Christmas in Spooner

Many traditions lived on at Christmas on Cable Lake. Like the date. We Rechsteiner's avoid December 25th, as everyone else then gets to use it and we don't have to do the "Christmas mid-day shuffle" that so many families try to do. Each visit is short-changed and everyone comes away unsatisfied. Ours, this year was January 4th, But they have happened in July. We are not particular........

....Wendy found this beef tenderloin on sale at the Economart and snatched it up. We did it whole, like a prime rib. It was fabulous, you could cut it with a fork.........

....it was a meal fit for royalty, but buffet style.......

....nothing like food to bring out the spirit of family and the holiday..........

....after the meal, the kids were giddy about the opening of gifts. Like these two..........

....we actually had kids this year. The first grand kids for Wendy, Janelle and Todd's Isaac (left) and Laura and Jim's Owen (right) were old enough to really participate and make the whole day for all.

Christmas without kids is a lot like Arbor Day, you know, just a tree..........

....it was a beautiful day, and soon Ian and the others were playing with the snowmobiles and the ice auger. No fish was safe.........

....well, at least this fish was not safe. He and a friend were selected to be late Christmas appetizers.......

....the intrepid fishermen were Jake, Ian, and Callies' Nick............

....there is a tradition where Hannah kisses the fish, but we are not sure where that started (maybe with the Asti Spumante?)........

....another tradition is the laying out of selected old picture books from the archives for all to look at and reminisce. Usually starts more fights than it settles?............

....another tradition is some off-beat gift from Wendy to an unsuspecting child too big to get out of the van. Here Callie and Nick get a laugh out of their new entertainment center and coffee table. The laughter died down when they read the box and found those most dreaded of holiday words: "some assembly required". These words are the statistical cause of most post-holiday murders and suicides..............

....Jake cleaned the fish volunteers.......

....Jake and Wendy apply the Christmas traditional Japanese Panko bread crumbs..........

....the fish go for a final swim in hot oil..............

....and another Christmas comes to a close with a snack fresh from Cable Lake.........

Uncle Hans