Monday, January 3, 2022
Mom texted me this picture of her manger scene under her tree. She just bought a shepherd recently to add to it.
Showing posts with label Mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mom. Show all posts
Monday, May 18, 2026
Christmastide 2021/2022 - 1st Day of Christmas: Dinner with Mom & A Visit with Sam and Fam
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Mom came over just before the 2 pm Google Meet I'd set up with Sam. We had a nice conversation with Sam, Becky, and the boys. At one point the boys told us about the presents they got this year. Sam mentioned that Cairic got a helmet because he had been hitting his head a lot recently. Cairic looked quite excited and jumped up to fetch said helmet. We were a little concerned and Mom asked why he was hitting his head lately. Before anyone could answer Cairic came back with a medieval type helmet that looked something like a knight might wear. We were relieved Sam had been joking about Cairic hitting his head and had a good laugh about how funny it looked as he tried it on.
The meet lasted just about an hour. By the time it ended it was 10 pm in Sam's part of the world.
We had beef stroganoff for dinner which Dale and I made together. It was quite delicious. Dale also made his famous Brussels sprouts with bacon and maple syrup. So yummy.
Shortly before Mom arrived I tried on my kilt for the first time since last year. On Christmas of 2020 I realized how much lockdown weight I had put on when I couldn't get the main snap of the garment any closer than about two inches apart. This year I was able to snap it. It was tight but I was able to snap it. I like to call it a Christmas miracle but much more sensible eating in 2021 than in 2020 was the actual reason.
Sylvester did great with Mom. He was outgoing and very comfortable being next to her on the couch.
After we all had some pumpkin pie Mom decided to call it a night at about 7 pm as she was starting to wilt a bit. Overall she did really well considering she sang at the 9 pm Christmas Eve mass at her church last night. So good to spend Christmas with her. She's the only one on the planet I've celebrated every Christmas with in one way or another. As I look back I can only come up with two or three times I haven't been with her on the actual day. Each of those times we made up for it by celebrating on one of the other 12 days of Christmas. Merry Christmas, Mom!
Monday, October 13, 2025
Christmastide 2020/2021 - Remembering: Stamps
Friday, January 29, 2021
"A Christmas card without a Christmas stamp is like a birthday cake without a candle." - Nigel Slater
Guilty! The Christmas cards I send are more often than not without Christmas stamps. However, this wasn't the case this year. I ordered two sets of Christmas themed stamps in late November online direct from the United States Postal Service.
The more secular set featured images from mid-20th century era Coca-Cola Santa Claus ads and were released in 2018.
According to the USPS website, "The Postal Service issues four new stamps and a souvenir sheet showcasing classic images of Santa Claus painted by famed commercial artist Haddon Sundblom. Each stamp portrays a close-up of Santa's face. The four images featured in the booklet are details from larger paintings created by Sundblom and originally published in ads for The Coca-Cola Company from the 1940s through the early 1960s. Sundblom is the man credited with refining the modern image of Santa Claus."
From the website Linn's Stamp News: "The tradition Christmas stamp for 2020 features a detail of the 18th century painting Our Lady of Guapulo by an unknown Peruvian artist. The painting is from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the museum is identified in small type along the stamps bottom."
From the USPS website: "Enrobed in a pyramidal gown speckled with jewels and holding a scepter woven with roses and leaves, a crowned Virgin Mary looks down at a similarly adorned Christ Child in her left arm." This stamp was released in 2020.
The first Christmas stamp issued in the United States came in 1962 after many years of requests from postal customers for just such a thing. The stamp proved to be quite popular. According to the U.S. Postal Service 1 billion of these stamps were printed and distributed by the end of 1962.
Mom always had Christmas stamps for our family's Christmas cards. I remember her sitting at the dining room table with quite a station set up to get the cards ready. They had to be addressed and the circular letter she wrote had to be inserted in the envelope along with the card. People used to send out so many more Christmas cards than they do now. Pictured above is one stamp I remember from childhood.
Christmastide 2020: Christmas Day - The First Day of Christmas: Dinner with Mom
Friday, December 25, 2020
It's been ages since we've had Mom over for dinner. I think it's been since summer and we probably ate outside.
We all chatted for a couple of hours, then ate dinner and chatted some more.
We had planned on watching a movie but then Mom started getting tired. She had brought a gift over for us.
It turned out to be a beautiful edition of the four Gospels of the Bible. Lots of beautiful artwork throughout.
Dale made Julia Child's beef bourginoine for dinner. I was sous chef.
Mom wasn't up for dessert. Dale and I indulged after she left. Pumpkin. Pie.
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Christmas Day 2019 - What a Wonderful Christmas
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Drank Bloody Mary's as I continued to clean the house and get it decorated for company this afternoon.
More tchotchkes to set out...
Finally finished decorating the tree.
As I got the house ready, Dale worked on the turkey.
I don't think we've made one for about 5 years. Dale has really become quite the turkey-meister.
As I finished up my tasks I was overtaken by a rather touching sentimentality while listening to the above song. It's not a real common Christmas Carol but I've come to love it quite a bit.
Athena's sweetness is alway appreciated around here.
She ga lot of walks, attention, and rest today. She blends in with the chair in the above picture so I put a label next to her.
This was my first ever effort at the task and Mom, who's been making it for years, was horrified to find out I'd be using canned sweet potatoes. She was pleasantly surprised to discover it turned out GREAT (if I do say so myself) and she said as much.
Our dinner guests, Mom, John, and Noel, started showing up around 3 p.m. which is about the time the turkey came out of the oven to rest.
Christmas Eve 2019 - Mom's
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Mom moved this past spring from her condo to senior living apartments which was another change in our Christmas routine. We'd spent to last 11 Christmas Eves doing cheese fondue and steaks at her condo in Edina. Her new place is as equally charming and comfortable.
Since her move I'd forgotten we were storing her artificial tree in our basement and she never asked for it. I offered to bring it over a few days ago but she said she'd just pass on the tree for this year and would decide if she wants to do one next year. I brought over a little tabletop tree that I'd left decorated from last year. Dale was unaware of I even had it and was a little taken aback that I could produce a decorated tree like Mary Poppins magically pulling something out of her nanny bag.
Anyway, dinner was lovely. We finished out the evening with Baba dessert. My favorite dessert from childhood which was introduced years and years ago by Grandma Jean.
Christmas Eve 2019
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
It's been a rather quiet and low-key day so far. Dale went to the gym this morning while I stayed home and did a little more work decorating the tree. I also got some preliminary cleaning done as we're having, Mom, John, and Noel over tomorrow for Christmas Day dinner.
Got Athena on a nice walk. She's sleeping like a baby now. The weather is unseasonably mild. We're at 38 degrees as I write this.
Dale and I went grocery shopping at Kowalski's yesterday but went again this afternoon for some last minute items. I'm making a sweet potato casserole for tomorrow. Mom was a little disappointed to find out I'm using canned sweet potatoes but I convinced her to cut me a little slack as it'll be my first effort.
Holiday Season 2019 - A Christmas Story & The Shark's Tooth Tiki Bar
Friday, November 29, 2019
Lunch with cousin Leo today. We had a wonderful time visiting with him. After lunch Pete and Steph had to go to work so Mom and I stayed home with the kids. We watched Christmas Story which Abby, Xander, and Emma had never seen before. They seemed to really like it.
After the movie we had dinner and then opened up the tiki bar Abby set up. Abby and I made up a tiki drink just for the evening. The beverage was made with about a third of an average sized tub of rainbow sherbet, one cup of Hawaiian Punch, and one cup of pineapple juice all stirred together. We divided it into 5 glasses and then topped each glass off with ginger ale. It turned out great and it was enjoyed by all!
By the way, Emma named the drink the Shark Bite and I named the tiki bar the Shark's Tooth Tiki Lounge.
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