Monday, December 15, 2025

The Reason for the Season




Every year, I tenderly take out of bubble wrap this Nativity set that I purchased the first Christmas of our marriage, 51 years ago! The three angels on the right in the stable wind up over a music box and play the song "Silent Night."

The month of December is a whirlwind! Between shopping, decorating, holiday plans, buying and wrapping presents, attending grandchildren's events at school, and holiday get-togethers and parties, it seems as if the month goes by so quickly! But what really matters this month as Christians is that we remember the "Reason for the Season," which is that December's Christmas Day is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. 




A few years ago, my husband and I went with a few friends to a concert at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood, Colorado, to attend the annual Timothy P Irvin and the Rocky Mountain Stocking Stuffers Concert. All the musicians and singers were very talented, as they sang a combination of Western country and bluegrass Christmas songs. One very remarkable rendition of Silent Night was sung by Jon Chandler. He told us that when he was growing up, his grandparents and great-grandmother lived with his family. His great-grandmother told him as a child that her great-grandfather was Franz Gruber, the composer who wrote the guitar music to the song Silent Night. He then went on to perform the song so beautifully! 

 I found the video above, on YouTube, of him telling the story and singing the song at a different venue. Click here to go to YouTube if you can not see the video. There are so many beautiful renditions of Silent Night, but I think you will also enjoy hearing Jon sing it in English and native German.


Some of the Nativity Christmas ornaments that decorate my Christmas tree.

See my entire Christmas tree in this post


Year after year, the Denver City and County Building is beautifully lit for the Christmas season, and it features a Nativity scene in a display in front.


The beautiful, life-size Nativity set that I loved to see every year in my church when I lived in Brooklyn, New York.


Some of the many other Nativity sets I've admired over the years.

"At this Christmas, when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others 
with God's own love and concern."

~ Mother Teresa


A beautiful sunset this week over our neighborhood.

"The Blessings of Peace,
The beauty of Hope,
The Spirit of Love,
The Comfort of Faith.
May these be your gifts 
this Christmas Season!"

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2026! 

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Monday, December 8, 2025

Early December Holiday Happenings!


I don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, so I decorated our Christmas tree on the first few days of December. It is full of sentimental ornaments that bring back many memories as I place them on our tree.


We were happy to have decorated the outside of our home the day after Thanksgiving, as the cold and snow finally arrived! Colorado experienced significant snowfall over several days following a prolonged drought.



We usually leave some leaves on our lawns in late fall, as we have seen the deer dig under the snow to eat them all winter.  They are good foragers, and they survive on what they can find in the wild.


Santa Claus visits our community in early December, and although our oldest granddaughter is a few months away from becoming a teenager, she agreed to take photos with him again. 
My husband and I joined in, as this might be the last year we see him!



We even get to take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage after seeing Santa Claus!




Our community is about 25 miles west of Denver, located in a valley of the foothills, and on our way back home after seeing Santa Claus, we had this view of dramatic, stormy snow clouds over the city!
 



This past week, we enjoyed listening to our oldest grandson and oldest granddaughter play the viola in a holiday orchestra production at their schools. They both enjoy music very much!


Our youngest granddaughter enjoys ballet, and her ballet school put on a fabulous production of "The Nutcracker" this week.



Our granddaughter had some solo parts in the dance of the "Russian Candy Canes" segment of the ballet, as seen in the short video above.


She was so excited!


As these assorted decorations proclaim ..."It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"...and more busy times are ahead! 
I'll be writing my Christmas cards, baking some traditional cookies, and making savory zeppole that we serve as appetizers.

I'm sure you are all busy too! Enjoy all the fun!


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Sunday, November 30, 2025

The Grateful Season



“I am grateful for what I am and have.
My Thanksgiving is perpetual.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

Thanksgiving may be over but being grateful is never over!

We had a bountiful Thanksgiving Day, full of feasting and family fun! 

Our family consisted of fifteen people this year as our son's in-laws were all invited.  

Pre-dinner appetizers were plentiful!



I do all the cooking and spent three days ahead of time preparing as much as I could to be reheated, with slow cookers helping to keep things warm. I serve buffet style as it saves table space,
For dessert, we had pumpkin and apple pie, almond and lemon gluten-free cake, pumpkin mini cakes, and a chocolate birthday cake for our daughter!

Everyone takes home trays of leftovers, so nothing goes to waste.



I cooked a 24-pound turkey and made turkey stock from the carcass the next day. 

Turkey Stock

1 leftover carcass from a roasted turkey, preferably including neck, wing, and leg bones
4 or 5 onions, quartered 
2 large or 3 small carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
4 large or 5 small celery ribs, cut into chunks
2 large or 3 small garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Sprigs of fresh thyme and sage, if available; otherwise, use a tablespoon each of dried.
3 dried bay leaves
Leftover parsley stems
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
 Salt to taste


Add the roasted turkey carcass to a large stockpot with vegetables and herbs, and add 6 quarts of water. and place over medium-high heat just until the mixture comes to a boil.

Immediately reduce the heat to low, skim any foam floating on top, and simmer, skimming as needed, for 3 hours. 

Add 1 teaspoon of salt and taste. If the stock tastes watery, keep simmering until the stock is flavorful. Taste the stock for salt again and add more if needed.

Strain stock through a sieve into a large container or containers. Discard solids. Let stock cool slightly, then refrigerate. Skim off any fat from the top of the stock when it is cooled

 Use within 4 days or freeze. This stock makes delicious soups!




 I made a big tray of sausage, chestnut, and sourdough bread stuffing for Thanksgiving, and tried a new way to use some of the leftover stuffing as a waffle mixture. My husband was a bit doubtful whether he'd like it,  but after pouring maple syrup over his serving, he did! Your could malso serve the waffle with leftover cranberry sauce.

 Leftover Stuffing Waffle

For each waffle:

To one beaten egg, add two cups of stuffing mixture
 and two tablespoons of turkey stock
Mix together and place the mixture in a well-greased and hot waffle iron. 
Cook until crispy, and the egg is cooked, around 10 minutes. You may need to adjust cooking time according to the size of your waffle maker




A happy event occured the day after Thanksgiving as the Denver area finally had its first snowfall! We have been in a drought, and the snowpack in Colorado has been low for this time of the year. It wasn't much, but my backyard deer visitors seemed to enjoy it!

Now it is December, and time for Christmas decorating, cookie baking, and enjoying the many celebrations of the season!




"The fall air grows colder, winter is soon deep upon us. 
But, no matter the weather, we have Christmas coming with all its goodness."
 ~ Byron Pulsifer


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Monday, November 17, 2025

Fall Is My Favorite Season!


 I showed the beautiful autumn colors in Rocky Mountain National Park a few posts ago—click here to read that post—but fall has been equally beautiful where I live along the Colorado Front Range. This year, we did not have our usual snowfall in October or November, so fall leaves lingered longer.


Fall is my favorite of the four seasons, and I always look forward to seeing its bright, warm colors all along our neighborhood parks and open space trails.



Now, in mid-November, the leaves are slowly falling from the trees and the hills are turning from gold to brown. 

I think this quote describes this part of the fall season perfectly:

“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”

~ Sarah Addison Allen


We have an Emerald Ash Tree in front of our home, and I love the fall colors it shares every Autumn, as seen from both outside and inside my home. It turns from green to yellow, then to shades of orange and red. 

Sadly, the invasive  Emerald Ash Borer has been spreading in our part of Colorado, and we hope to protect our tree from it with special treatment by a certified arborist in the spring.


Fall is a time I enjoy baking and making warming soups for dinner.

A recipe for my Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt can be found here.

Pumpkin bread is here.

Spicy Apple Nut cake is here

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is here.

Lentil Soup With Sausage and Escarole is here. 

(Sadly, escarole is not easy to find in Colorado, so I often substitute kale or spinach for it in this soup)


November has been a month of beautiful skies and sunsets, and yes, the amazing sight of the colorful Aurora Northern Lights seen a few nights in a row! 


It is always a thrill to see a large antlered buck in our back yard this time of the year...


...and this fall, we have been seeing the same doe and her fawn, who often nap in our yard.  

It feels as if we have a pet Bambi!


It has been a wonderful fall, and now I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving!




"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale."

~ Lauren Destefano

To all who celebrate this week....have a very 
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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Sunday, November 9, 2025

Casa Bonita -- a Fun Denver Area Restaurant and Entertainment Center



We visited a quirky Colorado restaurant and indoor fantasy Mexican-style entertainment center called Casa Bonita in October.



The restaurant was decorated for Halloween at the time, and they even changed their outdoor marquee to say "Casa Boonita"!


Reservations are not easy to get at this very popular restaurant and entertainment center, and we felt fortunate to be able to celebrate our daughter-in-law's birthday together!

On the Casa Bonita Fun Facts page, they say:

"The Greatest Restaurant in the World! 

A cultural institution in the Denver area since its opening in 1974, Casa Bonita, under new ownership, is proud to open with a refreshed look and feel, and a brand new culinary team. While maintaining the magical ability to transport guests back in time to 1970s Mexico, Casa Bonita provides an unmatched experience that includes live music, shows, games, and memories that will last a lifetime."



Inside, different facades and themed rooms are intended to invoke regional Mexican architectural styles: for example, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Guadalajara.



After dinner, one can go to Casa Bonita's theater and see a magic show!

It is also fun to travel on foot through the long, dark Black Bart's Cave and find his stash of gold, but beware of ghouls and detours along the way!

One can also buy tickets to play in the arcade, where you can win prizes!

Admission to the restaurant also enables guests to interact with roaming characters in costume, have their face painted, get a balloon animal creation, make a wish in the wishing well, buy souvenirs in the Mercado, listen to a mariachi band, and watch a puppet show.



The most exciting attraction in Casa Bonita is watching the periodic Cliff Diver Show!



Divers appear on the cliffs while music plays, and then they make a daring twisting dive into the water below!



A video of a cliff dive!


\
There are interesting display cases of Casa Bonita's 50-plus-year history memorabilia in one area of the restaurant.

The Casa Bonita Restaurant concept was originally founded in 1968 in Oklahoma City, OK, by entrepreneur Bill Waugh. It later expanded to Tulsa, OK, Little Rock, AR, Fort Worth, TX, as well as Lakewood, CO, but Colorado's Casa Bonita location is the only location still remaining in business.




In 2021, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of the popular animated satirical sitcom South Park, shown on Comedy Central, reached an agreement to purchase Casa Bonita’s Lakewood location, which had been closed since early 2020 due to the Covid pandemic and then bankruptcy. 
Parker and Stone had many memories of going to Casa Bonita as children, and the restaurant meant a great deal to them. They had to invest many millions to refurbish the entire restaurant, and the story about all they faced to reopen Casa Bonita can be seen in the documentary called Casa Bonita Mi Amor.




The South Park character, Cartman. has his own corner in Casa Bonita, and on the day we visited, he was wearing his Halloween costume!




According to the Fun Facts Page:
" The iconic, pink Casa Bonita tower stands 85′ tall and is visible for miles. On top of the tower’s golden dome stands a statue of Cuauhtémoc (kwah-hoo-tem’-ok), the last Aztec Emperor.
The exterior of the building was repainted in 2022 and required over 400 gallons of custom-blended pink paint!"

We had a fun time at Casa Bonita--we visited a few times in the past and enjoyed seeing all the improvements on this visit after its refurbishment. 
It is wonderful that such a fun, iconic place was saved for future generations to enjoy!


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