Stan, Joyce (Jack our dog) and Jamie Christmas Eve dinner
Christmas Dinner 2006
John Snow Blowing
Snow at the Apartment 12th Ave & Zephyr Lakewood
Stan and John playing tennis
Jamie Swanson
24 inches of new fallen snow
St Joseph’s Polish Church in Denver
We had a nice Christmas between snow storms. John came late Christmas day and joined us for the second Christmas dinner of his day. He had spent time with Rachel’s brother, mother and sister earlier in Boston before he caught a plane out to Colorado.
Jamie, Stan and I had a quiet Christmas eve dinner of a stuffed rolled up fillet of fish with egg sauce. John had asked for the same recipe that we had eaten for many years and had served it on for his Christmas eve dinner he and Rachel hosted for her dad, his friend Deb and Rachel’s mom and sister. That was nice that they could start the Christmas eve dinner tradition.
For years when I was a child, we gathered at my grandma and grandpa’s home for Christmas eve dinner. There were all kinds of Swedish delights and some not so delightful. Potato sausage was always a hit, but I never did understand the pickled herring or lutefisk. All the Christmas cookies that Anna had made over the month before Christmas were stacked on tiered cookie plates. It must be that fresh butter and whole milk that made things so yummy.
As a child we were awaken early on Christmas morning to go to church to Ulota at 4 am. Not sure why this early hour was necessary, but I don’t remember missing many of these early Christmas morning services. At Christmas time there is always a melding of traditions for us. On Christmas day Stan and I went to St. Joseph’s Polish church in Globeville to an all Polish service. This church is located about where I25 and I70 cross. It was like I was on vacation in Poland. Not one word was spoken in English. The words of the songs and responses were on a large screen in front of the church. It is interesting to hear the words and see them at the same time. It sure makes it easier to hear the patterns of language. Stan was so touched hearing these traditional Polish Christmas carols sung in Polish. It brought him right back to his childhood and special memories during the Christmas season.
We enjoyed our time together, but with so much snow shoveling and roads closed, cabin fever sets in easily. We always had plenty of food to eat although shopping at grocery stores was a challenge. The dairy, fruits, vegetables and meat aisles were stripped down due to distribution delays from the snow storms.
John and I worked on a puzzle and finished it in a few hours. John brought his new Nintendo Wii and we all played tennis, golf and baseball in the living room as if we were in the sports field. We watched movies and shoveled, shoveled, shoveled our driveway, apartment and Jamie’s place. It sure was a different holiday.