Date Filled Cookies

Stopped by Mom's today. She said she was craving date filled cookies. I asked if she was talking about the same ones she made when we were kids. She said yes. I remember them mostly from the 70s, 80s and even 90s. She planned on making some the next day and told me she bring some for me during her visit to my school later on in the week.

Christmas 1990s

The following is from the book A Century of Christmas Memories 1900-1999:

"Jim Henson's irreverent and lovable gang starred in 1992's A Muppet Christmas Carol, helping kick off the nineties on a happy note. Yuletides this decade were marked by events like the December 1991 release of hostage Terry Anderson and the 1995 launch of online auction site eBay. Blockbuster movies included holiday hit Home Alone, A Nightmare Before Christmas, The Santa Clause, and Toy Story also entertained seasonal audiences. Plush purple Barneys, Beanie Babies, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Tickle Me Elmos, and Furbys were among the decade's top Christmas gifts. It was the end of an era with Bob Hope's last USO Christmas tour during Operation Desert storm, but his warmth and humor remain a gift to treasure."

Christmas 1990 - Church of the Annunciation

The church we grew up attending was the Church of the Annunciation. Here are some decorations displayed for the Christmas season.

Christmas 1990 - All the Stockings Were Hung...

The house on Stevens decorated for Christmas 1990.

Christmas 1990 - Pete's Ready to Eat

Time for fondue.

Christmas 1990 - Sam Home for Christmas

The cat Sam is using for a pillow is our family cat, Benjamin (actually a female, but Pete named her when he was two and didn't quite get the difference at the time. She actually kind of looked like a Benjamin so the name stuck.).

Christmas 1991

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

A Christmas Story - 100th Post

Way back in 1983 during Christmas break my brother Sam and I hiked over to the Boulevard Theater on Lyndale Avenue to go see A Christmas Story. The Boulevard was a second run theater and it only cost 99 cents to get in. I had seen a review for this movie on Siskal and Ebert and thought it looked intriguing. Sam and I roared with laughter through the movie but after this initial viewing I never heard about it again. During one Thanksgiving in the mid-90s ('94 or '95) Dale and I were visiting Brenda and Irv for Thanksgiving and I came across the movie on cable TV. Whatever channel was showing it was doing a 24 hour marathon. I called Dale's attention to it and he had never heard of it before. He fell in love with it so we purchased a copy and have been watching it every year since.

Christmas 1992 - Joe and Tree

Christmas 1992 - Pete, Becky and Sam

Sam brought Becky home for Christmas 1992. I think the cat Pete is holding is Benjamin who had been in the family since about 1978. Also, note that the wallpaper, which had been on the wall for so many years, disappears between Christmas 1992 and 1993.

Christmas 1992 - My Tree

I was living in Uptown on Girard Avenue at in the early 1990s. I bought this tree on sale just a few days before Christmas. I've used it just about every year since then up to the time of this writing. Under the tree are a pair of cowboy boots that I got that year.

Christmas 1992 - Pete with the Tree

This is Mom's Christmas tree at the house on Stevens in 1992. Pete, still in high school, is at the top left. It looks to me that he's feeling quite jolly.

Christmas 1992 - Mom

Mom making Christmas Day dinner. Notice Willie, the family dog, in the bottom corner of the picture. He looks very interested in what's going on.

Christmas 1992 - Dad

Here Dad is sitting by the manger scene that he and Mom made together. Dad built the manger and Mom made the figures. Mom started making the figures in the mid-1960s shortly before I was born.

Christmas 1993 - Annunciation Church Sanctuary

We attended Annunciation Catholic Church. Here are a few shots of the sanctuary decorated for Christmas.

Christmas 1993 - Willie

Willie, the family dog, sports a bow that goes quite well with his fur.

Christmas 1993 - Pete

Here's a shot of Pete waiting patiently to open a present.

Christmas 1993 - Dale and Joe's First Christmas Part 2

I bought this ornament to com-

memorate our first Christ-

mas together.

Christmas 1993 - Sam and Becky's First Christmas

Christmas 1993 was Sam and Becky's first Christmas together as a married couple.

Christmas 1993 - Dale and Joe's First Christmas

Christmas 1993 was our first Christmas together as a couple. Here we are celebrating at the house on Stevens - Mom and Dad's house.