Ornaments Off the Tree

Last year I had the ornaments off the tree by January 30. This year they're all off by today, Groundhog Day. The tree itself didn't come down last year until Feb. 27. Let's see if I can beat that this year.

Christmas Season 2011 - My Attempt at Christmas Cookies

Back in early December I bought a kit to make gingerbread cookies. The cookies in the kit were pre-baked and the frosting and sprinkles were included. Well, it's Martin Luther King, Jr. day and I finally got around to making them. They tasted better than they look.

Christmas Season 2011 -Twelfth Night & Summary

I did a little research online today and found out the following:

"Twelfth Night is a festival in some branches of Christianity marking the coming of the Epiphany and concluding the Twelve Days of Christmas."

"It is defined by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary as 'the evening of the fifth of January, preceding Twelfth Day, the eve of the Epiphany, formerly the last day of the Christmas festivities and observed as a time of merrymaking.' However, there is currently some confusion as to which night is Twelfth Night: some count the night of Epiphany itself (sixth of January) to be Twelfth Night. One source of this confusion is the Medieval custom of starting each new day at sunset, so that Twelfth Night precedes Twelfth Day."

Well, tonight is the eve of January 6th so we'll follow the Medieval custom and call this Twelfth Night.

Dale and I celebrated with drinks, steaks and chocolate cake (and Downton Abbey too). It was all very lovely.

Christmastide this year was remarkable. It was full of family, fun, food, friends, gifts, Gethsemane and more. I'd like to help sum it all up with a poem. 

Ring Out, Wild Bells

Ring out wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light:

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind

For those that here we see no more;

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

But ring the fuller minstrel in. 

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

-Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)

Christmas Season 2011 - A Visit to St. Mary's Cemetery

I wanted to stop by Dad's burial site before the holiday season is over. The snow that fell on New Year's is still making everything look pretty. The mausoleum where he is buried can be seen in the center of the photo.

Christmas Season 2011 - New Year's Day 2012

I love sunny New Year's Days and looking at the sunlight pouring in the windows. New Year's Day is one of the only days of the year that I'm okay with feeling lazy. I sat on the couch and read my Nook.

Christmas Season 2011 - New Year's Eve 2011

Dale and I stayed in tonight. We made a pot pie for dinner and had left-over Yule log cake for dessert. Also, we watched Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy on television. In bed by 10:30.

Christmas Season 2011 - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Dale and I watched the Rankin/Bass Christmas special 'Twas the Night Before Christmas yesterday. It first aired in 1974 and I don't think I've seen it since the late 1970s. I remember loving it as a kid.

Christmas Season 2011 - Brown Christmas

We officially had a brown Christmas this year; the first since 2006.

Christmas Season 2011 - Nordic Ware Yule Log Cake

Dale and I entertained our friends Warren and Gary last night. We had lasagna for dinner and I made a Yule log cake with my Nordic Ware cake pan.  It was fabulous, even if I do say so myself!

Christmas Season 2011 - The Joe and Noel Post Holiday Shopping Adventure

Noel and I did our annual post-Christmas tchotchke shopping today. We started out having lunch at W.A. Frost in St. Paul. We then headed dowtown St. Paul to check out Nakashian - O'Neil and found a sign on the door saying that they were closed and that Mr. O'Neil had died on December 24. Noel and I discovered the store only a few weeks before and Mr. O'Neil had seemed to be in good spirits that day. We were impressed with their glass Christmas tree ornaments. I found and purchased a Nativity set there that was the same as one Mom had had in her childhood. Noel and I were surprised that we had never come across this store in our many years of Christmas tchotchke shopping together.

We also checked out Gypsy Moon on Randolph Avenue near Noel's apartment and I found quite a few things there including the star that is pictured above. Also pictured above is a Santa that Noel and I had been looking at on our last few visits to the store and decided we'd wait until they went half price after Christmas. Noel hiked over there this morning before I picked her up and found that there were two left and nabbed them for both of us.

Christmas Season 2011 - Stuff Dale Got In His Stocking

Left to right (top photo): Night Before Christmas book, Santa Bear 2006 ornament, "noel" ornament so we can think of our friend Noel all year 'round, and Mrs. Potato Head. 

Christmas Season 2011 - Stuff I Got In My Stocking

Minnie Mouse is on springy legs so she wobbles. The candle is lit by and LED bulb but you can actually blow it out AND it has a fragrance. Also, a Kiss from Dale.

Christmas Day 2011 - Christmas Cocktail

Joe with a Tanqueray martini.

Christmas Day 2011 - The (Finally) Finished Tree

I've been working on getting the tree trimmed over the course of the past week. Because I had school all the way through the 23rd I've only been able to add the decorations sporadically. The star was finally added today just before Mom got here for dinner. It's been nice to see the fully decorated tree in the daylight. Last week I was only seeing the tree after dark due to work.

Christmas Day 2011 - The Bumble On the Loose

The Bumble was running amok. I think he needed a drink.

Christmas Day 2011 - Dinner

Mom came over for dinner and we feasted on turkey. Dale did most of the prep although I did do some of the basting. 

Christmas Day 2011 - Under the Tree

Dale and Joe

Christmas Day 2011

Christmas Eve - My How the Bumble Has Grown

Christmas Eve 2011 - Dinner at Mom's

After the Christmas Eve service, Dale and I went   to Mom's for dinner. We started with some lovely hor d'ourves of brie cheese and jelly on crackers. For dinner we had cheese fondue and steak. Brownies  for dessert. 

Christmas Eve 2011

Dale and I sang at the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve service at Gethsemane Episcopal Church this afternoon. Mom attended the service. I had a solo in Children Run Joyfully, that went, if I do say so myself, pretty well. The service itself was lovely and it was so nice to have Mom there with us. The above photo was taken on December 4th. We haven't had much snow this season. In fact, it's the first brown Christmas we've had since 2006.