Old habits die hard. . .

Kathleen loves to shovel the snow. Always has. Even now, with everything taken care of for us, she keeps a shovel sharpened by the patio. So every once in a while these days, you hear a scrape, scrape, scrape coming from the frozen outdoors.

Christmas 2017

Front row, Danny, Stan, Kathleen, Birdie; Second row grandson Max, Marcy, granddaughter Emily, Missy, Jennifer with her boyfriend's dog Breezy. Below, Nevin from Turkey with her second family, Emily, Jennifer, Stan with new Christmas baseball cap and neck warmer. Emily is now taller than her aunt Jen and surpassed Grandma long ago. The only way to get her to fit in the photo was to display her horizontally.

Oh, The weather outside is frightful . . .

Yes, the weather outside is frightful, today's high was 2 degrees this morning, but there is business that must be done. So Birdie bundled up in JD's hand-me-down hand-knit sweater and Emily's baby socks. Should be good to go.

This year's cookies

Photo taken while visiting with Santa

Every year, Santa and Mrs. Claus have made it over to Tom and Sandy Story’s house to visit their grandchildren and hand out gifts. Some of the grandchildren are now in college.

We all look forward to the visit. But this year, Santa and Mrs. Claus had moved their toy headquarters to St. Paul and would’t be able to make it to their former neighbors, at the usual place. What to do? Lucy and Cam were so looking forward to the annual visit and it would be a shame to disappoint. 

So we cooked up virtual Santa. An important phone call was made by Santa to Lucy and Cam’s parents' car,  taking the family from Wisconsin to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for Christmas. Santa carefully explained over their speaker-phone that he had to change the route this year and he wouldn’t be able to see them, but the gifts would all be there as usual. By the looks of the faces on the photo taken by a parent (above) and then transmitted to “Santa”, everything will be alright and we’ll all have a Merry Christmas. You have one too.

Last year's Story Christmas before we moved and Santa couldn't make it at the usual time. That's Lucy and
Cam, true believers, in the front. The rest of them, not so much.

Christmas excess

Our host said “at last year's party we ran out of food and it was so embarassing and it’s never going to happen again.”

Residents and friends at the Chicago Lofts jammed a condo on the 12th floor tonight for their annual holiday party and helped themselves to the largess. Including us. Then US Representative Keith Ellison dropped in, just back from D.C., and of course we had to get a picture — out of focus due to excitement and incompetence.

 Merry Christmas!

Cut to the quick

Our move to St. Paul meant a new groomer for Birdie. Today’s appointment for her Christmas cut went well, until we saw the blood stains on the upholstery and carpet. Quick action and cold water got them; Birdie’s foot had restarted bleeding from a toenail clipped too close to the quick. Emily’s baby stocking was slipped on in case it starts bleeding again. Maybe we’ll keep looking for a groomer.

Sunday during the Vikings game

The Vikings had the Bengals well in hand by the fourth quarter so we broke off and took a walk past Ft. Snelling. Beautiful, warmish, overcast day, you could hear the snow crunching as these runners flashed by. Home again, we binged shamelessly on "The Crown."

Star of Bethlehem

Christmas cookies cool in all available kitchen spaces as their seasonal smells fill the new apartment. The cookie baker is hard at work, stirring, rolling and cutting. These Star of Bethlehem samples come out every year and go fast unless carefully guarded for later consumption or  Christmas company. Oh well, there are always broken and unpresentable ones available for casual munching.
One disappointment this year: Sadly, Rudolph will go without his traditional nose. The empty red dot candy vial couldn't be refilled at the vendors we know of in this new community. Too bad. We'll make do.