Some Of The Christmas Gifts I Received

 A Dwight Schrute inspired t-shirt by Lisa 

A bird throw pillow, also from Lisa

A Keurgig cup tray for my machine from Junie

A "Cool Dad" mug from YaYa

Judson Brown Band

During our stay in Cedarburg last weekend we saw Judson Brown Band perform at the Lime Cantina, and Lisa bought a copy of their Christmas album. While the band featured vocals on all the tunes we saw this CD is instrumental. 

While I enjoyed the band in person, I give my 1000% recommendation to this CD, which served as the background music for our gift opening this year. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I'm glad Lisa picked it up. 

Check out the band's schedule on their website, and go see them yourself! 

Christmas Day - Visiting My Folks

 For months now my Mom has been a resident of a local Jewish nursing home/rehab facility. She's Catholic, but of course the facility is open to all denominations, and honestly? It's the nicest appointed place, with the most attentive staff, of any place she's ever stayed. So I'm very happy with her placement there!

Smiley and Junie joined me on the visit. 

My Mom is a huge fan of Ned's Pizza, and since she's been in the facility for months, and they observe Jewish dietary laws, she's been without a decent pizza for all that time. Ned's was closed for the holiday, but I went the day before and bought one from them, parbaked, and cooked it right before we left. She loved it!

Smiley bought each Grandparent a "Tell Me Your Story" journal, full of questions about their life for them to answer in detail. 

A few hours later Junie and I went to visit my Dad and sister at their apartment. I woke him up with my arrival (I had called ahead, but didn't get an answer) but he was in a good mood and alert and coherent. I can't get over how tiny he is now, time having robbed him of the silhouette I grew up seeing.  

We brought another Ned's pizza over for them, this one half veggie for my sister, but didn't cook it (they obviously have an oven, my Mom doesn't.) I hope they enjoyed it!

It was very good to see my folks on Christmas, and I hope I get to say the same for the next 20 years!

Something for Everyone Today

A Great Start to Christmas

Started Christmas Day off right with a beautiful candlelight Midnight Mass at my home parish,  accompanied by both Yaya and her fiance!!

A Christmas Gift (from 3 years ago!)

 Today was pretty low key. I slept in, then drove Lu to work before going to Mass, then ran some small errands in the evening with Junie (pharmacy, Walmart, storage, etc). 

But right before Mass I swung by Collector's Edge Comics and FINALLY used this certificate Junie got me for Christmas way back in 2021! To my shame, I lost track of it for a long time but was overjoyed to rediscover it. 

Despite the expiration date being two and a half years in the past, the owner honored the gift certificate. I raided the discount bin and picked up ten copies of the great 80's run of Blue Devil. 

Thanks Junie!

My New Threads

For Christmas Lisa got me a gift certificate for a suit from the tailor shop next door to my office building. 2 days after christmas, on the 27th when Lulu and I went down to Kenosha I went in for a fitting. 

A couple days ago I picked it up but today was the first day I wore the new Duds. The suit felt notably higher quality than the ones I own from Men's Wearhouse and DXL. And I thought I looked great in in it.

I did receive several compliments during the day about the suit, a few more specifically about the tie, but the most impactful comment probably came from a homeless woman that saw me walking to the courthouse. 

Quoting the woman "You look great.  Today."

LOL

I'm not sure why I look so glum that last picture I guess she just hit the shutter at the wrong second.

What a great gift Lisa thank you!

Pawprints Keepsake

This is another of my Christmas presents, this one from Smiley. We did them late today,  after I got back from my road trip with LuLu. 

We anticipated Sawyer would struggle and fight to the point where it just wouldn't happen at all. 

As it turns out he was super agreeable and it took two seconds, sooooo.. we look dumb for rushing it with a muddy paw. D'oh!

Huckleberry on the other hand DID fight and squirm and raise a moderate fuss so we made do with what we could get in the moment. 

Then, without my permission, Smiley made a cast of both Kahuna and Benny's paws -  even though this was MY Christmas gift and I didn't want someone else's kitty cat memorialized. Hrmph lol

It was a thoughtful gift Smiley. Thank you!

Christmas Cards

If you sent a card, thanks! If you want a card from us next year, let us know, it's a tradition we plan to continue. Next year I plan to decorate our card "tree".

- Lisa

Dig a Mammoth Skeleton

For Christmas Yaya bought me a mock mammoth skeleton that came encased in a block of clay. The box included a plastic hammer and chisel with which to free the individual skeletal pieces. 

I greatly enjoyed digging them out but, just as with model airplanes as a kid and Legos when Smiley was briefly interested in them, I really am no good at assembling these kind of things. So Smiley stepped in to help with that part of it.

Shortly thereafter Lulu and I delivered the mammoth to my office in Kenosha, where it sits a top my microwave and one side of my Polish flag, with the other side guarded by a porcelain bird that Lu got me for Christmas.

It was a very thoughtful gift.

Christmas Lessons

Christmas was different this year. Gifts went way different this year, our kids received way less than usual. Covid and work schedules put wrenches into some plans too. Even decorated less. But overall, I'm calling Christmas 2023 a huge success.  I am so grateful for the fun we had and memories made and traditions kept.

What I learned: 

1. My kids still want pj's on xmas eve. We skipped it cause we didn't think anyone would miss it. We were wrong.

2. We skipped putting up 2nd tree. 2nd tree will return as it was missed too. I will be trying to talk Dan into another fake tree and no more real ones.

3. Incorporated a game. We will keep games, prob add more.

4. I never regret sending too many cards, only not sending enough. 

Hope your Christmas was wonderful, even if it was different likes ours!

- Lisa

Our Tree

My tree is finally up*. 2nd tree maybe next weekend :) Now to get some presents bought!!! St Nick comes Wednesday morning.☃️🍬🎁🎄✨️

- Lisa

* she means decorated; the tree was purchased and set up in the living room the Saturday of Thanksgiving week.

My Spam Slicer

I love Spam. I don't care if you mock my taste, for the fact of the matter is: I am right, and you (assuming you dislike Spam) are wrong. 

Anyway, for Christmas Junie bought me this slicer to alleviate one of the *only* negatives of Spam, the difficulty of achieving consistent, perfect slices. 

With this, Achievement Unlocked. 

Consider this a gift-giving success!

The Cookie Tree

Today Grandma Jeanne and I made our long overdue Christmas project, the cookie tree. We went with a spring theme to offset the tardiness. - LuLu

How I Decorated my Cubicle for Christmas 2022