Christmas Season 2023/2024 - 5th Day of Christmas Part 3: Noel's Annual Chrissy the Christmas Mouse Party

Friday, December 29, 2023

The Fifth Day of Christmas 

Noel had her annual Christmas gathering last night. Dale and I along with Caroline and Stephen were in attendance. 

Noel's cat Ella has been under the weather lately. Noel was quite worried as Ella is 17 years old. It turns out she had a kidney stone and she's doing much better now.

It was good to see everyone and the food was great (Noel has Kowalski's cater it).

     

I think it meant a lot to Noel that we were all there. 

Christmas Season 2022/2023 - 6th Day of Christmas: Chrissy

Friday, December 30, 2022 

Noel's annual holiday gathering occurred as usual this year. Sadly Stephen was ill this year and not able to make it. We carried on without his but it wasn't quite as fun. 

I told a ghost story that was a mash up of The Clown Statue and The Bloody Finger, I thought it was fun. 

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.

Holiday Season 2020 - A Christmas Mouse

Monday, December 14, 2020

Noel and I stopped by A Rare Bird this past weekend. Kelly was offering a free mouse with the purchase of a designer pillow. Most of the proceeds from the sale are given to a local women's shelter. According to Kelly, the material of the pillow I picked out is Christian LaCroix.

This is the reverse. 

And this is the mouse. 

When Noel bought her pillow and free mouse she told Kelly the story of her annual holiday fete (aka The Chrissy the Christmas Mouse party). 

Long ago, Noel and I were driving around in the old big brown bomber car that had once been her father's. I think it may have been a Cadillac. Anyway, it was so old the fm radio no longer worked so she could only get am stations. This was back in the 90s and a lot of the old radio personalities from WCCO AM 830 had migrated over to KLBB which featured pre rock era singers and standards. The station featured holiday music during the Christmas season and while out and about one December a song titled Chrissy the Christmas Mouse came on. It featured Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Conner on lead vocals singing about a Christmas Mouse named Chrissy who helps Santa. 

Anyway, sometime in the mid-90s Noel started hosting her holiday fete and invited Dale and I along with her friends Caroline and Stephen. Initially she hosted us separately but decided to save time and energy by combining use together. I found a CD of the song and gifted it to Noel one year and during one of the Chrissy parties we played it to horrify Caroline, Stephen and Dale. It continued yearly. 

The Fourth Day of Christmas - Noel's 21st Annual Holiday Fete

Saturday, December 28, 2019

According to Noel this is the 21st time we've done this so tonight we started our third decade. After we all arrived, Noel started with a toast to her deceased parents. Her relationship with a couple of her living relatives is fraught so she mentioned how much she appreciates those in her chosen family. 

Her tree, as always, looked great.

And also, as always, ... 

...her place was decorated to the hilt. She credited her mother with her love of decorating including decking the halls at Christmastime. 

The conversation was lively.

And it was good to catch up with everyone, especially Caroline and Stephen who we don't see as often. 

Dinner was provide by Mrs. Kowalski and consisted of chicken dummies, fruit, cole slaw, and for dessert, chocolate covered strawberries. 

Caroline brought an awesome apple/blackberry crumble. After we finished that we played a card game Noel picked up called Unstable Unicorns. Sick but fun.

I got a mini deck of cards in my Christmas cracker. I decided to give it to Little Bear when I got home. 

Holiday Season 2018 - Noel's 20th Annual Holiday Fete

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Noels annual holiday gathering was last night. At the beginning of the party she told us she did the math and figured that this is the 20th year of having us over! I hadn't been feeling great during the day but not so poorly that I didn't think I could make it. Sadly, I was wrong. About 2 hours in the nausea overtook me and I ended up in the bathroom for a while. Everyone felt terrible for me and Dale took me home. 

This morning I texted the above pictures to Caroline, Stephen, and Noel saying, "So sorry I had to leave last night. I felt we were just getting started! Although, as you're aware, based on how I was feeling there was not other choice. I continued to get worse after getting home and I was up multiple times throughout the night. Woke up this morning feeling better - no more nausea and so far everything is staying down. However I'm feeling week, exhausted, and dehydrated. On the couch now. Here's my view. I've been joined by this mouse who stowed away with us upon leaving last night. Says her name is Chrissy..."  [See above two photos]

Laying low today. Ate a little bit and trying to take in some coffee even though I'm not in the mood for it. However, I don't want to go without it and risk a headache later. 

Noel texted me back a bit later saying, "Don't apologize! So glad your'e feeling a bit better today. Take good care of yourself. I hope Dale stays well too. Peace."

Caroline responded, "I'm glad you're feeling better! I had that little bug too - quick but feisty. Take care and give Chrissy some cheese!"

Christmas Season 2017/2018 - Noel's Annual Holiday Fete

Saturday, December 30, 2017

The tradition continues. We figured that we've been doing this get together since 1998. 

Rosie likes to model but cannot sit still long enough to look at the camera.

Noel had to hold her so I could get this shot. 

Ella Bella is becoming more and more outgoing. She let me snap this lovely photo of her.

Noel's tree looked awesome. The teal lights are especially stunning. 

The conversation was lively as always. 

The menu included chicken wings and dummies   meatballs, cheese and crackers, fruit, and salad.

For dessert there were chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered cherries, and  chocolate torte (with no need of reform as it was perfect). 

Joe read and enchanted everyone with a ghost story titled Christmas in the Blue Chamber by Jerome K. Jerome.

And we all know Stephen is a tree hugger.  Chrissy the Christmas mouse made a brief appearance. She seemed a little miffed most likely due to her being more and more excluded from the event in recent years.