Christmastide:MLK Weekend Saturday

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Packed a few things up today.  Can't decide what to pull out next. Nutcrackers? Belsnickels?

Shopping with Noel this afternoon. Picked up this book on sale at Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul. Looking forward to digging into it in part because of my Swedish Heritage. 

Dinner tonight with Julie, Regina, and Phyllis at Julie and Regina's place. Julie made chicken piccata and then we watched North by Northwest. It's one my favorite movies and the scene at Mt. Rushmore, as always, was thrilling especially on Julie's big ass TV. By the way, today happens to be Cary Grant's birthday. My God he'd be 121! (Above image by Glen Hanson).  

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. 

Pre-Holiday Season 2024: Shopping with Noel

 Saturday, November 16, 2024

The second hand shops Noel and I frequent are starting to set out their holiday stuff.

                      

All of the above items were found at A Rare Bird.

We also stopped at Hunt and Gather.

And, of course, Victory.

I bought this little box at A Rare Bird.

And these trees at Brown & Greene.

Holiday Season 2023 - Another Sick Day

Friday, December 8, 2023

Feeling a lot better but still far from 100%. Decided to take another day off from work to rest. 

Rewatched the last two thirds of Christmas In Connecticut I slept through recently. 

Moved the snowmen from the dining room to the porch to make room for the . . .

Santas.

Oh, and I listened to a lot more Xmas music today. 

Christmas Season 2022/2023 - 4th Day of Christmas: Setting Out Santas

Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Setting out Santas. Belsnickles and others. 

Christmastide 2021/2022 - 1st Day of Christmas: Relaxing Day

Saturday, December 25, 2021

So appreciative to have a lovely, relaxing, quiet, Christmas Day. Late morning I had some egg nog with a bit of dark rum added. Delicious. 

For lunch I had some lobster bisque. 

It was from a can but it was still delicious. 

I got the snowmen put away...

Moved the Santas from the dining room to the porch...

And then got the manger scene set up in the dining room. 

Holiday Season 2021 - More Decorating

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Found the rest of the Santas downstairs and set them up with the others the other in the dining room. 

Also found another box of snowmen so I put them with the others which are now on the porch. 

Holiday Season 2021 - Setting Out Santas

Thursday, December 16, 2021

This is just the beginning. There are more to come...

Holiday Season 2021 - Shopping with Noel

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Haven't seen Noel for a few weeks due to illness, vaccination reactions, and travel. 

We went to W.A. Frost for lunch. We weren't able to eat there during the holiday season last year due to them being closed because of the pandemic. 

Their trees were looking lovely. 

After lunch we stopped at the J. J. Hill House gift shop.

I picked up this most awesome Santa figure and Noel picked up some clip on glass bird ornaments. 

Noel gave me the above Santa figurine as she is downsizing her collection. I  quite like it. 

Christmastide 2020: The 11th Day of Christmas -

Monday, January 4, 2021

Tchotchkes are slowly being put away however the manger scenes remain up. 

Holiday Season 2019 - More Tchotchkes

Monday, December 23, 2019

 

Snowmen

Santas

Angels

Belsnickles