Christmastide:MLK Weekend Sunday - Christmistletoe

Sunday, January 19, 2025

Meant to post this earlier but it's been a busy week. Dale announced his retirement a few days ago. I celebrated with a cigar. 

When Dale got home we went to The Lowbrow to celebrate with cocktails and dinner. 

And dessert. I find Christmastide to be a great time to celebrate new beginnings and anticipate good things to come. 

By the way, that cigar I mentioned earlier took about an hour to smoke and it was at least as cold out as it's gonna be for the in-uugh-uration tomorrow (which has now been moved inside due to... "extremely cold temperatures").  Bah!!!

Brunch with Dale at The Lowbrow. While Dale was out parking the car I told our server Dominic about Dale's retirement. He was sweet and brought us some complimentary coffee cake with a candle in it. Dale made a wish, blew out the candle, looked up at me with a smile and said, 'I got it.' When I asked him what he wished for he told me to be here with me. 

After  brunch we stopped by the cemetery to  see Dad. Recently I saw a display of chocolate covered cherries at Lund's and they reminded me of all the times as a kid I'd stop to at Woolworth's or Wagreens to get him a box as a Christmas present to him. I remember as a kid the first time I was old enought to have just enough money saved from my allowances to buy some meager Christmas gift for my immediate family members. Having no idea what to get Dad I asked Mom for ideas. She suggested chocolate covered cherries.  He loved 'em but I  never saw him buy them for himself. 

After we got home I lit up a cigar in the garage. It was fantastic. However, it was so cold out I  had to take a break in the middle of it to come in and warm up. 

I had a bit of the port Mom brought over a while ago. She and Dale weren't fans. I like it.

I listened to some music. I really enjoy the above recording. I remember Sir Neville Marriner as the conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra from 1979 to 1986. This album contains many wonderful carols many of which aren't heard that often including. Jesus Christ the Apple tree, Personent Hodie, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day (which I remember from my. Annunciation days), and Past Three O'clock. 

We're experiencing some of the coldest weather so far of this winter. Very cold out as we're getting ready for bed. 

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Tenth Day of Christmas

Friday, January 3, 2025 

More Sunday scaries today but I talked myself down. Now it just feels like the verge of a regular weekend. Anyway, Mom’s decided recently that she needs an Apple Watch so we ventured to Southdale (It opened in 1956 and was the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall in the United States. My family did a LOT of shopping there when I was growing up.) I asked her why she wanted the watch and she said that all the old ladies (the ones in their 90s which does NOT include her - her words) in her senior living building have them. The watch has an I’ve-fallen-and-I-can’t-get-up feature which is why all the old ladies (again, her words) in their 90s in her building have one. I know there are probably cheaper options but I didn’t feel like talking her out of what she wanted. We went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch and took some time to get the watch set up while waiting for our food. She was actually quite giddy playing with it and was like a kid with a new toy. I hope Sam and Pete and I showed as much joy as kids with our new Christmas toys and that Mom and Dad witnessed it. It’s actually quite touching to see.

Another little cigar this afternoon despite the cold. Smaller cigars are the answer to freezing weather. I can last 20 minutes outside if it’s in the teens and I’m dressed for it. Besides, it wasn’t windy and the sun was out. Nice weather.

Simple dinner of a frozen pizza tonight and also broccoli salad from the Lund’s deli. Mom gave me a bag of Christmas candy today so we had that for dessert. 

We also got into the bottle of Prosecco that Mike and Charisse gave us on New Year’s Eve.

Epiphany Sunday 2024

Sunday, January 7, 2024

1st Sunday After Epiphany

Church this morning. Dale and I were lobby hosts. 

After the service Dale and I helped Rosemary take down the decorations and lights of the outdoor Christmas tree.

Before Christmas I had bought a memorial of a poinsettia for Dad for them to use to decorate the church. Dale had a meeting at church recently and brought it home for me (not the one shown above). It was in a bag and I haven't even opened it yet. They're bad for cats so I put it upstairs. 

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. 

MLK Weekend 2023 - Christmistletoe and A Nice Day for a Walk

Sunday, January 16, 2023

Dale and I are feeling marginally better and felt we should spend a little time today trying to build a little strength back since we're each going back to work on Wednesday. We took a walk to the cemetery and stopped by the mausoleum to visit Dad. 

It was warm walking in the sun. 

On the way back we stopped by the mailbox to drop my DNA sample in the mailbox to send to Ancestry. 

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 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.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas - Dad's Manger

Sunday, January 5, 2020

I took the big manger scene down yesterday - the Lennox Renaissance one that Mom used to set up on the buffet at the house on Stevens. For the life of me I can't find the wise men figures that go with that set. Where could they hav gone to?! Anyway, for today I set up the manger Dad made out of sticks for me when I was a little boy. This set includes the wise men. Now where could the other ones have gone to?

Holiday Season 2018 - Manger Scene

Friday, November 23, 2018

The kids wanted to set up the manger scene and asked me for a little help with the structure. My Dad built the creche back in the late 1960s and Mom sewed the figures. As kids we helped set it up every Christmas. Mom offered to give it to me about 10 years ago knowing how much I loved it as a kid. As much as I would have liked it I told her no and to offer it to Sam or Pete because they've got kid I thought would enjoy it. Pete ended up with it after a deal was worked out with Sam. Pete's kids added the Grinch and his dog, Max.  

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.

New Year's Day 2016 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

New Year's Day 2016

For the Christmas season a neighbor family has had this on display:

Funny because I've been planning to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens with Mom today. It was quite a bit of fun in and of itself but also because I remember going as a family back in 1977 to see the first one. It was such a trip to see the original cast back up on the big screen again and I don't care what the haters say, I thought Carrie Fisher looked fantastic. 

When the movie was over, Mom turned to the 20-something sitting next to her and said with excitement  "I took him to see the original back in 1977." I giggled with glee but the gal looked back at Mom with a blank expression. 

In the car Mom leaned over and referenced the interaction saying, "I don't think young people who've grown up watching videos of the movies can understand how exciting it was to watch the original on the big screen for the first time." 

Nope, they can't. I can't forget the warm early June night when Mom, Dad, Sam, and I went to see it suburban Minneapolis. We had no idea what to expect. No idea. 

Christmas Day 2014

Mom, Dale, and I had pumpkin pie for dessert while watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Mom noticed I had set out the manger Dad made for me so many years ago.

Christmas Eve 2014 - Walking Athena

Dad was on my mind a lot tonight. I walked Athena by the cemetery and took a snapshot of the mausoleum where he's buried, albeit it was quite a distance from where I snapped the shot. The above image was made by enlarging the dot that was the mausoleum and then running the photo through a computer generated filter. The walk we took was beautiful. The temperature was mild and there was the anticipation that precedes Christmas in the air. The mausoleum looked like a distance light in the darkness which is a theme that seems quite appropriate for tonight.