Well, we just had our second Covid-Easter, but this one was more hopeful, right? It’s hard to believe that in a little over a year, we’d have a vaccine for this thing. (Three, actually, last I heard.) And more good news: Charlie and me are over halfway to being fully vaccinated. We get our second shot this Friday, and then two weeks later…well, I don’t know exactly what happens. I guess you could say we’ll be baked and ready to come out of the oven, gas gauges on full, our force fields up and lasers set to “stun!” Take that Covid-19! The regulations have changed some down to Mahoosuc Green, so yesterday Charlie and me …

Tomorrow’s the day, people: the official cut off for Christmas decorations. And none too soon. Why a couple of weekends ago, Charlie and me are taking a Sunday drive, and I become a little irritated. “Would you look at that?” I ask. “What?” Charlie replies. “All these Christmas decoration everywhere. It’s the middle of January, for God’s sake!” “You say that every year. Besides, technically they have ‘til Groundhog Day.” “I know, but the real Christmas-y stuff should come down sooner, in my opinion. Like look at that place there. It’s just not right.” Charlie pulls over in front of the house in question. “What are you doing, Charlie?” “Why don’t you leave them a …

When you read that title, what was your next thought? Good riddens, right?” I hear you. Wow, 2020 was one heck of a year! And honestly, one I’d hate to do all over again. Aren’t we all ready to flip the page on the calendar? I sure am. But it’d be sad to miss an opportunity to think about what we learned this year, how we got through it. The coronavirus has this way of shining a special spotlight on things we might have been ignoring, or not appreciating, or just plain clueless about. I’ve come up with some questions to ask yourself. You don’t have to answer all of ‘em, of course, but I …

Charlie and me had a nice, quiet Christmas, just the two of us. (As a cashier down to the A&P, I’m on the front lines, so no socializing with loved ones inside for me.) Yes, it was kind of lonesome, but we zoomed with my sister Irene and her family and my dad down to Mahoosuc Green. That helped. We took a long walk with Scamp on the 24th. I cooked us a nice roast pork dinner with homemade applesauce, twice baked potatoes with sour cream and bacon, a green bean bake and a pineapple upside down cake for dessert. Yum! It poured on Christmas day, just like on Thanksgiving. So, 2020, right? But hey, …

Well, I just had my last performance of 2020, and what a year it’s been. Thanks for sticking with my on this journey! I had a big day yesterday, and am too pooped to write much, so I thought I’d share some video clips from “A Very Ida Christmas!” We filmed ’em a few years back. Enjoy! Ho, ho, ho, and all that jazz! That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!  

I have something to confess. As weird as this 2020 holiday season is, there’s something actually kind of nice about it. Usually, by this time in December, I’m busier than a one-armed paper hanger: running here and there, working our craft table down to the Christmas Bazaar at St. Hyacinth’s, shopping, baking, wrapping, yikes! Oh, and don’t forget the overeating (some of it stress related, some of it just me getting swept up in the moment). There would have been my book group’s potluck and Yankee swap, customers down to the A&P bringing in baked goods, the Heavenly Treats booth at the Christmas Bazaar, where I can never yank myself away from Sister Henry Georgiana’s …

Have you noticed? Folks sure are putting up their Christmas decorations early this year. If you follow my blog, you know I have opinions about this: when to put ‘em up and when to take ‘em down. And in normal times, it’s not the middle of November. I’ve always said, Tom Turkey should have his day; no Xmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. But as my co-worker Kim said to me a couple of weeks ago, “It’s 2020, Ida. No rules apply. I already put up my Christmas tree and have started decorating. Don’t judge! I need a little joy in my life, right now!” And you know what? She right! Heck, we’ve already re-thought Thanksgiving, …

Thanksgiving is going to look a little different this year, isn’t it? I know, that can be unsettling. I remember the first one after our mother died. Thanksgiving was always her favorite holiday, and we tried to do it just like she used to. And you know what? It just didn’t work. In fact, it just made us miss her more. As the years have passed, though, we’ve created new traditions, ones that suit us at thatmoment in time. For instance, our niece Caitlin and her boyfriend Adam are a vegetarians, and now we do “stuffin’ muffins” (stuffing not cooked in the bird, but in muffin tins and made with veggie broth). These are great, …

Candy Corn is not a vegetable. I know. It doesn’t seem fair. If it was, let me tell you, Doctor Oz would be very proud of me right now because I’ve been managing to squeeze in at least five servings of candy corn per day. And that’s before lunch. The thing is, I don’t even like candy corn that much. I mean, what is it really? Well, I looked it up, and candy corn is made up of sugar, water, corn syrup and marshmallow, so it’s just packed with nutrients. Get this: a “serving size” is supposed to be 19 pieces. Seriously? I have a bottomless bowl of candy corn at home and every time …

Was the Fourth of July weird for you this year? It was for us up here in Mahoosuc Mills, with no parade or fireworks. But we celebrated anyways up to Dot and Tommy’s camp. It was a great solution to the physical distancing thing. It’s easy to spread out up there. It was the usual suspects: Celeste and Bud, Rita and Smitty, Betty and Pat, Dot and Tommy (of course), Shirley and Junior, and me and Charlie. We were smart about it, and followed the game plan us girls come up with. We all took our temperatures before we went. BYOB. There was hand sanitizer on the food table. When you got near the food …