Here we are at Black Friday, November 26, 2021

 TERRY

As I write it is 8:00 and Terry has been awake for some time.  But she has not asked for the paper yet so she may have her eyes closed.  It seemed to me that she had a good day yesterday.  I moved her into the living room and we watched movies for a long time as the TV is currently out.  Summit is scheduled to come between 10-12 today and we are hopeful that we again will have TV.  Another day is here and as usual it is ONE day at a time.

Yes I admit there is nothing pretty about my feet BUT can you tell which one is painful?  It is somewhat better today but not good yet.

This is our Thanksgiving meal.  A friend ordered it for us from our club and I just drove over and picked it up.  The food was delicious and as one can see there is enough for meals today as well.

Here is the picture Cynthia sent of their meal with guest Travis!!!  I am not sure how Travis can safely get food in his mouth but I think he does.  There is one kid missing and I am guessing it is either John Paul or Leo.  That darn Max who is standing is getting kind of big!  As I look out their window it looks like NO snow on the ground.

Well here we kind of start with the Advent Season as that begins Sunday.  It is hard to believe that we are almost into 2022.  It seems just a short time ago that there was great concern about 2000 coming and what might happen as we entered a new century.  

I am pretty darn happy because as we welcome Advent I am totally finished with my Christmas Cards and with my gift giving.  All I need to do is mail the cards tomorrow and then do a redo of my check list to make sure any gifts that I will be giving are purchased.  I think that is true but it never hurts to double check, right?

As I look forward to Christmas and all that means for us I will make some notes so that I can sit back and enjoy the memories:

• I would say that perhaps the biggest of Christmas memories was our Bergen Church Christmas program.  Mom was in charge and she did a wonderful job.  She picked out the songs.  She played the music.  She also picked who would be Mary, Joseph and the wisemen.  I am pretty sure I, Dave and Helen NEVER were picked for the best parts.  I am sure Mom did not want people to think she favored her kids.  Actually I think Mom should have picked me to be one of the angels!!
• In the early years of growing up, when there was enough money for some presents, the presents were usually purchased early in December.  Mom would then wrap them and they were stored above the kitchen cupboards.  Well you can guess what happened when Mom and Dad were gone!  Every present was shook and turned over many times and everything else and about the only thing we would come up with is one or two of them were new puzzles!  They did not even put names on them so we did not know who would get what.  
• During those early years there was little money to be had BUT there were always presents for each.
• We usually had a small tree that sat in the corner of the living room.
• I would say this is what Christmas Eve was like in the early 50s.  We would open presents and then get into the COLD car to drive the 4 miles to Grandma and Grandpa Lee's.  There we would have a wonderful meal with Halvor's family.  Afterward there would be one gift for each of us kids and then the adults would play cards.  It would be Dad, Halvor, Alta and Grandpa.  Mom never played cards that I remember.  
• Often while the card playing went on us kids would go outside and play games in the dark which was always fun as G & G had buildings and many fruit trees we would hide in and around.  There were times we even would venture into the pasture behind the bins where there was a well and big hills.
• I remember I would get tired and want to go home later but back in those days the adults did not cater to the kids which of course was good.  So I wold move coats over on G bed and fall asleep until they were ready to quit the card games.  
• Later, perhaps when I was in upper grade school, we would stay home for Christmas.  Actually that may have happened as G & G sold the farm to Halvor and then they moved into Cayuga.  I am thinking that happened when I was in fourth grade or so.
• Each year I most likely tell about my all time TWO favorite Christmas gifts so why be different this year?  The fist was a clock radio I got when I was maybe in early high school.  That meant I could listen to baseball games at night as I fell asleep.  The second was an electric blanket that kept me oh so warm at night.  As I have said in the past Mom would go upstairs and turn it on before I arrived home late from a basketball game.  When I jumped into bed at midnight or so the bed was toasty warm and so so nice!!!

That is enough for now.  Maybe sometime later in Advent I can share how Santa Claus came to the farm and it was a real one!!!

Time to sign off for the morning.  I do not hear Terry so maybe she fell asleep again, I hope so.  The TV techs are suppose to show up in a short time so maybe TV again.  I have the entire house in a mess as furniture is moved away from the wall so they can get at things.  

I am not playing tennis today and it kind of is a special day being the day after Thanksgiving so I indulged somewhat with some Irish cream in the FP and it hit the spot.