there's little to rival curling up with an engrossing book on a winter's night..some are uplifting, and some are more sobering...getting the balance right can be tricky

the shot glass has gained friends' interest..so, it is one of a collection of old shot glasses that were souvenirs gathered by men on their travels around Germany decades ago, and picked up in a Christmas flea market in Eutin...most celebrate locations, but this one depicts Johann Strauss, an Austrian composer of light music, mostly waltzes, during the 19th century...one of his most famous works was entitled 'An der schoenen blauen Donau', known in English as 'The Blue Danube'