Holidays in Antarctica

Firstly Happy Holidays to all. I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and a blessed New Year! Health and wealth to you and your family. I have had a lot of time to reflect inwardly in the last 4 months. The Holiday season reaffirmed a few of my personnel conclusions and also raised a few new questions. Most people think of the Holidays as a time to spend with family and friends. Unless you have been away from both before it is hard to explain the difference when you are with neither. One of my conclusions is just how close I have gotten to some of the people here; for different reasons and in ways. Just as home is where you hang your hat, the same can be said of "family" and friends. My blood Family will always come first and foremost and will always command all of my love; but my adopted families have become important to me too. I still think about the guys I served with in Germany quite frequently, as I will, I'm sure reflect on the people I've met here.

That said...THE HOLIDAYS!!!....

First my immediate "Ice Family":

.....and the rest of the "Extended Family":

...dysfunction at its finest. Ah but I still love them!

So what's first tree? Yes we have a few here....(take heed they are creative. Remember no live plants here, so we do what we can...)

These aren't the only decoration, although it definitely isn't like the States. The biggest difference is that there are no light....(huge sad face)...but being as there is no darkness what can you do?

Stocking? Yup.....

What else? Mistletoe?....check:

Gingerbread houses? ....And then some....

A crackling fire?...well kind of. Hey it's a harsh Continent....but we try:

Yes it is a video of a crackling fire. But it had sound effects; which were great for the first two days.

And food!!!!!! I was way to busy eating to take many pictures but here are a few:

Yeah nothing says "Merry Christmas" like all you can eat lobster tails!!!

One more. (well two) It's from Thanksgiving but I'm pretty proud of them because I actually cooked them.

And one of the greatest things I got out of this Christmas was how the thought is really what counts.I expected, nor wanted, anything, and what I got I really cherish. So here are my gifts:

 Livestrong Oakley's

 Crystals from Mt Erebus

 Eeyore (in my stocking)



Shirt from work; "Cooking at the Bottom of the World"



These are a few of the things I got this Christmas; and this year in general; the rest I can't take pictures of, or send thank you cards for. I can't tell you where I got them, or why it took so long. All I can say is the gifts I received that fit in this category are the ones I hold closest to my heart. Wow reading that back it even sounds sappy to me, but it's true. Anyway, they are another blog, for another time; maybe my New Year post....

Until Then......

..."Cooking on Ice"