Thanksgiving Weekend 2021 - The Return Home

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Sadly, we had to leave. Both Mom and I really enjoyed the time we spent with everyone. 

Pete got us to the airport with plenty of time to spare. We ordered a little lunch while we waited for our flight. I got a Bloody Mary and some quesadillas while Mom got a beer and some French fries. 

I read a bunch of Christmas magazines on the plane including Martha Stewart Living. Dale picked us up at the airport and it was so good to see him.

Cocktails at home and spent time catching up with Dale. 

Listened to Christmas music.

Dinner and dessert. 

Christmastide 2020: The 8th Day of Christmas - New Year's Day: Cocktail Hour, Christmas Music, and Dinner

Friday, January 1, 2021

Martini for cocktail hour. Dale stuck with red wine.

We listened to Christmas music while having cocktails. Dale said to me, "You know, I haven't heard that one song this year." I responded, "Which song." He said, "I don't know the name of it but it's the one that starts out 'Merry, merry, Christmas'." I knew which one he meant to I looked it up on my phone, found and played it. It's: 

Yes, Ring Those Christmas Bells, by Fred Warring and His Pennsylvanians. We listened and sang along and it was fun. 

However, while searching for it on my phone a version of the same song by Peggy Lee came up. This one was new to me so we listened and sang along. Again, more fun!

Simple dinner of a Kowalski's frozen pizza. 

A Little Decorating, Cocktails, and Music

Sunday, November 22, 2020

So the snowmen went up today...

...and the feather tree got some ornaments. All before Thanksgiving. 

Cocktail hour and music. I haven't had a Bloody Mary in a while.

Okay, so, I wouldn't want to do it this way every year, but starting early has been rather fun. 

Holiday Season 2019 - Dinner with Dale

Saturday, December 22, 2019

Quiet night in. Dale and I have backed off the booze (as in none) for the last couple of weeks. We've decided to allow ourselves to imbibe over the holidays but we're not gonna go nuts. We stopped by South Lyndale Liquors this afternoon since we were out of hooch. 

I had a couple martinis and Dale had wine. 

We listened to the Randy Van Horne Singers and Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails Vol. 1 during cocktail hour.

For dinner we made a salmon quiche and we watched Christmas in Connecticut. 

Christmas Season 2017/2018 - New Year's Eve

Sunday, December 31, 2017

As I write this I'm sitting on my couch in my cozy living room with Dale sitting next to me reading the paper. Athena is lying peacefully across from me on her doggie bed beneath the television. It's bitterly cold outside. It was -15 degrees this morning and is currently -7 at 5p.m.

Cocktail hour is in full swing so my Beefeater martini is at my side and I'm listening to Ultra Lounge Christmas Cocktails Vol. 4 which  is a very worthy collection of xmas tunes. The red and white lights of the Christmas tree are casting a lovely warm glow over everything. There's no place I'd rather be right now than here. 

I made a chicken pot pie tonight for dinner. The gravy was made by Mrs. Kowalski which is sooo much better than the bottled stuff. 

My martini, sitting near me on our kitchen counter while I put the pot pie together, was accidentally knocked by Dale to the floor where it shattered into a million little pieces. Thank God I didn't have any drinking buddies in the glass. They would have been traumatized.

While Dale worked on stir frying the broccoli I made myself a new martini. We're listening to Abba: The Album which is so 1977.

During dinner we watched When Harry Met Sally which has a very significant New Year's Eve scene. Dale's never seen the movie, only certain parts. Although I've suggested watching it the past few new years, he's never had a real interest in seeing it. This year he agreed and admitted it was much better than he thought it would be.  I think it's a classic that really holds up. 

For dessert I had some of the left-over chocolate torte from Noel's gathering. Dale didn't partake. 

Holiday Season 2015 - Holiday Happy Hour

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Listened to volumes 1-4 of Ultra Lounge Christmas Cocktails.

Holiday Season 2013 - Cocktails with Warren

Saturday December 14, 2013

Our friend and neighbor Warren checked in with us in the late afternoon to see what we were up to for the evening. I told him that Dale was making chicken cacciatore and that he was welcome to join us for cocktails and dinner. He got here at the tail end of my putting the lights on the tree.  Listened to Christmas Cocktails Parts 3 and 4 from the Ultra Lounge series. 

Holiday Season 2013 - Christmas Cocktails

While making dinner last night Dale and I listened to Christmas Cocktails Parts 1 and 2. Both discs are part of the Ultra Lounge series. We've been listening to these two discs for a number of years and they're usually the first albums of Christmas music we listen just after Thanksgiving. Part 1 is notable for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo by Billy May, Christmas Kisses by Ray Anthony, and an old Toys for Tots radio spot  found at the end of the disc featuring a bunch of back-up vocalist elves (sounding exactly like Alvin and the Chipmunks) singing along with Peggy Lee and Nat 'King' Cole. Dale and I always get a big kick out of that one. Part 2 is notable for Dean Martin's Baby It's Cold Outside, Bob Atcher's Christmas Island, and Les Baxter's Santa Claus' Party. Part 1 dates to 1996 and Part 2 to 1997.