364/365: The airport fence

364/365: The airport fence, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 30th

To the left, of course. The easiest way to get to my horseriding place is to take the bus to the airport, then follow the fence South until you reach the stables. I wanted to take more photos but I think I grabbed the wrong battery that morning, and it ran out.

363/365: Monika and Stefan

363/365: Monika and Stefan, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 29th

A couple of very nice and talented people. They make movies and stuff.

362/365: My presents won't fit in my suitcase :(

362/365: My presents won't fit in my suitcase :(, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 28th

I got the blender and the kitchen scales and the cooking pot and electric toothbrush in, but I had to leave the frying pan. I'll come get it next time I visit home.

361/365: Christmas Midnight Snack

361/365: Christmas Midnight Snack, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 27th

Yum, yum, yum.

Chapter One

Chapter One, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

Notice that button on the right that says Sketchbook Project ? Well, I'm taking part, but I had no time at all to do it while I was working on the Flying Machine, and then I got other illustration work, so now I am rushing to finish and send it by the deadline. I'm pretty sure I can make it :)

I wasn't going to draw any ships at first, but I guess this bit of memory has been gnawing at my brain and has to come out. Of course, I didn't know it would force itself out before I chose the theme: Nightmare. But that's all right. It fits.

You know how there are some dreams that are also nightmares?

Yeah.

360/365: Winter porch

360/365: Winter porch, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 26th

With blackbird. See? Zulka was all over the window staring at it, wishing she could pounce through the glass.

359/365: Quiet Christmas Day

359/365: Quiet Christmas Day, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 25th

Well, the photo lies. It wasn't quiet. We had family over. Kids all over the place. I was too busy pelting my six year old nephew with Bakugans to take any pictures. So, almost at midnight, here is a photo of the kitchen calendar.

358/365: Christmas Eve table

358/365: Christmas Eve table, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 24th

My mother takes particular pride in setting the table for Christmas Eve Dinner, and rightly so. Every year it's something different, but there is always lots of shininess and warmth. She has boxes full of little sparkly stars and angels and fairy dust.

Worth a mention: the tradition in Poland is to put hay on the table or under the cloth- hay, of course, because Jesus was born in a manger.

Bonus: family photos, first one taken by me, second by my sister so I could be in it. Merry Christmas!

357/365: The Peace Light of Bethlehem

357/365: The Peace Light of Bethlehem, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 23rd

Just like last year, father Ronald, the chaplain for the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association, brought us the Peace Light of Bethlehem. The flame is taken every year from the Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem and carried unextinguished back to Vienna, from where it is distributed across Europe. The scouts bring it back to Poland, and father Ronald lights a lantern from it and brings it to our house. We set it on the table, light our Advent candles from it, say a little prayer and then the light is with us all through Christmas.

Here is Father Ronald with the light...

...and Grandma and Grandpa.

356/365: Our Christmas Tree

356/365: Our Christmas Tree, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 22nd

We decorated the tree! Yay. I think that's really all I can say, yay yay yay. Christmas trees are one of the prettiest things in the world.

355/365: Christmas tree

355/365: Christmas tree, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 21st

Christmas trees are my job. When I was eight and we lived in the embassy, we had a fake one to save on cleanup, and it was my job to put it together. Then we went home- for a while, it was dad and me getting the trees together, but ever since he stopped driving and then sold the car, the task is all mine. I don't drive either, though...

When it snows, we don't ask anyone for a ride, I just go through the plot gardens and down to the skating rink with my sled:

They sell trees there every year. I bring it home...I set it up. I put the lights on. It stays like that for a day or so, and then we decorate it fully.

Then I go out three more times to get a second tree for the living room, and a couple big boughs of mistletoe. It's an exhausting tradition, but also a matter of pride.

(and it gets me away long enough not to have to do any of the stuff I really dislike, like helping with cooking and cleaning. I'd rather carry trees, thanks.)

354/365: Cat and duck

354/365: Cat and duck, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 20th

A stray and a duck share a meal kindly provided by a local gardener.

353/365: Pierogi!

353/365: Pierogi!, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 19th

We made a few hundred. Should be enough for Christmas Eve Dinner. We're only six people this year instead of the usual dozen plus.

352/365: Bryll&Styczeń on stage again

352/365: Bryll&Styczeń on stage again, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 18th

A while back, a young man came to visit my dad and said, sir, I'd like to put some of your poetry to music. Now the two of them are excellent friends and they do several performances a year- the set is Marcin singing, with or without his band, and dad reading poems and telling anecdotes from when the world was young. The dynamic between them is great, despite the 40 year age difference. I can vouch that the audience has just as much fun as they do. :D

I've covered it on the blog before. More photos there.

351/365: In blue for the holidays

351/365: In blue for the holidays, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 17th

A building on Piotrkowska street getting a facelift.

350/365: New Year Resolution

350/365: New Year Resolution, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 16th

2011 hasn't started yet, but I couldn't wait with my resolutions. One of them is to learn how to ride a horse. Because that is a pretty useful thing to know. In case of emergencies. Also, horsies are purty.

We went to the Wiki stables, right by the airport. It was cold, snowy, beautiful. After the lesson (which was hilarious, I've sat and been carried by horses before but I've never actually ridden one) the stablemaster let all the mares out to run around in the snow while she got a sled ready for a ride. A perfect day, really.

Next lesson just before New Year's. I really can't wait.

349/465: Monster icicle

349/465: Monster icicle, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 15th

Yikes. I hope that doesn't fall on anyone.

348/365: Manufaktura in the snow

348/365: Manufaktura in the snow, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 14th

This part of the old Poznanski factory has been turned into a hotel. A very expensive hotel...which is right across the street from a very poor and tumbledown neighbourhood. In contrast with the cleaned brick of the old factory the apartments on the other side of the road look even more desolate.

347/365: Caravan

347/365: Caravan, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 13th

Probably belongs to construction workers, although there's nothing being constructed anywhere near so I'm not sure. There was smoke coming out of the stovepipe. The building behind it is abandoned.

By the way, did you notice I've caught up with Project 365? I had a huge backlog of photos to post- they are all on the blog now. I think my resolution for 2011 is to upload and update more diligently. Why, yes, I'm doing p365 again. So should you.

More photos of Lodz in the snow:

346/465: Deconstruction

346/465: Deconstruction, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 12th

A bad photo (it's dark there) of the current state of my hallway. There used to be a closet on the left but the stupid thing was that if you hung your coats on the hanger, you'd have to take them all down in order to open the closet. So, we never used it. So, I decided to get rid of it and put the coat hanger in the nook it left behind. The carpenter said he'd even make a little bench to sit on so no one has to hop around on one leg putting their shoes on anymore. And of course this means we have gained valuable lane space for bikes traffic.

The cats are just there because they follow me around.

345/365: Patterns

345/365: Patterns, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 11th

The carpenter took out the (second) silly closet that was in my hallway and found a lovely pattern. Alas it will get covered up with a board as the wall is crumbling, and I need a nook to hang coats and put shoes in.

344/365: A pink pony and poached pheasant

344/365: A pink pony and poached pheasant, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 10th

Well, probably not poached. He wouldn't put it on display for everyone to see every year if he didn't have a hunting permit. Though I notice his catches are dwindling with time.

Witness, last year and the year before: