It is hard to believe that is has been three Christmas's since our move to Juneau. Our first holiday was punctuated by a well-packed box of goodies from family in northern Wisconsin, complete with salmon salt-n-pepper shakers. The next year we were more comfortable on our own, but excited about our New Year's
visit to Louisville to spend time with the kids with lots of laughs, gifts and food. This year we will attempt the milk run to Roanoke in mid-January but will spend the holidays comfortable in our new life here in Alaska. I thought it was time to describe the similarities and differences of Christmas in Juneau. Black Friday is just not the same when you have limited shopping opportunities. No Toys R Us, no TJ Maxx or Kohls, no shopping malls - not even a Walgreens, my favorite one-stop holiday destination! We do have Fred Meyer, Walmart, Western Auto & Marine and Joanne Fabrics. Those stores along with some local shops like a seasonal Ben Franklin and
the Alaskan Brewery Depot store mean shopping is limited in town. I sat at home on "Black Friday" slightly amused at the lack of ads in our local paper - I was used to the hefty Milwaukee Journal of years past - but happy that my wallet was not empty!
A local tradition on Thanksgiving weekend is the Public Market, a "fair" of vendors from Alaska and the upper northwest selling native crafts, scenic framed art and photos and handmade items. I did stop at Freddies for 1/2 price Christmas cards and at Joanne's just to look around (do I really need more scrapbooking supplies? An emphatic NO!). We did spend the evening celebrating the start of the holiday season with friends at the Perseverance Theatre seeing a production of "Treasure Island" and enjoying pizza at Island Pub, which may become a new tradition. There are only a few Christmas tree lots in town but we did find a great small tree in a backyard downtown (they were
selling them, we didn't just cut down the landscaping). Three work-related Christmas parties had us exchanging our extra-tuffs for more formal wear (your good jeans!)
and enjoying great food, drinks and gifts with friends. An impromptu "white elephant" gift exchange last evening at our Friday happy hour at the boat condo will be followed by a winter solstice party tonight at the Auke Rec park shelter, certainly a different spin on a holiday gathering. Today is the shortest day of the year where, in Juneau, we will experience 6 hours 30 minutes 20 seconds of daylight - that means almost 18 hours of darkness. Christmas Eve will be spent with friends (thanks, Cori!) and at Faith Lutheran Church celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day will find us watching "A Christmas Story" and enjoying some bubbly along with some salmon and crab, frozen from our summer catch. Skyping with the kids will help us relive memories of Christmas's past, and we thank them for allowing us to be so far away during the holidays. Christmas traditions may be different here than where you are, but we have found we have only
added to our memories with these new experiences. Merry Christmas to all of you, and make new memories wherever you are!
It is hard to believe that is has been three Christmas's since our move to Juneau. Our first holiday was punctuated by a well-packed box of goodies from family in northern Wisconsin, complete with salmon salt-n-pepper shakers. The next year we were more comfortable on our own, but excited about our New Year's
visit to Louisville to spend time with the kids with lots of laughs, gifts and food. This year we will attempt the milk run to Roanoke in mid-January but will spend the holidays comfortable in our new life here in Alaska. I thought it was time to describe the similarities and differences of Christmas in Juneau. Black Friday is just not the same when you have limited shopping opportunities. No Toys R Us, no TJ Maxx or Kohls, no shopping malls - not even a Walgreens, my favorite one-stop holiday destination! We do have Fred Meyer, Walmart, Western Auto & Marine and Joanne Fabrics. Those stores along with some local shops like a seasonal Ben Franklin and
the Alaskan Brewery Depot store mean shopping is limited in town. I sat at home on "Black Friday" slightly amused at the lack of ads in our local paper - I was used to the hefty Milwaukee Journal of years past - but happy that my wallet was not empty! 
A local tradition on Thanksgiving weekend is the Public Market, a "fair" of vendors from Alaska and the upper northwest selling native crafts, scenic framed art and photos and handmade items. I did stop at Freddies for 1/2 price Christmas cards and at Joanne's just to look around (do I really need more scrapbooking supplies? An emphatic NO!). We did spend the evening celebrating the start of the holiday season with friends at the Perseverance Theatre seeing a production of "Treasure Island" and enjoying pizza at Island Pub, which may become a new tradition. There are only a few Christmas tree lots in town but we did find a great small tree in a backyard downtown (they were selling them, we didn't just cut down the landscaping). Three work-related Christmas parties had us exchanging our extra-tuffs for more formal wear (your good jeans!) 
and enjoying great food, drinks and gifts with friends. An impromptu "white elephant" gift exchange last evening at our Friday happy hour at the boat condo will be followed by a winter solstice party tonight at the Auke Rec park shelter, certainly a different spin on a holiday gathering. Today is the shortest day of the year where, in Juneau, we will experience 6 hours 30 minutes 20 seconds of daylight - that means almost 18 hours of darkness. Christmas Eve will be spent with friends (thanks, Cori!) and at Faith Lutheran Church celebrating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day will find us watching "A Christmas Story" and enjoying some bubbly along with some salmon and crab, frozen from our summer catch. Skyping with the kids will help us relive memories of Christmas's past, and we thank them for allowing us to be so far away during the holidays. Christmas traditions may be different here than where you are, but we have found we have only added to our memories with these new experiences. Merry Christmas to all of you, and make new memories wherever you are!
