Christmas 1996 - Grandpa Louie

Grandpa Louie died in early 1997 so the Christmas of 1996 was his last. I have fond memories of holidays with both him and Grandma Alice in Two Harbors and spending time in the bakery they owned together.

Christmas 1996 - The Ultra Lounge: Christmas Cocktails

Cocktail culture and lounge music made quite a comeback in the late 1990s and the Ultra Lounge series celebrated with Christmas Cocktails. This quirky collection, released in 1996, features a lot of great retro material with a couple of my favorites being Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo by Billy May and Cha-Cha All the Way by the Capitol Studio Orchestra. For us, this one usually comes out right after Thanksgiving. I remember listening to it at the house on Pillsbury.

Christmas 1996 - The House on Pillsbury

Dale and I were in this house from August of 1996 to October of 1997. We only had one Christmas there but what a beautiful old house in which to have Christmas! We hosted our one and only holiday party here. Mom and Dad came with Christmas cookies in hand and were quite a hit with the guests.

Christmas 1996 - Rosemary Clooney White Christmas

Rosemary Clooney's White Christmas was released in 1996. I think I first saw the movie of the same name in which she starred with Bing Crosby about 10 years earlier. The film has become one of my all time favorite movies, Christmas-themed or otherwise, and this album has become one of my favorite recordings, Christmas or otherwise.