Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Eleventh Day of Christmas: Mom

 Sunday, January 4, 2025

Visited Mom today and gave Dale the day off. He's been so wonderful with all the time he spent with her while I was sick. A couple of those days were really tough days for her too. She continues to do well. Hopefully tomorrow she will be moved to the TCU.

Christmas Season 2023/2024 - 11th Day of Christmas: Lights and Candles

 Thursday, January 4, 2024

The 11th Day of Christmas - 11 Pipers Piping

Got home from work a little earlier than usual and had a cigar in the garage. First cigar of the New Year. 

Not much else going on tonight. Dale had to work a little later than usual. 

 

Lit the candles.

Turned on the lights.

And tried to enjoy the atmosphere during the waning days of the Christmas Season.

Christmas Season 2022/2023 - 11th Day of Christmas: Snow Day!

Wednesday, January 4, 2022

Well, not quite a traditional snow day. The new normal with remote learning is that there are no more days off from school when the snowfall makes travel impossible. It's now distance learning. Anyway, it was a break from the routine. 

Anyway, it's been snowing since yesterday so it was nice to be able to gradually keep up with the shoveling. 

Also had time to keep up with the news of Republicans embarrassing themselves trying to elect a House Speaker. 

Along with shoveling I got the roof raked. 

Dale and I had a nice roulade for dessert tonight. 

Christmastide 2021/2022 - 11th Day of Christmas: Christmas Stories

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

A book I ordered before Christmas, A Very Irish Christmas, finally arrived today. Can't wait to jump into it. I like reading Christmas themed short stories in January. It's a way for me to help keep the Christmas spirit going until Candlemas on February 2. 

Christmastide 2020: The 11th Day of Christmas -

Monday, January 4, 2021

Tchotchkes are slowly being put away however the manger scenes remain up. 

The Eleventh Day of Christmas - Miracle on 34th Street

Saturday, January 24, 2020

Dale and I watched Miracle on 34th Street tonight. Neither one of us has seen it in a number of years. We used to watch it on Thanksgiving morning while the turkey was baking. 

My high school friend, Sharon, and I went to see this at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts way back when we were in high school. I remember how charmed and enchanted we were with it. Sadly, Sharon died about 10 years ago. I still think of her fondly and often. 

We had salmon for dinner and for dessert we decided to finish up some of the cookies Mom made for us. I can't remember what they're called. It's been a number of years since she's made them however they were a yearly thing when we were kids. It's a pillow like cookie similar in concept to ravioli and they're stuffed with dates. They're delicious and when I first bit into one after all these years it brought me right back to Christmas at the house on Stevens with the sounds of the Kingston Trio and the Harry Simeone Chorale in my ears. 

The Eleventh Day of Christmas - Dry January, Sun, and Putting Stuff Away

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Today was a very quiet day for me so it was a good time to reflect. Found a bottle of Hendricks gin laying in the snow at the edge of someone's yard while walking Athena this morning. It felt like I was being taunted about doing a dry January!

Saw the sun today for the first time since December 31. Winters seem to be a bit warmer and much cloudier with climate change. 

Began the process of putting away some of the Christmas tchotchkes. Dale said he read somewhere that if you don't get your stuff down by the 12th day of Christmas that you have to leaving it up until Candlemas on February 2, otherwise bad luck. Being that this is a presidential election year I don't think I wanna take a chance.

Eleventh Day of Christmas (Part 3) - Lettin' Loose

Friday, January 4, 2019

Dinner again at John and Dianne's. Everyone's exhausted but up for fun. I know I was. Cocktails by the fire pit. 

Then time to get on the Speedo and hit the hot tub for the second time today. I think it got to 67 degrees today!!

Dale and Irv joined me. We didn't think we'd get Irv in. He surprised us and said it felt great on his back. 

Salmon for dinner. Dale took Brenda and Irv home and picked up some coconut cake at Albertson's to bring back to Dianne and John's. 

In bed pretty early as we've got to get to the airport early tomorrow morning. 

Eleventh Day of Christmas (Part 2) - Dale and the Saguro

Friday, January 4, 2019

It wasn't until I took the pictures that I realized how HUGE these things are!

Eleventh Day of Christmas (Part 1) -

Friday, January 4, 2019

Early morning hot tub with John. Dianne pointed out Venus and Jupiter. Beautiful how they made a kind of arc in the sky.

Nice morning walk with Dale after the sun was up. Supposed to be nice and warm today.

Harvey Ann seems to be settling in nicely (he's off Xanax).

Grocery store run with Brenda and Irv.

Christmas Season 2015/2016 - Chocolate Covered Cherries

Monday, January 4, 2016

Mike brought these over for New Year's Eve. Made me think of Dad because he LOVED chocolate covered cherries. As a kid they were often the gift I'd pick up for him at Walgreen's or Woolworth's.