worthy Boxing Day activities.

Whatever you choose to do today, please enjoy the day in good cheer!

Merry Christmas!

Getting into the holiday spirit

I recently learned about HoCoMoJo through HWMBO.  HoCoMoJo stands for Howard County Mobile Journalism and describes itself as an experiment in independent MObile JOurnalism to showcase the "mojo" (magical power) of Howard County, MD, our US base.  It has lots of information about people and events happening in Howard County.  Because today is Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve will occur in one week's time, we are in full-fledged holiday season around here.

Two days ago, on 22 December, HoCoMoJo assembled a flash mob of theater instructors and students at the Columbia Mall to lift shoppers' spirits with a rousing rendition of "Rock Around the Christmas Tree."  The YouTube video of the Mall event can be seen here.

If that isn't enough to get the holiday spirit stirring, then check out this photo gallery of holiday decorations and other holiday scene photos.  For best results in viewing the photos once you are in the gallery, click directly on the thumbnails.  We still have a few remnants of snow here, but certainly not enough to disrupt driving to the shopping malls, houses of family and friends or other holiday festivities.

I also recently received greetings from my renter in MT, who is overjoyed at the prospect of a White Christmas there.  She sent me this photo of the house fully bedecked in Christmas ornaments with lights shining through the snow.

I wish all those who celebrate Christmas a very "Merry Christmas!"  As Irving Berlin's famous song goes, "May your days be merry and bright!  And may all your Christmases be white!"

And, apart from all the fun, feasting and festivities, please let us all pray for Peace on Earth to all those of good will, no matter what faith they practice!

Swiss watch

Switzerland is in the headlines this morning - and not for a good reason.  The Swiss Embassy in Rome, together with the Chilean Embassy in the same city, fell victim to bomb attacks, at least one of them delivered by mail, yesterday afternoon.  Two employees, one in each embassy, received hand injuries.  It is likely that the Swiss national will need to have one hand, if not both, amputated.  Police in Rome are on high terror alert as a result and several embassies there are taking special precautions.  There was initial speculation that the Swiss bomb attack might be connected to the April arrest in Switzerland of two Italians and one Swiss national from Italian-speaking Switzerland allegedly for planning an attack on an IBM office in Switzerland.  No speculation has been reported to rationalize the Chilean bomb attack.  More details can be found here.

There have been several bomb-related incidents in Rome recently, but there does not seem to be any common thread that links them.   I simply cannot fathom - or approve - any mindset or rationale that would justify any such actions.  They actually harm the causes - some otherwise worthy, although certainly not in this case as speculated - that the bombers profess to champion.  In view of the general antipathy and abhorrence shown towards such actions, at least by those who are sane, I have often wondered whether at least some bomb attacks are actually instigated by agents provacateurs in order to discredit both the causes and those who work for them.  There is certainly historical precedent for such.

I do not know which action that I personally find more reprehensible: bombing for a cause or instigating bombing in order to discredit a cause.  I heartily condemn both actions.  But, in the sense that the latter generally involves the deliberate participation of an institution to which we would ordinarily look for protection in an effort to incite individuals to commit crimes, it would seem logically to fall on the more reprehensible side of the scale.  Just MO.

******

Airports in Switzerland appear to be managing the snow and cold weather better than some of their counterparts.  This is in part due to Switzerland's having less snow and the airports being smaller air traffic hubs.  Zurich Airport prides itself on never having had to close for snow even once during its 62-year history.  It credits this to its strategy of keeping 350 stand-by personnel to deal with bad weather conditions from mid-October to mid-April, with almost 100 machines - snow plows, snow blowers and other equipment - as well as to its stockpiling of de-icing chemicals before the bad weather arrives.

Smaller airports at Basel and Geneva have not been so fortunate.  Geneva, for instance, was closed for a day on December 1 and was closed temporarily last Friday morning.  Most Swiss air traffic problems have involved stranded travellers whose flights to London Heathrow, Paris, Frankfurt and Brussels were cancelled.  Having ourselves recently travelled through London Heathrow from Geneva, HWMBO and I are very thankful that our flights were uneventful.  We do hope that all travellers are able to be with their loved ones for the holidays.  Working in one of these airports at such times must provide at least a glimpse of Hell on Earth.  I know that travelling through them can.  But we travellers can relax once we reach our destinations safely.  The personnel who have to keep working and providing courteous services in the worst of times are candidates for battle pay - at the very least, IMO.

*****

A Swiss magistrate who has been conducting a six-year investigation of three Swiss engineers, Urs Tinner, his brother Marco and their father Friedrich, has recommended that the three be charged for allegedly supplying the Pakistan-based network of Abdul Qadeer Khan, creator of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, with technical know-how and equipment that was used to make gas centrifuges and thus violating Swiss nuclear proliferation laws.  While the three do not deny that they worked for Khan, their defense is that they were actually spies working for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and were not aware of Khan's nuclear aims.  If that is truly so, then they must be among the most dim-witted of spies and should be charged with sheer stupidity, if nothing else.

The magistrate's investigation was hampered throughout by the Swiss Government which shredded documents with the justification that they involved national security concerns.  This seems to be a common justification for not releasing information these days.  The magistrate blasted the government for interfering in the legal process by destroying nearly all the evidence.  The charges, however, were found to be justified when copies of some of the shredded documents turned up.  In the magistrate's words,

“And beginning where they should have known that Khan produced atomic weapons, in May 1998, until they started to collaborate with the secret services, in June 2003, they in their specific roles were part of this network, and delivered parts to the network that the network then itself delivered to other countries, such as Libya.”

Marco Tinner was described as the accountant, producer and supplier of the components used for uranium enrichment and should also face charges of money laundering of some CHF12 million ($12.5 million).  Friedrich Tinner brought technical know-how to the family operation and Urs was the “workshop manager” in Khan’s factories in Dubai and Malaysia, according to Müller.  Khan’s network also supplied Libya, Iran and North Korea with parts and plans for building a nuclear bomb before it collapsed in 2003 and 2004.  The Tinners say that their spying helped the network to collapse.

It's clearly the "stuff" of spy novels, however unsavory these people may be. 

Chronology and marking the passage of years

Good news!  I have a rescheduled time and date for the surgery next week.  The rescheduling also necessitated changing the surgery location.  But this location is actually somewhat closer, so all is well, at least so long as the blister heals and the antibiotics do what they're suppposed to do.  I'm keeping my fingers very crossed.

In the interests of encouraging healing, I have more of an excuse than ever to begin reading the nine books that I borrowed from the library yesterday, together with the birthday book gift that I received from Sweet Momma D, mother to Grandsons Prince D and Prince J.  Let's hear it for cocooning!

***

As it happens, I did celebrate a birthday last week.  Or rather HWMBO helped me celebrate the date by taking me to Tersiguel's, a French restaurant in nearby Ellicott City.  As always, we had a lovely meal there.  I even received a small birthday mousse au chocolat for dessert, courtesy of the chef.  I had to share it with HWMBO because both of us were already quite pleasantly sated.  It's amazing how one is almost always able to find a bit more "room" inside when presented with such a motivation.

But celebrating the date aside, I could do without the heap of years behind me which grows ever higher with each anniversary.  I appreciated all the special calls, cards, Facebook wishes and gifts that I received and it was especially nice to catch up with some I do not hear from often.

But one card, received from Artist Sis, really tickled my fancy.  The face of the card shows an aged woman - clearly even more aged than I by about 25 years - who is smiling as she holds her hat and stands in the grass in her red sneakers.  "The secret to staying young?" she muses, "Lie about your age."  Upon opening the card, one finds the same woman in the same pose, but now finishing her thought.  "If I've learned anything in my 29 years, it's that."

Well girl, you go!  But neither of us can get away with "29" any more and we'd lose all credibility by trying.  I, for one, wouldn't mind just holding at 66.  Once anyone of my era is eligible both for Medicare and full Social Security benefits, there isn't a compelling reason to grow any older.

Surgery reject

The surgery had been planned for more than two months.  We returned to the US especially for it, well, at least partially for it, since we also planned to spend the holidays near family members.  Two pre-ops were scheduled for last week: one with my internist and one with the surgeon.  I sailed through those pre-ops with flying colors.  I didn't eat or drink anything after midnight last night.  All was ready.

Or so it seemed.

Whatever mischievous little imp of perversity that likes to remind us that WE are not always in control of our own destinies, no matter how well planned and thought out we believe they are, entered my world with a resounding impact this morning.  It took the form of a small blood blister on the little toe of my left foot.  Such a seemingly innocuous little blister changed the course of several people's lives today.

First of all, I hardly ever get blisters on my feet.  Nor have I EVER gotten blisters from either of the pairs of shoes that I have been wearing recently.  So this blister was the LAST thing that I expected to see.  Indeed, I had NOT seen it before arriving at the clinic.  It was also the last thing that the surgeon WANTED to see.

The surgery I need is an exostectomy, a medical term for the removal of "exostoses" or bony bumps on the bones.  As these can give rise to chronic pain and can cause damage to the structure of nearby nerves and tendons, surgery is recommended where pain is severe, the exostosis is pressing on an important structure and can be easily knocked or bumped, or is cosmetically unappealing.  All criteria apply in my case where I have a large bony lump on my left ankle that has begun seriously affecting my own quality of life, as well as the quality of life for those who, like HWMBO, must bear with me.  The surgeon himself described my exostectomy more colloquially as "taking a hammer and chisel to remove the excess bone."

Our best guess as to the cause of this lump is a long-ago untreated ankle injury.  Tests last summer practically ruled out a tumor - the worst case scenario.  After receiving two opinions where surgery was recommended, we had decided to follow the recommendations.  Crutches were arranged for, courtesy of Grandson Prince J, who had needed them recently for his own ankle stress fracture; prescription pain medication and gel packs for icing were purchased in advance; early Christmas celebrations were arranged and enjoyed; gifts were purchased, wrapped, some even delivered in advance; Christmas baking completed, etc. - only a few loose ends remained to be tied.  Among those loose ends is our seasonal recap of 2010 events.

The surgery itself was scheduled for 9:15 this morning.  I was to arrive at 8:15.  The alarm went off at 6; I arose, washed my hair, shaved my legs (sorry for that level of detail!), showered, and dressed in loose-fitting clothing as I had been instructed.  HWMBO, my personal chauffeur, packed the crutches into the car.  Off we set for the clinic where outpatient surgery had been scheduled.

All was proceeding on schedule until I got into the examination chair and removed my shoe and stocking as requested.  There showing like a bright red berry stain on my left pinkie was what was clearly a blister.  I could have sworn that it had NOT been there before.  I certainly had not noticed it.  Orthopedic surgeons in general are extremely conservative about such things and podiatric surgery is merely a subset of orthopedic surgery.  I remembered with dread the orthopedic surgeon in Switzerland who insisted that I have a dental appointment several months before my scheduled hip surgery there in 2003.  That appointment revealed that one tooth would require a filling.  A filling was not enough for that particular surgeon.  He insisted that my dentist completely remove the tooth in order to prevent even the most remote possibility of infection for the hip surgery.  This the dentist was loath to do and it required persuasion from both my internist and me.  Otherwise, the orthopedic surgeon would NOT perform the hip surgery.  It was the first tooth that I had ever had pulled up to then.

Today, my worst fears were realized.  The doctor took one look at the blister, shook his head, explained that such a problem so close to the operation site was disastrous in that the bone could become infected, took a swab from the blister for analysis, put me on a week's worth of antibiotics, and will try to reschedule the surgery for next week.  The surgery will only happen then if my progress on antibiotics warrants it.  Moreover, because we are in a holiday period, any rescheduling is likely to be difficult.  Sigh.

Whatever happens, I will not have the operation today.  It was not meant to be.  HWMBO has described me as a "surgery reject."  He is, unfortunately, correct.      

Big and Little

Although he is growing up more every day, our precious Prince Tyger, at 2, when seen alone, still seems pretty small.  As well he is.

But, seen together with Baby Brother Prince Attani, at 1.5 months, Prince Tyger seems practically ... ENORMOUS!

One can almost hear gears whirring away in Prince Attani's little head, "Will I ever catch up to my Big Brother?"

"But it's NICE to have someone to take care of me!"

And Prince Tyger seems ready to assume the duty.

They've got the whole world ...

in their hands!

My camera is on the blink, just when I most have need of it, for photos of grandbabies.  We're not sure what the problem is.  I am able to take one photo that is more or less fine, but any subsequent photos are wholly in shades of pink, with the pink literally "bleeding" throughout the frame and distorting the images so that the photos look like stills from a slasher movie.  We have checked the batteries, the memory cards and all the settings.  Nothing seems to improve the problem.  Perhaps it's simply time to consider getting a new camera.  It's true that this one is nearly six years old and it has suffered some hard knocks over the years - a bit like its owner.

So I was delighted when Sweet Momma H uploaded some recent photos to Snapfish for me to view, especially since Big T had inadvertently left a CD copy behind when he and Prince Tyger visited us yesterday for an early holiday celebration.  There were some recent photos of both young ones, but especially of Baby Prince Attani.  As is likely inevitable in the circumstances, Proud Grandmom loves to post similar photos of the two little ones at approximately the same ages.

First, there are these "classic" poses of Prince Attani, first with Proud Dad Big T,

and then with Sweet Momma H.

Now, here is Prince Tyger in a similar pose with Big T, when Prince Tyger was approximately a month old.

It is almost like seeing identical twins - separated by two years.

Folie de la neige

There's been a lot of snow and cold weather in Europe so far this winter, even though winter has not yet "officially" begun.  The conditions have disrupted travel plans for many during what is usually a peak holiday travel period.  No longer being subject to stringent workplace requirements - oh, the joys of retirement! - HWMBO and I are very happy to have made our own journey during a lull between storms earlier this month.  We were actually quite comfortable on our transatlantic trip.  The flight was not full.  HWMBO had the luxury of a whole row in the center (three seats) to himself, while I was able to travel quite comfortably in the two seats next to a window.  That kind of situation happens rarely enough that we are always able to appreciate how fortunate we are when it does.

This morning, I checked into the local Geneva newspaper on-line to see how weather was affecting the area.  There were some who were thriving, such as those hardy - or insane - participants in the annual Coupe de Noël  (Christmas Cup) swimming competition.  One must be at least 13 to participate by jumping into and swimming in the waters of frigid Lake Geneva; indeed, sometimes whole families participate.  It's a unique twist on the old adage of "the family that prays together," it would seem.  The swimmers gather at the Jardin Anglais (English Garden) on Quai Général Guisan to join in the annual ritual.  This year, there were 750 "courageous" swimmers taking part and here are the photos that were posted at the newspaper website.   As can be clearly seen, wetsuits are not a part of this competition.  Because it is a family event, however, bathing suits are in order, unlike similar events in some parts of Europe - and even in the US.   The swimmers were lucky in that yesterday's weather favored them slightly.  They could have been subject to conditions like these.

But what also caught my attention were some of the recent videos posted at the website.  Last Thursday evening, the streets of Geneva were so iced over that cars, and worse, even snow-removal vehicles, fell victim to the conditions, with the results being akin to a Holiday on Ice spectacular.

To give an idea of the weather conditions in nearby France from last Wednesday on, there were also several photos posted of scenes in Paris, where the black ice and snow have combined equal parts confusion and mess (la pagaille) with stunningly romantic beauty.

Meeting Prince Attani

This past week, I finally met my baby grandson, Prince Attani, now almost 1.5 months old.  What an absolute little darling he is!

I got to hold him and feed him a bottle - Sweet Momma H fears that he is not getting enough nourishment from breast-feeding and thus is supplementing a bit.  I am selfishly happy about this.  I remember how it was with Big Bro Prince Tyger, who was absolutely fit as a fiddle with his breast-feeding but who was extremely reluctant to take to a bottle at all.  Ever.  That led to "Not the Momma!" moments that were painful for all to bear.  Fortunately, in the end, Prince Tyger learned to Love the Bottle, but until then it was not an easy period, especially for those who were part-time caregivers.

But little Prince Attani just snuggled his way right into his Proud Grandmom's heart, took to the bottle with gusto and looked right at me while he was savoring his meal.  He's growing like a weed, but is still relatively small, certainly much smaller than his younger cousin, Princess Jelly Bean, who has now moved into double digit pound weight.  He also reminds me almost exactly of his Big Bro at the same age.  For example, here is Prince Attani, around one month old, looking as if he is ready to join a punk rock group at any moment.

And here is Big Bro Prince Tyger at around the same age.  Note the same punk rock do!

I really can't believe that this photo was taken more than two years ago!  It's hard to believe that our precious Prince Tyger was ever that little!  He is so "grown-up" now.

Not quite the Yule Log

HWMBO and I are now on the West Side of The Pond, our flight to the US last week, fortuitously in retrospect, having occurred after the heavy snow had melted but just before new low temperatures and bad weather hit Switzerland once again.  We have, for the most part, adjusted to the six-hour time difference.  It always does seem easier to adjust to a longer rather than to a shorter day.  But the temperatures here are no less chilly!  In the meantime, I have made the in-person acquaintance of our tiny grandson, Prince Attani, whom I had previously seen only via the wonders of Skype.  There will be more about Prince Attani later.

One thing that HWMBO, the technical wizard half of this couple, has done is to activate the Google translation feature of my laptop toolbar.  This makes for some wondrously strange, often unique and occasionally hilarious results, even though it is clear that the translator has some basics at hand.  Take my Swiss email account, for instance, where the language offerings for commands and communications are in German, French or Italian only.  Without my prompting, the translator converts them to English - of a sort.

My current favorite is the communication I receive when I have successfully logged out of my email account.  The message: "The Log has been carried out."

As we are approaching Yuletide, this message fits quite well into the traditions of the season, although probably not by intent.  It brings to mind the traditional Yule Log.  I cannot resist picturing tiny little internet elves scampering - or more likely, lumbering - off with it.

Happy St. Lucy's Day!

Today, 13 December, is St. Lucy's Day!  Her name is derived from the Latin lux, lucis meaning "light"  and she is the patron saint of the blind.  "Lucy" was also the name of my paternal grandmother.

The original Saint Lucy, as the story goes, was a wealthy young Christian woman who lived in Sicily during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian.  She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan and distributed her belongings to the poor.  Her rejected pagan bridegroom denounced her to the authorities as a Christian, perhaps less out of pique at losing her than at losing the fortune she would have brought him.  In one version of the story, her eyes were gouged out by her persecutors.  In another, she herself tears out her eyes and presents them to her would-be husband on a plate.

From this quite gory beginning - or ending, because Lucy did not live long after her eyes had been gouged out, however that happened - comes the rather sweet tradition of St. Lucy's Day, at least as it is celebrated in Scandinavian countries, primarily Sweden, today.  St. Lucy's Day is one of the few saints' days celebrated in the Lutheran religion and its celebration is believed to have arisen from the tradition in German Protestant families of having girls dressed in angelic Christ-like fashion to help distribute sweets and gifts to the family.  In Sweden, the date is celebrated within each family by having the oldest (or youngest) daughter wear a candle-wreath on her head and serve buns to her parents and other family members in the morning, while singing a St. Lucy song.  The tradition is celebrated outside the family by selecting one young girl in the community to lead a procession through town, wearing a white robe and a candle wreath on her head, while other young girls, also robed in white, follow her, each one holding a single candle.

In my last full-time place of employment, I was fortunate to have several Swedish colleagues.  On this day, every year, they would share their celebrations by bringing in electric hot plates to heat up glögg and serve it to all, accompanied by pepparkakor (gingerbread).  So on this day, I will always hold fond memories of good friends, very professional and courteous colleagues, and good fellowship as we shared mulled wine and cookies for a few brief moments to lighten the workplace cares. 

My erstwhile Swedish colleagues are scattered now.  Several have returned to Sweden; others have found work in other international workplaces abroad.  A couple have even remained in Switzerland.  But even though all now have moved on to other phases in their own lives, I will always remember those moments and those other colleagues who shared them with us as shining highlights of my career.  To all, I send very warm greetings of the season.

For anyone who would like to celebrate a typical Swedish St. Lucy's Day, it's really not too late.  Just hie yourselves to your nearest IKEA for authentic pepparkakor.  You can also find similar thin gingerbread cookies in the local supermarket.  In almost every country but the United States, you can also find glögg at IKEA.  But don't waste your time doing that in the US because liquor licensing laws will not allow it.  Just go to a wine store and purchase some red wine and mulling spices for the same effect.

Or skip the alcohol entirely and have mulled cider instead!  Whatever you do, have a lovely St. Lucy's Day! 

What a difference a week can make!

Here is one view from my apartment on Wednesday, 1 December.

Here is a view from the same location on Tuesday, 7 December.

It's difficult to believe.  How swiftly the world can change!  On 1 December, I used my downstairs neighbor's trampoline as a gauge to estimate the snowfall.

My neighbor across the street was clearly snowed-in a week ago.

But on Tuesday, it was as if the world had changed entirely.

During the snowfall, our contracted snow removers were completely out of their depth -

they were not used to snowfalls like this, especially this "early" in the season.

News reports stated that it was a record snowfall the likes of which had not been seen since 1985.  But one week later, we had typical November weather again.  We could even see the lake ... and the Alps ... again.

When I was growing up in Montana, we used to have an expression, "If you don't like the weather, just stick around for awhile.  It'll change."  And it always did.  I see that the expression applies to Switzerland as well.

Happy Saint Nicholas Day - belated, of course!

Saint Nicholas Day, 6 December, was yesterday.  So this greeting is clearly late - but no less heartfelt.  Saint Nicholas Day is quite a popular tradition in Switzerland.  You can find a very interesting overview of customs, with photos, throughout the different linquistic areas of the country here.  Because each commune has its own festival, there is no single tradition, other than that 6 December is a date that small children adore. 

At least, small children adore the date if they have been very GOOD children.  If they have not been good children, they are not rewarded.  Indeed, they are "punished," generally by having lumps of coal or charcoal left in their shoes insteads of the sweets or small toys that they would have received if they had been GOOD.  This is because Saint Nicholas has an Evil Twin.  Just as in France, in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland (la Suisse romande), the Good Saint's Evil Twin is known as "Le Père Fouettard" (the Whipping Father) because he carries ... a whip.   Children who have been naughty receive lumps of coal from him.  Children who have been BAD can even receive - gasp - floggings, although I have it on good authority that the whip is more for effect than use these days!

Because of this "effect," there are NO BAD children in Switzerland.  No one wants to receive a flogging.  But, unfortunately, there are children who are sometimes more naughty than they are nice.  Those misfortunate naughty little ones do receive lumps of coal.  How sad!

I am reminded that my beautiful, sweet and precious Princess Butterfly can sometimes, as Sweet Momma M puts it, put on her "naughty pants" by mistake so that she turns from "Princess Butterfly" into "Princess Naughty Pants."

So, please Princess Butterfly, please never put on those "naughty pants" any time close to Saint Nicholas Day or Christmas Day - at the very least.  Please!  Not unless you want to meet Le Père Fouettard, instead of the Good Saint Nicholas!  I don't want for you to get lumps of coal in your shoes ... or in your stockings either!

Adventures in the snow, Part 4

With our excursion nearly at an end, we headed for the boat dock, as gray as I have ever seen it,

checked out the forlorn-looking carousel and shuttered-up outdoor stalls that were there for small children to enjoy, had the weather been more cooperative,

and headed toward the salle communale.  There, we were first attracted to the covered-over pavillion where various Swiss specialties were advertised on the menu board.

Inside, tables were set for fondue to be served ... but the area was empty.

Well, almost empty.  A few teen-agers were clustered in a corner and looked as if they were enjoying themselves.  Wednesday is generally when there is a half- to full-day break in classes for those who attend Swiss public schools.  The "lost" time is generally made up on Saturdays.  Most of the private international schools follow a Monday to Friday schedule so that they have a full weekend without classes.

Heading into the salle communale itself, we could see that, except for the exhibitors, the area was still as deserted as the other areas that we had visited.

Still, there were some very interesting and colorful exhibits, among them, toys and elaborate electricity-operated displays.

We enjoyed browsing through the exhibits and chatting with the exhibitors, all of whom were very friendly, although disappointed by the weather.  Still, they were optimistic that things would improve later in the week.

Passing through the bourg again on our way home, we stopped by a stand set up under the arcades featuring soaps and candles, allegedly from Provence in France.

I say "allegedly from" because HWMBO later found some candles, at least similar to some of those displayed, on-line and manufactured in China.   I know that the soaps and beeswax candles, however, along with some wonderfully aromatic potpourris, were definitely from Provence.  And wherever the items in the display came from, they were all very attractively arranged!

Adventures in the snow, Part 3

As we left the château to make our way - carefully - down to the salle communale near the boat dock where more Christmas market stalls had been set up, we noticed that the gate into the orchard of the château, which is normally closed, was open because a small restaurant had been installed in the greenhouse there for the duration of the market.  The last time I had seen these trees was last May when I attended the Garden Festival.  What a change!  Instead of the riotous colors from last May, the orchard was now practically a study in black and white.

The trellissed plants were festooned with snow.

After our brief pause in the orchard, we returned to the road to continue our descent towards the lake.

The few dogs we saw looked as if they would much have preferred to be inside - or, at least - have a coat on.

The snowflakes were coming down so fast that they transformed this little flower shop into an impressionist study.

Mailboxes, usually prosaic, got into the spirit of the seasonal decorative act, where

cars on the road leading towards the château were piled high with snow,

and even garden gates became sheer artistry.

Adventures in the snow, Part 2

We headed into the courtyard of the château where several stalls were set up.  There really wasn't much of a crowd to reward the merchants for their perseverance.

We could smell the traditional hot spiced wine and one stall nearby was also offering soupe à la courge (squash soup).

Another featured traditional sausages and different cheeses.  There, we bought a mixed cheese blend for an evening meal of fondue.

We could hardly believe it but there was a raw bar featuring oysters and champagne - traditional Christmas fare - outside in the snow!  Somehow chilled champagne and oysters did not appeal to us at the moment, nor did a nearby wine-tasting stall.

After viewing the courtyeard, we visited the château outbuildings where exhibitors - more fortunate, in our opinion - were able to demonstrate their wares inside - in much warmer environments, such as here, in the former stable, where the old hayracks and water basins were decorated with crafts and ornaments that were for sale.

Upstairs, the former hayloft had been converted into a childrens' activity center for the duration of the market.  But as of our visit, none of the little ones had yet shown up.

A couple of iced over reindeer ornaments stood outside the entrance to the caves (former wine cellars),

which were now filled with stalls featuring more food items.

We were almost sorry that we had already eaten our lunch!  We were offered taste samples of everything and managed to muster up a small appetite for them.  The nice thing about being the only ones there is that the exhibitors, thankfully much less aggressive than those we had encountered at les Automnales in November, had leisure to chat with us and explain their products.

Fortunately, for HWMBO, most exhibitors also spoke English.  He was particularly interested in one Frenchman with a stand of flavored brands of honey, who explained that he moved his hives from region to region in France - from the Rhone Valley for acacias to the Drome for lavender.  The beekeeper admitted that yes, his bees were dying at an unprecedented - and mysterious - rate.

On that sad and ominous note, we took our leave of the main areas of the château to see what was happening elsewhere.