Bill S. – Happy to see family and Betsy, in person, later today.
Chris R. – Son will be home for a surgery soon then back to same team in Canada next season.
Betsy W. – Happy to meet Bill S. in person and other Rotarians. Son passed driver test. Daughter not going back to college in Idaho, will study from home. Grateful to be alive and well herself and her family. Reiterate Mac H. about being grateful
Alexa R. – Bill S. brought over gift of medication to Alexa R.
Lenny N. – Happy for the Byerly’s shift today. Spent 1975-1982 working as cashier, bagger, parking lot delivery.
Jennifer S. – Not able to see her mother for Christmas near Chicago. But took a 28 hour road trip last week to Kankakee, IL to visit her mother.
Bob H. – Asked about COVID-19. Bob had a minor case over Thanksgiving. Most importantly, a new grandchild, North Carolina is on the way in June!
Mary T. – Setting up Zoom meeting for all her daughters around the world on Christmas.
Ron U. – Happy because his children are happy.
Mark F. – Recently celebrated a birthday!
Patti S. – Happy for happiness and health. Happiness and health for the holiday season. A special note to her father a long time Minneapolis Rotarian. Her father knew Ron U. over the years.
Chris C. – Happy to at the cabin. Mentions a recent illness for his mother. But she has good prognosis and beats Chris at cards. Trip to Mexico is cancelled but Detroit Lakes is a good substitute. Thanks everyone for the first 6 months of presidency. Please remember Pete G. and his family.
Char M. – Char’s father was a Minneapolis Rotary, too. Looking forward to having time together with family.
Member family holiday stories.
Chris C. – Spends the holiday as an outdoor family with outdoor activities.
Lenny N. – Story about her two children. Son was 8 years old and perplexed by celebrating Christmas and Hanukah. Explanation was that mom and dad each celebrated one when they were you. Son asked about Kwanza. Lenny explained it was not a gift giving holiday. Son said, “never mind”.
Terry S. – Remembers a Christmas in Nebraska and daughter dreaming of a black puppy. Later that day daughter’s uncle called about an injured puppy. Terry's family adopted it. It lived for 14 years.
Ann W. – Has 8 siblings and spend Christmas together. First year apart. Remembers a Christmas in Young America looking for Santa on Christmas Eve, but always just missed him. This year she will Zoom with her family.
Bill S. – Remembers week of Christmas with a big dinner and looking at the department store windows.
Betsy W. – Mentions the Martin Patrick store in the North Loop won an award for holiday display windows.
Ron U. – Remembers a south Minneapolis holiday gatherings when Betsy W. was young. He would go caroling. Tried the same thing later in Minnetonka but was not nearly as fun. Remembers a Christmas long ago when he got a 12 foot toboggan which caused him to question Santa.
Jennifer S. – Remembers Christmas on State Street in Chicago looking for Uncle Mistletoe at the Marshall Field store.
Cathy C. – She has 14 grandchildren. Remembers when they were small and get together the Saturday before Christmas at Toys R Us. Instruction was to pick a gift for themselves and one for a child they didn’t know. Would drop off the extra toys for Toys for Tots at KARE11 studio. After that would have pizza and show off their new toy.
Bob H. – Thank you for all of these great stories. Remembers German grandmother Cecilia who passed away 40 years ago on Christmas Eve. He remembers her parties after midnight Mass on Christmas. He remembers a trip to California with her to visit the California cousins.
Mac H. – Remembers the oyster stew soup but hasn’t missed it for 40 years.
Mary T. – Remembers a Christmas long ago.
Alexa R. – Remembers her mother in the transplant house in Rochester many years ago having chili and Wendy’s after the visit. Also remembers father at midnight Mass one year hoping all the service members coming home.
Alissa O. – Remembers Christmas in Hawaii and Christmas tree at the beach.
Chris L. – Remembers a grandfather Mathias. She spoke about her holiday sweater and how much it means to her.
Chris R. – Remembers being an alter boy at a midnight Mass, the Latin, the incense and candles. During a prayer, his fellow alter boy, Leonard, caught his hair on fire. Also remembers a road trip to Arizona from Oregon bringing a Christmas tree. There were many stumbles along the way.
Mark F. – Remembers grandparents in North Dakota at Christmas out in the country try to see Santa with his cousins.
Pete G. - Merry Christmas to everyone. Remembers the Christmas Mass with live candles. Sometimes things went wrong.
Glen J. – Remembers small town north Minnesota Christmas with grandparents who used the grandchildren as “cheap labor”. There was more talk about what work there would be to do rather than what presents would be under the tree.
Nate R. – Feels sorry for everyone having to eat oyster stew. Remembers the Swedish equivalent of lutefisk, berries / rice and cream, etc.
Betsy W. – Remembers being on Jewish family but being invited to a neighbor’s house for Christmas.
Ron U. – Adds the Betsy’s story that she would also decorate the Christmas tree. Also remembers going to the Presbyterian service and his friend fell asleep.
Bob H. – What a meeting with all these great stories!
