Sometimes a Lump of Coal isn’t a Bad Thing…Particularly if There are Naughty Nurses

Time leading up to the Fall and Winter Holidays seems slow in getting here and then rushes by so quickly. The Adventures last ended with Thanksgiving (both the holiday and the heartfelt thanks) and now we're about to welcome in 2011; with multiple adventures in-between—St. Lucia party, Winter Ball, Football, and a joyous Christmas.

The first weekend in December we hosted our annual St. Lucia party. It is not so much a party about St. Lucia, but a reason to welcome in the mid-winter with some Swedish food and a gathering of friends. This year the party expanded to over fifty guests with people from work, church, the neighborhood and some that are mixes of all, and our house once again proved itself to be the right size and layout for a festive gathering.

In the week leading up to the party Cheri was baking and making several dishes; with a goal of having very little to do during the party other than heating things up and visiting. She was busy preparing potatoes stewed in cream, saffron bread braided and made into a wreath shape, onion pies, fruit soup, and glögg spices.

I did a bit by making the sill salad (a favorite of mine—herring, beets, apples and walnuts that gets spread on crackers), Janssen’s Temptation (sliced onions, potatoes, herring cooked in cream), snow pudding and a custard sauce, and a sliced cucumber salad. In addition we had some smoked salmon that required us making mustard and dill sauce, a spiral cut ham that needed glazing and spritz cookies.

By Saturday, December 4th, we had the house and much of the food ready. Guests also brought both edible items—Swedish meatball, Almond Cake, salads—and some further libations—red and white wines. It was a great celebration and a nice way to welcome the shortening days; as well as look forward to the days lengthening again after mid-winter.

A little aquavit frozen into a block of ice helped with the outlook as well.

We recovered through the week to get ourselves ready for the UMass Memorial Second Annual Winter Ball. This black-tie event is a  fundraiser and we enjoy the chance to dress up and go out. Besides a very good meal, there is a live (and lively) auction for some large items and several really nice silent auction items. I have won some sports tickets in the past in the silent auction, but this year was not as successful. But, we enjoyed watching other people spend their money—a very successful fundraiser—and Cheri and I were even out dancing for part of the evening—a success that Cheri values highly.

For the second year in a row the Winter Ball takes place on Friday evening, and the Army-Navy Football game is the next day. I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to attend once again, so I was up at 3:30 am to begin the trek to Philadelphia—site of the game. Along the way I stopped at Deb and Scott Whitney’s in NJ to drop off my bag and join up with them for the game.

Besides Deb and Scott, Tim and Laura joined us for the trip and the game. As usual, the game was filled with pageantry, jabs at each other’s schools, football, and outstanding sportsmanship both during and then following the game; when the teams stand respectfully for the singing of each other’s alma mater.



Following the game we made the relatively quick drive back to NJ. It was Scott’s birthday—which made it seem nice that they scheduled the football game to coincide—so we enjoyed a little bit of good beef and some nice wine to celebrate the day’s events.

Timing then gave us a week-and-a-half to finish preparing the house…and ourselves…for the celebration of Christmas.

On the 23^rd Nana and Papa showed up to spend the first half of the weekend with us. Since we had the time and the oysters—just two gallons worth this year—Papa got to work making the Fenton family traditional oyster stew. As we took the oysters out of the refrigerator Papa said he could hear the earth moving from Gram Fenton rolling over in her grave. He said her idea of making and stretching oyster stew was, “…tie two oysters on a thread and swirl them around in the broth.” Seeing two gallons of oysters going into a stew would be too much for her to bear.

We did have a little taste testing on the 23^rd, just to make sure we had the mixture done correctly. That saved a good portion for us to have on Christmas Eve. There were also pies to be made and decorated and other foods to be prepared for the next several days.

Deb, Scott, Tim and Laura showed up mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve and we made panini pressed sandwiches to go with the oyster stew for a late lunch / early dinner prior to having our first round of Christmas gifts. As is usual when we let Cheri and Deb sit next to each other it wasn’t too long before they were both laughing and egging each other on to more laughter. We had a great afternoon and then sent the Whitneys on their way to Maine to be with Scott’s family while we headed out to a Christmas Eve service.

The candlelight service of carols and readings was very nice. Cheri played several roles as a deacon and a bell-ringer. She was handing out candles as we came in, played handbells during the service, was a reader and then collected used candles at the end. The service was one of joy and sending people out very upbeat…different from the Christmas Eve services of the past which
 
were more solemn and reflective. Both types of services are important and good reminders of what Christmas is truly about.

Christmas morning meant sleeping in for some…some of us just continue to be early risers…and then we checked our stockings to see if we’d been naughty or nice. Either we had been just nice enough or hidden our naughtiness, because there was no coal to be found in any of the stockings.

  

Since everyone had been so nice, I went ahead and prepared the traditional eggs benedict we enjoy on Christmas morning at our house. Then we opened our presents from under the tree…great gifts to and from everyone.

We shared gifts with them and tried to convince them…by displaying the Christmas feast beef…to stay through the evening, but they needed to move on.

Papa and I managed to get a 3½ mile walk in during the morning…to help justify the amount of eating we had already done and in preparation of what was coming. Soon after getting back to the house Dan and Monica Whitney stopped by on their way from Monica’s family in NJ and heading to meet up with the rest of the Whitneys in Maine. Soon after they left Dave, Karen, Derek and Anna arrived to spend Christmas evening with us. Dad came along with them and we stationed him near the fireplace to keep warm.

The feast was great…although the beef ended up a little too rare for some because I didn’t follow my own directions in preparing the meat…and we enjoyed the company around the table. Later in the evening we played some Left-Right-Center. 

A few days earlier, while getting some libations for the weekend, I found a combination of items that just seemed right.  One of them was a Naughty Nurse…and I figured if you are getting one you might as well get two.  Of course that meant you might end up with a Lump of Coal in your stocking…but this kind didn’t look to bad. 



So Dave and I managed to try them during some of our games.  We then tucked everyone in for another nice winter’s nap.
    
Sunday morning Nana and Papa got themselves packed up and headed off to NH before the predicted winter storm blew in. The rest of us finished more cooking and preparing another batch of snow pudding while awaiting the arrival of some more members of the Swenson family—excepting those in Florida, Denver, Australia, and in MA but already becoming snow-bound.
  

As people arrived we snacked on more of the Swedish food prepared for the day, as well as cookies and appetizers. There was football on the TV, sitting by the fire, visiting, and then we got everyone involved in a couple of rounds of Left-Right-Center. The events took us into late afternoon followed by  a Yankee Swap of gifts. Then it was another smorgasbörd of entrees and desserts.

With the snow storm heading up the coast the travelers did not want to tarry too long before heading north and away from the larger snow falls. We ended up with only a few inches on most of the ground although the snow drifted much deeper in some areas. More significantly the wind gusts took down many trees and branches in the area, including one in our back yard that woke us up in the middle of the night. No damage to the house, but loud enough to make you wonder what had happened.

As the Year’s Adventures are winding down it seems that it has been a good year.  Good times with Family and Friends…traveling…good food, wine, and spirits. It also looks like more great Adventures ahead with more traveling—Florida and Australia—more time together with friends—Valentines Day, Cinco de Mayo—and along with that should be more good food, wine and spirits.  HAPPY NEW YEAR to all as we continue the Adventures into 2011.

Black Friday Re-Cap

Once again the time has flown by.  A trip to Denver in early November would seem to be enough traveling coming into the holidays.,..but not so for Swenson's Adventures.

The week we came back from Denver was also the week of the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month...originally Remembrance Day for the signing of the World War One Armistice on the Western Front, and now known as Veterans' Day in the US. I had the day off and took advantage of the shortened (in this case quite shortened) week to join some friends from around the country.

 Viva 2010

Guys in general do not get together with just other guys to enjoy some time together...this trip was the exception. Earlier in the year I was at a conference planning meeting in Chicago with my good friend Ken Cates and he started talking about a trip he wanted to bring his dad on to celebrate his Dad's 75th birthday. The more we talked about it and who would or could be going on the trip the more it grew into Viva 2010

Over the following weeks and several E-mails Ken arranged for rooms at the Las Vegas MGM Grand for six of us. In addition, Ken made tee times for us at three different golf courses--Bear's Best, Desert Pines, Royal Links--for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

   
As is the custom...what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas...with a few small exceptions in this case and very few pictures. First, I think Bear's Best golf course was the best course we played; it was in great shape and I liked it because it was my best play of the three outings (which to those of you who have golfed with me in the past know doesn't necessarily say much). I probably did well because I didn't over-think anything and just played.

The course was designed by Jack Nicklaus (the Golden Bear) based on his favorite holes. In addition to the beauty and the challenge of the course, the setting is in a resort community; so the holes are surrounded by homes that are in the tens of millions dollar range.

Next, when we looked into travel back and forth to the courses and the number of cabs we would need for six of us plus clubs the math worked out better to get a limo. So our travel was in true Vegas style.

On the last day we had a group photo taken to verify that we were all in Vegas. From left to right are: Mitch Stern, Dick Moeller, Ken Cates, Dewey Cates, myself, and Doug Erickson in front.


Finally, the setting was right, the restaurants were great and I came back with more than twice the amount of money that I took to splurge on some gambling. And then the best thing yet...when I got home Cheri said, "you should make this an annual thing!"

Christmas on the Hill

The following weekend was 'Christmas on the Hill', an annual event put on by the Women's Fellowship of our church. There are craftwork, raffles, a silent auction, and cookies by the pound; plus we have a kitchen staff that sells homemade soups, chicken pot pies and sandwiches to order. The Bell Choir also plays a couple times during the meal. Besides making many ornaments and other decorations Cheri played bells and worked behind one of the tables. For my part I worked in the kitchen making sandwiches (I don't make ornaments, and besides I'd been away for Viva 2010).

Thanksgiving

Then it was time for one of the best holidays--Thanksgiving.   Since we  would probably eat too much later in the day Cheri and I went for a long walk early in the morning and I took a photo back towards the house from across the pond and fields.  You can barely make out the house…over the river and through the woods.



Cheri and I were invited to the Harrison's for a late afternoon Thanksgiving Dinner. Our niece Kristina was invited along as well and we had a wonderful time with good food and good friends. In addition to us there were Martha and Jamie's sons Christopher and Ben, Ben's wife Denise and their new daughter Stella; plus the Harrison's other friends Sue and Dan and Sue's brother Jack.


Besides a great feast we had some time for games around the fireplace. A good time was had by all.

We woke up on Black Friday with Cheri and Kris each having to head off to work. My time has been spent putting up winter doors and getting out Christmas decorations...and updating the blog...re-capping the adventures of November.