Santa and the Parade of Lights 2011

Friends know how bonkers I can go over a parade. And I'm a nut when it comes to Santa. I had such good experiences with Santa as a child. Not because he brought us scads of gifts, because he did not. He came to our house every Christmas with a few gifts, the biggest oranges and fifty-cent pieces. Sweet memories for me.

Here are a few (poor quality) of photos of Santa and his two helpers astride horses in the staging area for the 2011 Parade of Lights.

SANTA 2011 IN PARADE OF LIGHTS STAGING AREA

.

Photos taken in the staging area - 28 floats, many with generators crowded into a parking lot - talk about an exhaust buzz! It was exhilarating waiting for the start of the parade - and duct taping and re-duct taping connections on the float.

And then there was the crowd downtown. Note how close they stood to us. We were in a pick-up towing a car trailer. Several semis had to navigate that crowded street!

It was fun. Made me want to go home and bake cookies and sweet breads to share.

PARADE OF LIGHTS 2011

Epiphany

Today is Epiphany, the day my Grandmother always took down the Christmas tree and all the other Christmas decorations no.matter.what.  Fondly remembering removing tinsel from the tree so we could use it the following year, and wrapping all those delicate ornaments in tissue paper and packing them in their boxes.

The Gift

Mid-day on Christmas Eve I heard a vehicle door slam.  A quick glance out the window revealed a red truck, and a good friend walking towards my back porch holding a box.  This is not unusual as this particular good friend comes over on a regular enough basis with boxes of stuff. This past summer it was produce to preserve and split with her. Other times it is a box of goodies for some project or other that we are working on.

As I opened the door and said "Hi", she thrust the box into my arms and retreated back to her truck for another box. "Merry Christmas" said my friend with a smile on her face. It was present exchanging time! We've been known to exchange very practical gifts - food, baked items, hats, school supplies (I love school supplies, but that's another story) or silly stuff, like necklaces from those machines outside discount stores.

I was stunned, and happy and deeply moved by her kindness and her gift of love.  She knows me, and so packed those two boxes with stuff I desperately needed and would truly appreciate.  I got laundry detergent without fragrance, and dish soap that won't remove the skin from my hands, toilet paper, stew meat and bacon - I love bacon and stew meat. Oranges - I'm particularly fond of oranges this time of year.  Potatoes and oatmeal.  Oatmeal is on the menu here most winter days.  And then there was the big package of duplex cookies. A favorite treat for me since childhood - and I do try really, really hard to eat only a couple a day.  Oh, yes, flour and sugar so I can bake.

I'm touched, and grateful. It's wonderful to be loved. It's more wonderful to be loved by a woman on a Calling. Thanks, good friend.

DZIENKUJE

Dzienkuje, Thank you, to everyone for the wonderful Community Christmas Dinner. There is just nothing like old friends and newly made friends combined with incredible food and stories to make for a wonderful community Christmas meal.

I know a few folks knocked themselves out baking all day to make the delicious desserts and treats, homemade pies, candied sweet potatoes and dressing to go along with the turkey and ham and smashed potatoes.  Dzienkuje.

Dzienkuje (jeen-koo-yeh), Polish for Thank You.

Those pies were so good, Soozi!

Community Christmas Dinner & New Year's Eve Party

Yup, you read that right. A Community Christmas Dinner and a Community New Year's Eve Party. Details:

Help us spread the word..

Community Christmas Dinner - Everyone Welcome
2 - 4 p.m. Christmas Day at Kimball Protestant Parish
Ham provided, and turkey, too
Pickles and other stuff to nibble on
Potluck welcomed, but not required
Needed:
Folks who want to eat Christmas dinner in a community setting
Volunteers to help set up, clean up, serve and deliver home meals
A gathering of good folks eating good food

Community New Year's Eve Party - Everyone Welcome
 3 - 9 p.m. Kimball Senior Center
3 p.m. - coffee
4 p.m. - Polka Czechs
5 p.m. - Light supper (bring a dish to pass if you wish - but not required)
6 p.m. - Bingo (prize donations appreciated)

We'll be eating whatever it is we gather in donations.  Bingo will go until all prizes are gone or we're sick of playing - we'll decide that night. And...no alcohol at this event.

Christmas Recital

Current and former vocal and instrumental instructors at Kimball School will perform during a Christmas Recital, Sunday, 7 p.m. at St. Margaret Church. Kimball Music Ambassadors, who are headed to Europe in the Summer of 2011, will also perform.

St. Margaret Church is a magnificent array of Christmas greens, wreaths and lights.  This is a spectacular event.

Trees and Nativities

In 2009 the South Dakota Hall of Fame began what I hope is a long tradition of featuring decorated Christmas trees and nativity scenes.  Thirteen trees and over a hundred nativity scenes are on display until early January.  Enjoy... Just received word that the nativity scenes will stay on display until the end of January...now you can really enjoy! 

 #1 - Oak by Amish and Vaad Framing

 #2 Bent Spatula

#3 - River City Band Festival

#4 - 4-H Extension Office

#5 – Chamber of Commerce and Dayle Chilson

#6 – Prime CattleWomen

#7 – South Dakota Hall of Fame

#8 – Pat Blum - nativity scenes. Just a few of the over 100 on display.

#9 – Blum Brothers

#10 – River City Wood Carvers - People's Choice Award Winner

#11 – Welcome West Plaza

#12 – Sanford Hospital

#13 – Kiwanis

#14 – Dakota Milestones

Spectacular, huh?

People's Choice Award

For the second year, the South Dakota Hall of Fame featured Christmas trees decorated by area individuals and organizations. This year's display included 13 trees and about a hundred nativity scenes.

New to the event this year is a People's Choice award.  And the winner is.....River City Wood Carvers.  Hall of Fame President and CEO, Todd Knutson presented the award to Dr. Tom Stone of the River City Wood Carvers.

The winning tree was decorated with hand carved and painted wooden ornaments, large wood shaving curls and hand painted gourds - a lovely South Dakota tree.

Saint Lucy's Day

Scandinavians and others around the world today are celebrating St. Lucia's Day or St. Lucy's Day - the day of light. Such a lovely celebration it is with young girls processing whilst holding a lighted candle, led by a young maiden with a lit-candle studded wreath upon her head.  Spectacular.

St. Lucia is the patron of blindness. Her feast, resplendent with candlelight, is held on December 13, the longest night of the year on the traditional Julian calendar. In some Swedish homes, a daughter dresses in a white dress adorned with a red sash, the evergreen wreath on her head holding lighted candles. She bears a tray holding a hot drink and lussekatter, Lucian buns made with saffron. She offers these gifts as treats to family members as she awakens them from their sleep.

Christmas at the Capitol

Had to go near the capitol last week and was able to take in the christmas trees on display. Most impressive. Three floors, 90 trees decorated by various organizations. And the Piece de resistance: a wonderful three-story tree.