By now, all the presents have been unwrapped, undesired gifts returned, and lots of Christmas trees taken down. Another Christmas has come and gone. We spent weeks if not months preparing and it came and went before we knew it. Now all we have is memories. But memories may be the best part because they last long after the lights are turned off and the Christmas cookies are all eaten.

This may seem like a strange title for a column right after Christmas. The holidays are a time of celebration, lights and merriment. One of our holiday traditions has always been to drive around town in the evening and look at the wonderful display of lights.

The 24th Annual Art Scholarship Fundraiser will be held on Tuesday, December 3, in the Kasson-Mantorville High School Commons starting at 3 p.m. Handcrafted items made by Marilyn Fredrickson, a long time K-M art Instructor, will be the featured items for purchase.

By the time you read this, you will probably have finished a large meal, took a nap, and watched a couple of football games. But today’s column will be both a history lesson and a reflection on what some people select as their favorite holiday.

The title of today’s column tells you a lot about my age. That phrase isn’t used by almost anyone beyond the baby boomer generation. It usually refers to a one-sided conversation where one person does most of the talking and the other person is forced to endure what becomes a long monolog. The phrase is also outdated since few people today understand the art or purpose of a conversation.

By the time this column makes the paper, 2/3 of our summer will be over. As I was lamenting the quick passage of July, I realized that today would have been my parents 85th wedding anniversary. They were married in the Norwegian Lutheran Church in Peshtigo, Wis. in 1939. My mom was 23 and dad wasn’t yet 21. They had 63 years together before dad died in 2002.