This year was a first in over six years which I would have off between Christmas and New Years, so I made lots of plans.
Our Bunco group still had our annual Christmas get-together/white elephant exchange. However, only eight of us this year due to COVID.
Kevin and I also did our annual trip the Saturday before Christmas to watch the light show at Lakeside Park.
On Christmas Eve day I made the trek to Winona to spend Christmas with Candy. The cities got socked the night before with a pretty good snow storm, but it looked as though Winona only received 2-3 inches from it. The roads were perfectly fine. Just a few slushy spots on Hwy 61 along the Mississippi where the shadows of the bluffs didn’t allow the sun to melt the snow.
We planned on Lori arriving for lunch on Christmas day and then a trip to see Dad’s permanent marker at his gravesite in Preston Veteran’s Cemetery. For lunch I made us a very keto friendly salad. Candy opened our present too for her before we headed out. Which was a flag holder for the flag given to her by the MN VA in honor of our Dad’s service.
It was a beautiful sun-shiny day for our drive to Preston and as usual we saw quite a few bald eagles. For whatever reason, I see more of them in this area, away from the Mississippi, than I do now by the river when I am there.
Dad’s gravestone is very nice! Lori and I talked about how surreal it seems that he is gone. However, we both agreed that we are so glad he passed before the holidays since they aren’t allowing any visitors at the home. From there Lori headed back home.
I left the following day to head home. Between that and New Year’s I made plans with friends for lunch, or just short visits.
On New Year’s Eve day, my friend Emily and I planned to go tubing at Sunburst in Kewaskum. We had a blast! I even broke out my favorite face mask for it, which was becoming the infamous face mask of the season.
On New Year’s Eve evening I went to dinner with a group to Sunset on the Water and treated myself to steak and lobster. Luckily the steak was pretty big, cause the lobster tail was probably only 3 ounces (equivalent to five bites). I was offered to join some of the group for Cards Against Humanity afterwards, but I opted for attending a meeting and then staying home for the remainder of the evening. In bed before midnight, as usual.
On New Year’s Day, Lori’s birthday, she stopped by for our Christmas gift exchange and a visit, which was also very nice.
All-in-all it was a very nice Christmas/holiday season for me to spend with people I love and enjoy to be with!
I hope everyone had as nice of holiday or an even a better one than me!!!
