Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Fourth Day of Christmas: Pumpkin Pie

 Sunday, December 28, 2025

Not feeling well at all today. I've got a cold or the flu and I'm worried about Mom. 

Dale made me dinner and brought me some pumpkin pie. 

Holiday Season 2025 - More Santas, Cigars, and Music

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Found another box with Santas in it. I knew I was missing a few when I set them out earlier. 

So I added them to the display. 

Another cigar. Lit up around 1:30. Probably almost twenty degrees warmer this morning. The temperature has been dropping gradually throughout the day. I could really feel the difference by the time I was finished with my cigar. 

More holiday music after I went back inside to warm up. Dale helped me. The soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas turns 60 years old this year. I find it comforting to listen to. I've been hearing it my whole life. 

Setting Up Santas

Monday, December 15, 2025

Set up the Santas today. 

Feels like I'm missing some but I can't find any more packed away. 

I don't usually display them on this shelf so maybe that's why they look different.

Holiday Season 2025 - Shopping and A Tree

 Saturday, November 29, 2025

Shopping with Noel at the antique shop this afternoon.

We cut it short due to snowy weather conditions. 

Put a tree up in my room. 

Thanksgiving 2025 - Good Morning!

Thursday, November 27, 2025 

Thanksgiving is here and were getting a little sun to go with it. Snowed yesterday overnight. The above picture is the view from our front stoop.

This is the view from the back stoop. 

Tuned in to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at 8:30 am. Some highlights:

Cynthia Erivo opened the parade.

Debbie Gibson sang my favorite Debbie Gibson song, Only In My Dreams. 

Darlene Love sang Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). 

The Rockettes performed. 

And, as always, Santa showed up at the end. 

We got the turkey in at noon. 

The dog show came on after the parade....

Which was my cue to play Puppies Are Forever by Sia. This song drives Dale nuts but I usually play it for him to help ring in the holiday music season with the promise I won't play it again until next year. 

Also got started on the Stribs turkey coloring contest. 

Shopping with Noel

 Saturday, November 16, 2025

Lunch with Noel. She was playing Christmas music in the car. I think it's too early for that but I didn't say anything. 

                    

We stopped at A Rare Bird Antiques. Kelly had lots of Christmas stuff out. 

We also stopped at Chloe. She was selling these Shiny Brite ornaments she aquired from a 90 year old man. These ornaments get more and more rare each year. 

Noel found this old dime store nativity set. She said she had one just like it as a kid. 

We both remember satin balls. Noel's family had a lot of these as they'd hang them at the bottom of the tree so if their dog's wagging tail knocked them down they wouldn't break. 

We also stopped by Bachman's.

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Fifth Day of Christmas - Setting Up. Santas

  Sunday, December 29, 2024

Set out the Santa collection this morning. Also,  rewatched Christmas in Connecticut this afternoon since I fell asleep during it last night. 

It's one I didn't become familiar with until my adult years and it's become one of my most favorite Christmas movies. 

Not only is it generally a great story but the script is tight, it's perfectly cast, and the editing and pacing are fantastic.  

Originally Bette Davis was to play the lead role of Elizabeth Lane and although I'm sure she would have been fantastic it's hard for me to imagine anyone else in the part but Barbara Stanwyck. S. Z. Sakall as Uncle Felix almost steals the show. 

Tonight Dale and I watched The Family Stone on the recommendation of Noel. The movie's almost 20 years old and I can't believe I hadn't heard of it before. It was hightly watchable and well done but I don't know that it's the kind of Christmas movie you'd haul out every year to watch like Christmas In Connecticut. 

Countdown to Christmas: 4 Days

Saturday, December 21, 2024

Hot tub this morning with John.We had a nice time talking. 

Dale came over from staying at his parents last night. We went to Village Inn for lunch. He had a  breakfast skillet  and I had a cheese burger.

After lunch we took a walk in Dale's favorite park. I love this wavy looking cactus.

After getting home I decided to take a swim. 

The temp was perfect. 

I'm having a hard time. getting used to walking inside from 75 degree weather and seeing a Christmas tree. 

Dale and I had dinner at Brenda and Irv's tonight. After my swim we stopped by the store to pick up a frozen pizza and a pre-made chef's salad. We brought it over and had cocktails while the pizza was cooking. Irv's nightly Canadian Mist cocktail is such a ritual that he loves so much. Dale made the drink for him and made it on the weak side so it didn't interfere too much with the meds and painkillers he's on from his recent hip replacement surgery. We also talked about the life alert call buttons that Dale and. Dianne are encouraging them to wear.  We had a very nice dinner. It was so nice to see them and they really appreciated my being there. Dale's been here more reccently but it's been since February for me.  

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