Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Second Day of Christmas: Boxing Day & Lucky's Grove

Friday, December 26, 2025

Finished Lucky's Grove, a ghost story for Christmas illustrated by Seth, this morning. I rather enjoyed it. According to the teaser on the back of the book: "In preparation for the upcoming Christmas celebrations, the servants of wealthy Mr. Braxton unwittingly cut a tree from the sacred grounds of Lucky's Grove. As guests arrive, injuries, illness, and mysterious occurrences soon plague Abingdale Hall - with the worst to come on Christmas Day." Da Da DAAAAA. 

Christmas cigar. Meant to smoke this one on Christmas Day but was feeling a little spotty. My body just doesn't want to cooperate with me sometimes. Pretty pleasant outside (for a hearty Minnesotan).

Had an Old Fashioned with my cigar. 

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Second Day of Christmas - Leaving Phoenix and a Couple Ghost Stories

Thursday, December. 26, 2024

Dianne called us outside this morning to see the sunrise. It certainly was spectacular. Dale and I took Irv to his physical therapy appointment this morning. He did really well. Afterward we went to Brenda and Irv's place. Dianne came to pick us up and take us to the airport. Before we left she changed the bandaging on Brenda's head from her Mohs surgery. Irv wanted Dale to put their car in the garage but Dianne recommended against it as there just wouldn't be enough. room for walking around the car with a walker in such a tight space. Irv was none to happy although I think he actually was pretty accepting of it in the end. Eventually he's going to have to have the keys taken away from him and I just don't see that playing. out well at all. 

Read my second ghost story of the season on the plane ride home. The synopsis is as follows: "When Margaret finds a cottage to rent in the moorlands for her visiting Aunt Dorothea, she pays no mind to its rumored dark history. But when Dorothea goes missing only days after her arrival, a haunting tale of greed and murder soon comes to light." The scariest parts are told through a letter from Aunt Dorothea to Margaret after they happen which lends a certain eeriness to the whole story. I really liked this one.

Read the 3rd ghost story of the Christmas season from Seth on the plane ride home. The synopsis: "When. a group of tourists visits the deserted island of Podolo, one wants to rescue a feral cat they find there, and the others reluctantly agree. Unfortunately,  the rescue proves more difficult than they expect - and they soon discover they're not alone on Podolo." Tragic and sufficiently creepy. 

Our plane landed at about 7:45 pm. By the time we got our luggage and stopped by the grocery store on the way home from the airport we finally wallked in the back door just before 9 pm Sylvester was really glad to see us.

Christmas Season 2023/2024 - 2nd Day of Christmas: This, That, and the Other Thing

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Two Turtle Doves

Dale and I got our Covid and regular flu shots at Walgreens today. Glad to get that out of the way. Dale also got the RSV shot. I'm not quite old enough to get that one. 

                      

Cocktail hour this evening. All of the food we've been eating the past few days have been quite heavy and we're really feeling it. We've decided to go with salmon and roasted broccoli tonight which will feel a bit lighter. 

Canadian style Old Fashioned cocktail with Knob Creek bourbon, maple syrup, orange bitters, topped off with Sprite. Drank this tonight. Warren and I drank these when he was over on Christmas Day. 

Christmas Season 2023/2024 - 2nd Day of Christmas: Visiting Dad

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

I took a walk through St. Mary's this morning. 

Stopped by the mausoleum to see Dad's marker. 

Also stopped by the headstone of where my Mom's friend Paula is buried. Our family knew Paula from church. She was originally from Switzerland and came to the U.S. as a young woman. After I moved out and met Dale, Mom would invite her to spend Christmas Day at the house on Stevens. Dale and I have fond memories of visiting with her when she'd be over. We loved her broom cookies she would bring over and share with us. They were thin circular cookies that she'd drape over a broom handle as soon as they'd come out of the oven. They'd melt a little and droop to form a crescent. They were delicious. That was  all back in the 90s which is starting to seem like a long time ago. 

I took quite a lengthy walk. I think it ended up being about 6,000 steps which took about an hour. 

I had time to think about how hard the last few months have been work-wise. I'm thinking hard about how long I can keep doing what I'm doing. Dale's thinking about cutting back on his work hours and also about retiring. I think we're ready and even getting a little excited about it despite how daunting it can sometimes seem. 

The only constant is change as the old cliche goes. 

Christmas Season 2022/2023 - 2nd Day of Christmas: Dinner with Friends

Monday, December 26, 2022

Noel and I usually hit the sales the day after Christmas but the store we really want to go to doesn't open back up until tomorrow so we'll wait until then. Dale and I had dinner tonight at the house of our friends Alyn and Bill. They live over by Lake Como in St. Paul. We're still experiencing very cold weather but it's keeping all the snow we've gotten from melting and it still looks like a winter wonderland outside. Driving up the hill approaching their house with all the snow and a crescent moon over the lake was absolutely stunning. Dale and I really haven't seen Alyn and Bill since their wedding just over a year ago. It was nice to catch up and it turned out to be a delightful evening. 

Christmastide 2021/2022 - 2nd Day of Christmas: Books of the Day

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Pulled a couple of old favorites off the shelf today. One was 'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore which I've heard just about every year since I was born. The poem is also known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and "The Night Before Christmas." It was originally published anonymously as "Account of A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1823. Clement C. Moore is said to have claimed authorship in 1837. The poem is often credited as responsible for the modern conception of Santa Claus in the United States and much of the world. The edition I read today is a reproduction of the version with illustrations by Jessie Willcox Smith which appeared in 1912. I obtained my copy of this rendition at the gift shop from the Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul. Noel and I took a tour of the house of the former Minnesota politician two or three years ago. 

The second book I revisited is Santa Mouse by Michael Brown with illustrations by Elfrieda de Witt. This story didn't appear until a 146 years after 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I had this book as a little boy and reading it now brings back early Christmas memories of me in my room at the house on Stevens at Christmas time. It's about a lonely little mouse who befriends Santa Claus after selflessly giving a gift to the jolly old elf. My original copy of the book is long gone but about 20 years ago I spotted a copy at Barnes & Noble and snapped it up for the sake of nostalgia. One of my favorites. 

Christmastide 2021/2022 - 2nd Day of Christmas: Noel's Annual Holiday Fete

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Usually Noel and I do a Day-After-Christmas-Holiday-Shopping-Spree. However this year the store we really want to hit isn't opening up for their sale until this coming Tuesday so we've decided to postpone until then. Noel and I did get together though for her 23rd Annual Holiday Fete along with Dale and Caroline and Steven. 

As usual a good time was had by all. Noel got lemon chicken from Kowalski's and made a delicious salad herself to go along with it. Caroline brought dessert. Dale and I brought some wine and the Christmas crackers which contained some charms, bad jokes, and paper crowns. 

We all played a game Caroline brought called Ransom Notes. It was quite fun. One player would read a direction task card and then everyone would write their answer using magnetic words. For example, my response to the above direction is as follows:

We sang along to the Chrissy song.

And enjoyed one another's company. 

Although Noel didn't host in December of 2020 due to there not being a vaccine for covid yet Dale and I did a Christmas in August party in 2020 for the same crew. 

Noel brought a tree with lights...

...and Caroline brought her awesome berry cobbler. 

This little summer gathering in August of 2020 still allows us to say we've done this every year since it began. 

For the August 2020 gathering I didn't have a ghost story picked out so I googled 'short ghost stories' on my phone. Shown above are a couple of the better ones I shared. 

I didn't have any ghost stories to share at the December 2021 gathering but did have some ghost jokes. For example: Why are ghosts such terrible liars? Because you can see right through them.

Christmastide 2021/2022 - 2nd Day of Christmas: A Quiet Walk to See Dad

Sunday, December 26, 2021

I took a walk to St. Mary's to see Dad early this afternoon. 

It was rather glum out. Despite this there was a beautiful peacefulness and calm which hung over the cemetery. 

The quiet was quite comforting.

Wishing and hoping that Dad is somehow feeling that same peacefulness and calm. 

Christmastide 2021/2022 - 2nd Day of Christmas: Quiet Morning

Sunday, December 26, 2021

I've really enjoyed the quiet mornings I've experienced this Christmas break. Today was no exception. 

Along with my morning coffee I had some of the chocolate chip cookies Mom brought over last night and some krumkake I got at Kowalski's. 

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - The Joe and Noel Post-Holiday Shopping Adventure That Wasn't

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Noel and I had planned on doing our post holiday shopping adventure today but when I got ahold of her this morning it turns out she was sick overnight and still not feeling well. One of the smaller ways it feels like 2020 just keeps on taking. It's like it's flipping us off by messing with traditions. 

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - A Walk Through the Cemetery Part 3

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Stopped by to say Merry Christmas to Dad on my cemetery walk. 

Dad, I think of you often but especially so over these past few days. My fondest memories sustain me in your absence but it's just not the same as having you here. I miss you so very much. Rest well and Merry Christmas.

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - A Walk Through the Cemetery Part 2

Saturday, December 26, 2020

On my cemetery walk I noticed a path someone had shoveled out of the snow. I followed it. It led to a little opening which had also been shoveled. Two Christmas trees had each been placed at a grave site. They both had male first names names last names were the same. I’m assuming they were father and son as the older was about 30 years the younger one’s elder. The younger died 25 years ago but would have been my about my age now had he lived. The older one died 13 years ago. The same year as my dad. 

I mentioned this to Dale when I got home an he knew just what I was talking about. Yesterday during a cemetery walk he notice a group of people shoveling out the area and setting up the trees. They held a small gathering and looked like they were having a nice time. What a nice way to remember. 

Christmastide 2020: The 2nd Day of Christmas - A Walk Through the Cemetery Part 1

Saturday, December 26, 2020

I took a nice long walk through the cemetery this morning. Peaceful, serene, beautiful.