Christmas Cheer

[Ulu]

As a backstop to all the depressing BS that has infected our lives over the past 12 months I offer you this hope for a cheerful Christmas and a happy new year. (fresh cut Cheerfulness was $25 more than last year but You can’t put a price on hope...  )

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Frank Elder]

You can't put a price on hope......well said. The grandkids hope I can meet the price on the presents they want....lol, most of the time I think I am seen as an endless supply debit card. Sadly this is not true.?

[keithb7]

It was a different, challenging year for sure. The good news is our favorite hobby, old Mopars, could still be enjoyed. A lot of us work alone in the garage anyway. We still got to go for many drives in our old Mopars. It was pretty easy to self isolate if you’re a gear head anyway. Besides how often do you actually see any other old Mopars at car meets? Not many! Lol.  
 

Seasons Greetings to all. Wherever you are. Whatever you celebrate, enjoy. I look forward to interacting with you all some more in 2021. 
 

I heard a good saying the other day. Pertaining to home garage work. “It doesn’t matter how it gets done, as long as you are having fun!”   Good one. I like it!

 

Keith

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by keithb7

[Tooljunkie]

I never thought we would ever experience what this past year has delivered. It has been a difficult few months, but we will get through this. 
so to all a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

[kencombs]

My 17yo grandson asked me if any year in my life compared to 2020. After I thought about it I said 1943.  One minute all is quiet, warm, dark and calm.  Next it’s bright, cold, loud,,and someone hit me on the butt.  
 

What a shock.

 

1943 was the year I was born.   
 

wishing everyone a great holiday season.  And a much better new year. 

[sidevalvepete]

Yes. Merry Christmas to all you folks, wherever you are. Take care of yourselves and your families. Christmas day will be here in an hour. Up to milk the cows four and a half hours later, a few quick chores then enjoying the company of my wife and two of my three daughters. Then cow time again before my farmer son turns up,  followed by my eldest daughter and son in law with our two grandchildren for Christmas tea. Hope we all climb out of this virus thing soon.

[oldodge41]

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope everyone stays healthy and happy in the new year!

[Frank Elder]

Just ate Christmas eve breakfast with my grown grandson, something we've done done since he was in diapers.....mmmm hashbrowns smothered in sausage gravy and two sunny side eggs on top! A giant mug of coffee to wash it down, probably our last one for awhile as he goes of to Marine Corp boot camp on Jan. 4th.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Edited December 24, 2020 by Frank Elder

[Pete]

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

A big holiday weekend for me. In addition to the yearly Christmas celebration cycle, yesterday was my last day of work before I retire. My wife and I had our own little celebration at home. We got an excellent dinner from a local restaurant (carry out) and enjoyed a very good bottle of wine from my nephew's winery. Looking forward to having more time to work on my old car projects!

 

Pete

 

[Dan Hiebert]

Congratulations on retirement, Pete.  Quiet Christmas for us here in northern Maine.  Supposed to get smacked by a good storm tomorrow (wind and rain, no snow), but no one's coming here, and we're not going anywhere.  Trees are still heavy with icy snow from a few weeks ago, so we'll probably have a few power outages.  Taking a lasagna to some friends in a little while, otherwise, just as we'd planned.  Merry Christmas to all. 

[Pete]

Thanks, Dan.

 

We are expecting the same weather here in Vermont. Heavy snow in the trees and high winds are not good for keeping the power on.

 

I'll likely be planning a week long tour for my car club in the next couple of years. My default choice is always Maine. Mid-coast and north. Usually hit Owls Head Transportation Museum and Seal Cove. I'm a member of both. Let me know if there are good tour attractions up your way. Maybe I can convince the other touring folks up that way.

 

Pete

 

[Dan Hiebert]

Pete - I'll send you a PM within a day or so.  Not really much for "attractions" other than scenery, "outdoorsy" stuff, and some small museums once you get north of Bangor.  But, I'll send you a rundown, something may pique your club's interest.   

[Ulu]

Happy Christmas to all!

Our kids and grandkids, and we, decided we were all healthy enough for Christmas, and all came for dinner yesterday.

I made a 9lb prime rib with mashed potatoes and carrots with onions. I bought lots of snacks and we had pie, cake, pudding, and 4 kinds of ice cream. Presents for everyone, & everything came off well. The roast was perfect, nothing burned, and we didn't cook too much or too little.

Not one kid showed up with a runny nose, sniffles, bandaids, broken finger, arm in a cast, black eye . . . nuthin'! . . . and nobody over ate or drank too much. There was not a single kiddie squabble, and nobody even mentioned politics, disease, or the election.

I was expecting the usual melee, but it was sort of a Christmas miracle.

[kencombs]

1 hour ago, Ulu said:

Happy Christmas to all!

Our kids and grandkids, and we, decided we were all healthy enough for Christmas, and all came for dinner yesterday.

I made a 9lb prime rib with mashed potatoes and carrots with onions. I bought lots of snacks and we had pie, cake, pudding, and 4 kinds of ice cream. Presents for everyone, & everything came off well. The roast was perfect, nothing burned, and we didn't cook too much or too little.

Not one kid showed up with a runny nose, sniffles, bandaids, broken finger, arm in a cast, black eye . . . nuthin'! . . . and nobody over ate or drank too much. There was not a single kiddie squabble, and nobody even mentioned politics, disease, or the election.

I was expecting the usual melee, but it was sort of a Christmas miracle.

Sounds great.  Wife and I (and my resident 17yo grandson) decided to forego the normal Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Wife has some health challenges that would be critical if she contracted the Covid.  So I cooked some extra  for the gathering at my daughter's home while preparing  ham and turkey for our home.  Sure miss those kids/grand kids/great grand kids, but we'll all get together post-vaccine.    I really doubt it will be as perfect as yours sounds.  Somebody will overeat (me) and the great grand sisters will squabble about something!

Edited December 25, 2020 by kencombs

[Plymouthy Adams]

as Cark said, if  you need me I'll be outside parking the cars....been a couple years since the wife and I did our cooking for the family at T-giving as the older generation has now passed and the younger ones are just tooooo busy for family.  It was fun for us as the moochers got a free meal with no involvement was pretty much successful events with 24-30 folks gathering to eat.  With the passing of the old guard, so goes the family that revolved around them.  

[tom'sB2B]

Merry Christmas

[busycoupe]

But Tim, now YOU are the old guard!

[Plymouthy Adams]

yes...but my peer group, the cousins, mostly fell distant with the passing of the grandparents...do not see or hear much from the nieces and nephews now that my parents are passed....the grandparents are the glue in the mix it seems.....

[Eneto-55]

3 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

yes...but my peer group, the cousins, mostly fell distant with the passing of the grandparents...do not see or hear much from the nieces and nephews now that my parents are passed....the grandparents are the glue in the mix it seems.....

Seems so to me as well.  In my family, we used to have a lot of 'family reunions" - all of the descendants of my great grandparents.  So up to 2nd cousins.  Back then, most of the families involved lived within a couple hundred miles (some exceptions up to 1500 miles away, and of course they didn't always make it).  Because my wife & I are from very different parts of the country, and because we lived overseas for 18 years, our children hardly know their first cousins, much less their 2nd or third cousins.  When I was growing up I knew some of my 5th cousins, because we had one family reunion that went back 4 generations. Now I only rarely see any of my cousins, and very seldom more that one or two 2nd cousins.  (Mostly my fault, I guess, as I live over 900 miles from my home community.)