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| Humble Blogger Dave and Loving Wife Rose |
May your Christmas and New Year Holidays be filled with Love and Peace! As I write this post tonight on December 23rd we have no snow outside. Quite different from the same time just a year ago when all we were doing was shoveling the white fluffy stuff. The house is now decorated, cleaned and ready. The odor of almond bark candy, cookies, the Worcestershire sauce from making Chex Mix and scented candles hovers in the air. Tomorrow evening on Christmas eve, one of the early arriving grandchildren (Rose and Tristan) will set out 24 white luminaria bags containing lit votive candles (nestled in clay kitty litter at the bottom of the sack) along the sidewalk to "show the way" to 20 or so children and grandchildren and guests to our door. Everyone contributes a food item (we chose pulled pork this year as a main course) and join in the festivities of the evening including a "Moose" visit (one of the older grandkids dressed in costume; Jalen this year) who will carry a large red bag of gifts into our house and distributed these "Santa" gifts to the adults and children with the help of a chosen "elf". In past years we've had Santa, Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman carry the gifts. Everyone then returns to the opening of gifts under the Christmas tree. It's a chaotic 2 to 3 hours and then all is quiet once again after everybody returns home. On some years, after the festivities were over (but not this year), Humble Blogger and mandolin playing wife Rose attended Midnight Mass at our St. Odilia Church in Shoreview, MN. Occasionally son John and his wife Mary attended with us. On those occasions, Rose joined the stringed instrument section of the Choir. After Mass, we arrived back home about 2 am for hot "Tom and Jerry drinks and snacks before bed. After a late morning wake up call, we visited relatives for a a much quieter and relaxed Christmas Day! Now, to allow more time with family in the evening, we attend Mass Christmas morning. Rose still plays mandolin and we still visit relatives in a relaxed setting.
