This one gets a listen every year. The album dates to 1994 and I remember listening to it with Dale in our first apartment together. One of my favorite holiday albums. All the selections are fantastic and Christmas Medley is especially powerful.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Michael Buble
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Michael Buble's Xmas album is a good listen.
Michael Buble's Xmas album is a good listen.
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Christmas Vacation
Monday, December 28, 2015
Listening to Christmas music and relaxing. I love Christmas vacation.
Listening to Christmas music and relaxing. I love Christmas vacation.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Pink Squirrels
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Maggie and Cindi had Dale and me over tonight for pink squirrels, Christmas cookies, and general holiday cheer. They got me a tiara which, by the way, made me feel like a million bucks.
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Egg Nog
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Had to finish up the egg nog batter (with a little rum in it).
Had to finish up the egg nog batter (with a little rum in it).
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Holiday Greeting From Pete and Steph
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Got a text with Christmas greetings from Pete and Steph yesterday. I responded with the above photo.
Speaking of being an uncle, I found the above ornament at Mom's place on Christmas Eve.
Got a text with Christmas greetings from Pete and Steph yesterday. I responded with the above photo.
Speaking of being an uncle, I found the above ornament at Mom's place on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Christmas Cigar with Mike
Saturday, December 26, 2015
After I got home from shopping with Noel I went over to Mike's house for cocktails and cigars. I had a chance to visit with Charisse and Shayla as well and saw the gingerbread house they had made together. I recounted the story of the gingerbread village I made with my 2nd graders back in the early 1990s. I brought some Oreo Cookies for the family and Mike gave them to Shayla. I found out what a special guy I am to her.
Mike and I lit up in his garage and listened to a whole selection of jazz. The cigars were LGCs and our cocktails were a variation on the Vesper martini from James Bond. Instead of lemon peel we used blue cheese stuffed olives.
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - The Joe and Noel Post Holiday Shopping Adventure
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Noel and I ventured out for our annual post-Christmas shopping spree only to have it turn out to be something of a bust. I don't ever remember the stores pulling their stock off the shelves so quickly. I bought a couple of candles at half price form Lily and Violet and Noel, in a Christmas miracle, bought NOTHING! Yowza.
We started the day with lunch at Turtle Bread. This was on the Diet Coke I bought. I always knew Noel had it in her.
Christmas Season 2015/2016 - White Boxing Day
Saturday, December 26, 2015
It started to snow last night after we were all in bed. Although Christmas Day was whiter than I thought it would be due do some earlier dusting, Boxing Day was spectacular looking. When I saw it this morning I think my expression was a bit like Linus' in the above picture. We've had so little of it and I find I really don't care about having to shovel when on vacation.
Christmas Day 2015 - Christmas Full Moon
Friday, December 25, 2015
Didn't see the moon tonight as it was overcast so I'm glad we had a chance to see it last night. Visible or not, I was aware of its presence. We'll have to wait 19 years for it to occur on Christmas Day again...
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Christmas Day 2015 - Merry Martinis
Friday, December 25, 2015
I've been garnishing my martinis this season with sprigs of rosemary from my rosemary tree. My first martini today was no exception however for the second one I moved on to olives.
Christmas Day 2015 - Entertaining
Friday, December 25, 2015
The rest of the day turned out to be quite lovely. Mom and Lynn came over around 3:00 p.m. While Dale entertained them I made a lasagna. Our friend Mark from choir joined us shortly before eating at 5:00 and a lovely time was had by all. Mark was a big hit with Mom and Lynn. After dinner we watched our own mini-marathon of IT Crowd episodes.
Christmas Day 2015 - Relaxing Morning
Friday, December 25, 2015
From Dale's blog:
"So this is Christmas at our house right now. My present happens to be sitting next to the tree in a Santa hat.
From Dale's blog:
We were listening this morning to this Annie Lennox album. Her versions of these songs may be the best renditions of well-known Christmas carols I’ve ever heard. She makes all the songs fresh and interesting.
Finally, I am laughing in the second picture because Joe is singing along to some silly song and has no idea (I think) that I was taking this picture of both of us."
"We’ll have our very non-traditional Christmas celebration later this afternoon with Christmas lasagna, stir fried green beans, tons of garlic bread, and an “IT Crowd” marathon (or at least half-marathon), I hope. Funniest damned British comedy I’ve ever seen … and I’ve seen quite a few.
I hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas!"
Christmas 2015 - Egg Nog
Friday, December 25, 2015
Egg nog batter works well a as a substitute for cream in your coffee.
Egg nog batter works well a as a substitute for cream in your coffee.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Christmas Full Moon
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Dale and I noticed the Christmas (not quite yet) full moon before getting to church tonight. It was spectacular.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Oh, Cozy Night
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Our church service was at 7:00 p.m. which was nice because we were home by 9:00 and had a little time to read before bed.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Christmas Eve 2015 - Christmas Wish
Thursday, December 24, 2015
What I really wanted for Christmas all those years ago but never got. Oh well, the Snoopy Drive-In Movie was my other dream present and I got that one.
This was the version I wanted. The toy is still sold but these days it's basically just a stupid microwave oven.
This was the version I wanted. The toy is still sold but these days it's basically just a stupid microwave oven.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Christmas Eve 2015 - From Dale's Journal
Thursday, December 24, 2015
"Well, the weather huffed and puffed and tried mightily to deliver a White Christmas to Minneapolis, but that great laboring brought forth a mouse in the form of an icy thin layer of snow/slush that froze solid last night when the temperatures finally dropped below freezing to give us our first “average” day in weeks. Not very Christmas-y and since I’m all about the atmospherics around Christmas, this is kind of disappointing.
But Christmas will come just the same, so we’ll play along. We’re heading to Joe’s mom’s house for the traditional Christmas Eve meal of cheese and bread fondue with a side of tenderloin and carafe of wine. Once the beavers have finished building dams in our arteries and we awake from our stupor, Joe and I will transform into cherubs and sing tonight at Christmas Eve mass.
Tomorrow is Christmas dinner at our house with Joe’s mom, possibly a friend of hers, and the last minute addition of a Christmas orphan who just texted asking if my invitation from a month ago is still good. He promised wine and to wear bells. Well, hell yeah, he had me at “wine”. The bells are just frosting on the cake."
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Christmas Eve 2015 - Egg Nog
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Had to finish out the night with some egg nog.
Had to finish out the night with some egg nog.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Christmas Eve Service
Saturday, December 24, 2015
The Christmas Eve service was lovely. Emma and Gabrielle dancing to Night of Silence was particularly sweet.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Kalle Anke
Saturday, December 24, 2015
Dale and I came home from Mom's a little early so we could get ready for our Christmas Eve service. Both of us are singing in the choir. We had a little time for Kalle Anke prior to departing.
Dale and I came home from Mom's a little early so we could get ready for our Christmas Eve service. Both of us are singing in the choir. We had a little time for Kalle Anke prior to departing.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Christmas Cookies
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Mom served Christmas cookies for dessert. She used Grandma Jean's sugar cookie recipe which turns out some pretty awesome results. Mom thinks they're the best sugar cookies she's ever tasted and I have to agree with her. The recipe had been lost for a while but she told me that this year she found it again! She also served a nut pastry called _________. It's made by Tobie's (yes, the one between Minneapolis and Duluth) although she found it at a grocery store near her. Earlier this morning Dale and I stopped at Kowalski's for some last minute shopping for tomorrow's dinner and I picked up the cookie you see below. It's a shortbread cookie but it had a gingerbread taste to it. The bottom part was dipped in some kind of frosting. The whole thing was marvelous.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Wine
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Mom doesn't have gin on hand so I stuck with wine.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Mom
Thursday, December 24, 2015
This year is my 50th Christmas and I've celebrated all of them with this dear woman. Thanks Mom, for making them great. I love you.
Christmas Eve 2015 - Mom's Tree
We got to Mom's around noon. Her friend Lynn was there to join us for lunch. We started with an appetizer of brie and apple slices on crackers.
Holiday Season 2015 - December 23rd
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
I picked up a shortbread/gingerbread man cookie at the grocery store. The bottom part was dipped in some kind of frosting. The whole thing was marvelous.
Finally got in today for a chest x-ray. I've been walking around for too long with a nasty cough. Dale picked me up at home after his gym workout to get me to my appointment at 2:00. We stopped by Potbelly afterward for sandwiches. Took a drive around the lakes after before heading to Kowalski's for grocery shopping. The falling snow made it look so lovely outside. Kowalski's was quite busy. Dale reached his limit way before I did but he didn't complain at all. In fact, he didn't tell me he was going nuts until I told him that I couldn't take it anymore. I think we got everything we needed. We attempted to stop by the liquor store but saw that it looked like a madhouse as we drove by. We'll have to hit it tomorrow before getting to Mom's for fondue.
Dale and I went to the Normandy Inn for dinner before choir practice. I ordered a martini, of course. When the server asked if I wanted another, the word yes spilled out of my mouth quite quickly considering I wasn't planning on having another.
Choir practice went well enough although Andrew, our director, was a little weird about making sure folks had access to sheet music they hadn't picked up yet.
We helped set out the poinsettias in the sanctuary after rehearsal. Steve, Brandon, Dale, and I headed to the 8th Street Tavern after rehearsal for cocktails. I went with Diet Coke since I'd had a couple martinis at dinner.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Holiday Season 2015 - Snow
Got a little bit of snow overnight yesterday. I think this may be as close as we get to a white Christmas.
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