Christmas Eve 2024: Cookies and Lattes

 Tuesday, December 24, 2024

After dinner Dianne made lattes and we had some holiday inspired Milanos. 

I asked Alexa to play a few Christmas songs for us starting with Do You Hear What I Hear by Lincoln Brewster. 

Next a trio of Christmas songs from The Killers. Dale's favorite is Joel the Lump of Coal. He says it always makes him a little teary. Christmas In L.A. really resonates with me this year as it's about not being home for Christmas. It's evocative of the song White Christmas and actually incorporates part of that song into it. I'm doing pretty well not being home for Christmas and am enjoying it here quite a bit but am finding I'm missing Mom quite a bit. 

Christmas Eve 2024: Dinner

Tuesday, December 24, 2024 

The table was minimally yet beautifully set. 

The stroganoff was savory and delicious. 

And enjoyed by everyone. 

Dianne selected A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack for dinner music. 

Christmas Eve 2024: Cigar Time

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Shifted into Christmas Eve mode around 3:00.

Provided minimal help to John by chopping onions as he was starting to get tonight's beef stroganoff ready.

Dale coached John by sharing what he does for his own beef stroganoff recipe. 

Cigar time arrived around 3:30. It was perfect out. 

We'd reached the high for the day. 

So I lit up. 

I moved on from gin to bourbon. John took a break from cooking and came out for a swim. He said my cigar smelled great. He was right. It tasted great too.

Christmas Season 2023/2024 - Christmas Eve Service

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Christmas Eve service tonight at Grace Episcopal. 

Dale and I were lobby hosts so we had to be there at 6:45 p.m. although the service didn't start until 8:00.

Quite a lovely service. I love singing Silent Night with candles and the church lights dimmed. 

Holiday Season 2023 - 1 Days to Go: 4th Sunday of Advent & Christmas Eve Day

 Sunday, December 24, 2023

Countdown to Christmas - 1 Day

A few more things to set out. 

Dale and I went to Lunds this morning to pick up some last minute stuff. It's eerily warm outside. No snow at all but we're supposed to be getting some rain soon. 

Dale and I took Mom to Jax for their Sunday buffet brunch. 

We nabbed a parking spot in Lobster Lane. I think that's the closet we've ever parked. 

The buffet was delicious. I think Mom really liked it. 

Santa was out on the patio so I snapped a photo. 

 

I started to set up the manger scene. 

Christmas Eve 2022 - Kalle Anke

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Started Kalle Anke at 3:00 p.m. 

Found one of the old Disney From All of Us to All of You videos on youTube. 

I don't think it's the same version that's broadcast in Sweden but it worked fine just the same. One of the cartoons was Donald's Snow Fight which was pretty funny.

Dale made himself some tea.

I had a Bloody Mary.

Sylvester slept.

Holiday Season 2021 - Difficult Christmas Eve Morning

Friday, December 24, 2021

Woke up this morning and was saddened to find out from Dale that John C. fell late last night and spent overnight on the floor. Something was not working with his phone. Dale got in touch with him this morning and went over to help get everything sorted out. Also, we found out that the adolescent son of friends of ours tried to commit suicide last night by overdosing on pills. He's alive now but unconscious and it is not certain he'll make it. I'm hoping for the best. 

Christmas Eve 2020 - Simple Dinner

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Simple dinner of chili tonight. We watched the most recent episode of Star Trek: Discovery. We're not entertaining tonight so we decided to make it extra easy. The hard work comes tomorrow when we'll be up early to prepare the beef bourguignon. Mom'll be coming for dinner! None of the three of us have interacted closely with anyone outside our immediate households for a while so it should be quite safe. 

Christmas Eve 2020 - Kalle Anke

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Kalle Anke this year was in the form of a Disney DVD I picked up years ago featuring a bunch of winter themed Disney shorts. My two favorites are Mickey's Good Deed from 1932 and Rescue Dog from 1947.  

The Depression era Mickey's Good Deed finds Mickey wanting to bring Christmas joy to a downtrodden family at great sacrifice to himself. Amazing to me that this short is 88 years old. 

Rescue Dog has Pluto interacting with a mischievous seal who keeps trying to steal his cask of grog. 

I got a kick out of the sign that Pluto displays early in the cartoon. It makes me think it would be nice to have such a sign at the entrance to our house as a testament to our residence being graced by Athena, our own lovingly dutiful dog who watches over Dale and me. 

Here is Athena on duty as we watch another Disney short during our Kalle Anke observance.

I read recently that in Sweden in 2019 Kalle Anke och hans vanner onskar God Jul (Donald Duck and His Friends Wish You a Merry Christmas) had 3.3 million viewers which is just under a third of the entire Swedish population. 

Christmas Eve 2020 - Merry Christmas from Us

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Merry Christmas to all!

(And from Athena too.)

Christmas Eve 2019 - Service

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Gethsemane closed about a month ago and for the first time in 20 years Dale and I are without a church home. We have both noted the absence especially for the holiday season. We decided to attend Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church which is just up the road from us.

We left the house at 3 p.m. for the 3:30 service and listened to the familiar and friendly voice of Mindy Ratner on MPR as we made the short drive to the church. It's a good thing we left when we did because when we arrived the sanctuary was nearly at capacity. We found a mini-pew just big enough for the two of us in the back rear corner. 

The service was lovely. Coming from a small struggling church that just closed it was energizing to be in a well attended church big enough to support a good sized cherub choir in addition to a youth choir. I'm sure they have an adult choir as well.