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24th	25th Part I		25th II
1956	Christmas at Grandma's.
1957
1958
1959	Grandma's for dinner then we opened our presents. I got pajamas, socks, pencils and a tablet. Home at 6PM. Angi and I played Annie Oakley game. Grandma played Cootie with us. Showed Daddy my draftsman tools. Watched Twilight Zone episode What You Need.
1960	Cleaned mess, put boxes and paper away. Cleaned back porch and kitchen, did the dishes, picked up in the living room and now you can't tell that we had a party. Got to bed at 3:30AM. 10AM Mass. Wrote "Thank You" notes.
1961	High = 23°F. My first shave! We now have a cuckoo clock in the kitchen. 10AM Mass. Chris and I set up a fort in the basement and shot the mortar. Kincy called. Chris got a model plane, books, puzzles, clothes, puppets, rifle, mess kit and more. Angie got a watch and sewing kit. Donelle spent the night and cut Angie's hair.
1963	Bobby Piram, Rodney and Rhonda Brooks over for the day and I got to drive the Bonneville to take them home. Donna and Angi helped entertain them - sang caroles.
1964	Cards.
1965	Was desk clerk until 5PM then bellman until 7PM. Pool at Kincy's with Terri. Watched "Get Smart" epsiode Survival of the Fattest.
1966	Steve came over and we played cards, then went for a ride with Angi and Mike in his '58 Plymouth. Chris and I adlibbed skits ("Peacock Man" takeoff on "Chicken Man" series on radio, "Drunken Santa" and "Columbus Discovers America") onto his new [ed. - 3" reel-reel] tape recorder - good fun. Chris, Mike and I played poker.
1967	Christmas cards.
1968	Here I am with my haul from last night: bar set, electric shaver and bowling ball bag.
1969	Hawaii: Christmas at Hasegawas. Details in Peace Corps Journal. Card is from Ernest - more cards.
1970	Breeze's in the morning where we were joined by the McIntryes and Graeme Coates. Played with Chris' new race track. Julie and Chris gave Ghetto a tin of mackerel and they gave me a handkerchief and 'Crazy Blocks' set. Homemade Card and Christmas tape (8Mb) from Leroy. Christmas cards
1971	Gutzke's in New Ulm with the Towns (sleet so we had to drive on shoulders of 169 at 25mph). Met a lot of Gail's relatives. Joined the men watching Dallas beat Vikings 20 - 12. Meal in basement at half-time. Then we watched the SF - Dolphins game. I got home at midnight.
1972	Whites had a lovo and so they were stealing wood from my backyard. Met, Susi's sister, Elena, the former Sister Depaulis. They brought over gifts: keychain and egg timer. To Whites for bridge at 5PM, but Ian and Susi got in an argument over the play. Susi threw a glass of water into Ian's face. So he poured a glass (of what turned out to be clear kerosene) over her. Then she threw a glass of whiskey and he retaliated with a glass of rum. So we left at 6PM and went to Haysons for a meal (they gave me a pen and Gail a bowl). Listened to Geoff's and Toga's interviews and home at 2AM. Christmas cards.	Choro!!! Cards + Gifts	Geoff Toga
1973	Billiards. Finished typing the records of 1972. Snooker and cribbage. Painted Wile E. Coyote. Christmas cards.
1974	Aldies popped in about 10AM. Doug gave me two "number books" in retaliation for the dental books I had given him (tape). McGhies stopped in with a wooden truck for David. Chas Murphy and Nuki came by with a box of chocolate and stayed for a glass of Corbans Amontillado sherry. Evening at Bensons, the place covered with airplanes. Had a meal with a pinot chardonnay, then a game of BOBS. Stayed until midnight. Christmas cards.		Robert BOBS
1975	Christmas cards. Towns with Chris, who gave David a Fisher-Price jungle train set. Bill and Shirley came by. Ate a couple times. After a tearful goodbye we left, dropped Chris off and went back to Mom's where we packed up the gifts to mail to NZ.
1976	Gayle, Kevin and Kelly came over at 11AM with a Womble book for Te and a rattle for Ne. Pushed Te up and down the driveway in his new wagon. Bensons at 4PM; they are building a big addition to the house. Garage is complete and the roofing is up for the second floor. Peter has a basketball and a backboard so we took shots. Meal. Exchanged gifts and left around 9PM.
1977	Su - Up early for when kids checked out their Santa stockings. Aldies dropped in at 9AM with gifts. Trish knitted me a pair of very small baby booties. Doug gave me two railway ties. I gave him an abacus and The Bald Book. Played a game of horseshoes. Put the sleepers into place by deck. Michewskis came over with gifts for the kids: Wombles toothbrush holder for Te and a Humpty Dumpty for Ne. Evening at Bensons for supper with a sweet Waiherere Reisling. Owen showed me all the new equipment he just bought. Peter has a Pentax camera. I taught Mark how to throw the top we gave him. They gave Te a tug boat with barges. Ne got plastic men. Christmas cards.		Doug/Trish
1978	Kids found their Santa stockings full and let us sleep in. Michewskis - they gave Ne a bracelet and a collapsing cat. Bensons where we were joined by Barbara, Alan and the Joneses. Walked to Coulthard Terrace to look at a horse owned by Joneses. Peter spent evening putting the puzzle that we gave them together. Christmas cards.		Te and Alan
1979	T - Kids didn't discover their socks had stuff for awhile. Te got a cap rocket and each got a flashlight. Put together the Frankenstein model. Bensons at 5PM. Gave us nuts, a telescope for Te and hankies for Ne. We gave them a photo album, fishing gear, mixing bowl. After a meal Bruce set up his plane and after many trials got it into the air.
1980	Th - Kids disappointed that Santa didn't leave what they had asked for and what he did leave was so little (tape). Joyce came at Noon (Dick ill with his colon problem). Mom and Chris came at 1:30PM. After a meal we opened gifts. Gave Joyce a cranberry colored crystal bowl and ice tongs and a case of Hauenstein for Dick. David got a large train set and an airplane. Joyce gave a flying saucer, bobsled and sweaters. Mom gave us a giant plant hanger and a Black and Decker Saw. Lundholms came at 4PM and Joyce left. Had dessert and played Family Feud with Lundholms winning. Kids exchanged gifts (gave Diane a Cinderella record). After they left we played rummy.
1981	F - Kids found Star Wars and Strawberry Shortcake stuff from Santa. I got the globe out for Gail. Mom's (card). She gave us 2 lounge chairs, ouji board, wine, a lamp, Star Wars model, Star Trek model, thermos, photo album with a pictures from this year, Strawberry Shortcake record/book, Emergency game, Know Your America game, Perfection game and 30 other things. Towns came there (gave us a wall clock and auto-coffee maker, David train things including grass and clothes for Ne) Chris, (gave David a train set, two games to Ne and a wine rack and wine for us) and Fishers (Marshall's family, Gloria, Jesse, Don and Dolly). We gave Dick a "Crooked" card deck and gag cigarette. Left at 7PM to go to Dad and Lavonne's (they gave me desk organizer that I am still using in 2013). David got a $2 note and a billfold to put it into and a cowboy shirt. Ne got a dress and Strawberry Shortcake pajamas. Gail was given a cookbook. Chris came home with us at 9:15PM and stayed overnight. Steve M called.
1982	Sa - Kids found Santa gifts - ore unloader for train set and a Ken doll. Ne noted that the oranges had price tags, so Santa must have bought them. Towns turned back from going to New Ulm, many cars in ditch. We drove very carefully to Mom's for a meal with Chris. Opened gifts. Bottle of whiskey, wine, travel bag, porcelain bottles and almond bark. Chris gave us a basket and a green candle holder shaped like a lamp. David a crane and a tanker car for the train set and PACMAN game from Chris. He gave Ne Little Orphan Annie doll, clothes, necklace and makeup. Mom gave David a Lego Star Wars fleet, Careers and Big Deal, and a western town set. Fishers joined us so we had 9 kids running around. Jesse alert and with it. Don and Dolly good fun. Dale and Sheryl. Ate at 8PM and left at 9PM.
1983	Su - High of -3°F. Kids up at 6AM to find Santa's gifts: Star Wars model and pipe loader (train set) for David. Tangerine doll and dish set for Ne. Game of States. Towns at noon, had a couple Tom and Jerrys and lunch. Joyce gave us sleeping bags and Timex watches for the kids. We gave her two lead crystal pieces and a sweater. Gave Dick a shirt. Brought Chris and Mary Ann to Mom's. David got a backpack, Renee running shoes, Gail dishes and a shirt for me. Gave her the carved squirrel. Bob (gave him "Evacaring" certificate), Fishers, Gloria and Jesse came. Had an okay Inglenook Chablis.
1984	T -Kids woke to find that Santa had left David 2 six-shooters and Ne a racoon and baby. Drove over to Town's in the afternoon. Joyce gave Gail and me each a nice quilted lumberjack shirt. Ne got rollerskates and David got a Lego space station. Dick liked the dice cup a lot and we played - Ne was crying because she thought she had lost $50. Picked up Chris and MaryAnn and went to Mom's. Ne got an Ewok doll an David got two Transformers. We were given a big suitcase with wheels. Bob liked the lutefisk book I gave him. Gloria and Jesse told us the story of their near affixiation - great story tellers. Jim and Pat showed up with a big metal container filled with sour cream and chives flavored popcorn. Judy also came with her 17 year old son, Ren.
1985	W - Kids found a golf set in their stockings. Lamorna called, she gives motorcycle lessons in Auckland on weekends. We played "The Game of Auckland". Breeze's to drop off gifts and see Julie at long last. Just a few minutes there, then Benson's. Bruce now at Tip-Top working with Powerbase on an AT. Saw David after 7-8 years - hasn't changed - long-haired anti-establishment intelligensa. McEnwrights dropped in. We called Dad from there - good news, Angi spoke to him for the first time since the divorce and he picked her up at airport and brought her to Mom's. Monty was all blue, from forcing himself through the barrier we had set up. Chris called - he was fired.
1986	Th - Card from Mischewski. Lee boys over with gifts for kids, then Paul over to get a bolt and Karen, who was absolutely beautiful over to wish us a Merry Christmas. Benson's. Mary's mother and 92 year old aunt there. Gave us a bird calendar. Ne a sparkle filled bracelet; David a book and address book. Casual evening of chat around the table. David got stuck into Lego and Ne played "Guess Who" with all challengers. Stayed until 10:30PM.
1987	Opened Mom's gifts: flashing yo-yos. Made a tape to her. Breezes came without Chris who is in Australia. Made a "Thou shalt not thump on Christmas" sign to try to stop Simon. Julie was along with her fiancé Grant Bagley. She brought an okay '85 French Bordeaux, Bacour Pavillon and we had a sweet Babich '87 classic dry. Gave Fran a 4" garbage can and pickled walnuts to Simon. When they left we went to Bensons. Big to-do about me leaving Peter's name off of the Christmas card I had made. Met Key, a Cambodian student at Rosehill. After the meal Owen spent three hours going over his European trip by the half-hour. Finding his roots in Ireland and stumbling onto an opera in Verona. We gave them a book and basket.
1988	Up early to call mom, course couldn't get through and tried all day. Benson's at 7PM to find a humungously large garage going up. Ate straight away (5 desserts including pavlova - I had the mango cheesecake) and went over our OZ trip thru to Canberra, using maps, brochures and photos. Gave them a Click-Clack filled with nuts. Stayed until 11:30PM.
1989	Family woke to find the new Jaffas (raisin and peanut) in Christmas stockings. Whites arrived at 12:30PM. Tracy was Santa. They gave us a water/oil thingie (It has colored oil in water and you turn it over like a sand timer/hour glass and watch the oil go down threw a slide or a wheel). The camera that squirts water was a big hit with Ian and Jackie. He also liked the solar radio. David and Matthew gave each other cap-bombs. Gave Susi a PEZ frog. Gail got jewellery. Douglas came along (video). Barbecue meal and then lots of squirt gunning (video). Volleyball (video). Weather cancelled trip to beach. Played Batman game.
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