Christmas 2015

12-11-15.

We celebrated Clay’s birthday today. 

12-19-15.

We had dinner at the Sea Grill today. It is a fancy dining establishment and we go there only for special occasions. Doris took me there after we met. This was my Christmas present for Doris. I hate to buy presents.

After the dinner we drove to the Carson Mansion and enjoyed the Christmas lights.

We also drove past Mary Beth’s house and checked out the decorations on her building. 

Then we visited the Eureka Inn and walked around the entrance hall and the bars. They have some wonderful light displays.

12-25-15.

We had breakfast at Clay and Catherine’s house. Thomas’s half sister and her children were there too. It was time to open the presents.

Doris had bought a panda shirt at the San Diego Zoo. Kinley enjoyed it.

  

In the evening we had dinner at Doris’s house. We had worked for two days to prepare it. Doris backed three pies and one fancy cheese cake. We cooked the turkey yesterday and I cut the meat and we put it in a glass dish and heated it up today. There was also a ham. Besides mashed potatoes there were mashed sweet potatoes, vegetables and stuffing.

Claudia had her father in law, her mother, and mother in law and friend over for dinner. After dinner she came with her family to us for dessert.

The Golden Rule is back

12-6-15

The Golden Rule is back home. She went down to San Diego, to the Veterans for Peace Convention. Along the way supporters gave the crew shelter and food.

We attended today a fund raiser in Manila. Helen presented a slide show of the cruise. She was on board the Golden Rule to San Diego and back. The other crew members did only part of it.

The lasagna dinner with salad was enjoyed by all.

After dinner a band played dance music.

Christmas at the Carson Mansion 2015

12-5-15

Christmas is around the corner. The neighbors have already decorated their front yard.

We went today to the Ingomar Club, at the Carson Mansion, for the Eureka Historical Society Christmas Luncheon.

Eureka business men bought the mansion from the Carson family and formed the Ingomar Men’s Club.

It was strictly a club for men until a few years ago. Now women comprise thirty per cent of the membership.

The building was standing empty for many years and needed a lot of work to bring it back to its original shape.

I used to come to Eureka twice a year and would admire the outside of the mansion. There are no regular tours, only when there is a function in the building.

We had a terrific lunch. I had the salmon dinner and Doris the steak dinner.

While we were eating Chuck was entertaining us. He is known around town. On Monday’s we see him at the Friendship Circle dance. He plays the saxophone in the band. He also plays the piano at the senior center sometimes at lunch time.

The large dining room and the bar are additions to the building.

After lunch Ron and his wife conducted a tour. I decided to do it again.

There are some beautiful stained glass windows.

Most of the rooms are furnished to fit the clubs needs. The former ball room is now a pool room.

The servant rooms have been changed, except one.

One room is the Carson history room. Items from the family are on display.

The view from the tower is spectacular. On a sunny day it would have been better. Right now we have typical Eureka weather. It rains a lot.

Mr. Carson could see from this spot his lumber mill, the trains coming in, and the Carson Block, his giant commercial building in town.

The family dining room has some beautiful wood work.

Doris and I had come separately because in the morning she went to an affair with the University Women’s Organization.

We met at home again, changed clothing and drove to the Fairgrounds for a Craft Show. Doris buys some of her Christmas presents there.

From there we went Down Town for “Arts Alive” which is held the first Saturday of the month. We met Claudia and her friend there, later I saw my grandchildren and their friends. It was raining lightly, but that did not stop the activities.

The art studios and some stores were open late. At 8:00 PM we had enough and went home.