Christmas in Blacksburg

Christmas week has been pretty chilled out. On Christmas Eve, I watched movies and relaxed. In the evening I went to the carol service at Cissi's church. I am not religious but it was really pretty and I do like christmas carols. The service was quite high tech with videos playing and it was nice to get out. The church was also warm which was a great bonus. I am so used to being in English churches which are usually so cold. And as it was below 0 C outside, it was a very good thing.

On Christmas day I woke up really early so I could Skype home and open my presents with my parents over Skype. They had been very restrained and keep their presents until I called at about noon their time which was 7am for me. I had some really nice presents. Lots of clothes! Thank you to every one who sent cards and gifts. I really appreciate it. It made the day a lot more cheerful knowing people were thinking about me.  :-)

My lovely presents! Thank you to everyone!

For lunch I went with a friend to the Inn at VT for Christmas brunch. I have been there for evening meals and they were lovely. Unfortunately it was a normal brunch with breakfast things. There was a carving station with some very nice beef but not really the normal foods I associate Christmas dinner with! But it was still nice and meant I didn't have to cook for myself. And the real reason I was there was the chocolate fountain!

Chocolate fountain

Plate 1!

 I spent the afternoon on my own, skyping family and friends, drinking wine, and watching movies. It was a pretty boring Christmas and didn't really feel like Christmas Day. Frankly it sucked. But I am going to have a mini Christmas when I go home in February (flights are booked!) so it's not so bad. I really get two Christmases this way! :-)

Boxing day, I started my New Years resolutions. A bit early, I know but why not? So it started with a trip to the gym and a run (despite the mild hangover). Then a pamper session, followed by really boring paperwork (the end of the year is always full of renewals) and work. But I am going to buy my camera soon! I got the money from the insurance company which will cover most of it. I am going to get the same one that was stolen but I am still really excited. :-)

And today the rest of my chocolate arrived! So tonight, along with the lobster tails and Pouilly Fume I have treated myself to, is going to be a very good night.

More English chocolate! Yum!

I hope everyone reading this had a brilliant Christmas, relaxing and fun. And has a fantastic New Year and 2014. It's going to be a good year. For me full of traveling, papers, friends, and adventure. I hope your is too! xxx

Heritage trail

On saturday, I went for a walk with a friend up Brush Mountian (in the Appalachians) on part of the Heritage trail. We had lunch first in Blacksburg and a look around the markets. And I finally got to Bollo's for their GF bakery stuff. They didn't have any bread but I did get a piece of cake (which was lovely) and a muffin (which has horrible)! After getting to the trail, and then going back to Blacksburg on the hunt for my lost hat and a minor car crash while I was in the restaurant for said hat, we actually got to the trail.

I was a bit concerned when I saw the trail post as it was classed as "most difficult" and I am not exactly a huge walking fan when it comes to difficult trails. (I am naturally quite lazy!) But it wasn't very hard.

Cute little barn near the start of the trail

Trail sign

It would be nice to walk in the summer as it was a bit desolate. But it was great to be out of the office for a change. And the weather was pretty warm. I was really over dressed!

Some green

But mostly gray - view at the top

We also got past by some hard core health nuts, one lady running up and down with her dog, and a guy on a  mountain bike. Got to respect them even when I think they are a little nuts. Each to their own.

At the top they had some rock markers to indicate the summit I guess. Though we also found some further down the trail.

Summit marker

This morning was odd. I woke up early and every thing was orange! (None of the photos are edited in any way.) The light outside was really weird. It only lasted a short time but it was very pretty. Then the wind started. It was quite impressive but has been raining since.

Orange sky 

Strange orange light

Kids Christmas performance

Sunday night I went with Cissi to her church to see the kids Christmas performance. They were so cute. The younger ones didn't exactly get the tune or in some cases the words, they made up for it in sheer enthusiasm and fun. My favorite just danced through all of it.

Church Christmas tree

Little bits singing and dancing

The second half was the slightly older kids and just as much fun.

Cool kids

This guy LOVED his ears!

Plus Cissi was playing the bells with her group. I found it so funny that Cissi, who I am pretty sure is the smallest person I know, plays the largest bells in the group. :-)

Church bell practice

Cissi and her bells

Giant bells

Christmas chocolate.

For Christmas, I have treated myself to some English chocolate! I miss cadburys. Luckily Amazon deliver food here and have a good English foods section, though it is more expensive than in the UK. But they have saved my life as they deliver proper tea, and now chocolate!

Some English chocolate

There were more turkish delight and more bournville but they didn't make the photo. They didn't make it very long in my possession in fact. I am still waiting for the flakes!

The day after the chocolate orange came I found one in Walmart. For half the price. I was not amused. But got a second one for a cheap price so not all bad.
The Ferrero Rocher is a Christmas tradition in my family. My nan always had some at Christmas and after we lost her, we carried on the tradition to remember her. So I am really glad I found some here. Even if I can't actually be home at least I can carry on some things.  

Christmas wine party

On Saturday night, I held a Christmas wine party at my flat for some friends in Blacksburg. I spent most of Saturday cleaning, tidying, cooking and rearranging the furniture. Luckily David and Janice had lent me a spare table otherwise I have no idea where I would have put the food! Everyone brought a dish or two and I supplied the drinks, though Walt did bring a very nice Rioja. I made some mulled wine which was really nice and smelt great, though a little stronger than I expected, probably due to the addition of brandy, but tasted really good.

Tidy and Christmassy

Desserts!

Packed main food table

It was a really good night. About 14 people showed up in the end (the weather was horrible with sleet and ice and some people were sick so cancelled), and my flat was looking pretty full. All of my table from my Zeppolis wine tasting came, as did the other 2 postdocs from my office, bringing their gorgeous little baby with them. He was so curious and giggled all the time.

Shawn, David, Dongwei, Isaac, Bob, Janice and Debbie

Curious Isaac

Cissi and Richard digging in.

Bob, Shawn, Dongwei, Isaac, and Richard.

I even got my wine collect critiqued by Matt, an Sommelier in training, who I meet at the Gourmet Pantry and brought his girlfriend along as well. He was quite impressed with my sweet wine collection in particular! And a little jealous I think! :-)

We even had some carol singers, a pair of undergrads collecting for Relay for Life, a cancer charity. 

It was great night and lots of fun. Though I felt a little tender the morning after! :-) 

VT Christmas Dinner

Yesterday I went to the VT Physics Christmas dinner. It was very different to the UCLan one. For example there was no alcohol, and it was very laid back. And it was just 1.5 hrs then everyone went back to work, or in my case, grocery shopping. I wish I could find one where there is a middle ground. Fun but without the enforced sense.
Anyway, I went early and got some photos in the Inn. They have a load of Christmas trees decorated by local business. They were really pretty, though my favorite was the elf one!

Snowmen 

Elves

Elf tree!!!

Old children's toys

Candy cane tree

Hall of trees

 There was also a complete ginger bread house with a toy train.

Gingerbread house and train 

The dinner was a bit disappointing considering the food at the Inn is normally really good. But they didn't have a lot of gluten free food, so I ended up with some salad, a small bowl of soup and some roast veg. But I did meet a new friend, which was the main reason for going. The VT Physics department is very isolated with few people talking to each other (like I said there really should be a middle ground between VT and UCLan). So it was good to get out and talk to new people.

I am having my own party on Saturday night, another wine party and it should bemuse more fun. I'm very excited though I have to do some serious cleaning first! 

Blacksburg Xmas Lights and Parade

On Friday night, Blacksburg had the Christmas parade and tree lighting. I went down for about 4.30 to have a look around the market and listen to the choir. They had some really nice craft things in the market but I am trying to save money. Though I was very tempted by the minion hats!

kids choir at the market 

Minion hats

After a free cup of hot cider, I followed the choir around to the Henderson lawn and meet up with Cissi. We couldn't see much of the ceremony but the tree looked good. (Most of the photos are Cissi's. My cameras have gone missing! Someone has stolen both my DSLR and my compact. If I ever find out who has taken them…. So I am also now saving for a new DSLR.   :-(  ) 

Blacksburg christmas tree.

After the xmas tree lighting, we got some more hot cider and listened to the Tuba band. They have tuba and euphonium players came from as far as North Georgia and New Jersey. There is something very festive about a brass band playing carols.

Lampposts

Brass band

We even managed to find Santa and get our photos taken, which made me very happy!

With Santa

Cissi and Santa

After a brief look around an art exhibit (Cissi's housemate was showing some of her work with others from her degree and it was, in my opinion, the best of the lot), we staked out a place to watch the parade. They shut down Main street and another major street for it. There were lots of floats from local businesses and they gave out candy to the kids. The best one was a lorry which blow real snow! I got very excited. (Though I didn't find it so excited this morning when I looked outside to snow, ice and sleet!)

Tree trimmers

Panoramic of downtown

Getting ready to watch the parade.

The bits we saw of the parade were fun. Unfortunately it started raining after a while! :-( So we ended up running for shelter. And because the roads had been closed down for the parade, we had to wait a while for the buses to starting running again to get home. But it was worth the time as I really didn't want to walk in the rain!

Christmas Decorations.

I decided to put my Christmas decorations up early this year to make my apartment look more cheerful. I am staying in Virginia over Christmas and going home in February instead so I can go to a friend's wedding so Christmas isn't going to be much fun. So I brought a christmas tree and all the trimmings so at least it will be cheerful and bright in the flat. But instead of buying decorations for the tree, I decided to be a big kid and make them.

Molded and painted.

Colored in (with glitter and pompoms!)

 I managed to get some really good deals on the tree, lights and tinsel, though I am going to get more tinsel for around the flat! Buthe tree looks great. I have put my presents out too, so it feels very festive. Though now I have to be discipled and look at them for the next 3 weeks without opening them! I have also got a little fireplace to make my flat warmer. And to just look pretty!

Tree and presents.

Lit with my new fireplace and heater

I also discovered SkrinkyDinks. They are amazing! You color them in on this plastic and put them in the oven. They shrink down into these little hard plastic ornaments. The one I got comes with a little pipe cleaner Christmas tree you make up and decorate. I had a brilliant time! Though I didn't have the adult supervision it says I needed and burnt my hand! :-( But the result was worth it. They are so cool.

And I have lights around the flat too. So my electricity bill is not going to be pretty this month but it will be cheerful so who cares! And I am going to put more up tomorrow!

Some of my xmas lights