My name is Migizi, but you can call me McGee, Gizi, or just Gee. My purr-son, Linda, has been moving slowly after hip surgery, so she enlisted my help to get the Christmas letter done. I’d rather wrap purr-esents, but because I want to remain her fur-iend, I agreed to write the annual Hanstra Year-in-Review.
Read MorePumpkins on the front porch are rotting. Thanksgiving leftovers are almost gone. It’s time to crawl into the storage closet under the stairs and bring out our Christmas decorations. As is our annual habit, we replace our normal decor with festive trimmings.
Read MoreIt was mid-December. We were all waiting. But we weren't waiting like the rest of the world.
In homes, they waited for Christmas. Young children counted the days with their advent chains and calendars, anticipating that wonderful morning when they would tear the paper, fling the boxes, and see their wishes come true.
Read MoreAs I walk through the few remaining rows of Christmas trees, I attempt to sort out my feelings. Growing up, there were hundreds of acres of trees. These few are all that remain. I should feel something, I tell myself. While a little part of me wants to cry, the emotion that’s bubbling up instead is joy.
Read MoreOur annual "Christmas Letter" (a.k.a. Year in Review) is brought to you by the blizzard of 2022. When blizzard warnings, bomb cyclones, and plane delays/cancellations foil Christmas plans, there is still one thing you can count on.
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