Affordably

My 31 days of Christmas celebration is coming to a close.  The last dregs of decorations are on reduced clearance, post-Christmas sales are winding down and everyone is looking forward to a brand-spanking-new year.

Gleamy

Two days ago, we had freezing rain in the morning and pouring rain in the evening.  It was raining while I was out trying to get pictures, so I pulled over, put my window down, and leaned over to the passenger seat to take pics out the window.  You can see how shiny the driveway is in this shot.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Loftily

This tree is three stories tall!  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Twinkly

~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Bevy

A bevy of snowmen.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Perky

With all the warm weather this past week, I was afraid we would have a brown Christmas, but thankfully, there was still enough on the ground.  I thought this happy little snowman was cute.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Mommy

Remembering my mom at Christmas.  She was the bestest.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Reminiscentially

When my grandma was still alive, we would drive up to Little Falls and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas day with her and the rest of my dad's family.  Good memories.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Sudsy

 ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Metallically

Metal seems to be the medium of choice for decorations this year, at least at Menards.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Wishy-washy

How convenient!  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Chorally

My favorite Christmas song of all time.  I would pick it every year when there would be hymn requests in church.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Churchly

Today in the cafeteria, I saw an even more elaborate gingerbread display than the one from yesterday.  What a beautiful little church!  It even has "stained glass" windows.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Gingerly

The Best Buy Headquarters cafeteria rivals the food court at many malls with its numerous yummy food choices.  This is the Christmas display next to the bakery case.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas.

Confectionery

On the evening commute, this lovely tree caught my eye.  Reminds me of a big swirl of cotton candy.  They did a really nice job of getting the branches just right.   ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Seasonally

Colors of the season.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Minty

People have been decorating with candy canes for ages.  This stockpile was waiting to garnish a Christmas tree.  As seen in 2014.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Sanguinity

I don't recall ever seeing a poinsettia tree before.  I think they are pretty, but not feasible in a furbaby household.  One can be yours for $40 at Hy-Vee.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Twiggy

I was out and about in Eagan today and saw that they have a Hy-vee store.  I decided to check it out because I'd never been in one before.  These prickly pine and birch arrangements were sitting outside, flocked in freshly-fallen snow.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Glowingly

As seen on the evening commute.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Comedy

~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Nine years ago today we had the biggest blizzard in the Twin Cities since the Halloween Blizzard of '91.  When it was all said and done, over 16 inches had fallen, with drifts up to 24 inches.

At the peak of the blizzard was my mom's funeral.

Our little church family was a real tight-knit group that day.  The pianist got stuck in the alley at home.  We sent my now-husband to go get her in his 4WD truck.

The men were on shovel patrol, which was a full-time job.  The snow just didn't stop!

My relatives came down from Fargo/Moorhead and Little Falls to be there.  By the grace of God, they made it there and back in one piece.  Although my oldest niece and her husband got stuck a couple blocks away and had to trudge through the drifts to get to the church.

And my mom, well, she was late to her own funeral.  The hearse kept getting stuck.  They finally got to the church, but when they tried to pull around the corner, the hearse got stuck in the middle of the intersection.  A jerk in a Hummer came barreling up the street and started honking like crazy.  The hearse driver (usually the stoic type, right?) gets out and starts yelling at the jerk.

And me?  I laughed.  And laughed and laughed and laughed.  After everything that happened in the last month of my mom's life, I so needed that.   I'm sure she was laughing in heaven as she would definitely find the humor in it too.  It was a comedy of errors on the grandest scale.

The day was wild and crazy and wacky – just like my mom.  Merry Christmas, mom.  I love you.

Exhaustingly

When you're all tuckered out from playing with your new Christmas toys and fall asleep.  As seen in 2013.     ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Intermediary

~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Cutey

~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Delivery

Nativity scene is up at Minnehaha Academy, South Campus.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Helpfully

Hey look, mom!  I'm setting up Christmas decorations.  Pay no attention to the fact that I'm standing on this chair.  ~ Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Techie Corner
This was a "lost" image I found a couple years ago.  I was scanning negs and was surprised to find an image I hadn't seen before.  110 neg scanned with Epson V600.

Protectively

That gnome has the best seat in the house, protecting all those goodies.  ~ Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Campy

I can't imagine going camping in Minnesota for Christmas, but it's still a cute little trailer.  ~ Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Gangly

I saw this cute little snowman yesterday.  I think it's the first snowman I've ever seen with legs and feet!   ~ Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Celestially

I stopped by Michaels tonight on the way home from work.  I love that store!  And what a beautiful angel!  ~ Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Gusty

My sixth annual “31 Days of Christmas” starts today.  I don't know who these kids are, but they are doing a fine job of caroling.  As seen in 1958.

Picture scanned with Epson V600.