Christmastide - Trying to Keep the Christmas Spirit Alive

Sunday, January 12, 2025

Back at work this past week. I miss Christmas vacation but reality came calling and ended it all. It's still Christmastide so I'm trying to enjoy some elements of the Christmas and winter seasons. Informed Dale recently that we're observing Christmas until Candlemas this year. He didn't say anything cuz, well, what's he gonna do. 

Been listening to my expertly crafted (if I do say so myself) currated classical oriented playlists. 

Trying to get outside to appreciate winter. 

I've been trying to straighten up the yard. 

Here I am finally getting some of the lawn furniture in the garage. 

Here I am taking my morning coffee outside. 

Doing a little snow shoveling/sweeping. 

I've been breaking down an unusually large cardboard box out in the garage.

I actually have no recollection of what was in this thing but it's huge. 

Trying to do this slowly over time so it doesn't end up taking up all the room in our recycling receptical. 

Saturday shopping with Noel. 

Some of our favorite shops still have holiday merchandise out. 

Fun to look around but I need more Christmas stuff like I need a hole in the head. So, no, I didn't buy anything. 

I've indulged in cigars but I'm cutting back.

I've only had two so far this past week. Compare that to about 5 per week over break. 

Dale and I are doing a dry-ish January. We didn't start until the first Monday after Christmas break. 

Overall we're doing pretty well. I had a couple Old Fashioneds this past Thursday when we went out to dinner at The Howe.

We went out to brunch this morning at Northbound and I had one of their Old Fashioneds. Compare that to however many I had per week over break (it was more than 3). 

When I saw Mike on NYE he told me one of his goals for 2024 had been to read something like 40 books, which I found quite impressive. He made clear that not all the books were massive tomes and that some were shorter and/or easier reads. Right now I'm working on Cher's memoir which is quite fun. She's been around my whole life and I've followed her over all these years. Not sure I'll make it to 40 books in 2025 but I aim to put more of a focus on reading.

Speaking of shorter books I read this one today for old times sake. It dates from the mid-60s and is chuck full of the good-grief-ethos of that time period. 

Went shopping at Kowalski's for groceries today. Quiche for dinner and Oh-ho cake for dessert (speaking of old times sake). 

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Christmastide - Epiphany 2025

 Monday, January 6, 2025

Epiphany 2025

January 1 may have been this past Wednesday but as far as New Year's goals go, January officially starts today as far as I'm concerned. (see above)

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. 

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Eleventh Day of Christmas

 Saturday, January 4, 2025

Noel cancelled on me for today so Dale and I went to lunch at Northbound.   Although the food there is very good what we ordered was not the most healthy. We’ve got lots of goals around food for the coming year but we’re really giving these last two days of vacation something a soft landing. 

Dale went in to the office after lunch. I had a cigar while he was out. Again, we’ve got lots of health goals for the coming year. I’m planning on cutting back on cigars but, like I said, these last two days of vacation are going to be a very soft landing.

After my cigar I headed inside and listened to some music. 

Trying to eat a little lighter tonight since I had a pretty heavy lunch at Northbound of a burger, fries, and coleslaw and a couple cocktails. Salmon broccoli for dinner. 

And we watched The Bishop's Wife tonight. 

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Tenth Day of Christmas

Friday, January 3, 2025 

More Sunday scaries today but I talked myself down. Now it just feels like the verge of a regular weekend. Anyway, Mom’s decided recently that she needs an Apple Watch so we ventured to Southdale (It opened in 1956 and was the first fully enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall in the United States. My family did a LOT of shopping there when I was growing up.) I asked her why she wanted the watch and she said that all the old ladies (the ones in their 90s which does NOT include her - her words) in her senior living building have them. The watch has an I’ve-fallen-and-I-can’t-get-up feature which is why all the old ladies (again, her words) in their 90s in her building have one. I know there are probably cheaper options but I didn’t feel like talking her out of what she wanted. We went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch and took some time to get the watch set up while waiting for our food. She was actually quite giddy playing with it and was like a kid with a new toy. I hope Sam and Pete and I showed as much joy as kids with our new Christmas toys and that Mom and Dad witnessed it. It’s actually quite touching to see.

Another little cigar this afternoon despite the cold. Smaller cigars are the answer to freezing weather. I can last 20 minutes outside if it’s in the teens and I’m dressed for it. Besides, it wasn’t windy and the sun was out. Nice weather.

Simple dinner of a frozen pizza tonight and also broccoli salad from the Lund’s deli. Mom gave me a bag of Christmas candy today so we had that for dessert. 

We also got into the bottle of Prosecco that Mike and Charisse gave us on New Year’s Eve.

Christmas Season 2024/2025: The Ninth Day of Christmas

Thursday, January 2, 2025

Started feeling the Sunday Scaries this morning. They’re hard enough to deal with on a Sunday let alone a Thursday so I had a little pep talk with myself. I decided I could sit at home worrying and anxious about going back to work on Monday or I could sit at home and enjoy still being on break. I decided to not overthink it all and just go with the latter. I was actually impressed with how easy it was to shift gears. 

Got in some nice cuddle time with Sylvester. 

Cold outside this morning.

Never-the-less, morning cigar in the garage with coffee.

While outside I got the table covered.

And the lawn chairs put away.

Also got in a few loads of washing and folding, new sheets on the bed, dishes, cat box, garbage out, recycling out, tidied up the fridge, resistance bands, 12,000 steps, and touching up the bathroom to name just a few.

Listened to lots of music.

Read holiday themed books.

Turned out to be an awesome day. Dale and I went to Lund’s for dinner of prepared foods. Dessert was vanilla bean ice cream with gingerbread cookies. 

Oh, and tonight we watched White Christmas. The movie turned 70 years old in 2024. Wow, when I first saw it it was just over 30 years old and I was younger than that! Now it would be like the movie had been made as recently as the 1990s. Yowza.