Archives For christmas

My reflections about Christmas Day, 2012

December 26, 2012 — Leave a comment

A delightful 19th century Christmas card by Louis Prang. Source: American Antiquarian Society

Considering that each person has only a very limited number of Christmases to observe in a lifetime, it is good to take a bit of time to reflect and ponder when each one is over.  There is no better time for me to do so than on the day after Christmas, when thoughts and impressions are still fresh in my mind.

I’m fortunate to live in a part of the country that escaped the 2012 Christmas Day winter storms which plagued the south and are now bearing down on the northeast.  It was cold here, but I much prefer that to tornado or blizzard conditions.

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12/24/12: Merry Christmas to my readers of the “Beat”

December 24, 2012 — 2 Comments

A West Virginia grist mill. Isn’t this a lovely scene for the Christmas season?

Final preparations are underway at my home for our family Christmas Day celebration that will take place tomorrow. Many food items have already been prepared. – currently a pumpkin pie is baking and a  gingerbread is ready for the oven when the pie is done. The table is set, presents are wrapped and adding a colorful touch to the living room; in general, all systems are go for a very merry time, indeed. I can hardly wait for the fragrances of baked ham and spiced apple cider to waft through my home tomorrow. What a blessing!

This will be a very white Christmas in Minnesota, and also a very cold one.  However, there are no snowstorms on the horizon for the Twin Cities area, and the highways are good for travel.

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On the Twin Cities Beat on 12/22/12 with upcoming events

December 22, 2012 — 2 Comments
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Scoping out the Twin Cities area for items of interest.

Highlights for three events or activities in the Twin Cities area:

  • Christmas Eve dining specials in the Twin Cities area;
  • Kaffeestube European Breakfast Café;
  • Free Courtroom Concerts at the Landmark Center, St. Paul

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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On the Twin Cities Beat on 12/15/12 with upcoming events

December 15, 2012 — Leave a comment
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Scoping out the Twin Cities area for items of interest.

Highlights for three upcoming events and activities in the Twin Cities area:

  • 40th Annual Folkways of the Holidays;
  • Folkways By Candlelight;
  • Winter Solstice Sunset Celebration

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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Mall Of America® special events: Week of December 17, 2012

December 13, 2012 — Leave a comment
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Through December 23, holiday shoppers at the MOA can enjoy music from a wide range of school groups, church groups and professional musicians.

Special events on the Mall of America® schedule in Bloomington, Minnesota for the week of December 17, 2012 include:

  • Vern Yip at the HGTV Holiday House
  • Toddler Tuesdays: Rock Around the Christmas Tree with Dora
  • Carter Oosterhouse at the HGTV Holiday House
  • Chris Lambton at the HGTV Holiday House
  • David Bromstad at the HGTV Holiday House

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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On the Twin Cities Beat on 12/12/12 with upcoming events

December 12, 2012 — Leave a comment
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Scoping out the Twin Cities area for items of interest.

Highlights for several upcoming events and activities in the Twin Cities area include the following:

  • Candlelight ski, snowshoe and hiking events
  • You can be a Santa to a Senior
  • Sesame Street Live, “Can’t Stop Singing”

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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On the Twin Cities Beat on 12/11/12 with upcoming events

December 11, 2012 — Leave a comment
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Scoping out the Twin Cities area for items of interest.

Highlights for several upcoming events and activities in the Twin Cities area include the following:

  • Forever 21 to host grand opening event for new location in Mall of America®
  • Handel’s Messiah to be presented in St. Paul
  • Trans-Siberian Orchestra will present the live debut of the band’s multi-platinum rock opera, The Lost Christmas Eve

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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‘Christmas On The Ranch’ on stage now at Plymouth Playhouse

December 10, 2012 — Leave a comment
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The holidays are a time of community. The Plymouth Playhouse invites you to come, gather ‘round the campfire with some old (and new) friends, and celebrate this festive time of year, the cowboy way (You can leave the spurs at home).

An all-new holiday musical, Christmas On The Ranch: A Cowboy Musical, is currently on stage at the Plymouth Playhouse in Plymouth, Minnesota.  Performances will continue through January 13, 2013.

Christmas On The Ranch highlights the return of Monica Heuser to the Plymouth Playhouse stage in the starring role of Miss Monica.

Heuser is well known for her portrayal of the legendary, country pop singer Patsy Cline in the critically acclaimed A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline as well as touring nationally in the title role for Troupe America. Twin Cities’ audiences also remember her for her portrayal of Janis Joplin in the 2007 Ivey Award-winning Love Janis at the Ordway Center.

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Decorating for Christmas throughout the years

December 8, 2012 — Leave a comment
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My living room in 2011 just before the family assembled for our gift exchange. All semblance of order quickly disappeared!

Christmas brings out the sentimental in me, with many wonderful memories flooding my mind as I begin to decorate my home each year.  Today I have been decorating my townhome for Christmas 2012, while savoring memories from prior years.

As I reflect on Christmases past, I mentally catalog them within the different seasons of my life.

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Mall Of America® special events: Week of December 10, 2012

December 4, 2012 — 2 Comments
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The LEGO Store at the Mall of America was remodeled in 2010. It is BIG!

Special events on the Mall of America® schedule in Bloomington, Minnesota for the week of December 10, 2012 include:

  • Toddler Tuesdays: The Wonder Pets! Save the Nutcracker
  • Vikings and KFAN Toys for Tots Drive
  • Sara Peterson at the HGTV Holiday House
  • Forever 21 New Store Opening
  • Genevieve Gorder at the HGTV Holiday House

Here is more information to get you to the right place at the right time:

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