Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The First Day of Christmas: Christmas Day 2025

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Woke up with Dale feeling SICK. He never gets sick. Read Santa Mouse, one of my favorites from when I was a kid. Had to cancel with Mom due to Dale's illness. She was very understanding. 

Coffee this morning. 

Sylvester on my lap. 

I'm feeling run down too although I don't think I'm doing as poorly as Dale. Read the ghost story Lucky's Grove in bed and then fell asleep and took a two hour nap. Dale came to bed too and took a long nap as well. 

Added more to the manger scene. 

Had an Old Fashioned and watched a lot of Modern Family. Didn't have a full dinner but ate lots of snacks. Dale at quite a bit less than I did. 

He had a few crackers but never felt much better. 

I had a gingerbread man after Dale went to sleep. 

Quiet Christmas Day. 

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -Christmas Eve 2025

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Arrived at Grace around 5:45 pm and got Mom settled while Dale parked the car. Also got myself robed. Choir rehearsal started at 6pm. 

The Choral Prelude started at 6:50. We sang:  As the Dark Awaits the Dawn by Chris Aspaas; Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers by Michael Praetorius;  Gloria, Et in terra pax, Quoniam Tu solus Sanctus, by Antonio Vivaldi; and People, Look East! arranged by Donna Archer.

I thought we sang beautifully. 

Other hymns throughout the service included: O Come, All Ye Faithful; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; What Child is This?; I Wonder as I Wander; Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Silent Night; and Joy to the World. Fun to sing ALL OF THEM.

For our anthem we sang The Christmas Lullaby (Away in a Manger) by Dan Hustad. 

Susan's sermon was quite well done, I thought. She made it clear how easy it can be to lose track that the time in Palestine during Jesus' life under Roman occupation was authoritarianism to the letter but also how many similarities there are to now. 

So many folks were happy to meet Mom. She said the service was meaningful and had a wonderful time. 

We dropped Mom off back at her place afterward then went home and had ice cream.

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Holiday Season 2025 - Christmas Eve Day 2

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

New lights for the tree this year. Had to string 'em out to get a visual sense of what I'm dealing with. I bought a number of packs with about 25 lights for a total of 200 lights. I double wrapped the tree using about 175 of them. By the way, the lights are actually pure white even though they showed up looking yellow in this photo. Now I just need to decorate it. 

Before putting the lights on the tree I strung all of them out to eyeball what I was working with. 

Also set out the stable for the manger scene. Too tired to unpack the whole thing so I just set out the ox. Figured he was probably the first of all of them there. One of the nice things about celebrating Christmas until Epiphany is that I don't feel it all needs to be done by Christmas Day. 

Christmas cigar.

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Twelfh Day of Christmas & Twelfth Night

 Sunday, January. 5, 2025

Haven't been to church since Advent due to travel and illness. Finally made it during the Christmas season for the Second Sunday of Christmas. Sang lots of good hymns including Once In Royal David's City, Gabriel's Message, What Child Is This, In the Bleak Midwinter, and The First Noel.  Good to be back. 

                        

Dale and I had brunch at The Howe afterward. 

We headed to the grocery store and then home. I had a cigar and Dale went to the gym. 

Listened to music. 

We’re celebrating 12th Night tonight.

We lit lots of candles.

We made a chicken pot pie and it was delicious.

Watched Big Bang Theory and ate gingerbread cookies for dessert. 

Epiphany 2024 - The Three Kings

 Saturday, January 6, 2024

Epiphany

Got most of the remaining tchotchkes put away. Lit the candles in the dining room right before dinner. 

Shortly after dinner got everything else put away. 

Sylvester was poking his nose around where the tree used to be and looked a little confused. 

Epiphany 2024 - Setting out the Kings

 Saturday, January 6, 2024

Epiphany

Cigar in the garage after my time with Noel. 

After that I set out the Three Kings in the manger scene. 

                

Christmas Season 2023/2024 - 9th Day of Christmas: The Dining Room

 Tuesday, January 2, 2024

The 9th Day of Christmas: 9 Ladies Dancing

Took down the Belsnickles in the dining room...

...to make room for these.

The manger scene.

It all looks nice by candlelight. 

Christmas Season 2023/2024 - Christmas Eve Service

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Christmas Eve service tonight at Grace Episcopal. 

Dale and I were lobby hosts so we had to be there at 6:45 p.m. although the service didn't start until 8:00.

Quite a lovely service. I love singing Silent Night with candles and the church lights dimmed. 

Holiday Season 2023 - 1 Days to Go: 4th Sunday of Advent & Christmas Eve Day

 Sunday, December 24, 2023

Countdown to Christmas - 1 Day

A few more things to set out. 

Dale and I went to Lunds this morning to pick up some last minute stuff. It's eerily warm outside. No snow at all but we're supposed to be getting some rain soon. 

Dale and I took Mom to Jax for their Sunday buffet brunch. 

We nabbed a parking spot in Lobster Lane. I think that's the closet we've ever parked. 

The buffet was delicious. I think Mom really liked it. 

Santa was out on the patio so I snapped a photo. 

 

I started to set up the manger scene.