A Venice Winter Wonderland

Yesterday was one of the most charming days that happens in Venice, with both the Abbot Kinney Holiday Stroll and the Venice Canals Holiday Boat Parade falling on the same day.The day could not have been more gorgeous for Sunday outside, and the snow hill piled up in The Brig parking lot was in the process of melting all day.

Local children lined up to get their annual chance to experience snow in town, with a long sledding queue stretching around the parking lot as kids ran back to get in line again the minute they hit the hay bale finish line.

Sledding was not the only attraction by far, as kids could get their faces painted all fun, sit and make holiday crafts, and most importantly, sit on Santa's lap to relay their Christmas wishes to the jolly old fellow (and this was a really good, twinkly eyes, real beard Santa!).

With all the squeals of delight and happy, laughing faces, it's hard to believe that a Scroogey neighbor complained almost enough to deny our local kids the fun.

Listen, whoever you are ... RELAX. It's once a year. Some kids don't have the resources to get up into the mountains and see real snow, and this is there only shot. It's during the day. It's adorable. You really need to get over yourself, mostly for your own good. In my experience, nobody likes the buzzkill crabby neighbor, and word spreads fast. I"d concern yourself more (and your time would be better spent) with the Bang and Olufsen pop up shop on Abbot Kinney that blasted lousy house music until 2 am on Saturday night. They're days are numbered here in Venice too.

OK, back to awesomeness! Carolers strolled the boulevard, and little stuffed elves were hidden around the boulevard in front of shops that kids could discover and go inside and get a prize. Like a neighborhood Elf On The Shelf. Fun!

It was great to see what felt like all of Venice out in the sunshine, loving every minute of it. I've never seen the kids of Venice happier, and the whole operation was simply heart warming.

The fun of the day rolled right on into the evening, as it was also the Holiday Boat Parade over in the Canals. My friends, the Revelins, were hosting a fun party at their home on the Canals, so we had a beautifully perfect vantage point to watch the boat floats sail past.

The skies had now shifted into a rather ominous cloud mass, but the Christmas carols and holiday spirits were more than a formidable match for any dampening. The Revelins had what might be the most perfect for Venice Christmas tree I've ever seen. A surfboard tree!

The parade kicked off as the sun was setting, and the first boat to pass us by was a Batmobile, with a Batman that assured us he did NOT smell, and a Robin that really DID lay an egg.

There was a crowd favorite featuring a polar bear, with a sign asking us to "Lend a paw to help the thaw." So great.

There was a menorah float, there was a fantastic igloo, there was a floating gingerbread houseboat, all paddling as fast as they could to outpace the encroaching thunder clouds.

Alas, the rain won that race, but nobody seemed to care, as it just made it feel more wintery that we were experiencing actual weather.

A beautiful sea horse led float may have been my favorite, though I did confuse them for dragons at first.

When the rain picked up steam, we retired inside to sing Christmas carols led by our host, Rick, on guitar. The best was the whole gang belting out "War is over, if you want it ... !" at the top of our lungs together. It turns out we really do want it. It was perfect.

While warming up with our holiday cheer inside, the stars re-emerged outside, and it was time to take a stroll around the canals to see how all the bridges were decorated.

There was a bridge with ships, and a bridge with a Matterhorn looking mountain on it. All the lovely bridges reflected their lights on the water, and as people were photographing each other atop the bridges, new friendships were made. Everyone was laughing so hard in every photo, it was kind of hard to get a good one. Not a bad problem to have.

A bunch of our Venice crew was in New York to celebrate the wedding of our friend, Lexi, but another big bunch of us couldn't be there, so it was perfect when we crossed the bridge that said "Kiss" across the top of it, with a sign saying that if you kissed on this bridge, it would be eternal love. I blew a kiss to Lexi and Lewis and wished them exactly that!

And really, LOVE is the whole point of this season, and for events like this. Spending time with our loved ones, letting them know how much we love them, and going big to celebrate exactly that.

Love was also ALL I felt for our Venice yesterday, with its spirit of humanity and fun and good times always buoying up the proceedings. Thanks and love to all involved for what was a complete blast of a special, memorable day!

Fa la la la la la la la LA!

Home For The Holidays - Happy New Year!

It's the very last day of 2013 and as I walked along the glorious beach this morning, I gave it a lot of thought. I just got back from the best time ever back home for the holidays, and that gave me a lot to think about too. Like the people and things that matter. And how truly grateful I am to have two places that I consider home.

Minnesota is one of the best places on Earth to be for Christmas. It just feels exactly like it should. This year particularly cooperated, with snow falling just about every day, creating a sparkling Winter Wonderland wherever you went.

Of course, this is the time of the year when my first name becomes a verb - Carol.

I don't think I've ever sung more than I did in the last couple of weeks. From a caroling party with celebrants gathered around the piano, belting it out with all we had, to good old-fashioned outside door to door revelry as snow fell (and you better believe we had some nice full mugs to warm our hands and insides) all around us.

I went to Wood Lake and reflected as long as I could before honestly starting to freeze to death. I dragged Mom along with me, and felt so incredibly happy that after all her health drama and fear earlier this year, we were together for Christmas, and she felt great. That was my very favorite part of the holidays, in fact, just doing all the traditional things with Mom, but loving and cherishing them all more than ever.

Things moved me more than ever too. I still feel somewhat dehydrate after all the tears I shed, not from being sad, but just from being incredibly touched by every last thing. I saw Mom direct her choir at her Daughters Of Norway party, and saw how well-respected she is by everyone.

I saw a brilliant performance of All Is Calm (The Christmas Truce of 1914) by Cantus and the Theater Latte Da, written by Peter Rothstein. Beautiful singing that illustrated the absolute futility of War. I cried my eyes out. I saw Saving Mr. Banks with my Mom and brother and nearly had to leave the theater from crying. I saw my friends' kids growing up (Elsie! Inga! Jane! Kate! All of 'em!!!) and blowing my mind and tears sprang to my eyes just to be there with them all. It was a highly emotional week for me, for sure.

The emotional capper was probably attending the Norwegian church (Mindekirken) for Christmas Eve service with my Mom. All the people were decked out in their Norwegian sweaters, their voices reaching for the wooden rafters singing Silent Night together in Norwegian. I looked at my Mom's face as we sang by candlelight, and got so choked up I couldn't finish.

A male tenor beautifully sang "O Holy Night" to close the service, and left me a complete puddle. We ran into my family's oldest friends, Dan and Mary, as we were leaving, and the newly falling snow made the night that special kind of silent. I'll never forget it.

I also laughed until I cried. My cheeks still hurt and I'm sure I have new wrinkles, but it was more than worth it. My hometown friends are some of the very best people in this big world, and some of the funniest too. It helps that I always know they're out there rooting for me too. Always.

They are also some of the kindest. The entire Krsnik/Hendrickson clan added the Gronners into their family tree last week, and a blast was had by all.

My Fairy Goddaughter, Jane, sang more carols with her Aunt Julie, and I was bursting with pride for her, and how talented she already is.

It also wouldn't be a Hendy Christmas without some stitches and this year it was little Leo Oss' turn. 3 to the lip. That's how they get 'em ready for hockey. Speaking of hockey, I like to say that Minnesota is where the Moms PLAY hockey. I went to my first Hot Tamales game at the good ol' Richfield Arena, and was floored at how good these ladies are, and at how into it you get. Between all the caroling and the yelling for goals, I'm still a little hoarse.

I went to the places that MUST be gone to when I'm home, like Ingebretson's, the Scandinavian shop and deli. I got re-stocked up on lefse, and delighted in the thick Minnesota accents you hear inside those walls. A true treasure in Minneapolis. Also, the best smell on Earth is Mom's julekage baking while you're sitting next to the Christmas tree. No contest.

Besides the people, the lakes are probably my most treasured parts of home. It doesn't matter that it's sub-zero out, the lakes always have people out on them. It's just too beautiful to stay inside.

It was so special to spend quality time with my loved ones, and I hope they know how very much they all mean to me. I get stronger every time I go home and touch - and am touched by - my roots. These folks are the real deal. Salt of the Earth. Minnesota NICEST. I am blessed beyond measure by each and every one of them. And I know it.

There is nothing like a winter sunset in Minnesota ...

... except perhaps a winter sunset in Venice. I'm so happy that I have a place to come back to from such a precious trip home, or I'd probably be really bummed. Instead, I'm again blessed and more than know that too.

2013 was super hard in a lot of ways, for a lot of people. I heard that the most stressful things people can go through are the illness or death of a loved one, moving and starting a new job ... I did all of that in one month this year! I cried harder than I ever have, both with fear and joy. I loved more truly and unconditionally than I ever thought possible. I found out that sometimes that doesn't matter, and sometimes that's all that does. I learned a lot. I laughed a whole lot. I gave. I received. I LIVED.

As we kick off 2014 (I think the new year's motto will be "Greatness is foreseen in '14!"), that's the thing to remember. LIVE - with your whole heart and soul. MEAN it. And remember what it is we're striving for ....

 HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!!! Here we go .... !!!