Christmas 2000

Eric and Sylvia visit family in North Carolina for Christmas.

For the 2000 Christmas Holiday, Eric and Sylvia visited their families in North Carolina. Eric's parents are in Asheville, Sylvia's in Charlotte.  Most pictures are below. And here's some pictures of miniature furniture that Sylvia's father Alois made.
Eric's mom Ann making some braided fruit and nut bread.Eric's brother Kevin with his Jack Russell Terrier, Jessie.


Christmas tree at the VasiliksSitting down for a multi-course Christmas dinner


Brian is happy with his waffle makerEric's dad Ken is happy with his sweater


Missy hiding underneath the tree.The whole family after all the presents were opened


View from the dining area Christmas morningEric helps his mom out with dinner


Rolling out biscuit doughAt the entrance to the Biltmore Estate


Taking a tour of downtown AshevilleEric's brother Brian, pictured next to his alter ego, Lollapolluza the Clown


Eric and his mom in Black Mountain, standing in front of the Seven Sisters mountainsA woodturning shop in Black mountain


Ann prepared some tasty appetizers


...as well as colorful borscht soupSylvia is mad at Eric because he wouldn't stop gloating over his win at Monopoly


Brian juggling lemonsEric and his dad look remarkably alike in this picture


Frittata for breakfast!The walls in the guest bedroom were very uniquely decorated!


Sylvia and the VasiliksSylvia with her father Alois


At the Moestl place


Sylvia's old play house




Sylvia's mom IngeSylvia, Mom, and Les


Also, here's pictures of a visit to Earthhaven, a land-trust cooperative that Sylvia's brother Tom lives at.
This is where Tom is staying right now, right outside Earthhaven


This mother and baby goat live at the house as well.  Tom built the structure behind them.


Tom is hoping to renovate the old school bus as a living space.The inside of the bus


We went for a walk to central Earthhaven.  There are lots of old unused roads that used to lead to homesteads in the area.  We used one of them as a path.Here's an old crossroads


Tom cleared off the path as we went


Eric and Tom, with some of Tom's friends.  Danielle is on the right.Another nearby house in Earthhaven, with passive solar construction.


Tom on his homesite.   He had it graded recently IMG_4869.JPG He has plans for building a nautilus-shaped building on the propertyA view of the "tree garden" (in the back) and greenhouse from the homesite.


The greenhouse.  Tom painted the mural on it.Some semi-hollow bricks he made


Bridge he built across the creek that divides the tree garden from the homesiteHe had somebody weld these propane tanks into a bell set.


The old Twin Oaks hammock is still there, a little bit worse for the wearTom in his outdoor kitchen


The store (unmanned) at Earthhaven IMG_4905.JPG Some funky buildings in the main village of Earthhaven mg: IMG_4911.JPGThere were some problems with the building inspector over this one.  They compromised by putting the side supports in


Tom's old house, with his junk still piled around it.Another view of his house


Tom left this chimpanzee relief inside his old house.